They left the village without saying goodbye.
In the aftermath of the attack, no one would have noticed anyway.
The way back through the forest passed almost in silence.
Egor couldn't let it go.
Couldn't accept it.
Couldn't understand how Klaus had just walked away—
from people who fed them
sheltered them
trusted them
—and left them to deal with the aftermath alone.
Klaus didn't explain.
Didn't justify it.
Didn't even acknowledge it.
He stayed alert.
Watching.
Listening.
Thinking.
Like nothing had happened.
When they reached the clearing where they had first arrived—
Egor finally spoke.
"So what now?"
"I haven't decided."
"What are the options?"
"I go to my uncle," Klaus said. "Or I visit the army camp. The one that sent the unit to the village."
Egor stared at him.
"You're seriously considering walking into an enemy camp?"
"Yes."
"Just the two of us?"
"That part is less appealing."
"You don't even know who your enemies are," Egor said.
"That's the problem," Klaus snapped. "My uncle. My father. Someone else entirely. I don't know."
"If the professor was telling the truth, your uncle is supposed to protect you."
"From whom?" Klaus cut in sharply. "For how long? And what does he want in return?"
His voice hardened.
"I have too many questions. And every answer only makes things worse. Why did he hide who he was? Why keep me away? And why now?"
Egor hesitated.
"If you want my opinion… we go to your uncle. That's the only place we might actually learn something."
Klaus nodded slowly.
"Yes."
A pause.
"If I were alone, this would be easier."
He looked at Egor.
Didn't say the rest.
Didn't need to.
"I can still help," Egor said quickly. "One ally is better than none."
"Yes," Klaus said coldly. "As long as the ally doesn't get in the way."
"Hey—"
"It's decided. We go to my uncle."
They moved slower than Klaus wanted.
Much slower.
Egor wasn't made for this world.
That much was obvious.
But he kept going.
Didn't complain.
Didn't ask to stop.
Just kept moving.
Through scorched land.
Through broken forest.
Klaus cut down small creatures without slowing—
training.
Refining movement.
Testing his limits.
Clean kills.
No hesitation.
From higher ground, they saw villages.
A small town.
All surrounded by forest.
Not protection.
Just delay.
Against raiders.
Against slavers.
Against reality.
By Klaus's estimate, they were half a day from the estate—
when the wind carried sound.
Shouting.
Steel.
Magic tearing through air.
Earth splitting.
"There's a battle ahead," Klaus said, already moving.
"You're walking toward it?" Egor said, horrified.
"We get closer. Then we go around."
The battlefield came into view.
Egor almost gagged.
Bodies.
Everywhere.
Torn apart.
Burned.
Crushed.
The ground looked shredded—
like something had ripped it open over and over again.
Trees uprooted.
Thrown aside like trash.
The smell hit next.
Blood.
Burnt flesh.
Rot.
It clung to the air.
Thick.
Suffocating.
They stopped near three untouched trees.
Egor sank down against one, pale.
Klaus climbed another.
Watched.
Analyzed.
Then dropped down.
"Border unit," he said. "The others—rebels. No uniforms. Too many of them."
A pause.
"I've never seen them gather like this."
"What do we do?" Egor asked.
"The terrain ahead is open. We either go wide—"
"Or?"
"Or we go straight through."
"And?"
Klaus looked at him.
"With you? That's suicide."
Egor gave a weak, bitter smile.
"Yeah. Thought so."
"Apologies won't fix it," Klaus said flatly. "You're here."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"…But I'm glad I'm not alone."
They moved away from the battlefield.
Klaus stayed tense.
The open ground was worse than the forest.
Too exposed.
Too visible.
Nowhere to hide.
If something attacked—
he couldn't protect both of them.
That thought stayed with him.
Sharp.
Persistent.
Unwelcome.
The ruins appeared suddenly.
Collapsed structure.
Dead.
Silent.
Klaus grabbed Egor and pulled him behind a broken wall.
"From here on, we move fast. Cover to cover."
He took a drink.
Handed Egor the bottle.
"This place is empty," Egor said. "No one's here."
"We are," Klaus replied.
"Don't relax."
"Smart," a voice said from deeper inside.
Klaus moved instantly.
Egor shoved behind him.
Katana drawn.
Lightning crawling across his skin.
"Show yourself."
"I'd recognize that tone anywhere."
A figure stepped out.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Black cloak.
Hood low.
Face hidden.
Too pale beneath.
A mask.
Hands raised.
Weapon still sheathed.
"I asked who you are," Klaus said.
"Someone who knew you," the man replied. "You've changed."
A pause.
"Hardened."
Silence.
"I'm glad you're heading toward your uncle," the stranger continued. "But I don't understand why you're dragging around something so… useless."
His head tilted slightly.
"A fragile little slave with no magic."
"I'm not a slave!" Egor snapped.
A quiet laugh.
Amused.
Interested.
"If you can't get rid of excess weight, Klaus…" the man said softly, raising his hand—
"I'll do it for you."
Klaus felt it.
Too late to warn.
Just in time to react.
He grabbed Egor—
jumped—
The ground exploded.
Spikes tore upward where Egor had stood.
Not grown—
formed.
Reshaped.
The earth itself turned into a weapon.
Klaus didn't hesitate.
He attacked.
Fast.
Violent.
Relentless.
The man barely moved.
A flick of his hand—
and the ground rose again.
Dozens of sharpened projectiles shot forward.
Klaus moved.
Lightning surged through his blade.
He cut through some—
dodged the rest—
barely.
"I don't want to fight you," the man said calmly. "Not yet."
A pause.
"Step aside."
"Try me," Klaus growled.
"Let me kill the boy."
"Go to hell."
He pushed harder.
Faster.
More aggressive.
More reckless.
Lightning shattered barriers.
Again.
Again.
Again—
But he couldn't reach him.
Every step forward—
forced back.
Every opening—
closed instantly.
And all the while—
he had to think about Egor.
Where he stood.
Where the next strike would land.
How to protect him.
He couldn't focus.
And that—
was killing him.
"Klaus!" Egor shouted. "Calm down!"
For half a second—
Klaus hesitated.
That was enough.
A projectile sliced his shoulder.
Shallow.
But real.
He pulled back instantly.
Returned to Egor.
"Finished already?" the man asked, almost bored. "Should I end this?"
"What do you want?" Klaus demanded.
"I told you."
A pause.
"Remove the burden."
"He'll get you killed."
"What do you want with me?"
"You'll find out."
A faint tilt of the head.
"Soon."
"Then come take me."
Klaus shifted his stance.
This was bad.
Very bad.
The man was stronger.
And worse—
Klaus couldn't think.
Too many variables.
Too many risks.
Too many ways this could end wrong.
He had never fought like this before.
Never had to protect someone.
Never had to care.
And now—
he couldn't ignore it.
He hated it.
And then—
he made a mistake.
Just one.
Lost awareness—
for a fraction of a second.
From the right—
an arrow.
Ice.
Water magic.
Another one.
And I didn't feel them.
Too late.
He moved to block—
But Egor stepped in front of him.
"Idiot—!"
Klaus lunged—
too late.
The arrow hit Egor's neck—
And shattered.
Silence.
"…What?" Klaus breathed.
Egor blinked.
"I—"
"How interesting," the cloaked man said softly.
A pause.
"So you're not useless after all."
Another pause.
Longer.
He studied him.
"An anti-mage."
"A what?" Egor said.
"You don't even know?" the man laughed quietly.
"That makes this far more entertaining."
He stepped back.
"Very well."
"I'll let you live."
A beat.
"For now."
"We'll meet again, Prince of Isorobia."
And he was gone.
No sound.
No flash.
No trace.
Just—
gone.
"Stop!" Klaus shouted.
Nothing.
Silence.
"Klaus…" Egor said quietly.
Klaus turned on him instantly.
"You idiot. What were you thinking? If that hadn't broken—"
"Sorry," Egor said weakly. "I didn't think. I just moved."
A shaky breath.
"But I'm fine."
"Yes," Klaus said slowly.
Too slowly.
"Very fortunate."
He looked at him.
Long.
Carefully.
"One of the rarest abilities in existence," he said quietly.
"And you didn't even know."
Egor managed a weak smile.
"So I'm not completely useless?"
Klaus held his gaze.
"You are," he said at last.
A pause.
"…until you learn how to use it."