The Land of Flames

Regret. I said I wouldn’t let myself feel it again. I promised myself. Yet here I am, standing in this mess I created, and it’s all I can feel. It’s gnawing at me. I hate it. I hate me for it.

This wasn’t just some dumb mistake—it was worse. So much worse. I had a thousand chances to do the right thing, to think, to stop myself. But I didn’t. And now I’m stuck here, staring at the aftermath, wishing I could rewind, do anything to take it back.

My throat tightens, and I feel numb. My hands are shaking, my chest feels heavy. It’s stupid, it’s pathetic. I want to slap myself. How did I let it get this bad? How could I have been so caught up in the moment, forgetting something so obvious?

I can’t even look up, my head’s buried in my hands. My mind’s racing, replaying it all, over and over. Each time, I see where I could’ve stopped, where I could’ve made a different choice. But I didn’t. And that makes it hurt more.

Out of nowhere, a voice breaks through the haze. Soft, but loud enough to startle me. "Are you going to be like that from now on?"

I freeze. The words cut through the spiral of regret, yanking me back to the present. I blink, trying to process what I just heard.

"What?" I ask genuinely confused.

Looking at the source of the voice it was Orvox the Formorian priest standing in the doorway. His face was neutral showing some sympathy.

Which made me annoyed yet I buried that feeling since at this moment it would be even more moronic to feel that.

Orvox steps further into the room, his towering form casting a long shadow across the floor. His voice is measured, calm as always, but there’s a weight to it. "Are you going to be like that from now on?" he repeats, this time with a hint of firmness.

I stare at him, unable to answer right away. His neutral expression, while laced with a flicker of sympathy, feels out of place. I almost want him to scold me, to tell me how I messed up. Instead, he just stands there, watching.

"Of course I am," I finally mutter, my voice hoarse. "I caused someone’s death because of my own stupidity, so yeah, I’m a bit mad at myself."

Orvox raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. I can feel my anger rising, not at him but at myself, at the situation. "You don’t get it," I continue, my words spilling out faster now. "It wasn’t some random accident. I had so many chances to do the right thing, to stop before it got this bad. But I didn’t. And now Revek is dead because I was too damn caught up in my own—"

"You can stop there," Orvox interrupts, raising a hand. His tone is still steady, almost infuriatingly so. "I understand more than you think. But wallowing in your own mistakes isn’t going to bring him back."

I want to snap at him, to tell him that he doesn’t understand, that he wasn’t there. But I don’t. Instead, I let the silence stretch between us.

I sigh, the weight of it escaping me before I can stop it. I don’t want to keep going with this—don’t want to keep drowning in it, reliving every mistake, every failure. I know I’m running away, but I can’t deal with it right now. Not with Orvox standing there, waiting for me to break down or something.

I shift my stance, forcing my voice to steady. "How did you even figure out I’d be at Goda Ricmond? Stealing the artifact?"

Orvox doesn’t hesitate. "I’ve been keeping an eye on you."

The words hit me, and I feel the frustration rising again. "Stupid," I mutter under my breath, dragging a hand through my hair. "Should’ve known better. Should’ve put up some barriers or something."

I don’t even look at him as I say it. The truth is, I’d been too careless, too reckless, thinking I could pull it off without anyone noticing. And now, I was paying for it—more than I could’ve imagined.

Orvox's question lingers in the air, but his eyes soften slightly. "What I'm here for?" He pauses for a moment, as if weighing his words. "Since Revek had no family left, and you... were the one to take care of the burial arrangements, I’m here to finalize the finances."

I flinch at the mention of the grave. It feels like a gut punch, a reminder of what I’ve done, how my choices led to this. I barely manage to nod, my throat dry. "Right," I mumble. "The money."

Orvox steps closer, still looming over me with his towering frame. "It was thoughtful of you to handle it. Revek... he didn’t have many people left."

"Yeah," I mutter, feeling the weight of his words pressing down on me. "Guess someone had to."

It’s not like Revek had a big family, or any at all. Most of the people who cared about him were long gone. His life was a string of close calls and bad decisions, much like mine. Maybe that’s why we clicked—two screw-ups trying to survive in a world that didn’t want us.

But still, the fact that I had to dip into my parents’ money for this—it stings. I’m not a kid anymore. I should’ve had enough to cover something like this myself. The thought gnaws at me, another reminder of how far I’ve fallen.

Orvox watches me for a beat, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s giving me space, or maybe he’s waiting for me to make a move. Either way, I feel the pressure to respond.

"It’s fine," I finally say, clearing my throat. "I’ll sort it out."

He nods, and for a moment, the room falls silent again, save for the low hum of the building’s outdated ventilation system. My mind starts to wander, thinking back to Revek, to the mess I created, to the life I’m barely holding onto.

But Orvox isn’t here to talk about that. He’s here for the money, for the closure, for all the stuff I don’t want to deal with. I swallow hard and force myself to focus.

"Look," I say, forcing the words out before I lose my nerve. "I didn’t want it to come to this. I didn’t want—"

"You don’t have to explain it to me," Orvox cuts in gently, his voice soft but firm. "What’s done is done. You did what you could."

I bite my tongue, the words I want to say stuck in my throat. Did I really do what I could? Or did I just make things worse?

I don’t know anymore.

"Just make sure everything’s settled," I murmur. "I don’t want any more loose ends."

Orvox gives a small nod, and with that, the conversation ends as abruptly as it began.

However before he could leave my apartment another familiar face showed up behind him. While she was significantly shorter than Orvox, to be honest the man was around 4 meters tall.

I clear my throat, more out of reflex than anything, my mind scrambling for an explanation. “Miss Ember?” I say, confused about why she is here.

She glances at me, her expression neutral but with a hint of something unreadable in her eyes. "Still here?" I ask, trying to keep the confusion out of my voice. “I thought you’d have left the planet by now. Your job’s done.”

Before she can answer Orvox speaks. "The reason for that is the mane festival. Due to such the flights outside have increased in price." His eyes filled with nostalgia.

I nod remembering the conversation that I had heard a few days ago about the festival. I should have probably read up on it since such festivals are always important in magic.

Orvox steps aside as Ember cautiously enters, her sharp gaze sweeping across the room. It’s instinctual for her, I can tell—like a hunter assessing a potential threat. She doesn’t trust easily, and I don’t blame her. Especially not in a place like this. I can’t help but notice the slight tension in her shoulders, the way her hand is gathering little bits of mana.

A tell. Most people have them if you pay attention long enough. Orvox, despite his calm demeanor, always tilts his head slightly when he’s about to deliver bad news. It’s subtle, but once you catch it, you never miss it again. Ember’s tell is more obvious. When she’s uncomfortable, her eyes dart around, calculating, as if she’s preparing for an escape.

I shift my stance, pretending not to notice, but it’s a habit of mine—observing people, reading their ticks.

Still, the way I’ve been watching them both is starting to make things weird. I can see Orvox’s brow furrow slightly, though he says nothing. Ember, on the other hand, stiffens as if she feels my gaze on her. I immediately shift my focus elsewhere, like a kid caught staring too long at something he shouldn’t.

“You always do that?” Ember asks, breaking the silence, her tone almost accusatory. Her amber eyes narrow at me, and for a second, I wonder if I’ve crossed some invisible line.

“Do what?” I reply, keeping my voice casual, but inside I’m bracing for whatever judgment she’s about to throw at me.

“You know, staring. Like you’re dissecting everyone in the room.”

Orvox gives a low chuckle, the first sign of amusement he’s shown since he arrived. "I noticed as well lad. It's unnerving."

I feel my face flush, a wave of embarrassment I haven’t felt in a long time. “It’s not—” I start, then stop, realizing I don’t have a good defense. “It’s just... a habit.”

“A creepy one,” Ember mutters, though there’s no real malice in her voice. “Makes you look like you’re imagining something creepy."

“I’m not,” I say, maybe too quickly. “It’s just... you learn a lot by paying attention to people’s tells.”

Orvox raises an eyebrow at that, looking mildly curious. Ember crosses her arms, her expression skeptical.

“And what exactly have you learned from watching us?” she asks, tilting her head slightly, almost daring me to answer.

For a moment, I hesitate. This was a precious situation since many while ask such questions aren't happy if they receive one.

Lying would be better. Or at least not something important.

I clear my throat, glancing between them both before answering. "Sorry, I haven't learnt a thing about you guys."

Orvox grunts, unimpressed by the dodge. Ember, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to buy it either. Her eyes narrow even further, but then she shrugs and lets it drop.

"Fine. Keep your little secrets." she mutters as the mana in her hand disperses.

I nod, relieved that she didn’t push any further. The truth is, I’ve learned a lot from watching them—maybe more than I should have. But some things are better left unsaid.

Orvox then spoke sitting down in of the chairs in the apartment, although he seemed to be a bit annoyed probably because this was the only normal sized furniture in this building and other were larger due to the size of the average Formorian.

"So, Saturn got anything from Zeed?"

"Hmm, I don't know why you may have an interest in such a matter Orvox but yes I did." I replied to Orvox I didn't fully trust either of these people since I had only known them for a few days.

As I replied to Orvox my left hand took the letter in my pocket. Zeed had given it to me since from his sources a person by the name of CC was attending.

The letter was crumpled a bit due to being in my pocket all day. The letter was an invitation to an auction, not surprising that someone like CC would be at an auction the man was already very rich from his birth.

As the conversation lingers in the air, I find myself growing more restless. Orvox’s gaze flickers towards me again, but it’s clear that he’s not here for any long-winded discussions about regrets. Ember stands near the window, arms still crossed, her eyes darting from me to Orvox as if deciding whether to stick around or not.

I take a deep breath, trying to clear the tension in my chest. "Look," I start, my voice more tired than I expected, "I’ve got things to handle. Personal stuff."

Orvox’s massive frame shifts in his chair, a slight creak escaping under his weight. “I’m sure you do.” He gives me a knowing look, not pressing the issue any further.

Ember glances between us, and for a moment, I think she’s going to say something snarky, but instead, she just shrugs. "Okay," she says, turning towards the door. "Then I will be off then."

Without another word, she brushes past Orvox and exits the room, her presence fading like a passing storm. Orvox follows suit, rising to his full height.

“Take care, Saturn,” Orvox says, and though his tone is neutral, there’s something in it—an unspoken understanding. “And don’t forget to eat."

I force a small, tired smile. “Yeah, I won’t forget.”

With that, Orvox steps out, the door clicking shut behind him. The apartment is silent again, save for the hum of the ventilation. I let out a long sigh and glance around. The emptiness feels suffocating, yet somehow, I’m relieved to be alone.

I turn towards the kitchen, remembering the steak I’d promised Amon. I pull it out of the fridge and put it in the plate.

“Amon!” I call out, my voice echoing slightly. “Your food’s ready.”

From my shadow a paw reaches out and Amon jumps out. He is still the same dog although if one looked closely they could see that he wasn't a shadow but more had very dark fur and markings on its body.

Looking at him caused me more pain since his form was a constant reminder of my dead dog.

He eyes the steak in my hand, his tail swishing with impatience. "Here you go, buddy," I say, tossing the steak toward him.

"About damn time Saturn." He replies while he chews the meat.

I don't reply, I'm not in the mood to have a back and forth.

Amon glances up, licking the last of the steak juices from the plate. "You’re still brooding, aren’t you?"

I don’t answer right away. I don’t know what to say. Am I brooding? Maybe. But it’s not because I feel this overwhelming sadness for Revek. I don’t. It’s just... something about a life ending like that—it feels wrong. A waste. I hate that I couldn’t stop it, hate that my choices led to it.

“I don’t even know what I’m feeling,” I admit quietly, staring at the floor. “I don’t feel... sad, exactly. Just... I dunno. Guilty? Angry? It’s all mixed up.”

Amon tilts his head, studying me with those sharp, almost too-intelligent eyes of his. “You’re not upset that Revek’s gone. You’re upset because it makes you feel like a failure. Because you think you should’ve done more.”

He isn't wrong since I hadn't known Revek for more than a day to come to care for him but even then I never liked a life that just ended.

"You could say that but to be honest I have to focus on CC now since he is the goal of the hunt." I say while looking through my suitcase for formal attire.

Amon watches me with a knowing expression, his tail swishing lazily. "So, what’s the plan for CC?" he asks, his voice still muffled from chewing the last bits of steak. "Are you going to go in all stealthy again, or just crash the place?"

I pull out a suit that I always keep with me for these events. "Can't crash this place since this is more of a legal side than the Goda Ricmond. To be honest i just want to keep it clean. I will probably put him to sleep and from there to just take him back to the intergalactic association since he has a bounty around 30,000 credit."

With that I lay the suit on the table and since the auction is in a few days I could probably prepare this time. Probably set up some potions and talismans.

The air in the apartment feels hotter than usual as I think on my job. This was the first time I was doing something like this, my heart was beating like a drum against my chest.

I stare into the empty space with a faint hum of the ventilation system filling the space. Thoughts of the auction filled my mind and doubts were being filled.

"You overthink things, you know that?" Amon spoke as he had finished his steak. With that he sinks back into my body.

I don’t respond. My eyes are still glued to the empty wall in front of me. This job was important since after this I could finally promote to a C rank Magician.

I have to get this right.

But as I stand there I take a deep breath and continue my preparation.