They huddle in the boys’ room, the scent of old timber lingering in the air as they draft out the rescue plan.

  “Nyx and I will go in to speak with the boy. See if we can convince him to come with us. Risa, you’ll stay outside, keep watch. If anyone’s coming, signal us straight away,” Finn says, voice low and steady.

  He turns slightly, addressing Aurelien. “And Madam Aurelien, once we get him out, we’ll need you to tend to his injuries.”

  “I’ll have herbs ready. And fresh clothes too,” she nods.

  “Any questions?” Finn glances around. No one speaks. That’s all he needs. “Good. We move tonight.”

  By the time they reach the circus grounds, night has fallen. The lantern-lit tents cast soft glows across the frost-hardened earth. The main tent throbs with distant applause, signalling that most of the circus crews are dispatched to the main tent. It’s quieter around the back, where only a few stagehands linger, moving props in and out. The boy’s tent is still in place. So far, everything’s going to plan.

  Finn crouches by the cage. The boy sits in the corner, eyes fierce, arms wrapped around his knees.

  “Hey,” Finn says gently. “It’s us again. You can call me Finn, and this here’s Nyx.” He gestures beside him.

  “We came to see Evelyn earlier… but we found out what happened,” he continues. The boy’s eyes flicker at the name.

  “We spoke to the Proprietor at The Brass Ledger. He mentioned Evelyn adopted a boy with… snake scales on his chest.”

  The boy tenses, expression guarded.

  “We think that might be you. That’s why we’re here,” Finn adds softly. “We are here to break you out.”

  Cassius stares at him, eyes sharp with suspicion. “Why?” he asks bluntly. “What do you get from helping me?”

  Finn shakes his head, not unkindly. “Nothing. I know it’s hard to trust people, especially after what you’ve been through. I don’t blame you.”

  He shifts his weight slightly, voice lowering. “Can I ask your name?”

  The boy pauses, then mumbles, “Cassius.”

  “Cassius,” Finn repeats gently. “You asked Nyx before—‘Who are you?’ What if you could find out the answer… by coming with us?” He turns to Nyx and silently mouths a ‘yes’ out of Cassius’s view.

  “Yes,” Nyx says simply.

  Finn turns his head back, facing Cassius. “I think Evelyn also wouldn’t want you locked away.”

  He then falls silent, giving the boy space.

  Cassius gnaws on his lower lip, gaze shifting between them. Finally, he nods. “Fine… but only if you promise I’ll get the answer.”

  “I promise,” Finn says, sidestepping the implied deadline. Still too young. Too gullible.

  “Step back,” Nyx says. With a fluid swipe of his hand, he slices through the bars. And the chains also snap like a thread.

  Cassius watches, wide-eyed, but says nothing. Not now.

  He climbs out slowly. His legs tremble from disuse, and he nearly collapses.

  “Here.” Finn drapes a cloak over Cassius and crouches. “Get on my back.”

  Cassius hesitates, but his body’s too sore to argue. Finn grabs his legs, hoisting him up gently.

  “Wrap your arms around my neck.”

  With the boy on his back, they slip through the shadows to meet Risa, who murmurs a warming spell, wrapping Cassius in faint golden heat.

  Between the masking spell, the cover of snow, and the thundering cheers from the performance, their exit is seamless. Not even footprints betray them with the snowflakes falling fast enough to erase the trail.

  Returning to the inn, the masking stone hums to life as golden lamplight spills across the room. Aurelien has readied every comfort: herbs, water, crisp linen, inviting beds, baskets of dry food and a bowl of warm soup.

  She rushes to the door, worry etched in her face. “Quick, put him down. Let me take a look.”

  Finn kneels at the bed’s edge as Cassius climbs down, limbs stiff, face pale.

  “You’re covered in wounds,” Aurelien murmurs, casting a soft, glowing sphere over him. “This will heal the surface wounds while I examine further.”

  Cassius looks up at her, an unfamiliar woman with kind eyes and a gentle touch. She reminds him of someone. Of warmth. It unsettles him. He fidgets on the mattress, unsure how to respond.

  Seeing this, Finn gestures to the others. “Let’s give them space. Aurelien can take it from here for now.”

  He turns to the healer. “Don’t push yourself. I’ll take over later tonight.”

  Aurelien’s eyes soften at his thoughtful words. “Thank you, Finn. All of you. If not for you… I wouldn’t have had the chance to help this poor child.”

  Finn smiles. “Let’s just focus on getting him well. After that, rest up. We still need you to keep an eye on Risa.”

  She chuckles lightly. “You’re a good lad, Finn. No wonder their parents entrusted you with them.”

  Finn nods and leads the others into the next room. The fire crackles, and the soft mattress calls to him.

  “Nyx, wake me when it’s two,” Finn mutters, already half-asleep.

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  Nyx nods silently, then bids Risa and Nyx goodnight. The room falls into a soft, peaceful hush.

  —

  “Finn, wake up.”

  A whisper close to his ear jolts him. He opens his eyes—and nearly recoils. Nyx’s face looms mere inches away, black irises swirling with silent storms.

  “Bloody hell,” Finn whispers, trying not to laugh. “You don’t have to hover like that.”

  Nyx straightens with a nod.

  Finn stretches, yawns silently, and climbs from bed.

  “Come on, let’s check on them.”

  He knocks on the next door. “Madam Aurelien, it’s me.”

  A muffled reply: “Come in.”

  Inside, Cassius lies asleep, breath slow and even. Bandages wrap around his limbs. The room smells of herbs.

  Aurelien sits beside the bed, fatigue clear in her face.

  “How is he?” Finn asks.

  “Most of the wounds have already started healing. It looks worse than it is. His body is… remarkably resilient. So I just gave him some herbs to help the rest along.”

  Finn exhales. “That explains how he stayed strong for so long. How about the curbing spell?”

  “It could wear off in a few days to a week. To be safe, I suggest we wait patiently rather than try to break the spell by force.”

  “No ordinary child—or even adult—could endure these injuries. And the scales…” She trails off, troubled. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ll need time.”

  “Tomorrow,” Finn says gently. “Rest now. If you don’t mind, you can use my bed next door.”

  “Thank you, Finn. I think I’ll take you up on that.” She gives him a tired smile and slips out.

  A few moments of silence pass.

  Then Finn says quietly, “Alright. You can open your eyes now.”

  Nothing.

  “I know you’re awake.”

  Cassius’s eyes flick open. “How’d you know?”

  Finn smirks. “Nyx does the same thing when he pretends to sleep.”

  He settles into a chair. “Got questions? Besides your identity. That’s Nyx’s department.”

  Cassius shifts to sit up, his movement unhindered. As Aurelien said, he's already healing. “How do you know my grandmother?”

  “We don’t. But Aurelien does. They were close friends.”

  “We came with her to find your grandmother because she has something we need. But… things changed.”

  “What do you need her for?”

  “A containment spell. To seal a curse from the Echoes of Ascendance.”

  Cassius stiffens. “Grandmother… she mentioned them once. Said my scales might be their doing.”

  Finn leans forward, expression stiffened. “Did she say why?”

  Cassius nods. “She told me my magic aura resembled another child’s. Someone brought the kid to her and hired her to investigate her magical condition years ago. But she got suspicious. Reported them. Then they vanished.”

  Finn’s brow furrows. “So they’ve tried this more than once…?”

  “How old are you? You look about seven or eight.”

  “...I’m already thirteen.”

  “Oh! My apologies,” Finn says with a sheepish grin. “They say boys mature more slowly than girls. You’ve still got some growing to do, haha.” He lets out an awkward laugh, scratching his neck.

  “Well, anyway,” he adds, trying to recover, “where is the girl now?”

  Cassius’s expression darkens. “She died. In the end, grandmother couldn’t treat her condition.”

  Finn’s smile fades. “Poor child… What kind of condition was it?”

  Cassius rubs the back of his head, searching his memory. “I didn’t really understand it when grandmother explained. Like me, she could also use magic without drawing it from the magic vault. It was something to do with… magic veins mod… modi…”

  “Modification?”

  “Yes! That’s it!” Cassius suddenly lights up like a boy who’s just remembered the answer in class. But he quickly catches himself, noticing his childish enthusiasm. He clears his throat and adds stiffly, “Ahem. Yes. Modification.”

  Finn smiles gently but chooses not to tease him since the boy is just starting to open up.

  Then a thought crosses his mind: magic auras are rarely similar, let alone when both can use magic without channelling it from a magic vault. Could it be that Cassius and the girl underwent the same modification? If the girl failed to survive, then what about Cassius...?

  Finn glances at Cassius, studying his face carefully. But the boy’s expression remains flat, as though the mention of the modification has nothing to do with him. He’ll need to discuss it with Aurelien when the time is right.

  He has to be meticulous because magic veins modification is a taboo across the continent. Anyone associated with it is dragged to the gallows without a second thought.

  “Did Evelyn ask you to keep this a secret?”

  Cassius nods.

  “Great,” Finn says. “Then keep it up.”

  Finn shifts in tone, deliberately steering the conversation away. “Any more questions?”

  Cassius doesn’t seem to register the sudden change in topic. His mind is already miles away. He’s locked onto something that's clearly been bothering him for a while.

  He turns to Nyx, who’s been silently observing the entire exchange like a statue in the dim firelight.

  “Nyx. Who are you…and who am I? Why could you tear through that metal cage like it was paper, using only your bare hands? And what do you sense in me?”

  He fires off the questions like rapid arrows, unable to hold back any longer.

  But Nyx doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t blink. His answers come in his usual clipped, matter-of-fact tone.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I just cut it.”

  “We can use magic without a magic vault.”

  That’s it. Full stop.

  Finn snorts, barely managing to stifle a laugh. “What Nyx means,” he says, smoothing things over, “is that he doesn’t know his own identity yet. As far as he can remember, he’s always had the ability to cut through things with his hands. And lastly, it’s the longest sentence he answered, so you should be able to understand it literally.”

  Cassius’s eyes widen. “These aren’t new to me. But you said I’d find answers if I followed you!”

  “I did say that,” Finn admits shamelessly. “What I meant was—we’ll find out together.”

  “You liar!” Cassius snaps, fists clenched, brows drawn low. “You made a promise you can’t even keep!”

  Finn raises both hands. “Alright, fine, fine, Nyx. Can you elaborate—aside from casting magic without a magic vault—is there anything else the two of you have in common?”

  Nyx thinks for a second and replies, “Has a strong body. But not as strong as me.”

  “……”

  “Has self-healing. But not as fast as me.”

  “……”

  Finn clasps his hands together in apology. “My bad, my bad. Look, I’m sorry. We had to get you out before any of the circus crew noticed. I said what I had to say to get you moving. So please, forgive me—for now.” His voice softens with genuine sincerity.

  Cassius huffs and turns his back to Finn, flopping onto the bed with exaggerated defiance.

  Clearly, the boy isn’t in the mood to listen anymore. No point dragging this on.

  “Well, alright,” Finn says, stretching with a yawn. “It’s late. You may not need sleep, but I certainly do. Let’s talk more tomorrow.”

  With that, he climbs onto the empty bed across the room.

  “Nyx, you want to sleep with me?”

  Nyx gives a single nod, then silently joins him, placing Cocoa between them. Finn pulls the blanket up over the three of them and closes his eyes, drifting into sleep without sparing another glance at Cassius.

  Left alone, Cassius scowls in the dark. Finn’s already snoring softly, completely unbothered, as though nothing ever happened. No reflection, no remorse.

  Cassius shifts, then again, rolling from side to side restlessly. He huffs again, but eventually, even he can’t fight off the pull of sleep. His breathing evens out. Silence settles over the room like a blanket.

  Tomorrow will come soon enough.