The world slowly returned to its normalcy. The carriage moved at a steady pace, the buildings around them still standing upright and undisturbed. Tristan blinked a couple of times before Claire placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you okay? The flow of your energy changed slightly, and you weren't talking," she said.
Tristan gently placed his hand atop hers. "I'm fine. I just spoke to Elizabeth Jameson. She knows we're coming."
Claire leaned back into her seat, her worry seemingly fading for a moment, only to return shortly afterward when she came to a stark realization.
"She knows we're coming."
Tristan nodded as he placed a hand over his mouth. "It seems she wants something from this deal. Something that will benefit her, and now it depends on who provides the greater offer."
Tristan leaned against the door of the carriage, turning his attention toward the window. He hadn't known it before, but he knew now that Elizabeth Jameson was strong. Her ability had been capable of making him see illusions that affected all five of his senses. Her telepathic abilities were strong, most likely somewhere around the level of a three or four-star Star Master. But Tristan wasn't certain. Everything he had concluded so far was merely speculation.
Tristan suddenly turned, realizing something strange. "Claire, her illusions didn't affect you?"
"I can't see, so I don't think it would have been efficient to put me in an illusion. But most likely, if she knows about us, she knows about our abilities," Claire paused for a moment as a slight breeze made its way through the carriage window. "If she tried to use her telepathic abilities on me, it would be seen as an attack. That would immediately hurt her due to the nature of my ability."
"Makes sense."
Tristan took the brief moment when he and Claire weren't conversing to check his Death Shard count. He hadn't been checking it as of late, but he had been receiving constant notifications regarding the beasts that had been killed by members of his shadow legion.
[Rank: 2 Stars]
[Death Shards Collected: 450/1000]
Over the past six months, Tristan's power had grown steadily. Gone were the days of struggling just to gain one hundred Shards. In a single day, he could gain eleven Shards. He had found it more sustainable to send his weaker soldiers, as they did not consume nearly as much energy as his stronger ones. Because of this, they could overwhelm most beasts through sheer numbers alone. In a month, he could gain seventy-five Shards, and with each passing month, his strength continued to grow.
Decker POV.
A day ago, Decker, Gustav, and Amelia had found out Elizabeth's last known location. She seemed to have distanced herself from her past. The war had taken a toll on many of those who participated in it, but it always seemed to affect Elizabeth the most. She would constantly hear the voices of the people—the children. Their cries as their parents were killed, their screams before they themselves were killed. It was a terrifying thing to have to endure.
And once the war ended, though she wore a smile upon her face, it was merely a mask concealing the damage it had inflicted upon her psyche. Even though Decker noticed her struggles, he did nothing to soothe her. His thoughts remained consumed by Mary, and because of that, he abandoned his friend when she needed him most.
Decker sat inside a carriage on its way to Elizabeth's last known location. He shook his head in disappointment, realizing that even now he was displaying his selfishness. He was about to ask a woman he hadn't spoken to for almost twelve years to help him find his son.
Gustav quickly noticed Decker's unease as he watched him repeatedly tap his knee. Gustav sighed. "You don't have to worry. Elizabeth hasn't changed that much since our time during the war."
"You've spoken to her?" Decker asked.
"Not for the last five years. You know how these things go. We both get busy and lose contact, but she's still a friend. I assure you she'll help."
Decker released a sigh of relief. Though he knew he wouldn't be completely relieved until he found Tristan.
"So, what's the boy like?" Gustav asked. "Is he more like his mother or more like his father?"
"You'll have to ask Lady Amelia. She's the person who's interacted with him the most," Decker said, his gaze falling toward the ground as disappointment overtook his expression.
Gustav turned toward Amelia, who had sat silently for quite a while before finally engaging in the conversation. She looked up toward the roof of the carriage as a smile slowly crept across her face.
"Tristan is headstrong, smart, and tends not to show care for people he hasn't recognized as friends."
"Like his father," Gustav said with a smirk, glancing toward Decker.
"But he's also a kind person who cares deeply for his friends and will do anything to protect them."
Gustav chuckled. "That sounds like Mary, but Mary was a little more headstrong."
A frown slowly made its way across Gustav's face. "So, where was the boy living?"
"Once his mother died, he lived with an old man named Albert Kenway."
Gustav's mouth opened slightly as he turned toward Decker, almost as if waiting for him to confirm that she was speaking of the same Albert Kenway.
"Professor Albert Kenway?" he asked. "The man who trained us in combat? That Albert Kenway?"
"Yes," Decker responded.
"He and Mary always had a father-daughter relationship, but to entrust her son to him is just..." Before he could finish, Decker interrupted.
"What other option did she have? I gave up searching for her, and my rage wouldn't allow me to raise a child. Look at how I raised Benjamin. He's been taught to hate, to demean others."
"You forget you were once like him. So hateful toward those beneath you. It wasn't until you met Mary that you changed," Gustav said with a smile.
Gustav was right. Mary was the first person who made Decker question whether there was truly such a vast difference between them and those of lesser blood. It was her strength that made Decker see the world differently, and it was that same strength that ultimately made him fall in love with her.