NOVEL WEB Chapter-81 Trade [Part-II]
“How did you manage to get your hands on that?” His scowl turned into a smirk, but his lips shook, and the Crown glanced at the sky.
“Bad luck, sir,” Ewan said. He held his palm below the ‘thread’ connecting his soul to the fox and roused up some Ice-Anima. The white particles swirled around the thread and glued to it, making it glimmer. The fox shivered; her breath misted as she panted with her tongue out.
“Ewan, she’s hurting,” Nana said and pleaded. But he held her back.
“Bridge…,” Valenza said under his breath, his smirk fading. “Are you touched in the head?”
“Sir, I’m also helpless,” Ewan said. “I just want us to live, no matter the cost.”
The Crown laughed. “Love really blinds people,” he said.
“I can't go out without her, sir,” Ewan said.
After a moment of silence and a stare match, the Crown heaved a sigh. “Fine,” he said. “You both can leave.” He shooed them away.
“Thank you.” Ewan smiled and bowed with his hand at his heart again, his shoulders loosening. Freedom was now at his arm’s length, and a bout of dizziness assaulted him as his rigid nerves eased.
“Ewan.” Nana supported him.
“I’m fine,” he whispered. “I’ll be fine.” The back and forth with the Crown sapped him dry.
“Teal,” Valenza said, watching Ewan and Nana.
A young girl, about the same age as Ewan, came out from behind the concrete block upon his call. She was shuddering as she glared at Ewan, grinding her teeth, tears rolling down her bloodshot eyes—it had already soaked her orange v-collar.
“Take this,” he said, handing her the diary. “Study it. I want it organized by the next morning.”
“Master, please kill him.” She begged and looked towards Ewan.
“What?” Ewan furrowed his brows and said in alarm. Was his luck this bad? The trade was a success, he was free, Nana was free. They were about to get out of this mess, and now this happened. Where did this miss calamity come from? What did he ever do to her?
“There must be some misunderstanding,” Ewan said. “I don’t even know you, Miss.”
Was it because of the blood festival again? Did she suffer some tragedy because of it too? He cursed that woman who spread his information. It was trivial at first but was chomping his ass right now. Till when would this haunt him? None of the contingencies he made could deal with this situation, he never saw this coming. The threat of the fox was still there though. Was she important enough to ignore that risk? He looked at the Crown.
“Girl,” Valenza said. “Do not speak unless you’re spoken to.” He smiled at her, but there was no warmth in his ravening eyes.
“But Master…”
“I am not your master.” He interrupted her. “And defy me again and I’ll forget your mother’s favor.”
She lowered her head, her trembles worsening. “Y-Yes sir,” she said and took the diary.
Ewan breathed a sigh of relief—luckily, she wasn’t. No matter her grudge, the ending was in his favor. But still, he burned her figure in his mind. She hated him enough to kill him, she was a threat—he needed to end her if a chance ever came.
“We’ll take our leave, sir. I apologize again for my insolence, thank you for your mercy, and may your rite be a success,” Ewan said and bowed out, bringing Nana towards the saffron barrier. As they moved closer, a large gap rolled in the shield, bringing in breaths of fresh grass. Ewan sped up and dashed out, dragging Nana by hand.
Cool and calming breeze brushed his face and neck, and his raven hair danced. The smell of wood, lush green, and raw earth replaced the dirt and the powdered dust. Old-growth trees instead of the concrete jungle, sky-reaching crowns instead of the chopped stumps, dense ancient forest instead of the sparse young saplings—this was the world beyond the walls, where nature ruled. The survival of the fittest superseded any laws of the Starons here. The weak were cast away, and only the apt survived.
Ewan breathed in a lungful of crisp air. Though his exit wasn’t what he envisioned when he dreamt of this, he was at least free. He finally set foot in the open world. Nana too took a deep breath, beaming, and combed her rumpled chestnut hair back with her fingers.
An endless horizon was within Ewan’s reach, his adventure would now begin; exhilaration clutched his mind and body. His imagination went wild. He could go anywhere; he could do anything. They would travel to places together and rise above all.
Yet, it all shattered when a voice reached his ears.
“Ewan, you came out?”
