Dreams I have.

Alexander marched through the streets of Botrel—his breath coming in sharp heavy bursts.

The opulent mansions blurred past him.

Their grand facades paled in comparison to the storm swirling on his chest. 

André slowly trailed behind him, a quiet pillar of support in Alexander's turmoil. 

Alexander hadn't spotted him—more focused on his current predicament.

He had no plan, map, or money besides the few embers crumpled in his pocket. 

The buses were long gone.

He had no idea where the train station was. 

And Botrol wasn't designed efficiently like the capital—instead, it was carved up by long winding roads designed for leisure.

Making it a maze.

"Alexander," 

André finally called, followed him down a winding marble path. 

His voice was steady—laced with concern.

"Slow down. You're gonna wear a hole in those boots."

Alexander froze in his tracks. 

André?

He spun his shoulders—his golden eyes flushed with residual anger. 

"What do you want?!" 

He barked, "Come to lecture me too? Tell me I'm useless or just a pawn?!"

André's expression softened as he raised his hands in a placating gesture. 

Alexander bit back tears as he held his head high. 

"I'm doing my best, okay! I don't need you or anyone else telling me I'm not good enough!" 

Alexander's voice cracked—his insecurities flooding over. Passing nobles and servants cast glances his way, but he didn't care.

"I've struggled through whatever the hell this is for years! The academy, the deaths, the games… I'm fighting every day to stay sane!"

Tears finally welled in his eyes as he stumbled backwards. His fists were tight—his heart pounding.

He knew André was the last person he should shout at. 

He had been nothing but kind since the day they met.

But Alexander couldn't stop himself.

"Everyone says the crown is bad news, that I'm being manipulated. 

But Elizabeth is the only one who doesn't make me feel like a failure. She's the only one… the only one who cares."

Alexander finally dropped his head, his tears dropping on the marble path beneath him. 

"She's the only one who asked what I wanted. The only one who doesn't have some grand expectation."

He dropped to his knees, his shoulders heaving as sobs wrecked him. 

The weight of everything crashing down as his reality shattered. 

André knelt beside him—pulling him into an embrace as his eyes shone with quiet understanding. 

"It's okay, buddy. You've been carrying a lot, haven't you?"

Alexander didn't respond—instead burying his face in André's chest. He was warm, with a faint scent of cinnamon.

"You're lost, trying to find yourself in a world that's nothing but expectations and games."

André massaged Alexander's back as he rocked him. "You know, I was the same way, buddy. 

When my brother died I was devastated. 

But the world kept spinning.

I had to take over his responsibilities, fresh out of school I was told to marry his widow. 

To keep the family united.

Of course, I was against it. I still had so much I wanted to do—to be. 

But I put aside my feelings for duty."

Alexander sniffled as André spoke, quietly listening to his story.

"In my time with Béatrice, I realized that duty isn't a cage. 

It's a responsibility, one you can either choose to listen to or walk away. 

Béatrice was anything but easy.

She ridiculed me, laughed at my naivety, and mocked me in private.

It got to the point where I wanted to walk away.

But… 

I chose to listen anyway. 

And what I found was that Béatrice was truly attempting to help me. 

Her expectations, while high, were what I needed to become a better version of myself."

Alexander scoffed, wiping his tears. 

"I don't believe it, She must've hypnotized you."

André chuckled softly. 

"Oh, I understand, truly.

But like I said before you can't take what they say at face value. 

They may look cold-hearted, but it's only because the truth hurts more than a decorated lie. 

You have to choose whether to listen or walk away, Alex."

Alexander didn't respond immediately.

André pulled back slightly, his hands on Alexander's shoulders.

"You said Elizabeth was the only one who asked what you wanted? 

Then let's change that, What do you want, Alexander? What's your end goal?"

Alexander slowly looked up to meet André's caring gaze. 

His chest was swirling with conflicting emotions.

 What do I want?

The words echoed in his mind—his stomach churning with knots. 

For so long he thought he had it figured out, but maybe it was time he had an outside perspective. 

"I want to return home—the Fallen kingdom. I want to rebuild House Daname, and find what's left of my family…"

"…and I wanna build a name for myself."

André nodded, "And how are you going to do that?" 

Alexander's throat went dry. "Uh… I uh…"

He trailed off, the words heavy on his tongue—like a secret he buried deep. 

André waited patiently, grounding him amid the chaos of his thoughts. 

"I don't know." 

Alexander finally admitted, averting his gaze.

He was more concerned with if he could do it rather than how.

"It feels more like a dream than anything else. I thought becoming a pathfinder was the way, but Raphael won't let me play. 

And I don't have a way back home.

But even if I did, I doubt my family's home still exists. It was close to the front lines when I left."

Alexander dropped his shoulders with a sigh.

André's grip on Alexander's shoulder tightened—just enough to be reassuring. 

"That's a heavy dream Alex, but not impossible." 

He smiled warmly, his eyes steady and kind. 

"You'll need information, lots of it. 

From how to build a pathfinder House to connections on getting contracts. 

You'll also need to talk with the Fallen Crown about getting your House reinstated if it had collapsed."

He then smirked.

"You need help from a well-established Pathfinder House, with connections and the know-how."

He leaned close. 

"And you guess what?"

Alexander rolled his eyes, already knowing where this was going—though a small smirk pulled his lips.

André chuckled. 

"The du Novas are the most powerful Pathfinder House in Ambur.

And Louise… 

Béatrice drilled her day and night on how to build, manage, and expand one."

"You make it sound simple," Alexander replied softly. 

"Louise probably hates me, and I just told off Béatrice. She'd laugh in my face if I came crawling back for help."

André rose to his feet, helping up Alexander.

"Tell ya what, if they decline to help, I'll take over." 

He answered, dusting Alexander's robes. 

"But I think you're putting too much weight on a simple argument.

They'll gloat and mock you for crawling back…" 

André clapped a hand on Alexander's back, jolting him forward.

"…But if you stay long enough, you'll get the help you seek."