CHAPTER 24: ARC ROAD TO THE PALACE - MASTER?

Kai woke up when he felt a tremor in his arm. He immediately opened his eyes and sat up.

"Wake up," whispered Obi, surprised by how quickly Kai reacted.

Kai blinked. He quickly got out of bed and stood beside it, waiting for Obi.

He was used to waking up early, following the same daily routine in Omino. But lately, he couldn’t predict the time. Everything had changed.

Kai stood still as Obi removed the chain from his neck. He then put on the clothes the boy handed him—a comfortable and stylish outfit.

"We have to go to the market, so it’s better to leave early," Obi said, watching Kai struggle a bit to put on his pants.

The boy quickly stepped in to help, also assisting him with his shirt.

Kai looked at his clothes, then at Obi. "Am I supposed to wear this?" he asked.

Obi nodded. "You can’t look like a slave, or people will cause trouble for you. I don’t want any problems."

Kai didn’t understand what he meant, but he just nodded. The clothes were very comfortable, though a bit loose on his body. He was also eager to go to the market and see what it was like. Maybe he’d even see other slaves.

Obi handed him a plate of bread and milk. "Eat quickly. I’ll wait outside. Once you’re done, wait for me in front of the kitchen."

Kai nodded. He hadn’t expected to be allowed to eat before leaving, so he didn’t waste the chance. He devoured the food quickly, almost choking, and finished the milk.

He walked slowly out of the room, through the corridor. He saw several slave rooms open. But they all still seemed to be asleep, naked and bound.

Kai continued walking, but stopped when he saw the open door at the end of the corridor—he saw Hein lying there.

Without realizing it, his feet carried him to that room. His instincts urged him to approach. To check on Hein. Was the slave okay?

Kai stood at the doorway. Hein’s eyes were closed, but Kai was sure he was still alive—he could see his chest rising and falling. The base of his left arm was bandaged and stained dark from dried blood.

Kai felt a pang of sorrow at the sight. He couldn’t imagine the pain Hein was in. He hoped the slave would someday forgive his past mistakes.

Kai bowed his head and walked away slowly, dragging his feet. He moved carefully, trying not to make a sound. When he stepped outside, he saw John and Obi talking.

John handed Obi some notes. "I’ll ask Daen to go with you."

Obi immediately refused. "No. That’s not necessary. I don’t need help. You know I can do it, John."

"This is too heavy. Kai won’t be able to help you."

Obi shook his head. "Don’t worry. I’m used to it. Besides, I have a cart. You don’t need to worry."

John sighed. "It’s up to you."

Grace came out of the kitchen, holding some coins. "Buy me some needles. You know where the store is," she said.

Obi nodded. "Alright. I’ll be back soon!"

Obi pushed the cart in front of him, then looked at Kai standing in the doorway. He gestured for the slave to follow.

John waved. "Come back quickly. Obi’s on his own—but don’t even think about running away," he warned seriously.

Kai nodded. He wasn’t about to take any risks—unless he wanted to be torn apart by Vlad.

The village they were living in was called Rampesh. There was a market there, but they passed it. Obi chose to go to a market farther away, which meant they had to go through the forest. The boy kindly told Kai to sit in the cart. If they waited for Kai to walk, they wouldn’t arrive until the afternoon.

By the time they arrived, the market was already bustling. The voices of merchants shouting their wares mingled with the scent of spices, warm bread, and human sweat.

Kai blinked as sunlight filtered through the gaps in the shade cloths hanging above the stalls. In his imagination, he had expected to find a slave market like the one in Omino, with many slaves bound and kneeling, waiting for buyers.

But what he saw instead was a lively market full of food, vegetables, and meat. He was stunned. In Omino, they had their own farms and never had a market like this. No one was selling slaves here.

Obi told Kai to get down, then busied himself going back and forth to gather things.

Kai tried to keep up, though he often stopped whenever something caught his attention. As a result, he lost Obi several times in the crowd.

Kai tried to walk faster, but his limp made it hard to keep up. Obi was so quick, pushing the cart, weaving through the crowd, stopping briefly, then moving on again.

Kai fell behind. His breathing grew labored. Several times he nearly fell as people bumped into him without caring. He tried calling out to Obi, but his voice was lost in the noise of the market.

His heart raced as he realized he could no longer see Obi. Panic set in. He looked around, but all the faces were unfamiliar. There was no stocky boy with black hair and a cart in sight.

Kai started walking faster, though the pain in his leg was getting worse. "Obi... Obi..." he whispered, too afraid to shout and draw attention.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe. Fear gripped his chest. Dark thoughts filled his mind. What if he was lost? What if he couldn’t get back? What if... Vlad thought he’d tried to escape?

His hands trembled. He stood frozen in front of a fruit stall, eyes darting around. Until finally—

"Hey! Over here!" Obi’s voice came from the right.

Kai turned quickly, relief flooding him as he saw Obi nearby, standing beside the cart and waving. Kai dragged his feet toward him, almost running.

"Don’t ever stop following me," Obi scolded as Kai reached him, breathless. "I told you to stay behind me."

"I’m sorry..." Kai said, almost in tears from the relief. He was drenched in sweat, and his legs ached. But seeing Obi’s face again calmed him.

Obi sighed, noticing Kai’s trembling legs. He reached into his small bag and handed him a red apple. "Eat this. You’re so pale."

Kai took it and bit into it slowly. The sweetness eased his anxiety.

"We just need to get two more things and a needle for my mother," Obi said in a gentler tone. "After that, we’ll go home."

Kai nodded. He didn’t want to lose sight of Obi again. The outside world was far more terrifying than he had imagined. Even if Obi sometimes seemed indifferent, just having him there made Kai feel safe.

Meanwhile, Obi stood with a blank expression, watching Kai finish the apple. His thoughts were a mess. He had meant to leave Kai behind. He didn’t want the slave to cause him trouble. He was sure Vlad would kill Kai if they met.

But could he really go through with it? Wasn’t there another way?

Looking at Kai’s innocent face, he couldn’t do it. He had planned everything—but seeing Kai lost and confused, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away.

He’d come this far. The plan was already ruined. If he didn’t go through with it, Kai might tell Vlad everything.

Obi held his head. What was he supposed to do now?

"Watch out, watch out! The royal guards are coming!"

Obi flinched as the crowd suddenly grew restless. People stepped aside for a group of mounted soldiers escorting a carriage.

"I heard it’s Prince Sylas."

"The prince was captured?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

Kai’s eyes widened. He dropped the apple in shock when he heard the name.

Sylas.

The white-robed Master?

Instinctively, he stood up. His gaze locked onto the approaching group of horsemen. He limped through the crowd as it parted for the procession.

"Master..."