The rain was still falling, hissing softly against the ground as lightning flashed across the sky.

  Aleck rushed toward the open church door as if his life depended on it. The moment he stepped inside, his whole body tensed, as though an enemy could appear from any direction.

  His eyes instinctively looked back toward the guard, who seemed unsure whether to leave or investigate further. Aleck didn't wait. He turned and ran straight toward the front hall.

  His body froze.

  Lightning flashed again, briefly illuminating the hall.

  Father Lucen's body was resting against the wall.

  Blood dripped slowly from his chest and mouth.

  Aleck couldn't move.

  For a moment it felt as if shackles had been tied around his legs.

  He knew he had to walk closer to Father Lucen, yet somewhere in his mind he kept telling himself that this had to be a dream. That he would wake up at any moment.

  He clenched his fist and punched his own face.

  Pain shot through him.

  It wasn't a dream.

  With all the strength he had left, he ran toward Lucen's lifeless body.

  "Father Lucen… it's too late at night for you to be playing jokes…" Aleck said, his voice trembling.

  But the moment he came close enough to truly see him—

  His legs gave out.

  Aleck collapsed to the floor.

  Tears began streaming down his face.

  "How… how is this possible?" he whispered in shock.

  Aleck had always believed he was strong enough to face anything.

  But seeing this—

  He suddenly bent forward and vomited everything he had eaten during dinner at Olric's mansion.

  "Augh… augh…"

  Still crying, Aleck crawled across the floor toward Lucen.

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  "Father Lucen…"

  His voice broke as he called out again.

  But there was no answer.

  Aleck began punching the floor.

  Again.

  And again.

  And again.

  His fists struck the stone until blood began to drip from his hands.

  He didn't want to look at Lucen's body.

  He couldn't bear it.

  Yet eventually he forced himself to raise his head.

  And when he saw it—

  His kind father was still smiling.

  Even in death.

  Aleck's mind went blank.

  The world around him faded.

  He could no longer hear the rain.

  Or the thunder.

  Or anything at all.

  "Oh my Goddess… what happened here?" the guard muttered as he stepped closer.

  Aleck didn't react.

  His body remained completely unresponsive.

  The guard immediately became alert, thinking the attacker might still be nearby. He glanced around the church before approaching cautiously.

  "This is a crime scene now. You can't come any closer," he said sharply.

  But Aleck didn't move.

  The guard clicked his tongue in irritation and walked past him toward the body.

  He crouched down beside Father Lucen.

  What kind of weapon could make a hole that large? the guard wondered.

  Carefully, he reached out and closed Lucen's eyes, which had been left open.

  A sudden crash of thunder shook the church.

  Aleck flinched.

  His gaze fell once more on Lucen's corpse.

  Then suddenly he stood up and ran.

  As fast as he could.

  "What the hell is wrong with you, you idiot?!" the guard shouted after him. "If I catch you again, I'll beat the shit out of you!"

  But the guard quickly lost interest. He had more important things to worry about than a frightened black-haired boy.

  That damned black-haired devil… the guard thought bitterly. Hope he falls into the river and dies.

  With that, he turned and hurried off to bring reinforcements.

  Aleck ran.

  Just like he always did. Just like he always had.

  Running from things he couldn't face. Running toward nothing in particular.

  His legs never seemed to tire when it mattered the least.

  Rain still fell, dripping down the stone streets of Embrek as lightning struck across the sky. He ran through the empty market district, past the baker's shop and the vegetable vendor. Not a single soul was there to see him.

  Just like always.

  His legs carried him—coincidentally, or perhaps exactly where his mind had already chosen—to the tall tower where he often climbed to watch the sky and the drifting clouds.

  Aleck was still crying like a child.

  Even without looking, his body knew how to climb the tower. His hands gripped the familiar stones as he climbed higher and higher until he reached the top.

  He sat there.

  Slowly, his crying stopped.

  Not because the grief had passed. He had simply run out of tears.

  Every time he looked toward the edge of the tower, he imagined Lucen standing there — floating in the air, still smiling, just like he always had.

  Aleck stared at the empty edge for a long time.

  The rain kept falling.

  The thunder kept rolling.

  The world had no interest in stopping for him.

  Eventually, one thought surfaced above the rest. Not a decision. Just a question that wouldn't leave him alone.

  Why.

  Lucen was powerful. Far too powerful to be killed easily. Whatever had happened between him and the tattooed man — it wasn't random. It wasn't senseless. There was something beneath it that he didn't understand yet.

  He remembered the forest. The man stepping between Amber and the monkey without flinching. The lotus placed gently in her hands.

  He didn't seem like someone who killed without reason.

  That thought didn't comfort him. It just made the question heavier.

  Lightning split the sky.

  Aleck looked once more toward the edge of the tower.

  Lucen was no longer there.

  He sat with that absence for a while longer.

  Then, quietly — not with anger, not with fire, just with the exhausted certainty of someone who has run out of other options —

  "I can't keep running."