I scream up without a sound, but I know what I want to say, “Mother!”

  Is this a dream? I saw Albertt again. I thought he retreated from the nobility. Wait, was this dream about the beginning of the Civil War? I wasn’t there during Albertt’s revenge. This has to be just a dream.

  “You’re finally awake. Feli,” a deep voice says.

  I turn to look immediately and pull my rapier, but I can’t find it. It is a man with prominent scars on his face. His hair is chocote brown, and he is dressed in a mix of Northian and Gustan clothes. There are two Northian bdes on his waist. The presence itself is dominating but not confronting. Based on his attire, he might be from Han. Why is he here?

  Wait, why am I here? What happened before? I was… the GOLD! Where are they?

  I see they are all on his desk, and so is my rapier. They are within reach.

  I cannot say anything, but I can still fight him. He is not of House Sibelius, not a royalty. I just need to dodge his first strike and grab my rapier.

  If I’m correct, he is the robber in the forest. He didn’t engage anyone until all four of us were weakened, which meant he knew he couldn’t win. If he is weaker than Gao, I might still have a chance. I change my pose and get ready to dash. My body aches a bit.

  “Feli, please. I mean you no harm.”

  He knows the maid’s name—my name.

  “I know you still cannot talk, so I’ll try to guide the conversation.”

  He knows the mute situation. Who is he?

  “If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already. And I wouldn’t heal you either.”

  Heal me? I checked my wounds on the ribs and back. There’s no untreated wound anymore. I turn to look at him. He is… smiling? It’s not a mischievous one. It’s full of heart.

  “It’s me, Dominic. I survived. I’m so gd to see you again, Feli.”

  That face feels familiar, but I don’t recognize it at all. A drop of water falls on my hand. Another. Then another. It’s from… me. Am I crying? Why?

  I turn back to see him again, but my eyes are all blurry with tears. I furiously point to him, demanding answers for this symptom.

  He is confused by my actions. He comes closer to hug me.

  “I miss you, too.”

  He makes me feel warm and safe. Heat rises in my chest. It’s too comforting.

  Wait? What’s wrong with me? Why am I enjoying this? No. No, I don’t need this. I don’t need him.

  I shove him away by punching him in the guts, harder than I mean to.

  He stumbles back, coughing. “It’s me… Dan.”

  A sudden fsh of the young boy in the dream flicks up. He was in front of a wizard.

  What is this memory? Is it Felicia’s? What does this mean? I shake my head to avoid his further engagement.

  “You’re still trapped.” He sighs and kneels before me.

  He looks me in the eyes. “The shadow soldier program locked our communication abilities, wills, personalities, and memories away. I saw you acting out your emotions earlier. I thought you also unlocked some of your memories, like me.”

  Is he a shadow soldier? Felicia should be the st one. I thought the rest of them all died in the war against the Han Kingdom.

  That tiny isnd kingdom in the east blocked our expansion. One single man, ONE SINGLE MAN, took down three of my generals, all the shadow soldiers, and the entire fleet. The project ended there. Even Estin abandoned it after that massacre.

  And yet, Dominic is standing right in front of me. Alive.

  My breath slows. My fingers twitch. How did he survive?

  Han has always been a strange blend, caught between Gustan’s feudal structure and Tian Jou’s poetic traditions. Their nobles drink tea while debating philosophy like schors, yet their warriors fight like Gustanese—efficient, and disciplined, but with an elegance Gustan never mastered.

  And Dominic wore it all too casually. The long coat, the twin bdes, the seamless way he carries himself. No hesitation, no mispced movement. He had lived in Han for months.

  He had to.

  But why didn’t he come back to the empire? They should have been absolutely loyal. If he broke free, could Felicia…? Is that why I am crying and having new memories? If we break these hexes, will I still be able to hold this body? Am I actually taking her chance to be free away?

  The realization digs in and frightens me. I thought all I need is to find a wizard to unlock all these restrictions so I could guide Grant back to the throne properly. This changes everything. Now I need a wizard that can decode all these circumancies Estin invented.

  No. No, stop. I squeeze my eyes shut, clench my fists, and force my breath steady. It doesn’t work.

  The tears won’t stop. My chest tightens, and my body trembles. I wipe my face furiously, but it’s useless.

  I’m crying. I’m actually crying. In double, for me and Felicia. Dominic sees me crying harder. He respected my refusal earlier. He doesn’t come to hug me again and remains kneeling in front of me, but he joins the crying.

  Now, this has just become a ridiculous show. Two people are crying together but for totally different reasons.

  After a while, both of us eventually settle down. An awkward silence fills the room.

  My breathing steadies, but my thoughts are still tangled. Crying was a mistake. I don’t have time for this. I push down whatever emotions are left, forcing myself to focus.

  There’s no time to waste. Even if I’ll have to return this body to Felicia, right now, nothing matters more than helping Grant stand back up. If Dominic has truly known Felicia for a long time, he might be willing to help me. Maybe he’ll even help me get Grant back to the throne.

  I browse around the room, searching for something—no, anything I can write on. I need to find a way to communicate with him, or we’ll go nowhere.

  Dominic watches me. Curious, he follows my gaze, scanning the same spot I just checked.

  “What are you looking for, Feli?” He asks, intrigued.

  I don’t answer. I can’t. Nothing will happen if we just sit here waiting for solutions. I need to act.

  I push off the bed and drag myself straight to the desk. Below the pile of gold bars, I spot a journal. That’s it.

  I pull the book out, only to realize I don’t have a pen to write with.

  “That’s my journal, please don’t read it. It’s just my daily thoughts.” Dominic says quickly, stepping forward.

  Who does he think I am? A boring teenage girl desperate for someone’s secret?

  I gesture for writing and point to myself. He hesitates, then nods, reaching to his bag for ink and a quill.

  The moment he hands them to me, I grab them swiftly and sit at the desk.

  “I don’t think that is going to work,” he says.

  I ignore him and flip the journal open, looking for an empty page to write on. However, something makes me stop. The pages are filled, every single one.

  The same word.

  Felicia. Felicia. Felicia. Felicia.

  Not notes. Not thoughts. Just her name. Over and over.

  A discomfort runs down my spine. This isn’t normal. This isn’t a man casually reminiscing.

  How long has he been writing her name like this? Days? Weeks? Years?

  Maybe I’m not a teenage girl, but Dominic? He sure as hell seems like a teenage boy trapped in a middle-aged man’s body. And, he is obsessed with me, no—Felicia.

  I shape the book shut, pushing past it. I don’t have time to deal with whatever that is. I flip to the next empty page, dip the quill in the in, and move the tip toward the paper.

  An odd thing happens.

  I cannot write.

  I know the words. I know what I want to write, but nothing comes out. My hand tenses, frozen in pce. It’s like my body and mind are not coordinated. Like I’m paralyzed by the act of writing itself.

  I quickly turn to look at Dominic.

  He’s already watching me in sorrow.

  “There are hexes that limit our writing abilities as well…” he says.

  So, I’m out of options now.

  Think, Aulsman, think. You should not waste this second chance.

  “Feli, let me help you.” He notices my stress. “I know a sage that can help you. He is the one who saved me. He called himself, The Commoner.”

  A sage? Maybe from Han?

  I spent a lifetime gathering intelligence and monitoring threats to the empire. How could there be a powerful mage I never heard of?

  The Commoner?

  That shouldn’t be possible—someone capable enough to break Estin’s hexes.

  Dominic exhales, gripping his hands into fists. “Feli… we deserve better than this.”

  He lowers his voice, pain, and bitterness filled.

  “Omenmia took everything from us. Our minds, our choices, our futures. And now you… you’re still trapped in it.”

  He gazes at me seriously. “Come with me. Let’s find the sage. Let’s break free from this curse. We don’t have to stay in this nd of trauma.”

  Leave?

  A sharp heat rises in my chest. He’s serious.

  He thinks we should abandon Grant. Abandon Omenmia.

  I spent a lifetime building this empire, and now he wants me to run?

  My hands clench. No. This isn’t an option. I refuse to let everything crumble while I cower in exile.

  I shake my head. I can’t do this.

  My refusal shakes him.

  He doesn’t press on, “I understand. We haven’t seen each other for almost two decades. It’s my fault to assume you want this, too.”

  He stays silent for a few seconds.

  There’s no point stuck in this silence. Sorry, Felicia, I hate to break up your reunion, but I have to move on before Grant gets himself killed.

  Dominic watches me strap on my rapier, gathering the gold. He doesn’t speak at first. His hands tighten at his sides, then release. Something flickers in his expression—hesitation. Defeat.

  A sudden shift of energy as I leave the room. I’m shocked and turn back to stare at him. He puts his hand on the bde handle. What is he doing? Is he going to kill me if I leave?

  “If you won’t leave with me…” He exhales slowly and then meets my eyes. I hold my hand on the rapier.

  Right, he is obsessed with me. There were cases in Omenmia where obsessive men killed their love because of the fear of losing. Some Shin masters are famously stubborn.

  He pulls out the bde and I wave out rapier for countering. However, I hit nothing. The empty csh startles me.

  He is kneeling in front of me, head bowed, bde held in both hands. Offering it.

  “Then at least let me fight for you.”

  I stiffen. A warrior’s proposal. Whenever a Gustanese soldier leaves for battle, they offer their bde to a maiden they vow to protect.

  This is not a marriage proposal. But it is a promise.

  If I take it, I acknowledge his devotion. I give him a chance.

  My hand lifts. Hovering over the bde. Then, it stops.

  I can’t.

  Dominic might prove useful. He knows where the Commoner is. He can help me break the circumancies. But he has already suffered because of me.

  Because of Omenmia.

  If I accept, I will be taking more from him.

  I lower my hand. I’m not Felicia. I don’t deserve him.

  Dominic exhales, gripping the hilt of his sword. “I know where the Commoner went,” he says quietly. “I can help you break this restraint. But only if I stay with you.”

  He read my mind.

  His voice steadies. “Please. Don’t leave without me.”

  My fists clench.

  What should I do? I have already stolen her body, and now I’m about to steal her past.

  In my first life, I would have agreed immediately. Anything that benefits my goal, I’d take. But I have seen what that path leads to. I was wrong before. And yet… If I refuse him, Grant will fall without me. I stare at Dominic. At the bde. I have taken everything from him already.

  And now, I might have to take his future, too.

  I should end this my way.

  In the warrior’s proposal, the maiden is meant to accept the bde, tap it against his shoulders, and cim him as her protector. But I can’t accept this on Felicia’s behalf

  What I can do is… change the meaning.

  I raise up my rapier. The metal hums as it cuts through the air. Dominic tenses. For a second, his fingers tighten around the hilt of his offering.

  Then, with precise control, I bring my bde down—lightly tapping his shoulder. First the left. Then the right. I accept his devotion but I cannot accept his affection.

  Therefore, the contract is settled.