Chương 122: Chapter 120. Following Him

"CHAMPIONS!" Hugo's voice cracked on the word as he hoisted the Inter-Academy Championship cup above his head, the crystalline trophy catching the arena lights and throwing rainbows across thousands of screaming faces. Confetti cannons exploded from every corner of the stadium. Gold and blue streamers rained down like metallic snow while the Xerkes fight song blared from the amplification crystals so loudly that several windows in the upper decks actually shattered. Coach Viriam was sobbing.

Not crying—full-on, shoulder-shaking, snot-running sobbing as he grabbed random players and hugged them like they'd just returned from war.

"Thirteen years," he kept saying to anyone who would listen.

"Thirteen years we've been shut out of this tournament, and now look! LOOK!" The scoreboard still glowed with the final numbers: Xerkes Academy 48, Aelwin Academy 45. Three points. After ninety minutes of the most brutal, exhausting, beautiful Krozball any of them had ever played, it had come down to three points.

"GET DOWN HERE!" Serena screamed at the crowd, waving her arms like she was conducting an orchestra of chaos.

"GET DOWN HERE AND CELEBRATE!" She didn't need to ask twice. The barriers that were supposed to keep fans in the stands lasted approximately four seconds before being overwhelmed by a tide of delirious Xerkes supporters. Students, faculty, random citizens of Northhaven who had decided they were Wildcats fans as of five minutes ago—they all poured onto the field in a wave of jubilation that made the earlier celebrations look restrained.

"GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!" The chant had started the moment the final whistle blew and showed no signs of stopping. If anything, it was getting louder as more people joined in. Someone in the crowd had even composed a song about Adom on the spot, and it was spreading through the celebration like wildfire:"He came from nowhere, moves like smoke, The Ghost of Xerkes, their master stroke!" Adom was trying very hard to disappear into the crowd, but it wasn't working.

Every time he moved, another group of fans spotted him and erupted into fresh cheers. Sam had found him somehow and was jumping up and down while still managing to keep one arm around Adom's shoulders.

"You did it!" Sam kept repeating.

"Ten duels! Ten!" That was the number everyone kept mentioning. Ten duels in forty-five minutes of game time—an absolutely insane pace that had Aelwin's coaching staff frantically rotating their players to avoid having to face the Ghost directly. The match had been everything the championship final should be. Aelwin Academy had come in as overwhelming favorites, riding a tournament winning streak that stretched back four years.

Their team was older, more experienced, and had the kind of funding that let them practice year-round instead of just during the season. They'd also been very, very good.

"I've never seen passing like that," Mira said, appearing at Adom's elbow with her hair still dripping sweat.

"Did you see how their Spear threaded that ball between Jace and Mira in the second half? I didn't even know that angle existed." The first twenty minutes had been brutal. Aelwin's approach was surgical—they dissected defenses with precision that made Lireth Academy look sloppy by comparison. Their Spear, a fourth-year named Caelum Ward, could place the ball anywhere on the field with accuracy that bordered on supernatural. Xerkes had been down 15-8 before they'd figured out how to respond.

That's when Adom had started accepting every duel offered.

"The look on their faces," Hugo laughed, somehow making himself heard over the crowd while balancing the championship cup on his head.

"When you beat their captain in eighteen seconds. Eighteen seconds!" The turning point had come in the thirty-second minute. Aelwin's captain—a mountain of a man named Thorick Ironwood who looked like he could bench press a building—had challenged Adom to settle a disputed possession. Standard duel. First to force their opponent out of the circle or render them unable to continue. It should have been no contest.

Ironwood outweighed Adom by fifty pounds, had six years of competitive experience, and moved with the kind of confidence that came from never having lost a strength-based duel. [Flow Prediction] had shown Adom exactly how the older player was planning to end the fight quickly. A feint to draw Adom forward, then a grapple that would use superior weight and leverage to simply carry him out of the circle. It was a good plan. It would have worked perfectly against most opponents. Most opponents.

When Ironwood committed to the grapple, Adom had simply stepped aside and used the captain's own momentum to send him stumbling toward the edge of the circle. A gentle push at exactly the right moment, and suddenly the unstoppable force was outside the line looking confused about what had just happened. Eighteen seconds from start to finish.

"That's when they started avoiding you," Talef said, grinning as he was lifted onto someone's shoulders.

"I counted. After that duel, they went fourteen possessions without challenging you once." The strategy shift had been obvious from the stands. Aelwin had stopped trying to overpower Xerkes and started trying to outmaneuver them instead. Longer possessions, more patient buildups, careful positioning to minimize the Ghost's impact. It almost worked. The score had crept up point by point: 23-20, 28-25, 33-30.

Aelwin maintaining their lead through sheer technical excellence while Xerkes fought to keep pace through determination and increasingly desperate creativity.

"Remember when you fed me that pass through three defenders?" Lorn called out, somehow making himself heard despite being buried under a pile of celebrating fans.

"I still don't understand how you saw that gap!" The [Flow Prediction] ability had been working overtime. Every possession, Adom could see where his teammates should be, where the defense was weak, where opportunities would develop in the next few seconds. It was exhausting in a way that pure physical exertion never was—like solving a complex puzzle while sprinting. That's why Spears rotated. The position demanded complete field awareness, constant movement, and split-second decision making.

Most players could manage twenty minutes before their performance started to decline. Adom had played forty-five minutes and accepted ten duels. By the fourth quarter, Aelwin's players were looking at him like he might be some kind of supernatural entity.

"The last duel was the best one," Jace said, appearing with what looked like half the Xerkes student section hanging off his arms.

"When their Runner tried to go around you and you just... appeared where he was going to be." That had been in the eighty-ninth minute, with Xerkes down 42-45 and desperately needing a score. Aelwin's Runner, a quick little guy named Davies, had beaten everyone else all game with pure speed and clever route running. But speed didn't matter if your opponent knew exactly where you were going.

Adom had intercepted Davies's run at precisely the right moment, stolen the ball, and fed it to Serena for the equalizing score. Three minutes later, Talef had put them ahead for good with a shot that somehow curved around two defenders and the keeper's desperately reaching hands. 48-45. First team to fifty won automatically, but time had expired with Xerkes three points away from the magic number and Aelwin five points away from equalizing. Champions.

"SPEECH!" someone in the crowd bellowed.

"THE GHOST NEEDS TO GIVE A SPEECH!"

"No speeches!" Adom called back, which only made the crowd cheer louder.

"Come on," Serena said, grabbing his arm.

"Just say something. They're not going to stop until you do." The crowd was still chanting his nickname. Someone had apparently acquired a crystal and was leading them in increasingly elaborate versions of the Ghost song. A group of students had started a dance that seemed to involve a lot of jumping and what might have been interpretive mime. Adom looked around at his teammates. Hugo was still crying happy tears while trying to figure out how to drink champagne from the championship cup.

Mira was signing autographs for a group of kids who looked at her like she'd personally invented Krozball. Damus was explaining passing angles to anyone who would listen.

"Fine," Adom said, accepting the crystal that someone thrust into his hands. The crowd quieted instantly, thirty thousand people hanging on his next words.

"Um," he said, and his voice echoed across the arena.

"We won?" The roar that went up could probably be heard in the next city over.

"GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!" The chant started up again, louder than before. More people were pouring onto the field—officials had given up trying to maintain order and were just making sure nobody got trampled. Coach Viriam appeared at Adom's shoulder, still crying but now also grinning like a madman.

"Give me that," he said, snatching the crystal. He stared at it for a moment like he'd never seen one before.

"Um," his voice cracked over the crystal.

"This is my first year coaching. First year ever, actually. I used to manage equipment storage." The crowd quieted, everyone suddenly very interested in this awkward confession.

"My mother always said I'd never amount to anything," Viriam continued, apparently forgetting he was broadcasting to the entire arena.

"Said I was too nervous, too... well, she had a lot of opinions." There was an uncomfortable pause.

"Coach," Serena said, loud enough for the crystal to pick up, "with all due respect, I don't think your mother was a very good person." Viriam blinked, then nodded slowly.

"You know what? You're absolutely right. I loved her very much, but yeah, she was pretty terrible." The crowd made a collective sound somewhere between sympathy and amusement.

"YOUR MOTHER WAS WRONG!" someone shouted from the stands.

"YEAH! SCREW YOUR MOM!" another voice added.

"Yeah! Screw my m- Hey!," Viriam said into the crystal, suddenly defensive.

"Don't insult my mother!" The crowd went silent for a beat. Then someone yelled: "GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!" And just like that, thousands of people were back to chanting like nothing had happened.

"Anyway," Viriam said, holding up the championship cup like he was surprised to find it in his hands, "we won. Somehow. I still don't really understand how that happened."

"You know what the best part is?" Hugo said, appearing at Adom's side.

"What?"

"We get to do it all again next year." Adom grinned.

"Assuming we survive the celebration."

"GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!" Okay. It was becoming a little too much now. The chant showed no signs of stopping. If anything, it was getting more creative. Someone had added harmony. A percussion section had developed using whatever was available as drums.

"We should probably get out of here," Sam said, still bouncing with excitement.

"Before they decide to carry you around the stadium."

"Too late," Serena called out cheerfully. Sure enough, a group of particularly enthusiastic fans was approaching with obvious intent to lift the Ghost onto their shoulders for a victory lap.

"No," Adom said firmly.

"Absolutely not."

"GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!" He looked around for an escape route and realized with growing horror that he was completely surrounded by celebrating fans, delirious teammates, and what appeared to be the entire faculty of Xerkes Academy. There was nowhere to run.

"This is how I die," he said to Sam.

"Crushed by enthusiastic supporters."

"Could be worse," Sam replied.

"You could have lost."

"GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!" The celebration continued long into the night, and by the time it finally wound down, Adom's voice was hoarse from shouting, his hair was full of confetti, and he was pretty sure he'd signed his autograph on things that probably shouldn't be autographed. But they were champions. He could live with that.

Zuni had not been at the finals because he had managed to get some of the candied nuts in the room they were staying at before the match. And now, he was snoring. It sounded more like whistles, but yeah. Sugar really was bad for quillicks, and Zuni was definitely feeling the effects. His small blue quills rose and fell with each breath, completely oblivious to the victory they had just achieved. Adom woke up pretty early, as he had gone to sleep early as well. Well, relatively early.

He had about 4 hours of sleep in his system, but for some reason, he felt it was much more than enough. His [Primordial Body] really made everything optimal now. What would have left most people stumbling around like zombies after a championship celebration instead had him feeling refreshed and alert. He went through his morning routine efficiently—washing his face with cold water to drive away the last hints of sleep, brushing his teeth, and changing into fresh clothes that wouldn't draw too much attention.

The champion's medal he carefully wrapped in a soft cloth and tucked deep into his pack where it wouldn't get damaged. The room service breakfast was quick but substantial—bread, cheese, and dried fruit from his own supplies rather than venturing down to face what would undoubtedly be a hotel full of celebrating Xerkes supporters. He needed to move quickly, not spend half the morning accepting congratulations. They had one week to stay in Northhaven.

The sooner he'd go to the Giant Highlands, the sooner he could come back without being looked for too much. Any longer than that, and people would start to wonder where their championship hero had disappeared to. Adom paused in front of the small mirror in his room, focusing on the distinctive white streak in his otherwise dark hair. It had become something of a calling card—people recognized him by it almost instantly.

With a pass of his hair-darkening-cream covered hand, the white strands darkened to match the rest of his hair. Not perfect, but good enough to avoid immediate recognition. The woman he bought it from the day before told him it would hold a week without any need to reaply.

"Come on, you sugar-addled menace," Adom said, gently scooping up the still-snoring Zuni and placing him in the special inner pocket of his jacket. The quillick grumbled but didn't wake, curling deeper into the warm fabric. Adom checked his room once more, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything essential, then stepped into the hallway and walked the short distance to Sam's door. He raised his hand to knock, but before his knuckles could make contact, the door swung open.

Sam stood there, fully dressed and with a packed bag at his feet.

"Morning," he said brightly.

"I was wondering when you'd be ready." Adom frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"Where you're going, of course." Sam's tone suggested this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wait for me!" called a voice from down the hall. Eren jogged toward them, also carrying a travel pack.

"Sorry, had to double-check I had everything." Adom's frown deepened. Eren had joined them at Northhaven after coming with his mother, who had to go back to take care of the inn she now bought from the owner a few weeks ago, with the gold Adom had left for them.

"Guys," Adom sighed, "I'm not going on some sort of adventure here. This is serious, and I'm not bringing you along." He carefully extracted the still-sleeping Zuni from his pocket.

"In fact, I was knocking to give Zuni to you, Sam, to keep an eye on him while I was gone." Sam's eyes widened.

"What? No, I'm not staying behind to babysit Zuni. The Giant Highlands, Adom! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Adom blinked in surprise.

"You know where I'm going?"

"Of course I know," Sam said, almost offended.

"You've been talking about those ancient runes for weeks. All those texts you've been studying? The way you keep muttering about 'pristine arcane inscriptions'? It wasn't exactly difficult to figure out."

"The Highland ruins could contain knowledge that's been lost for centuries," Sam continued, enthusiasm bubbling over.

"Eighty percent of it is still completely uncharted! It's practically half a continent, and nobody knows what's there!"

"Wait," Adom said, turning to Eren.

"You told Eren about this?" Eren grinned.

"Why are you hiding things from me? We're friends, aren't we?"

"It's not—ah." Adom ran a hand through his now-uniformly dark hair.

"This isn't some adventure novel. The Highlands aren't just dense with mana—they're completely wild. The place behaves almost like an actual dungeon. There are monsters there that haven't even been classified yet."

"That's part of what makes it so amazing," Sam insisted.

"Imagine what we could discover! Ancient runic systems that could revolutionize modern magic theory!"

"And Sam says there might be artifacts from before the the First Age," Eren added, his eyes wide with excitement.

"He's been telling me all about it." Adom shot Sam an accusatory look.

"You've been hyping him up about this?" Sam at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.

"I might have mentioned a few historical possibilities..."

"Again. This isn't a field trip," Adom said firmly.

"People have disappeared in the Highlands. Entire expeditions, never heard from again."

"We know the risks," Sam insisted.

"We'd stay in the mapped areas near the coast."

"Oh really?" Adom crossed his arms, suddenly feeling like the only adult in the conversation, which he was.

"And what happens when you encounter a Highland Lurker? Or walk into a gravity anomaly? Or trigger one of the temporal distortion zones?"

"We'd be careful," Eren promised.

"And we'd bring extra supplies, more water, emergency materials—""No." Adom's tone was final.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but this isn't negotiable. I'm going alone, and that's final."

"But—" Sam started.

"No buts," Adom interrupted.

"This isn't about academic curiosity. I have something specific I need to do, and I can't be worried about keeping you two safe while I'm doing it." Eren looked crestfallen.

"We just want to help."

"The best way you can help is by staying here and keeping an eye on Zuni." Adom gently placed the still-snoring quillick into Sam's reluctant hands.

"Make sure he doesn't get into any more sugar, and maybe try to explain to Coach Viriam why I needed to leave for a few days without raising too many questions." Sam sighed dramatically but carefully adjusted his grip on the sleeping familiar.

"Fine. But you owe us. Detailed notes, sketches of the ruins, everything."

"And come back safely," Eren added quietly.

"Don't become one of those disappearing expeditions." Adom nodded, feeling a strange mix of relief and guilt.

"I will. And... thanks for understanding." Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

"We don't understand," Sam corrected.

"We're just temporarily accepting defeat."

"That's fair." Adom smiled slightly.

"I'll see you both in a few days." With one last look at his friends—Sam holding the sleeping Zuni while wearing an expression of resigned disappointment, and Eren giving a small wave—Adom turned and walked away down the hall.

A few minutes later... Adom pulled his cloak tighter around himself as he stepped out into the quiet streets of Northhaven. The city was still slumbering, recovering from last night's championship celebrations. Shop windows remained dark, doors firmly shut, and only the occasional maintenance worker or early riser dotted the streets. It was perfect. The less people who saw him leaving, the better. He walked steadily, keeping to the shadows where possible, his pace brisk but not hurried enough to draw attention.

The morning air was crisp with just a hint of autumn chill, and mist clung to the lower parts of the city, giving everything a dreamlike quality. As he made his way through the merchant district, a warm, buttery scent caught his attention. His stomach rumbled in response, reminding him that his earlier breakfast had been rather sparse. Following the delicious aroma, he found a small bakery already open, steam rising from its chimney.

An older woman with flour-dusted hands was arranging fresh loaves in the window display. She looked up as the bell above the door jingled.

"Early bird, aren't you?" she said with a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes.

"Most of the city won't be up for hours after last night's celebrations."

"Just getting an early start," Adom replied, keeping his hood up but trying not to appear suspicious.

"What can I get for you, young man?"

"Whatever's making that amazing smell." The woman chuckled.

"That would be my butter-herb loaves. Just pulled them from the oven." She wrapped one in paper, the warmth immediately penetrating the wrapping.

"Three coppers." As Adom handed over the coins, their fingers briefly touched, and the woman paused, studying his face more carefully.

"You look familiar, lad. Were you at the championship game yesterday?" Adom tensed slightly.

"Everyone was at the game."

"True enough." She handed him the bread.

"Quite a show that Ghost put on, wasn't it? My grandson won't stop talking about him. Says he's going to learn to play Krozball now."

"The whole team played well," Adom said diplomatically, breaking off a piece of the bread. The butter melted on his fingers as the rich aroma filled his nostrils. He took a bite, then dropped a small piece on the floor.

"Oh, sorry about that."

"No worry, dear. Enjoy your—" The piece of bread vanished from the floor in mid-air. Adom smiled.

"Hello, Luna." There was a shimmer in the air, like heat rising from stones on a summer day, and then the shimmerscale materialized—iridescent scales catching the early morning light as the lizard-like familiar appeared, bread crumb between her delicate jaws. It is good to see you again, Adom, Luna's voice echoed in Adom's mind, carrying a trace of amusement. Your name grows more legendary by the hour. I particularly enjoyed the song they composed about you. Though the rhyming was rather primitive.

The baker woman gasped, taking a step back.

"Oh my! Is that a—""Shimmerscale, yes," came a voice from the doorway. Gus stood there, adjusting his hair with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that. Luna has her own ideas about when to reveal herself." I revealed nothing. The Ghost spotted me, Luna replied with a dignified sniff that only Adom could hear. His perception is unusually keen.

"Hey, Gus," Adom said, trying to keep his tone casual despite his growing concern about this delay.

"You're up early."

"I could say the same about you," Gus replied, stepping into the bakery.

"Especially after last night's celebration. I would have thought you'd sleep until noon at least." The baker woman was looking between them with growing excitement.

"Wait, are you—""Just a couple of students enjoying the morning," Gus cut in smoothly, placing a few coins on the counter.

"Could I get one of those butter-herb loaves as well, please?" While the woman wrapped his bread, Adom turned to Gus.

"How's your understanding of your familiar coming along? Making any progress with that thing I showed you?" Gus grimaced slightly.

"So-so. I can catch emotions and general impressions, but nothing like the clear communication you seem to have with her. Luna's thoughts are... complex." Tell him his meditation posture is terrible, Luna commented, only to Adom. He cannot channel mana properly when his spine resembles a wilted flower.

"She's quite the personality," Adom said with a smile.

"It takes time to attune properly."

"I know," Gus sighed.

"But it's frustrating when she's clearly trying to tell me something and I only catch bits and pieces. Ah, thank you." He accepted his bread from the baker.

"It's pretty early to be out walking."

"I like morning strolls," Gus continued.

"The city has a different energy before everyone wakes up. Plus, Luna enjoys the quiet. Too many people make her..." He trailed off, frowning slightly as if trying to interpret something.

"Cautious? I think that's what she's saying." Close enough, Luna confirmed to Adom with what felt like a mental eye-roll.

"Where are you headed?" Gus asked, falling into step beside Adom as they left the bakery.

"Maybe we could walk together? I was planning to head toward the eastern gardens." Adom's mind raced. The eastern gardens were in the opposite direction from where he needed to go, but he couldn't exactly say that.

"Actually," he said, "I was just about to head back. Forgot something important in my room."

"I could wait," Gus offered helpfully.

"Or walk with you there and back?" He is lying, Luna observed privately to Adom. You are planning something secretive, Ghost-boy.

"No, that's alright," Adom said quickly.

"It's, uh, some research materials I need to organize before I forget. Might take a while. Rain check on that walk?" Gus studied him for a moment, and Adom had the uncomfortable feeling that both human and familiar were seeing right through his excuse.

"Of course," Gus finally said.

"Perhaps another time." Tell your blue-quilled friend that candied nuts are best enjoyed in moderation, Luna added as Adom prepared to leave. And do try not to disappear too thoroughly, Ghost. Some would miss your presence.

"I'll keep that in mind," Adom replied, addressing both of them.

"Enjoy your walk." With a final nod, he turned and walked away, resisting the urge to look back over his shoulder. He could feel Luna's gaze on him until he turned the corner. Adom picked up his pace after leaving them behind. The western gate wasn't far now. Just a few more turns through increasingly empty streets and he'd be—"Hey, is that Adom?" Oh... come on... Adom thought. deciding to ignore the voice, and keep walking.

"Oi!" Just keep moving. He kept thinking, as the few people awake had their attention on them.

"OI! ADO—" His hand moved before his brain could catch up, clamping over the speaker's mouth. Adom found himself staring into the wide, surprised eyes of Karion Dimitry.

"Hi, Karion," Adom said, as if covering someone's mouth was a perfectly normal greeting.

"How are you?" Karion made muffled sounds against Adom's palm.

"Oh, sorry." Adom quickly removed his hand, realizing what he'd done. Karion took a step back, blinking rapidly.

"How did you move that fast? I was ten feet away and then suddenly—" He snapped his fingers.

"You were just there."

"Was I?" Adom glanced around the empty street. This was becoming irritating. Of all the people to run into, why did it have to be Karion Dimitry? The boy was physically incapable of speaking below full volume.

"I don't want people recognizing me," Adom explained.

"Especially not after last night." Understanding dawned on Karion's face.

"Right! The champion needs his privacy." He lowered his voice to what he probably thought was a whisper but was closer to normal speaking volume.

"Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks."

"No problem!" Kalion was back to his usual exuberance.

"This is actually my first time in Northhaven. I was just about to explore a bit. Want to come along?"

"I have somewhere else to be," Adom said, already planning his escape.

"Naia and I are going to visit the Fields of Valor," Karion continued as if Adom hadn't spoken.

"You know, where General Alec made his famous last stand against the Great Legion? Three hundred soldiers against three thousand, and they held for seven days?" Adom did know. He just did not feel like talking about history at the moment.

"Once we're there," Karion lowered his voice again, leaning in conspiratorially, "I'm going to confess my feelings to Naia." Adom blinked.

"Hold on. What?"

"I like her," Karion stated, as if explaining something obvious.

"Have for months now. And I think she likes me too."

"Naia?"

"Yeah," Karion insisted.

"You should have seen how she looked at me after our last duel. She called me 'almost competent.' Coming from her, that's practically a love poem." Adom stared.

"Since when do you and Naia even fight?"

"Oh, that's the best part!" Karion's enthusiasm was undeterred.

"After you fought her brother in that exhibition match, he told her she needed to train harder if she ever wanted to beat you. So she's been challenging everyone she can." He puffed out his chest.

"I offered myself as a training partner. Can't let my rival get too far ahead, right?"

"Wait, I'm your rival?" Karion's confident expression faltered slightly.

"Well... yeah. You're..." A hint of uncertainty crept into his voice.

"You're my rival too, right?" The silence that followed was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Oh yeah," Adom said finally.

"Of course. Absolutely. Rivals. That's us."

"Right!" Karion's smile returned in full force.

"I knew it!" Adom fought the urge to sigh. This was what happened when you were mentally eighty but physically thirteen.

"So anyway," Karion continued, "Naia's family is visiting with mine—diplomatic relations and all that—and we're touring Northhaven together. Her father's the Tirajin ambassador, you know."

"I'm aware."

"You should join us! The Fields of Valor are supposed to be amazing. They've preserved the actual command tent where the General drafted his final letter to the king!"

"As fascinating as that sounds," Adom said, taking a step backward, "I really need to be somewhere else."

"Where are you going so early anyway?"

"Just..." Adom searched for a plausible lie.

"Taking a walk to clear my head after all the excitement." Karion's eyes narrowed slightly.

"With a traveller's cloak?" Adom glanced down at his obviously prepared-for-long-travel clothing and suppressed a wince.

"It's... a long walk."

"Are you sneaking off somewhere?" Karion's voice dropped to an actual whisper this time.

"Is it some secret business? A quest? A mission?"

"It's nothing like that—""Because if it is," Karion pressed on, "you can tell me. We rivals have to trust each other, right?" Adom pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Karion, I appreciate your... enthusiasm. But I need to go, and I need to go alone."

"Fine, fine." Karion held up his hands in surrender.

"I won't pry. Just promise you'll be careful, whatever it is."

"I promise."

"And when you get back, you'll have to tell me all about it. And maybe give me some advice about Naia? You seem to understand her better than I do." Adom nearly laughed at that.

"Sure. Good luck with your confession."

"Thanks!" Kalion's face brightened.

"I've been practicing what to say. The Tirajin way. Want to hear it?"

"I really need to—""O fiery tempest of my heart," Kalion began dramatically, one hand over his chest, the other extended toward an imaginary Naia.

"Your strength ignites my spirit like—""Maybe save it for her," Adom interrupted quickly.

"You're right." Kalion nodded solemnly.

"The moment should be spontaneous."

"Exactly." Adom took another step back.

"Well, good luck."

"Hey, Adom?" Kalion called as Adom turned to leave.

"Whatever you're doing... come back in one piece, alright? Can't have my rival disappearing on me." For a moment, Adom saw genuine concern in the younger boy's eyes.

"I will," he promised. Adom finally reached the western gate just as the guards were changing shifts. Their bleary eyes barely registered him as he slipped through, pulling his hood lower against the morning breeze coming off the water. Had they asked him about identification, he would have simply given them his adventurer badge, but it seemed it would not be necessary. Everyone was tired from last night. Except the people at the docks. The docks beyond were already bustling despite the early hour.

Fishermen loaded nets onto weathered boats, merchants argued over crates of imported goods, and sailors called to each other in the particular shorthand that seemed universal to people who worked on water. The Giant Highlands loomed somewhere far across the western sea. Getting there would be no small feat. Flying the entire distance was technically possible, but would leave him too exhausted to do anything useful once he arrived. A boat for at least half the journey would save his energy and mana reserves.

Adom approached the first fisherman he saw, a burly man untangling a net.

"Excuse me, I was wondering if—""Busy," the man grunted without looking up. Adom moved to the next dock, where two men were loading barrels onto a small craft.

"Could I ask about—""Wait your turn, boy," one called over his shoulder.

"Harbor master's office opens at eight." This pattern repeated itself across five more attempts. Everyone was too occupied with their morning routines to give him more than a dismissive word. One woman told him to "go play somewhere else" before he could even finish his sentence.

"Just need a boat to the western isles," Adom muttered under his breath as he stalked down the dock.

"Not asking for the moon. Rude, inconsiderate—""What was that, lad?" Adom turned to find an old man sitting on an upturned crate, mending a sail with gnarled but surprisingly nimble fingers. His face was a map of wrinkles, skin tanned and weathered by decades of sun and salt. A pipe jutted from the corner of his mouth, unlit but well-chewed.

"Nothing," Adom said.

"Just talking to myself."

"Heard something about boats and rudeness." The old man's eyes crinkled at the corners.

"What is it you're after?" Adom hesitated, then decided direct was best.

"I need passage to the Giant Highlands. Or at least halfway there." The old man's fingers paused in their work.

"No expeditions heading that way this time of year, boy. Or any time of year, for that matter."

"I understand that."

"Do you? It's not just some uninhabited island. Those waters have currents that can snap a ship's keel like a twig. The air gets so thick with mana that compasses spin in circles and experienced sailors hallucinate their dead relatives calling them into the deep."

"I'm aware of the dangers." The old man studied him.

"Then you're either very brave or very foolish. Either way, you won't find anyone willing to take you there. Not for all the gold in Northhaven." Adom reached into his pocket and produced a single gold piece, holding it up so it caught the morning light.

"One piece to get me halfway. Another when you come back to the same spot in five days to pick me up." The old man's eyes fixated on the coin. For a long moment, he said nothing, just puffed on his unlit pipe.

"Let me see that," he finally said, extending a callused palm. Adom placed the gold piece in his hand. The old man brought it close to his face, squinting at it, then—to Adom's mild disgust—bit down on it hard. A smile spread across the weathered face.

"Well now," he said, tucking the coin into his shirt pocket.

"I suppose I could make an exception for you, Ghost." Adom blinked.

"You know who I am?"

"Saw the game yesterday. My grandson never shuts up about Krozball." The old man stood with a series of popping sounds from his joints.

"Besides, not many boys your age carry around gold pieces or ask to visit death traps. I heard your family owned that merchant guild... what was it again, Wagano? Wamugiwara?"

"Wangara."

"Yes." the man said, snapping his fingers.

"That's the name." He gestured toward a small but sturdy-looking boat at the end of the dock.

"That's my Seabird. Not much to look at, but she knows those waters better than most."

"When can we leave?"

"Tide's right in about twenty minutes." The old man gathered his mending supplies.

"I'm Harlin, by the way."

"Adom."

"I know, boy. The whole city knows." Harlin gestured for Adom to follow.

"Come on then. Let's get you to your highlands."

Sam paced back and forth across Adom's room, occasionally stopping to glare at the window as if it had personally offended him. Three hours had passed since Adom's departure, and his mood had not improved.

"Pre-First Age ruins," Sam muttered.

"Possibly intact inscriptions. Magical anomalies never documented by modern scholars. And we're stuck here." He kicked at the carpet.

"Babysitting." Eren sat cross-legged on the bed, Zuni curled in his lap. The quillick continued to snore, occasionally twitching a blue quill.

"Do you think he's reached the docks yet?" Eren asked, gently stroking between Zuni's quills.

"Probably halfway across the sea by now," Sam grumbled.

"Having adventures. Making discoveries. While we're..." He gestured at the hotel room with its generic furnishings and bland artwork.

"Here."

"He did seem pretty serious about it being dangerous."

"Of course it's dangerous. That's the entire point!" Sam threw his hands up.

"Nothing worth doing is safe. You don't discover new things by staying where it's comfortable." Eren looked down at Zuni.

"He trusts us with his familiar, though. That's something."

"He trusts us to be glorified pet-sitters." Sam resumed pacing.

"We could be documenting undiscovered ruins. Recording mana fluctuations. Taking samples of Highland flora."

"I wouldn't mind seeing those temporal distortion zones he mentioned."

"Exactly!" Sam stopped abruptly, facing Eren.

"Do you realize what we're missing? We could be the first people our age to step foot in the Giant Highlands in... probably ever!" The snoring from Zuni grew louder, almost like a tiny whistle. Sam stared at the small blue creature, then at the walls of the hotel room, then back at Eren.

"AAAAH!" Sam suddenly screamed, making Eren jump.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" Eren clutched Zuni protectively.

"What are you—""We're going," Sam declared, marching to his travel pack, which he'd never unpacked.

"We're going to the Highlands."

"But Adom said—""Adom said it's dangerous beyond the coastal regions," Sam corrected, pulling equipment from his bag and checking it methodically.

"We'll stay in the mapped zones. The safe areas. We won't go deeper in like he's planning to." Eren didn't look convinced.

"How would we even get there?"

"Same way he did. Find a boat." Sam began stuffing items back into his pack with renewed purpose.

"We have money. Someone will take us."

"What about Zuni?" Sam paused, looking at the sleeping quillick.

"We'll take him with us. He's been to more dangerous places with Adom before." To Sam's surprise, Eren didn't argue further. Instead, a slow smile spread across his face.

"I've always wanted to see the floating rocks they talk about in the border regions," Eren said.

"My mother used to tell me stories about them when I was little."

"That's the spirit!" Sam grinned.

"Come on, pack your things. If we hurry, we might be able to find a boat before—" The door to their room creaked open slowly.

"Adom?" a female voice called softly.

"Are you in here? I was hoping to talk about—oh." Mia Storm stood in the doorway, her hand still on the knob. Her silver hair was pulled back in its usual practical style, and she carried a notebook under one arm.

"Sorry," she said, noticing Sam and Eren.

"I should have knocked. I just thought..." She glanced around the room.

"Is Adom not here?" Sam felt his face grow warm. He'd had precisely three conversations with Mia in his life, and all three had ended with him saying something monumentally stupid.

"He's, uh..." Sam began eloquently.

"He went to visit the city," Eren cut in smoothly.

"Early this morning. Wanted to see some sights before everyone recognized him from the game." Mia's eyes shifted between them, then to their obviously packed travel bags.

"I see. And you two are...?"

"Also going sightseeing," Sam said, too quickly.

"Different sights. Not with Adom. Separate sights." Eren gave him a sidelong glance that clearly communicated: You're making it worse.

"Actually," Mia said, "I was hoping to ask him about a book he borrowed from the library.

'Alchemical Reactions in Mana-Dense Environments.' The librarian said he was the last one to check it out."

"Oh, that," Sam said, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"He, uh, returned it. Probably. I think."

"Are you sure? Because I really need it. Northhaven has some rare alchemical ingredients that we don't have back at Arkhos, and I wanted to see which ones are worth purchasing."

"He definitely returned it," Eren insisted.

"He's very responsible with books." Mia studied them both for a moment.

"He didn't go to visit the city, did he?"

"Of course he did," Sam said.

"Absolutely," Eren agreed.

"With packed travel bags that he somehow didn't take with him?" Sam glanced down at their obviously ready-for-travel packs, then back at Mia.

"These are... our bags."

"That you're taking sightseeing."

"Yes."

"Overnight sightseeing," Eren added helpfully.

"In separate places from Adom."

"Exactly." Mia crossed her arms.

"Is there a reason you two are lying to me about where Adom went?" The silence that followed was painful. Sam looked at Eren. Eren looked at Sam. Zuni snored obliviously.

"Fine," Mia sighed.

"Keep your secrets. Just tell him I was looking for him when he gets back from wherever he's actually gone." She turned to leave, then paused in the doorway.

"And whatever you two are planning that involves those travel packs..." She glanced back at them, her expression unreadable.

"Be careful." The door closed behind her with a soft click. Sam let out the breath he'd been holding.

"That went well."

"Terribly," Eren corrected.

"You turned bright red the moment she walked in."

"I did not."

"You absolutely did." Eren carefully moved Zuni into a small padded carrier designed for familiars.

"Why do you get so nervous around her anyway?"

"I don't get nervous."

"Right." Eren's tone made it clear he didn't believe a word of it.

"And I'm the king of Arkhos." Sam ignored him, checking the contents of his pack one final time.

"We should go before someone else decides to check on us. Or before Adom gets too far ahead."

"You realize he's going to be furious when he finds out."

"If he finds out," Sam corrected.

"We'll be back before he returns. Just a quick visit to the coastal regions, some observations, maybe a few samples, and then back to Northhaven."

"And if we run into him there?" Sam paused, considering this possibility.

"Then we'll say we were worried about him and followed to make sure he was safe."

"He'll never believe that."

"Do you have a better excuse?" Eren shrugged.

"Not really."

"Then it's settled." Sam hoisted his pack onto his shoulders.

"The Giant Highlands await us, my friend."

"And Zuni," Eren added, securing the carrier.

"And Zuni," Sam agreed.

"Who will hopefully sleep through the entire adventure and never mention it to Adom." The quillick responded with a particularly musical snore.

The docks of Northhaven were crowded. Sam pushed his way between fishmongers and sailors, Eren close behind with Zuni's carrier tucked under his arm.

"We need to find someone heading west," Sam muttered, scanning the boats.

"What about that one?" Eren pointed to a weathered vessel where a woman was loading crates.

"Too small," Sam decided.

"Wouldn't make it halfway across." They continued down the dock, Sam growing increasingly frustrated as captain after captain turned them away with various excuses:"Not going that way."

"Too dangerous this time of year."

"Don't take children."

"Don't take anyone."

"This is ridiculous," Sam huffed after their seventh rejection.

"How did Adom manage to find someone?"

"Probably because he's Adom," Eren pointed out reasonably.

"He has a way of making things happen." Sam was about to respond when he spotted a familiar silhouette at the end of the dock—tall, slender, with perfectly styled hair.

"Quick, act natural," Sam hissed, turning away.

"It's Karion."

"And two others," Eren added, not turning away at all.

"They're coming this way."

"I can see that," Sam said through clenched teeth.

"Just pretend you don't see them. Maybe they won't—""Sam!" Karion's voice boomed across the docks.

"What are you doing here?"

"Shit," Sam muttered. He plastered on a smile and turned around.

"Oh, hey! What a coincidence." Karion strode toward them with the confidence of someone who had never doubted his welcome anywhere. Behind him came Naia. Gus followed at a more casual pace, Luna walking beside him.

"You followed Adom too, didn't you?" Karion asked without preamble.

"I knew we weren't the only ones who noticed him sneaking off!" Sam blinked.

"I... what? Why would you say that?"

"Oh, please." Karion waved dismissively.

"I ran into him this morning. He was acting all secretive, wearing a travel cloak, clearly up to something interesting." Sam glanced at Eren, who was studying the newcomers with curiosity.

"Ah, let me introduce you all. This is Eren, a first-year student. He's staying with us in Northhaven."

"Karion Dimitry," Karion announced, extending his hand to Eren.

"Rival of Adom and second-best duellist at Xerkes Academy among the third years."

"Second-best?" Eren asked, shaking his hand.

"After Adom, of course. For now." Naia stepped forward.

"Naia. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She offered a formal, slight nod as she smiled.

"And I'm Gus," the quieter boy said.

"This is Luna." The shimmerscale shifted colors slightly, matching Eren's shirt color.

"Nice to meet you all," Eren said with a friendly nod. Naia's eyes fell on Zuni's carrier.

"Is that Adom's familiar? How adorable." She knelt gracefully to peek inside.

"Even in slumber, his quills are quite remarkable."

"So," Karion pressed, returning to his original point, "where exactly is he going? You must know." Sam felt trapped. Everyone was looking at him expectantly, as if he'd organized some sort of group excursion that they'd all signed up for.

"I don't see why everyone suddenly cares so much about where Adom goes," he deflected.

"Karion suggested that perhaps he was embarking on some adventure that might prove educational to observe," Naia explained.

"I was intrigued by the possibility."

"I put a tracking spell on him," Kalion admitted.

"Just a small one. Followed him to the docks, saw him get on a boat with some old fisherman, heading west."

"I had a similar encounter," Gus added quietly.

"Luna sensed he was being evasive. When I mentioned it to these two," he gestured to Kalion and Naia, "we discovered we'd all noticed the same pattern."

"What's going on here today?" Sam's shoulders tensed at the new voice. He turned slowly to find Mia standing behind them, arms crossed.

"I knew you two were up to something," she said, looking directly at Sam.

"So I followed you."

"You followed us?" Sam squeaked.

"Where's Adom?" Mia asked directly.

"You all clearly know something." Five pairs of eyes turned to Sam, who suddenly wished he possessed Adom's apparent ability to disappear at will.

"Look," he said finally, "whatever Adom is doing, he wanted to do it alone. I'm respecting that decision, and I suggest you all do the same." He began backing away.

"In fact, Eren and I were just heading back to the hotel."

"No, we weren't," Eren said, looking puzzled.

"We were trying to find a boat to the Giant—" Sam stepped on his foot.

"—ant marketplace," Eren finished lamely.

"For... shopping."

"The Giant Highlands?" Gus's eyebrows shot up.

"That's where he's going?"

"I didn't say that," Sam protested.

"You didn't have to," Naia observed.

"Your friend's correction was quite telling."

"Is that place even real?" Karion asked.

"I thought it was just a legend."

"It's very real," Mia said, "and parts of it are extremely dangerous. Why would Adom go there?" Sam threw up his hands.

"I'm not discussing this anymore. We're going back to the hotel."

"Harbinsky." The monotone voice froze Sam mid-turn. The group parted like water to reveal Damus standing there, expression as impassive as ever.

"What the hell?" Sam whispered.

"Is everyone from Xerkes here today?" Damus ignored the question.

"Where did he go?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Damus didn't blink.

"Harbinsky. Where. Did. He. Go." Sam held his ground.

"I'm not telling you. Or any of you. This is ridiculous." Damus stared at him for another uncomfortable moment, then simply turned and walked away.

"Where's he going?" Eren asked. They watched as Damus approached a middle-aged fisherman with a neatly trimmed beard. The conversation was brief. Damus reached into his pocket, produced several coins, and placed them in the man's palm. The fisherman nodded, pointing to a modestly-sized boat moored nearby.

"Oh no," Sam muttered. Damus walked to the indicated boat and sat down, arms crossed, clearly waiting. The group exchanged glances.

"Well," Karion said, grinning, "shall we?" Before Sam could object, they were all moving toward the boat—Karion leading the charge, Naia following, Gus trailing behind with Luna, and Mia bringing up the rear.

"Wait!" Sam called after them.

"You don't understand. The Highlands are dangerous! There are mana anomalies, temporal distortions, unclassified monsters—""Sounds fascinating," Naia said without slowing down.

"Educational," Gus added.

"An adventure worthy of rivals!" Kalion declared.

"You're all insane," Sam said, but he found himself following anyway, Eren right beside him.

"I thought you wanted to go to the Highlands," Eren whispered.

"I did. Just not with an entire expedition of people Adom explicitly didn't want to bring along."

"Why are you all so stubborn?" Sam demanded as they reached the boat.

"Why this sudden interest in following Adom?" Naia adjusted her sleeve, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Adventure seems to follow him like a shadow. Today, I felt like pursuing some of that myself."

"Same," Karion agreed.

"I'm just curious," Mia admitted.

"I find him interesting as a druid," Gus said. Eren shrugged.

"I'm fine with whatever's happening." They climbed aboard, arranging themselves around Damus, who acknowledged their presence with the barest of nods. The fisherman approached, looking surprised at the sudden crowd on his vessel.

"All of you going too?" he asked Damus.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever," Damus replied without inflection. The fisherman shrugged, untied the mooring ropes, and activated the runes on the boat. As they pulled away from the dock, Sam looked back at Northhaven's receding shoreline and closed his eyes.

"I am so sorry, Adom," he whispered to the wind.