Even though Vin was in a hurry, his travel time was halved because he had to walk at the unfortunate man's pace. Although both likely had many questions for each other, it was a quiet trip. The only words passed were Vin telling them to stop because a patrol was near.

  He thought being alone with a Human after so long would be refreshing, but it was the opposite. Traveling with Ravenours would be less uncomfortable. He just hoped the rest of humanity hadn't lost their spirit, or Auroraan would continue belittling them.

  It was a long walk. By the time they returned to the compound, the last remnants of sunlight were retiring. Vin couldn't sense any living souls, so he went right inside the fenced wreck yard and met his Mirror. His Shade saw and observed the slim, brown-haired male. "You found them."

  Vin nodded, roaming to the wooden, four-door vehicle, an admirable cross between a fantasy carriage and an SUV. Q.Q leaned their head in, squinted at the craft, and then at the two identical individuals. Vin could tell their vision was bad by how long he observed them.

  Q.Q's tone was timid, and they averted their gaze when they questioned, "Who... How is this possible?"

  Vin ran his hand along the smooth surface of the craft, flatly replying, "Twin brother, he made the vehicle."

  The slightly older male rubbed his nape in skepticism.

  The Shade surveyed the timid discoverer, shook his head in disappointment, and turned back to his counterpart to update them on progress, "We finished a while ago. The Ravenours I sent to notify the other survivors should have made contact by now, too."

  "Chucky and the others?" Vin asked.

  "Gone," the Shade replied, looking up at the darkening sky. "It'll take over an hour for regular people to reach the city gates by foot, so I sent them ahead first."

  "I just stayed to make sure things were good on your end before joining them."

  Vin looked at them inquiringly, "Joining them?"

  The duplicate nodded, clarifying, "Yea, most of the knights should be at the main gate now, but there may still be patrols on the street. Gonna make sure Hughton and Less makes it out alright."

  They motioned at the vehicle with their head, "You're late, so Gideon's group probably already returned with supplies and left with everyone. You take the wheels and catch up."

  "I didn't have time to make something bigger, so six is a full load. That means you can just hold Maeve and three more."

  "I'll make it work," Vin declared, walking to the stylized SUV and telling his counterpart, "We're going the same direction, so i'll give you a lift halfway."

  "Nah," the mirror self sounded. He whistled, and their childhood skateboard, recently given life with the soul-infusing magic called Animate, zoomed over. The outer rim of the board was glowing with the spell of Marking, so a trail of purple light was left behind it like a sports car with underglow.

  "I'll be faster on a board," the Shade said, the skateboard roving around them like a dog happy to see its owner. They hopped on the animated tool, and it began to travel without him using his feet. The double looked back as they departed but withheld whatever comment they were about to make and exited without so much as a goodbye.

  Vin watched them roll away on their glowing skateboard. He, too, wanted to say more to himself, yet the words didn't seem to form, so he just mumbled, "Thanks."

  He was on the way to utilize the Shades project when his mind was struck again. He squeezed his head as an evil, invisible force tunneled into his skull. It felt like dozens of sharp, icy claws dug into him, trying to pry its way inside his barricaded doors. He fought the aggressive attack, knowing the consequences of losing. If that darkness was allowed entry into his mind, they could track exactly where he was.

  The thrashing nor the voices ceased this time. Their relentless persistence was maddening. His mind should have been a place of solitude, somewhere private. However, lately, it had only been overrun by countless intruding voices.

  Q.Q noticed his struggle and gently asked if he was okay. But Vin's mind was still a battleground, his own thoughts clashing with the many invaders. The weight was unbearable- he couldn't take any more. When the man checked on him again, Vin's frayed patience finally snapped. His eyes burned with irritation as he barked, "I'm fine! Get in the fucking car!"

  Q.Q flinched, recoiling as if struck. His hands trembled, one clutching the bottom of his dirty, torn shirt, the other holding his Journal. He seemingly lowered his presence, his posture dropping into an anxious hunch, staring at the ground as he entered the vehicle and closed the door softly.

  Just about as soon as Vin took the driver seat, Bonely tapped into his mind, alerting him in a rare, annoyed tone, "That person already claimed your creation."

  Vin scowled, snatched the man's Journal, and held it out of reach, "Do you always take credit for someone else’s creation!?"

  The battered man became wide-eyed and sank into the seat, "S-Sorry. I should have considered that you would want to be the one that discovered it first..."

  "I did it without thinking... But I added your name to the page so-."

  Bonely, possessed by something unknown to Vin, connected to the other person's mind, exclaiming, "Does that justify the offense? Does your background as a researcher give you claim to another's right of discovery?"

  Q.Q's hand grabbed his head, and he jerked away as if that would rid the sudden voice in his mind. At the same time, Vin reached behind his back, yanked the skeleton spine in front of him, squeezed, and raged, "Don't EVER let someone else into my mind without my permission!"

  The assistant quivered at his fury, "S-sorry sir, I just assumed because he was also Human, it would be o-"

  "I won't tell you again!" He interrupted. The discoverer, just recently a captive, was pressed against the far door, squeezing their chest and shivering. Vin glanced at them, scoffed, and tossed their Journal onto their lap.

  Vin slammed his head against the steering wheel and cursed. He knew neither of them meant any harm, but right now, everything was just so exasperating. He took a moment to breathe, then channeled the Rotate spell through the vehicle to make the wheels revolve. His counterpart had already enchanted it, so it moved silently, although the lack of suspension made it uncomfortable.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Despite never driving a real car, it was easy to control. He could increase the amount of mana he channeled with the Rotate spell to accelerate. And running the magic counterclockwise made the SUV brake. There was no speedometer, but they effortlessly reached the speed of a modern engine car.

  The roads were wide enough to maintain decent speed while traveling through the city. He was sure Maeve would never wait for him and put her people in jeopardy, but he decided to drive to the hideout as a precaution.

  <>

  It was dark by the time they arrived at home base. Extremely so. Clouds covered up the moon, and you could barely see down the road since there were no street lights. There was also an ominous chill in the air that made him even more uneasy.

  Vin pulled up outside the house and scanned the area with his soul-sense. What he found made his chest constrict.

  There were people inside. A lot of them.

  He violently stomped the driver's door open and exited the vehicle before slamming the door. 'What the hell is she thinking!'

  'They should have been left! Even if we leave now, we have to walk because there are too many of those savages to fit in the car!'

  His composure melted. It was only for a moment. But that was all it took for a fierce storm of evil to hurricane through his head. A violent smash broke down his mind's walls, and horrible presences blasted him. He clenched his skull, falling to his knees, feeling his psyche ripped bare and exposed.

  Bonely was speaking, but its voice was drowned out. A feeble hand pressed onto his back and shook him with urgency, rocking his body back and forth. A minute later, the bombardment began settling.

  Why?

  Because those rotting creatures got what they wanted. Vin, breathing heavily with cold beads rolling down his body, punched the concrete ground, whispering with a dire gasp, "They know where I am."

  Vin got up and made the discoverer get back inside the carriage-style SUV. He hurried inside the elven home, and everyone's eyes plastered on the hooded individual.

  All thirty people. Mostly weak Artisans to boot.

  Vin froze in daze.

  "Master," Bonely urged. Guiding him back to reality. Vin blinked and pulled his hood down, exposing his irate face. There was not a single supply container in sight. Even worse, all the Adventurers were still missing.

  Vin turned his furious gaze to Maeve, who was already approaching him on her crutch with Tristen. Both of their spirits were anxious. However, the sight of their ally's safe return alleviated their soul. The pink-haired Ravenour was forming a welcoming smile when Vin erupted, "Where the hell is Gideon! What happened!"

  The horned woman and the guard halted, their faces contorting with awe. Vin, usually a mild, logical thinker, eyed the large group of Ravenours and shouted, "Why are you still here, you were supposed to leave an hour ago!"

  Heavy creeks sounded as Vin stomped to Maeve with a vicious scowl. Tristen bucked in front of the royal, returning a heated stare, "You need to calm down."

  "Calm down?!" Vin barked. "Over three hundred Ravenours are marching to the city border as we speak. And the ladder they need to escape is still here with us!"

  "I spent hours finding these people for you, Maeve! You!" He didn't truly care whether those strangers lived or died. Nevertheless, his disturbed mind twisted the thought, making it matter. The idea that his efforts might be wasted ignited a bitter anger within him.

  As he grew irate, Maeve dropped her crutch, reached past Tristen, and roughly tugged Vin in, whispering angrily, "This isn't the place!"

  Her long black hair swayed fiercely as she hauled him to the unlit backyard and shoved him against the exterior wall. Her ruby eyes burned with a flame hot enough to combat his own, and her barbaric strength locked him against the surface, unable to move.

  "Compose yourself!" she snapped. "We are troubled enough without you loosing your temper."

  Vin gripped the arm that pinned him down, shouting at her through the night, "Whose fault is that, princess!?"

  The panel behind him creaked as an inhuman force drove into his chest, threatening to cave it in. It became harder to breathe, yet he still resisted the royal, who snarled and remarked, "You are forgetting your place, Vin."

  She inched her heated face in, threatening in a chillingly calm manner, "Do not take my favor of you as a means to act senseless. If you pose a threat to our ranks I will rid of you."

  'Rid of me?!' His troubled mind fumed. He'd always held doubt of the validity of his relationship with Ravenours. Maeve, Tristen, Gideon, they only tolerated him, a Human, because he was strong. And now that he didn't have his flames, the mighty ruler was willing to drop him like rubbish.

  Vin's jaw unlocked before thinking, and he scoffed in her face, "You would all be DEAD without me."

  Maeve's expression hardened into a deep frown. She released him with a sharp shove and said with heavy disdain in her voice, "I am disappointed in you."

  She limped to the center of the yard with deliberate determination. Turning back, she raised her fist high, her fiery gaze locking onto him as she commanded. "Come."

  Vin cast a dark look at her while rubbing his aching chest, "What?"

  "I will spare you execution and punish you for your offenses myself," she said, her eyes burning through the darkness.

  Indignation led Vin to challenge her back. The one-winged royal was still a Ravenour, so he didn't hold back when he threw the first punch.

  He never felt so foolish.

  His fist launched into her face and nearly shattered. He didn't think she was an Expert rank like Kaelix, yet her body was just as sturdy. He should have known; after all, she picked up the quartz sword, whereas Gideon failed.

  Maeve mirrored his punch, her fist connecting with enough force to launch him onto his back. A pained groan escaped his lips, but before he could recover, she straddled him and gripped his hoodie. With a sharp yank, she hauled his head off the floor, her intense gaze locking onto his. "You have saved me and the life of my guards numerous times, and for that, you have my deepest gratitude."

  "But, how dare you merit yourself for the survival of all my subjects. As if they did not also suffer, and struggle to survive."

  "We are not just alive as a product of your service. We are alive because we are Ravenours."

  Maeve released him and stood. "I meant everything I said before. You are intelligent, brave, and relentless. That is why I know you will conquer whatever is weighing on your spirit."

  She returned home, leaving Vin alone. The cold, hard ground felt oddly comfortable as he wiped the crimson liquid from his lip and stared at the moon. He was still furious, but not at Maeve... The thing was, he was never really mad at any of them.

  Vin pulled his arm over his eyes to hide his sour expression, scorching humiliation beneath his skin. 'I think I'd rather die.'

  It was a brief contemplation, but he believed death would be less painful than to show such a pathetic side of himself. Getting knocked down by Maeve, a woman with one working leg, inadvertently caused him to think about his sister, Macy. She was as gifted at karate as he was at skating, so he often ended up on his back when they fought.

  Evidently, none of the lessons she taught him meant anything against fictional creatures mixed with the blood of dragons.

  Vin clicked his teeth, picked himself up, and removed his dirt-covered clothes. The dark murmurs continued, but he let them run their course. He was afraid, yes, but more than that, he was fed up and angry.

  Rage was a fuel that could overcome fear. And right now, scared or not, he was prepared to release his fury upon the nightmares that haunted him.

  Vin hailed his book of [Items] and summoned a new cultist attire. After getting dressed, he returned to the living room, ready to put an end to this chapter.