Chapter 15: Burning Heart.

The rain had lessened, but the air remained heavy with the smell of iron and wet earth. Helena still held her wounded hand, blood trickling between her fingers, as she tried to process what had just happened.

Anna: "Helena, don't judge Isz, he just lost his master. If it were you who lost me, you would do the same."

The silence between them was cutting; Helena felt the weight of the words, the truth within them almost suffocating her.

Helena bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears.

The pain in her own hand seemed small compared to what she was beginning to understand about Isz, about the war, and about the secrets that no one dared to reveal.

Anna withdraws and asks that no one follow her.

Helena: -Master, are you alright?

Anna: -Yes, I'm just tired, please Helena, don't come after me.

Helena understands her mistress and knows that she only wants to be with her grief.

Anna locks herself in her room and sits on her knees on the floor, biting her lips and scratching her arms, feeling guilty and remembering her past with the butcher.

In prison, Jako reprimands Isz.

Jako: -Isz, you're lucky we have few units left in the city. Another knight died, and it would be a shame for you to be condemned to death, or left to rot in prison.

Isz just stares ahead with contempt for everyone in that place.

Jako: -I'm sorry about your master, son, but blaming everyone won't solve the problem or help you find out what happened.

Jako leaves the damp, cold cell. Alphonse approaches the cell to speak with Isz.

Alphonse: -Are you calmer now?

Isz: -Go to hell.

Alphonse: -You know, Isz, when I was a child I admired you and thought you were strong, now I see you're a fool.

Isz: -I'm a fool? You follow a bunch of hypocritical assassins who use us to manipulate the people, and I'm the fool?

Alphonse: -That's your problem. Do you think I care about the church's causes? No, I only managed to seek truth and power in alchemy. I'm only in the church because it provides me with resources for my studies.

Isz is astonished by his friend's words.

Isz: -What are you saying, Alphonse? You're an alchemist, not a sorcerer. What's wrong with you guys?

Alphonse: -Truth is sought with blood, death, and knowledge, Isz. When you recognize your potential, you'll see I was always right. What you lack is a burning and ambitious heart to see reality, but I'm not here to lecture you or educate someone who doesn't see the power they can achieve.

Alphonse left with an insidious look, and Isz remained thoughtful. In the silence, he heard the voice of his mark saying: -The demons' meeting is near. Stay firm in your objective.

Isz's heart raced, and he heard someone approaching.

Helena: -Isz.

Isz: (ironically) -Did you come to console me, or to reprimand me?

Helena: -I came to tell the truth... You were reckless, but I understand your pain and-

Isz: -SHUT UP! YOU AND ALPHONSE ARE ALL THE SAME AS THEM.

Helena lowers her gaze and says, "I shouldn't have come here. I thought you would listen to me like you always did, but it seems the Isz I knew died in the war."

Isz: "No, I fought for humanity, but when I got here I saw that I was fighting for a church of madmen, and my friends were killed by it, including you. I thought I could save you, but I see that in here you're just another vassal of the system."

Isz spends the night in prison and is released. On the way, he exchanges glances with Helena, but ignores her and continues on his way until he finds Kana Boom.

Kana: "Hey Isz, long time no see, what were you doing there?"

Isz: -Another little church dog, get out of my way.

Kana is confused and says: -Isz, unlike everyone else in the kingdom, I don't agree with the church and the alchemists at all, so much so that I requested a vacation until now. I don't know what happened, but if it's frustration with the church, I share the same feeling.

Isz realizes that the playful Kana was telling the truth.

Isz: -Sorry Kana, I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on you.

Kana: -You want to leave, right?

Isz becomes serious.

Kana: -Being a clown has its advantages, nobody takes you seriously, but I'm also thinking of leaving here, I'm going to Volny. I don't know if that's your goal, but if it is, give this card to Edward, we agreed that he would help me escape the kingdom and we coded messages so that nobody would find out the day I was leaving.

Isz: -Since when have you been planning this? And why are you telling me this?

Kana: It's been two years, I saw the corruption of the church with Alphonse and Irineia, I went on a mission with them and saw them kill innocents and steal their blood, then Alphonse and Irineia appeared with a lot of power, so much so that Alphonse alone must have been stronger than Jako, and that happened overnight.

I've been witnessing the corruption of the system for years, Isz. I only told you because you have the same eyes I had when I discovered the truth. And I'll give you some advice: before you want to save the world and your friends, save yourself from this.

Isz: -Thank you, Kana, finally someone lucid.

They say goodbye and Isz returns to the forge where the scouts were.

In the castle, Gray informs the queen about what happened.

Gray: -The scouts are already suspicious, my lady. I think it's time for the purge plan.

The queen, seated on her throne, agrees and asks him to send more blood from the orphans, as the event is imminent.