WYN'S VIEW (2)

The winter deity slowly walked along the spiritual bars, lecturing Wyn, "You must assert control before it is asserted over you. That is how one survives in this world."

It was wrong. The belief of harming before others could harm you was fundamentally wrong. There should not have been people who think this way, yet one of them was standing right in front of Wyn.

"I am well aware of what you are thinking—'attacking first is wrong, defending is right'. However, such mindset will not get you very far," Lord Chioni stated, gesturing at the bars to prove his point. "The world is not just. If you play fair, you end up on the losing side. Use or be used. Kill or be killed."

Wyn's tongue slipped, "Then is exploiting people better? Do you believe there will be no repercussions?" 

Lord Chioni smiled at the questions. "There are no repercussions for those who make the rules."

Wyn narrowed his eyes, exhaling steadily. Despite knowing his father was not going to change his ways until the day he died, it was difficult to ignore the wicked beliefs he preached.

"One day, you will step into my shoes and realize that everything I have done was for your own good," Lord Chioni remarked, watching him with an all-knowing gaze. "You are my son. Do you not know that I want the best for you?"

A ringing sound echoed in Wyn's ears as he watched Lord Chioni take a step closer to the cell. "But even so, if you refuse my care, there is nothing I can do to help you."

"I do not need your help," Wyn coolly responded.

Lord Chioni's smile turned somber as he regretfully sighed. "While your brother struggles to make any choice at all, you never seem to make a sensible one. You have grown up too comfortably, never missing anything. It has left you ignorant to the harsh realities of the world."

Wyn felt a tension headache throbbing in his temples. It seemed that having failed at tugging on his empathy, Lord Chioni resorted to jabbing at Wyn's competence.

A tense moment of silence passed, and seeing that nothing got a strong enough reaction out of Wyn, the winter deity gave up on the pitiful smile.

"Stay on your best behavior during your time with the military," Lord Chioni told him. "But if you wish to walk free, I have a deal for you. Bring back the impure child. You will be reinstated as the Keeper of Snow and we will pretend none of this ever happened."

Upon hearing that, Wyn's brows twitched. "I will not."

Lord Chioni paused, tilting his chin with a callous look. "You have time to reconsider until the day of your transportation. Make the sensible choice."

After Lord Chioni left, Wyn scoffed sharply, glaring at the door to the staircase.

Five deep inhales to stay steady. Five exhales to let go of anger.

He clenched his fists, swallowing the bitter conversation. Things were different now. It was not a hopeless battle anymore. Now that Marshall had unlocked his demonic energy, Wyn prayed that he would rise above everyone. 

There was too much reforming needed in the Chastity Tower. Overthrowing the current powerholders and giving way to new leadership was necessary, even if it meant tearing everyone down.

Wyn turned around, his gaze running across the cell. A shabby bed sat by the wall, a night pot in the corner. He sank down on the bed, staring up. Mold and moisture damage loomed overhead, stretching across the ceiling in multiple places.

A mildly damp smell lingered. Similar to the attic, similar to a cave. Wyn sat up, glad to be the one locked inside the basement prison instead of Marshall. 

He glanced at the narrow gap in the wall by the ceiling. The window was small, but large enough.

The powerholders were bound to hold a meeting soon. The private meetings never made it to records, and he had not dared to eavesdrop on them until now. If Wyn wanted to gain an advantage, he had to find a way to listen in.

If he could force the last of his spiritual energy to perform Soul Shaping, he could temporarily leave the prison. Wyn crossed his legs, straightening.

He had just enough energy left to perform Soul Shaping. The possibility of ending up in the basement prison had been high, so he had practiced resisting the external forces of spiritual energy drainage specifically for a time like this. The spiritual bars got nothing on him.

After closing his eyes and relaxing his shoulders, he focused on clearing his mind. With every exhale, Wyn let go of his thoughts one by one until there were none left. Then he visualized a white owl, directing his spiritual energy outwards to materialize the imagined bird.

Once the form was complete, he carefully separated a fraction of his soul, moving it towards the shape of the owl.

As he opened his eyes, he was facing his human body, which was serenely sitting on the shabby bed with eyes shut tight. The owl-Wyn ruffled his feathers before squeezing through the narrow window.

With skillful flutters of wings, he ascended into the sky, flying up until the elegant formation of silver rooftops and neat stone-paved roads were replaced by an endless sea of clouds and mountain tops peeking out in the distance.

The white bird circled the tower, its keen eyes scanning the halls for any signs of movement. Upon reaching the conference room, Wyn made out three figures standing around the round table in the middle.

As expected, the powerholders had gathered while the officials were asleep.

He looked around for a way to get in. As if by fate, the window next to the conference room had been left open. The owl slipped in, moving with practiced stealth, avoiding causing too much discord.