Chapter 4 - A Promise to Remember

The handshake ended, but Hugo kept hold of Abell's hand for a moment longer.

Hugo's star-shaped pupils fixed on Abell's eyes. "I knew you couldn't say no to an offer like this," he said, smiling confidently. He adjusted his tunic where it had begun to wrinkle at the collar, the stars in his pupils rotating slowly, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

The market had quieted down around them. Music and laughter faded gradually as people began heading home, though a few villagers lingered, sitting under the bright stars of the night sky.

"You remind me of myself when I was younger," Hugo continued, his voice softening. "Same rough attitude. Same fighting spirit."

Abell crossed his arms. "What are you getting at?"

"Oh, nothing, don't mind me. I was just reminiscing." Hugo stretched, arms reaching overhead. "You go rest. I've still got things to do in Iridius. We'll be around a bit longer."

He took a few steps away, then glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, and I heard that Astrid girl was looking for you."

Abell perked up instantly. "Really?"

"Nah, I'm joking," Hugo said, watching Abell's hopeful expression crumble into disappointment.

The kid sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Mom was right, you're annoying."

Hugo chuckled, those star-shaped pupils rotating with amusement. "I get that a lot. Well, I'm off. See ya, Bel."

The nickname hit like a slap. Abell's face twisted in disgust as Hugo turned away with a casual wave, disappearing into the darkness.

"Goodnight, Mr. Hero," Hugo said, before vanishing into the darkness.

As he watched Hugo walk away, Abell wondered about the future that now stretched before him, about what he might become.

The festivities were winding down. Lanterns flickered as people began to leave, some lingering to watch the moon rise. In Eudora, some folks treated it as a god.

"Now, where did that boy run off to?" Keeko muttered to herself. Her night had been extended by gifts, nonstop praise, and even a few marriage offers. She scanned the square and spotted Abell sitting alone, head down, deep in thought.

The celebration continued around him: children chasing each other between the stalls, adults sharing drinks and stories of the evening's excitement. But Abell sat apart from it all, shoulders hunched, staring at something in his hands. Even from a distance, she could see the tension in his posture.

"This is where you ran off to?" she said, approaching him.

"Mom! Uh, yeah, I just got here. I was talking to Hugo."

Keeko narrowed her eyes. "Hugo, huh? What did he say to you?"

"Nothing bad. Really." He scratched his neck, bracing for a lecture.

"If you say so," she said, rolling her eyes. "Let's go home. These damn vegetables are killing my arms. Take this."

He took the basket without hesitation, and they walked in silence. Keeko said nothing, but could only wonder what Hugo might have said to him. She cursed him silently in her mind.

They walked for a while until little steps caught their attention. The elder shuffled toward them, out of breath.

"Wait, wait! You can't go yet!" he gasped. "You and your son are tonight's heroes. We have more to give you. I insist!"

Abell turned to Keeko. "Should we?"

"Fine. I suppose we have room for more," she sighed.

Within moments, the townsfolk piled them with fresh goods: loaves of bread, roasted meat, fruits, and luminous leaves of a green herb used for healing. Keeko accepted each gift with a warm smile, grabbing each basket as if it weighed nothing.

As she reached for the last basket, a loud voice cut through the air. Her face turned sour.

"Keeko! My darling. Let me offer you something no one else in Iridius can."

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ream, please, for the last time, I'm not interested."

Abell snickered, prompting Keeko to glare at him.

"Tsk, tsk," Ream clicked his tongue. "I'm a man who makes money. I can give you more than these villagers gave you. Come with me to the capital, and I'll show you there's more to life than this."

"Excuse me, Ream," the elder snapped. "Show some respect."

Keeko folded her arms. "I couldn't care less about that. This town means more to me than you or your money ever could." She grabbed every single basket on her own. "Let's go, Abell. Now."

"Why am I getting yelled at?" he muttered, shooting Ream a look of annoyance.

"Crash and burn," Ream said with a grin. "But hey, I love a good chase." He reached out and ruffled Abell's hair. "I'll see you around, little one."

Abell smacked his hand away. "You're worse than Hugo. Somehow."

"Abell, I said we're leaving."

The walk home was silent. Keeko carried some of her gifts in her arms while Abell followed a few steps behind, thinking about what Hugo had told him. Neither spoke.

When they reached the house, Keeko set down her baskets and turned to study him in the lamplight. "Your shoulder's bleeding again," she said, noticing the dark stain spreading through his tunic where the Malignant had caught him.

"It's fine," Abell muttered, but she was already pushing him toward the kitchen.

"Sit." She pointed to a chair and began gathering supplies. "That girl did decent work earlier, but field patches don't last." Keeko's hands were gentle but efficient as she cleaned the wound. "Astrid, right? She's got good instincts."

Abell winced as she applied fresh bandages. "Yeah, she helped during the fight."

"Smart girl. Pretty too." Keeko's tone was carefully neutral, but he caught the hint of amusement in her eyes. "You could do worse."

"Mom," he said, heat rising in his cheeks.

"I'm just saying." She finished wrapping the bandage and stepped back. "Don't let opportunities pass you by while chasing impossible dreams."

The words hung between them, heavier than they should have been. By the time she'd cleaned up and retired for the night, most people in the village had done the same, and the last echoes of voices had faded.

Dropping his boots by the door, he slipped to the side of the cottage. His favorite place in Iridius was his hammock. He made it, strung it between two posts, and swayed in the cool night breeze. Climbing in, he gazed at the stars.

"Can I just leave this place?" he muttered. His mind drifted to his fight with the Malignants earlier. Was it okay to step away from this town?

Inside the cottage, Keeko sorted through the evening's gifts, hefting baskets of fruit and vegetables with surprising ease despite her weathered appearance. She paused at the window, catching sight of her son in the hammock.

"Can't sleep, kiddo?"

He didn't look. "I'm fine."

Keeko stepped outside, arms crossed over her chest. "You only sleep out here when something's bothering you." Running a hand through his hair, he watched her walk over and stop the hammock with her foot.

Taking a breath, he met her eyes. "So, Hugo offered me a chance at the Luminary Academy."

Keeko's expression darkened instantly. "Of course he did. Just when I thought I'd left all that behind." She began pacing, "We'll tell him no first thing tomorrow."

Abell sat up in the hammock, his jaw set with determination as he shook his head. "I already said yes."

"Without even talking to me?" Her voice rose, echoing across the quiet yard. "Do you even know what you're agreeing to? The sacrifices you'll need to make?

"No, but I have to try. I want to catch up with Genevieve." The words came out rushed and desperate. I want to know how she saw the world and to understand what happened to her."

Keeko stopped pacing, her back rigid. "You think the Academy will give you answers? You think it'll make you strong enough to find her?"

"Maybe. I don't know." His voice cracked slightly. "But I can't just stay here forever, wondering."

"You could barely take down those Malignants today," Keeko said, facing him. "You're not ready for what's out there. The real world isn't like Iridius."

His hands curled into fists, the hammock swaying with his agitation. "Didn't you let Genevieve go? She left when she was younger than me."

The question hit its mark. Keeko's composure faltered for just a moment before hardening again. "That was different."

"How?"

Keeko was quiet for a long moment, staring at him. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"She was better than you. Smarter. Stronger. More focused. I trusted her because she was a prodigy, second to none." The words hung in the air like poison. "She could handle things you... you're not ready for."

Looking away, his jaw trembled. The hammock creaked softly in the silence that stretched between them. Crickets chirped in the distance, and somewhere a night bird called, but neither of them moved.

"You don't think I can do it," he said finally, his voice hollow.

"It's not about what I think...Abell"

"Yes, it is." He stood up abruptly, the hammock swinging wildly behind him. "You've never believed in me. Not the way you believed in her."

"Abell—"

"No." His voice gained strength, fueled by years of living in his sister's shadow. "Fine, I'll prove it. To you. To everyone and myself, just who I can be." He took a step toward the cottage, then paused. "Better than you. Better than Genevieve. And one day, even the Liberator."

He stopped at the door without turning around, his hand on the latch.

"That's a promise."

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving Keeko alone in the yard. She stayed there, staring at the moon, her heart still racing from words she couldn't take back.

"I think I said too much," she whispered to the empty night.