Chapter Thirty: A Long Ride

I sat quietly on the underground train, staring at the metal walls as the tunnel lights streaked past. This train made my journey easier, but one wrong move and I'd be discovered.

Even if everyone on this train was weaker than me, they had the numbers to bury me alive.

I stayed still, keeping my hood low.

Then someone plopped down next to me.

Another recruit. Same uniform.

"Hi there!"

His voice was too cheerful, too bright for a place like this.

"I'm Tory! What's your name?"

I didn't answer. Just scoffed and turned to face the window.

He smirked. "It's fine, you don't have to answer. Most people don't like giving their names to a fey. Bad reputation and all."

I squinted at him.

He couldn't be fey.

Then he pulled back his hood. Human.

"Gotcha! No fey leaves the Feywild anyway, right?"

I sighed. I hated him already.

"Come on... just tell me your name! That joke was worth at least that much!"

"...Lia. Lia Langstrom."

A lie, but it would keep him quiet.

"Nice to meet you, Lia!"

I just nodded.

"Sooooo, where you headed?"

i didnt answer

"Me? im going to Varnthal its where i grew up!"

He kept bugging me so I sighed and said

"Same."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to Varnthal too."

His face lit up. "That's awesome! We can travel together!"

I sighed internally. Perfect.

Hours Later

The train hummed beneath us as miles flew by. Tory kept talking—about his "training," how he joined the Order, how excited he was to finally prove himself.

And then...

"Actually, I'm heading back to see my mom and sister." His voice softened. "My dad died a few years ago. It's just been us three since."

I said nothing, but he kept going.

"My mom's sick. She's been getting worse, and my sister's too young to take care of her alone. So... it's on me. You know?"

I nodded slightly.

I wasn't sure why, but hearing that stirred something inside me. A memory I didn't want.

"We don't have much, but they're everything to me. That's why I need this Order stuff to work out. They're depending on me."

I stared ahead. Silent.

Tory just smiled, eyes full of hope.

Naive. Too soft for this world.

But...

I understood him more than I wanted to admit.

When the train screeched to a halt, we stepped out into a dimly lit underground terminal, surrounded by shadows and crumbling stone.

I slung my only bag over my shoulder. The hatch leading topside was just ahead, guarded by the familiar metal door like in the last city. We slipped through unnoticed.

Up the ladder.

Through the abandoned building.

Out into the night.

A quiet village nestled in the woods, sleepy and still.

I turned to head east—toward Varnthal.

Footsteps behind me. Tory.

I gritted my teeth, spun around, and drew my dagger. "Dont Follow me"

He laughed. "Come on, Please?"

I stared at him, blade still in hand. He wasn't taking the hint.

But... I couldn't kill him.

Or maybe I just didn't want to.

I couldn't make his little sister end up like me—alone in the dark, looking for revenge that might never come.

I sighed deeply and sheathed my blade.

"Fine."

He grinned like a child. "Awesome!"

And so, we walked the dirt path together.

Toward Varnthal.