Chapter 27: The Restless Night

 The return journey was silent. No one dared break the tension that seemed to weigh heavily on everyone's shoulders. Some tried to think of a plan, while others could only think of throwing themselves into bed and forgetting reality, at least for a few hours.

Adrian, at the head of the group, did not open his mouth for the entire journey. His gaze was fixed, but the tense muscles of his face betrayed repressed fear and anger. None of the soldiers knew the whole truth, but they all sensed that from now on they would need more caution, more courage... and a strength of will that perhaps not all of them possessed.

When they returned to the village, night had fallen completely. The torches scattered along the streets cast a faint, flickering light, making the empty alleys even gloomier.

“Go and rest, soldiers,” Adrian ordered in a tired voice. “I'll go and warn Lucius.”

Some men sighed with relief, others nodded their thanks before breaking ranks and dispersing to their homes. In a few moments, the commander was left alone. Or rather, not entirely alone.

Ren was still following him, silently.

“Aren't you going to sleep?” asked the man, without turning around.

“I'm not sleepy,” replied the boy. “I just want to get Cedric home as soon as possible.”

The soldier let out a bitter half-smile. “And I imagine that nothing I say will convince you to rest.”

“Exactly.”

Their voices were lost in the deserted alleys, accompanied only by the sound of their footsteps on the worn stones. Darkness enveloped them like a cloak until they found themselves in front of Lucius's house.

The heavy door creaked open and Adrian entered decisively, calling out loudly:

“Lucius! Lucius!”

A rebuke echoed from the hallway. “Adrian, don't shout!”

Lucius's figure emerged from the darkness. His stern gaze sought an explanation even before the words were spoken.

“There you are...” he murmured hesitantly.

“What happened?” Lucius's voice was calm, but betrayed a hint of restrained anger.

The soldier lowered his eyes. “We don't have good news... Cedric has been kidnapped.”

Lucius's face contorted. “What? How is that possible?!”

“The miners we thought were our allies... they deceived us. They took advantage of our trust and took him away. I'm sorry.”

The chief clenched his fists, struggling to contain the anger rising within him. “You let Cedric slip through your fingers! Unacceptable!”

“It's true, sir. We made a mistake, convinced that they were on our side.”

“Go find him immediately!”

“No!” The soldier looked up, determined. “If we chase after them now, without a plan, we'll all end up trapped. That's exactly what they want.”

“A plan?” Lucius stared at him, confused and furious.

It was then that Ren intervened, speaking firmly and looking straight into the village chief's eyes. “They prepared everything carefully. If we had launched ourselves into pursuit, we would have ended up slaughtered. It's clear that they were hoping for an impulsive reaction.”

The chief stared at him, incredulous. "Ren... so you're the reason for this hesitation? You're the one who convinced Adrian to postpone?"

“Yes,” replied the boy without hesitation.

“Then it's your fault, all yours!”

“Enough!” The soldier stepped forward. “It's not his fault. If it weren't for him, we would have already lost all hope. It was Ren who gave us the courage to turn back and reflect. He deserves gratitude, not accusations.”

“How dare you raise your voice at me?” Lucius growled.

Adrian bowed his head. “I apologize... But the fact remains that Cedric must be saved. We will leave in two days, and this time with a precise plan. We will find him, even if we have to enter the village of the Cruel Avenger.”

The name brought a heavy silence to the room.

Lucius stared at them for a few more moments, then turned abruptly. “Do as you wish. I have guests and I am tired. I don't want to hear any more talk of failure.”

With that, he disappeared behind a door, leaving them alone in the dimly lit corridors.

The two finally left Lucius's house without saying another word. The night was silent, lit only by a few flickering torches.

“He's always so aggressive...” the soldier grumbled, running a hand through his hair.

The young man nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

The deputy sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “Come on, try to get some rest now. Tomorrow we need to be clear-headed to come up with a decent plan.”

“You're right...” murmured the boy, bowing his head slightly. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

They parted ways there, among the deserted streets. Ren continued walking alone, lost in his thoughts, until a familiar voice made him jump.

“Ren! Ren!”

He turned abruptly. In the darkness, a petite figure was running towards him.

“Mizuki?”

The girl arrived panting, her eyes wide. “Hey... what happened? Why are you back so soon?”

He looked down, hesitant. “It didn't go as we hoped... Cedric has been kidnapped.”

“W-what?!” Mizuki's mouth fell open in disbelief. “How could that have happened?”

In a serious voice, the boy told her what had happened, every detail of their discovery in the mine and the deception of their false allies. She listened without interrupting, her fists clenched at her sides.

When he finished, Mizuki took a deep breath. “I see... So now you have to come up with a plan.”

“That's right.”

The girl narrowed her eyes, determined. “Then count me in.”

Ren looked at her for a moment, surprised. “Are you sure, Mizuki?”

“It's not a question of wanting to or not,” she replied, almost irritated. “If a friend is in trouble, I'm not going to stand by and watch. It's that simple.”

A bitter but sincere smile escaped him. “Haha... thank you. Your help will be invaluable.”

They walked side by side along the road, and soon their silhouettes were lost in the darkness of the night. They didn't know what awaited them, but inside them burned the same flame: to save Cedric at all costs.