Ian puts his head to the wall while looking up at the ceiling, cast by a strip of moonlight from the prison window. Water condenses on the uneven and rocky top, forming drops of water that drip down once they carry too much weight, and another sphere starts to form, causing a never-ending cycle. When he moves his leg, the sole of his shoe rolls the little rocks scattered on the prison floor. The rodents that inhabit the place would squeak as their light footsteps sound in the background.
Ian closes his eyes to shut a memory down from his mind, but it is of no use. His mind keeps on replaying Cynthia's words over and over again.
===
Cynthia smacks her lips together, "Well… Let's see how Kyrie handles this situation. Erebus told me not to touch him, but he never said anything about you."
"Why…" Ian murmurs before raising his voice higher, "Why are you doing this? It doesn't match your objectives."
Cynthia flinches at the sudden question, and her smile fades away for a few seconds, just enough time to catch a glance of her face before getting that expression masked again. She looks away, but a malignant smile blooms. Cynthia shrugs like she just did it for fun, even though underneath her mask hides emotions.
She frowns when a thought passes through her mind.
"Kyrie Gerwyn Rowan," Cynthia lets out a puff of air, " could take upon all kinds of blows and not be bothered by them, but you are different. He cares so much… He treats you so differently… while he could be so merciless when it comes to others who have clear affection towards him."
Her mood sours to the point she starts to taste it.
"I have always been curious why you could get your memories of the previous loops back…" The face with Cynthia's widened eyes could bite into him as she looks away to her hand that touched Ian, "I thought it would be a hassle that you get them back, but I guess there is not really much to be worried about." She lets out a laugh deep in her throat with her lips pursed and a wide grin, "I don't think Kyrie would know this, or else, he would have never picked a side, judging how much he cares about you..."
Ian watches her dodge as his shadows manifest into spikes.
===
Inside the corridors of an inn, Cynthia walks past door after door in the eerily quiet hall. She stops in front of a room, reaching to open the door.
"Master," Cynthia halts, turning the knob halfway when a demon puppet calls her.
"What is it?" asks Cynthia with a somber tone.
The demon puppet glances up nervously, "I got news from the Kingdom of Ethern."
"A response from that king?"
"Yes, master," the demon puppet closes in and whispers.
The corners of Cynthia's lips lift slowly as the demon puppet tells her the news.
"Good."
The demon puppet bows and walks away immediately. Cynthia opens the door. Inside, the oil lamp dimly shines in the room. Where the rays from the lamp fade into darkness, Sil lays on the bed covered in sweat. The muscles on his face are stiff even though the man is unconscious.
Cynthia sits on the bed and watches Sil's expressions of fear and agony as he is in a deep sleep, probably due to nightmares. She places her gaze upon him without moving for a long time while the woman herself is in a daze. She reaches out without thinking to lift off the wet hair glued to his forehead but stops herself midway, tightening her hand into a fist.
She stands up and walks towards the stand to pour another cup of wine.
'Cynthia, he forgot about me… He forgot about me…'
She drinks the entire cup in one go, pours another one to finish it again. Then, she fills another one. She slams the cup on the stand, shattering it in her hands. The wine gushes out and spills to the floor.
"Why is it always about Kyrie?!?! Everyone is only focused on him… Sil… and then…"
Erebus flashes in her mind, "... him." Her fists tighten on the glass while shaking.
---
<Next morning>
Ian opens his eyes in a jolt when the knight violently hits the prison bars. With a face full of mockery looking at Ian, he signals the prison guard with his head to open the door.
"Chain his ankles and hands. Then bring him to the prison wagon! He is going to hear the verdict!"
"Yes, captain!" The knights go into the prison cell and restrain Ian's arms and legs.
Ian becomes resistant, "Isn't King Aria going to negotiate with King Ethern?"
The captain of the knights lets out a laugh that infected everyone else, "For you? Ha! From what I have heard, you have been abandoned, Prince Ethern. Ah! No! You are a commoner now! A peasant! The King of Ethern has taken away your title..."
Ian stiffens at the news, and his body starts to shake. Although his father has never liked him, he would have never expected that the king would disown him just like that. Maybe, the king has died so early in all the loops that Ian never saw this day coming.
'Kyrie told me to wait for him.'
Seeing Ian resisting the knights, the captain sighs, "The Rowans have not moved an inch ever since your arrest… Plus, the paladin went back to the academy to prepare for his early graduation. Just give up, will you?"
The knights holding Ian try to push him to move, but Ian would not even budge.
The captain rubs his closed eyes and snickers, "Who told you to be born a curse, causing the collapse of the temple? You are lucky that the king would even give you an audience! Ha! Even though it is obvious that you might end with the death penalty. Now… Move! We don't have all day!"
More knights shove Ian forward and almost fall on their faces when they push on empty air since Ian voluntarily moves out of the cell. They end up awkwardly following Ian behind as he silently walks out and enters the jail wagon.
For a long time, Ian enters into a daze, looking towards space while getting transported. After passing a long time, Ian feels something is not right and looks toward the back of the wagon. Outside, he does not see the roads to the capital, but instead, he can see the grassland extending towards the edges of the hills before becoming the luscious forest.
The wagon stops abruptly, and sounds of metal clashing metal echo in the air along with screams and thuds against the ground. Ian panics since the only thing he can see is the back of the wagon. Then, the chilling cries for help and clashing metal hush at the same time.
Ian hears footsteps walking towards the wagon door. He prepares himself for the worst, grabbing the loose chains tightly, getting ready to strike.
The metal door violently opens since the rusty edges get caught on the frame. Ian swings the chains toward the door, and the one opening the door gasps in shock! The man narrowly avoids his face getting hit by the heavy chains.
Ian exhales sharply when he sees who opens the door. Kyrie lets out a hiccup while holding the chains in his hand and chokes on air, coughing nervously.
"I-I-Ian… Did I arrive too late?" He lets go of the chain while recoiling his arm that grabbed the chain. He shakes his hand since he held it barehanded.
[That one was quite heavy-handed. Good thing I was fast enough, or I would have committed a sin by ruining this face! It will be a crime against humanity… no… the gods if I waste the blessings I have received! I would be a worse case than that red hair dude with green magic! Anyways… Is Ian mad? I thought I was already fast enough…]
Ian relaxes and falls back on the wagon floor, looking at Kyrie dumbfounded.
"Hey!" Kyrie waves his hand close to Ian's face, but Ian just continues to stare at him.
[It's over… He had too big of a shock! Those sons of a ***** better brace themselves when I go back!!!]
Kyrie steps up to the wagon, but before he gets balance on the leg that he stepped up with, Ian pulls Kyrie into his arms. Kyrie's knee hits the wagon floor, right on the funny bone, sending electricity all over his body. He wants to joke, but sensing Ian is acting odd, he stays in Ian's embrace silently.
Kyrie pats on Ian's back gently, "Is it because of your father?"
Ian remains quiet until he affirms with a low 'hmm.'
Federline dusts off his hands once he has taken care of all the knights, leaving them on the side unconscious. He walks toward the wagon door, but Nate pulls him away from the door before Federline could announce that he has finished his job.
"What? We need to get to the Kingdom of Ethern soon!" Federline pouts.
Nate looks at Federline, pissed, "You really want to die?"
Federline blinks at Nate, confused, making Nate speechless.
"Why would I die? I am just doing my job!" Federline pulls away. Nate gasps when he fails to catch the dense Federline from walking to his death.