The city was quiet, almost unnaturally so.

  Above us, the stars hung motionless in the dark sky, their cold glow barely touching the streets below.

  Rath led the way, moving through the temple grounds with more energy than I’d seen in weeks. Vera and I followed, though she wasn’t thrilled about it.

  “This is a terrible idea,” she muttered under her breath.

  She was nervous—about the Ranking, about tomorrow, about everything. But she still came. I wondered if Rath knew she would come as long as I did.

  If I was just bait.

  I was okay with that.

  These past six months had been exhausting—I didn’t mind a distraction.

  The Cellar

  Rath stopped near an old, forgotten part of the temple grounds, brushing away loose debris before gripping a rotting wooden board. With a grunt, he pried it up, revealing a narrow opening leading underground.

  “It’s down here.” His voice carried a rare excitement.

  Vera gave me a look, then sighed. “This better be worth it. This place is disgusting.”

  “Oh, it is,” Rath grinned, dropping down first.

  When we climbed inside, the scent of aged wood and damp stone filled my nose. The space was tight, barely more than an old maintenance tunnel, but tucked against the back wall were several dusty bottles.

  “This place is great,” Rath said, brushing off one of the bottles with reverence. “It’s a relic from when they built the city. My brother told me about it—said no one comes down here anymore. But the booze?” He held up a bottle, inspecting the faded label. “They don’t even make this brandy anymore.”

  Alcohol.

  That’s what he meant by blowing off steam.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  I should’ve guessed.

  I exhaled. Too late to back out now.

  I just had to make sure these two didn’t do anything too stupid.

  The three of us sat huddled around what looked like an old red carpet—worn, faded, barely holding onto its color.

  I glanced around the cellar, imagining what it must have looked like when it was new. The long stone bar, once polished, was now just broken rock with specks of wood where a countertop used to be. The walls, probably once adorned with cabinet shelves full of expensive liquor, were now bare.

  This was definitely a bar.

  A strange feeling settled in my chest. Nostalgia for something I never even saw.

  Rath let out a breath and took a deep swig from the bottle. His face was already turning red.

  “You know, Elias…” He swayed slightly, staring at the old stone floor. “I didn’t like you very much at first. But you’re not so bad.”

  I could already feel Vera’s scowl without even looking at her.

  “Rath, be nicer,” she muttered. “Elias is a doll.”

  Her face flushed, and I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or embarrassment.

  “That he is,” Rath smirked, looking down at his feet.

  Vera shoved the bottle into my chest.

  I lifted it to my lips, tilting it back just enough to make it look convincing—but I kept my mouth closed. They didn’t notice.

  I wasn’t making the same mistake from my past life.

  I knew where this led.

  I was just here to keep these two safe.

  The Weight of the Ranking

  “You know what’s not a doll?” Rath’s voice suddenly spiked, his words slurring. “This stupid Ranking. It’s a joke.”

  I barely had time to process what he said before he laughed bitterly, shaking his head.

  “But my family won’t accept that.”

  I glanced at Vera—she was looking at her feet now. She must’ve known why this was so hard for Rath.

  “Be glad your family isn’t Nonkin,” Rath muttered. “And your dad actually has some damn backbone. I respect that, Elias.”

  His eyes flicked to mine, narrowed and tired, like he was holding back from crying.

  I had no idea what to say.

  So I listened.

  Vera’s Hesitation & Rath’s Breaking Point

  Vera finally spoke, her voice gentle, hesitant—like she didn’t want to say the wrong thing.

  “Rath… you don’t have to go through with it. I get why you don’t want to.”

  Rath scoffed. “What, are you gonna take me in?”

  Vera tensed, but she didn’t respond.

  I stepped in, hoping to break the tension. “So, your family is Forged, but they’re Nonkin. Excuse my ignorance, but… you’re not.”

  Rath’s expression darkened.

  He snarled and threw the empty bottle against the stone wall.

  Glass shattered.

  “That’ll change tomorrow.”

  Silence.

  I exhaled slowly, watching as the flickering lantern light made our shadows stretch against the cellar walls.

  We sat there, all three of us, knowing the same thing.

  Tomorrow, everything would be different.

  Thanks for Joining Elias and Friends in Chapter 6!