This week absolutely wrecked me. Started off the week sick. Thought it was just my allergies at first, but it got worse. Good news is that it wasn't covid, strep, or the flu. But whatever it was left me useless for half the week. Starting to finally feel better today.

Worse, there was a bunch of important work stuff going on this week for my project. Couldn't even dial in to the meetings, since all the info was on my laptop in my cubicle and I'm not allowed in if I'm showing symptoms. After the negative test, I got someone to bring my laptop to me while I was in the parking lot and managed to get some work done after that.

And to top it all off, Maverick (my 1yo GSD) got fixed on Wednesday. First day was easy, but he found out the cone we had wasn't long enough, so he could still lick the incision site. Then he got sick and had to go to the vet this afternoon. He's doing better now, but I'm ready for the weekend after all that madness.

Despite all of that and not even starting until yesterday, the chapter is only a little late today. Didn't get much chance for editing though, so hopefully nothing egregious slipped through.

Adam writhed in pain in the empty room, arms held tightly against his stomach as he gasped for air. The few minutes it took him to rise to his knees felt like hours. He tried to stand, only to slip and barely catch himself once more. His mouth burned with the acrid taste of his own blood, even as more steadily dripped from his nose, mixing with his tears and spittle to stain the mat pink. His wrists stung from where Clancy and Andúril had held him.

"Why?" It took Adam a moment to realize the word had come from him. He'd done the right thing. He'd let Alyssa handle it and gotten his picture back. He'd even gone out of his way to avoid trouble with Pika afterwards.

So why was he here?

Adam hadn't tried to start anything. If anything, he'd been friendly with Pika and his gang at first, despite all the warnings from Erik and Nila. He'd done exactly what Father Bernard had taught him, assuming the best and trying to be nice.

Only for everything to go wrong.

There'd been no reason for Pika to turn on him. No catalyst to draw Pika's ire and justify his theft. Rather than try and solve the issue himself, he'd gone to the proper authorities and let them handle it. They recovered his picture and even made sure Pika paid for his misdeed.

Adam had thought Pika's punishment would be the end of the problem. Pika had done something wrong and been caught. Things should've gone back to normal, albeit with Adam never trusting him again. Instead, Pika had enacted his own revenge, and no one bothered to stop him.

Worse, he'd get away with it, too. As much as Adam would love to see Pika face Madam de Thom for this, his threats hung menacingly in the air. Maybe next time, they'd hurt him more. Or his friends. Adam shivered at the thought of Erik trying to endure a beating. The idea of Nila crying out in pain brought a mix of fear and rage. He couldn't let his friends suffer in his place, nor could he protect them both.

He couldn't even protect himself.

Even if he somehow got Pika removed from the orphanage, his friends might still come after him. Adam doubted Madam de Thom would throw nearly half a dozen boys out on the street just to protect him. If anything, she might see Adam as the problem and choose the easier solution.

Then again, they might just wait until Mazarin came back for him. Adam would be free of them at that point, so Adam just had to endure a little longer. He considered telling on Pika anyways and just making sure he was never alone for the next few weeks, but Pika might still go after Erik and Nila. Or he might just wait until Adam left and then go after his friends for revenge.

Adam finally managed to crawl over to the bench press and shakily push himself up. His legs wobbled but held as he took a deep breath and caught sight of himself in the mirror. The boy staring back looked a mess. If he wasn't going to tell on Pika, then he needed to hide the evidence. One look at him right now would have people asking questions. Questions he didn't have an answer for.

He'd need to hurry. Down below, he could hear the sounds of lunch being prepared. It wouldn't be long before everyone came inside, at which point, there'd be no hiding. If he was quick, he could take a shower and get dressed before anyone saw him. Long sleeves would hide the bruises on his wrists. He wouldn't be able to cover his face, but it would be easier to explain a few small bruises than his current state.

He stumbled onto the balcony, clutching the railing for support as he made his way back to the hall. Adam wiped his hands on his pants when he noticed the red marks he left behind. Each step proved a challenge, but with help from the wall and sheer determination, he managed to make it back to his room. All he had to do now was grab a change of clothes and make it to the bathroom. A hot shower would help wash away the blood and help him relax enough to put on a brave face once more. No one would know what really happened except Adam, Pika, and his friends.

"Adam?"

And Erik.

Adam froze as Erik stared at him, eyes widening with each passing second. "Adam! What happened?" Erik rushed to his side, sliding under Adam's side to help keep him upright as Adam hobbled to his bed.

"I'm…okay," Adam lied, grunting between words as he tried to sit down. He gripped his side with a wince.

His lackluster performance failed to convince Erik. "Who did this to you?" Adam's mind raced to come up with an answer, but Erik proved faster. "It was Pika, wasn't it?"

"No."

"It was." Yet again, Adam's lie failed. Erik began pacing, anger clear on his face. "I told you he was trouble."

"It wasn't Pika," Adam tried again, doubting it would help. "I…I fell."

"You fell?" Erik's voice practically oozed doubt.

"On the way back from working out. I slipped on the stairs." It wasn't a great excuse, but it was all he had at the moment. "Got banged up pretty bad on the way down."

"Did you hit your head, too?" Erik rolled his eyes, clearly not buying the weak attempt. "You can't let him get away with this, Adam. We have to tell someone."

"No, we don't." Erik froze at Adam's words. "No one has to know."

"But Adam-"

"No!" Adam stomped his foot, grimacing as his entire leg protested. "We don't have to tell anyone, Erik." With a resigned sigh, Adam added, "It won't do any good."

Erik hesitated, trying to understand before settling on the wrong conclusion. "Madam de Thom will protect you, Adam. He wouldn't dare do something like this again."

"How can you be sure?" Adam asked, locking eyes with Erik. "What's to stop him from attacking me again? Or you? Or Nila?"

"He wouldn't-"

"He would." Erik's mouth clicked shut as Adam filled him in. "He said as much already. Plus, I can't prove it was him. He said he's got others that would claim he was outside the entire time." So ratting him out might not even work at all. Madam de Thom had made it clear she wouldn't hesitate to punish accusations that couldn't be proven. Plus, it would just paint a target on their backs for Pika.

Despite the obvious conclusion, Erik still insisted he should report it. Realizing there was no convincing his friend, Adam listened to Erik's complaints while gathering his clothes, choosing to let him burn himself out rather than continue engaging. Once Adam was ready, he turned to Erik and asked "Just let me handle it, okay?" Erik made to complain, but Adam cut him off. "Nothing good will come of telling on him. Better to live to fight another day."

"Or not fight at all," Erik muttered. Adam winced at the insult, but at least Erik seemed willing to follow his lead. As much as it hurt to let Pika win this round, Adam would make sure there wasn't another opportunity.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

"You okay, Adam?" Nila asked at lunch. The shower had worked wonders for him, but there was no hiding some of his injuries. Most were covered, though, so it would have to do. After all, some cuts and bruises weren't unusual. Kids were constantly falling on the playground, playing a little too rough, or finding some other way to hurt themselves. Such was a natural part of childhood.

Ruthless beatings weren't.

"I'm fine," Adam replied flatly, watching Erik closely. Erik didn't give up his secret, but the glare he shot back made it clear he didn't approve.

Nila didn't pick up on the tension between the two friends. "You look a little beat up." Adam's lips tightened as she struck closer to the truth than she realized. "Something happen during your workout?"

"Fell coming down the stairs."

Thankfully, Nila was less interested in picking his story apart than their counterpart. "Oof. I did that once. Gotta be careful."

"I'll try." His feigned smile seemed enough for her as she began talking about a recent class. Adam nodded along, thankful for a distraction from both his pain and Erik's annoyance.

It didn't last long.

"If it isn't my favorite faunus." Adam flinched at the all-too-familiar voice. Pika's hand clapped Adam's back, causing pain to shoot through Adam as he struck close to one of his bruises. Adam did his best to keep quiet, refusing to give Pika the pleasure of enjoying his handiwork, but his silence only made Pika smile more. "How you feelin'?"

Adam didn't answer, refusing to play along with Pika's sick little game. Hopefully, Pika would soon grow bored of tormenting him.

"Lookin' a little rough there, Adam. Everything okay?"

"He fell down the stairs," Nila answered for him.

Pika didn't even bother to hide his laugh at the lame response, knowing who'd told her the farcical tale. "Is that so?" When no one made to correct the story, he continued, "Well, those stairs can be dangerous. Better watch your step next time. Would be a shame for it to happen again."

The threat was clear, earning a subtle nod from Adam. He hated how small it made him feel. How powerless he was against the bully. Pika was rubbing his face in it right in front of his friends, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. His fists balled in anger, but he resisted the urge to attack the boy behind him.

"Get better soon, Adam." Pika ruffled Adam's hair, driving home the helpless feeling before leaving. "Oh, and if you ever want, me and the boys would be happy to help you work out again. Catch you three later!"

Adam shrank in his seat, fully aware of the disappointment radiating from Erik. Nila looked confused by the whole thing, but before she could ask, Adam excused himself from the table. Even if Pika was unlikely to push any harder today, Adam didn't like the idea of being cornered somewhere. Besides, right now, he needed to think.

His feet carried him outside where he began the long lap around the orphanage grounds. His pace was slow, allowing his mind to race instead of his legs, which protested even the thought of trying to run right now. The slight breeze helped to cool his mounting anger.

As horrible as his recent encounter with Pika was, at least his friends were safe. If putting up with Pika's poking and prodding meant none of them got hurt, then what was the problem? All he had to do was put up with some insults to avoid any further trouble. Plus, he'd be keeping his friends safe. So why did he hate the idea so much?

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Right now, Adam felt like breaking the bones of whoever came up with that idiotic expression. He'd already endured Pika's "sticks and stones." The beating hurt, but it was the helplessness afterwards that burned the worst. The feeling of being unable to do anything. He'd felt it before.

The Beowolf. The memory still drew a shiver from Adam. He'd been utterly helpless back then. The overwhelming fear and dread had threatened to crush him, and he felt no better now. Despite everything Pika had done to him, Adam couldn't truly fight back. He'd thought being too weak to defend himself had been awful, but being strong and helpless felt so much worse. At least with the Beowolf, he had an excuse.

With Pika, all he had was cowardice.

I'm protecting my friends. If he tried to fight back, he'd only be risking Erik and Pika's safety. Plus, Pika had him outnumbered. One on one, he might be able to handle Pika, but with his gang backing him up? Well, he'd experienced that firsthand already. There was just no way he could hope to win.

Because I'm not strong enough. If he was stronger, he could protect himself and his friends. If he was stronger, Pika wouldn't dare mess with him. But just like with the Beowolf, he was too weak. Maybe expecting him to take on five boys at once was a bit much, but if he really wanted to be a Huntsman, he needed to be stronger than that. Huntsmen routinely faced impossible odds, taking on the Grimm horde and emerging victorious.

But Huntsmen also protected people. That was the real purpose of a Huntsman. He couldn't hope to fight off Pika and his friends, but he could still keep Erik and Nila safe. All he had to do was endure. His discomfort would earn Erik and Nila their safety. If he couldn't put up with embarrassment to save his friends, how could he ever hope to risk his life in the defense of strangers?

As he passed the halfway point of his circuit and turned back to the orphanage, Adam made up his mind. He had two goals. First, he'd protect his friends by any means necessary. For now, that meant stomaching the pain of Pika's harassments, but maybe someday he could do more to stand up to the bully. Which brought him to his second goal. He needed to get stronger. And not just brute strength. He needed to be faster. Smarter. Able to outwit, outmaneuver, outlast, and outright beat his opponents at every turn. Like Mazarin often said, a Huntsman's mind must be as sharp as his sword. Only then could he hope to be truly strong.

The pain in his side felt far more bearable as he neared the orphanage once more. He still hurt, but the pain felt duller now that he had something bigger to focus on. Maybe he'd never truly beat Pika before he left, but that didn't matter. There'd always be something else to measure himself against. Other students at Combat School. Rival teams at Haven. Even the Grimm. He'd conquer them all in time.

Rather than head back inside, Adam's pace quickened into a jog as he started another lap. His body groaned at the effort, but Adam grunted through each pain, pushing himself to keep going. With each step, he kept reminding himself of his dreams. Each labored breath came with the assurance that he wouldn't quit. Whatever it took, he'd make it, and nothing would stand in his way.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Adam rushed back to the room, having lost track of time. His jog had done wonders for his mood, though his body still complained about the extra abuse. He'd likely pay for it later, but that was fine. For now, his only concern was getting to class on time.

Apparently, that was Erik's concern too.

"Where have you been?" Erik asked as Adam finally reached their room.

"Went for a run," Adam answered, slipping past Erik to gather his things. "Guess I did a few too many laps."

"I thought…" Erik looked around, despite the room being completely empty. "I was worried Pika and his friends-"

"They didn't." Adam didn't feel like wasting time focusing on what could have happened. Sure, going off on his own without telling anyone put him at risk, but he wasn't too concerned. Pika didn't want anyone seeing him causing trouble. Attacking him out in the open would just get him in trouble.

Plus, there was no reason to beat him up twice.

But picking apart the brain of a bully could wait. "We're gonna be late if we don't hurry."

"I was waiting for you," Erik countered, shifting the blame back to Adam. As disappointed as Erik was in his decisions, it was nice to know he still worried about Adam's safety. But that's my job. He'd take care of himself and his friends.

The two hurried upstairs, though not without a remark from Erik on being careful not to slip again. Once more, Adam ignored the thinly veiled barb and pushed on. The bell rang seconds before they reached the door.

"Take your seats, you two," Alyssa instructed as they hurried in. "We've got a lot to cover today."

Adam flipped his book open, knowing full well what today's lesson would cover. He'd always been curious about the Faunus War, but Father Bernard hadn't been able to share much more than what was in his limited textbooks and a few personal insights.

"Among the many provisions of the Vytal Treaty following the Great War was the establishment of equal rights for faunus," Alyssa began, pacing slowly as she read from her notes. "In addition, Mistral surrendered the island of Menagerie to become the official homeland of faunus across Remnant, with Kuo Kuana established as the capital.

"Many faunus moved to Menagerie and the island nation adopted a sort of isolationist policy, preferring to be left alone while they focused on expanding infrastructure and settling the sudden tide of immigrants that arrived daily from the Kingdoms. Efforts were made to expedite the transition of faunus to their new home, especially from Mistral, but some saw these moves as an effort to force the faunus out, declaring their new freedom as a cage."

According to Father Bernard, it wasn't just that Mistral wanted to help faunus reach Menagerie. Efforts were made to force faunus to move, forcing a flood of immigrants that overwhelmed the newer nation and purging all faunus from the Kingdoms. With the sudden increase in numbers and limited resources, some felt Menagerie was set up to fail. Vale sent supplies to aid in the expansion, but only some of the shipments made it. Officially, the early ships were sunk by Grimm due to lingering negativity from the Great War, despite the Mistralian escorts coming out mostly unscathed. Only once Vale began sending their own escorts, despite Mistral's objections of armed vessels crossing into their territorial waters without permission, did Menagerie receive the much needed support.

By then, the damage had already been done.

"As the island nation struggled and tensions rose, a vocal group rose to power and began leading a series of raids against Mistral's ships and shore settlements." Alyssa set her binder down. "Now, assuming you all read your assignment, what was Mistral's response to this aggression?"

"They blockaded the island," a girl several seats away answered.

"Correct. The blockade caused new tensions between Vale and Mistral, as Vale wished to continue providing humanitarian resources while Mistral worried that such vessels could be used by smugglers to fund and equip the raiders. Eventually, an agreement was made to allow basic supplies through."

Alyssa went on to describe various skirmishes between the raiders and the blockade while Vale continued to pressure for a cessation of hostilities. Under threat of Vale entering the conflict, Mistral finally loosened the blockade, only for a pair of villages on the southern coast to be overrun by a surprise attack. The few survivors spoke of heavily armed faunus warriors slaughtering civilians and burning down the buildings. Mistral immediately declared war, leaving the other Kingdoms in a tough situation.

"While the Treaty forbade acts of aggression between Kingdoms, Menagerie was never officially recognized as such," Alyssa explained. "That also meant the other Kingdoms couldn't side with the rebels, as doing such would be an act of war against a fellow Kingdom. The faunus rebels used their inaction to further bolster their claims of discrimination and rally more to their cause, but the majority of the fighting still took place in Mistral.

"At first, battles were limited to the southern coast. Menagerie's new government officially renounced the rebels at first, but later declared Mistral's actions as violating the Treaty to justify officially joining the war, hoping it would spur the other Kingdoms to join. Early victories by Mistral nearly won the war, but as the fighting dragged on, more and more faunus rallied to the rebels' cause, some of which had served in the Great War and brought much needed knowledge and capability to the faunus forces. The faunus forces slowly began to turn the tide, waging a sort of guerilla warfare against the Mistralian supply lines."

"Gorillas would make good fighters," the boy behind Adam theorized, earning several chuckles at his misunderstanding.

"Guerilla warfare, not gorilla like the animal," Alyssa attempted to clarify. "Mistral was more suited to open warfare, while the faunus rebels preferred hit and run tactics for the most part. The war dragged on for years until Mistral finally called for a cessation of hostilities. The people of Mistral had grown tired of the never-ending war and new terms were established, further cementing faunus rights into law. The other Kingdoms drafted similar legislation shortly thereafter as a show of support. Menagerie and Mistral officially ended the Faunus War with the signing of the Faunus Rights Treaty, ushering in a new age of peace and prosperity."

While Adam felt the lesson was fairly accurate compared to what he'd read before, he'd been hoping they'd go into more detail about the fighting. He especially enjoyed reading about the Battle of Fort Castle, both because of the significance and the somewhat humorous mistake General Lagune made. Plus, most of the fighting boiled down to raids and small skirmishes, especially in the early years, so there were only so many major battles to discuss. Instead, they'd burned through years of warfare in a single class, leaving Adam wanting more.

Sadly, he wouldn't be learning any more today, as Alyssa hurried to wrap up class before the bell. "For homework tonight, I want you all to read the summary of the Faunus Rights Treaty on the next page and write a one-page essay on what changes it promised." The bell sounded just as she paused. "I'll collect them next week, so take your time and study it carefully, but don't wait until the last minute!"

Adam hastened to leave with the rest of the class, only for Alyssa's voice to stop him.

"And Adam, could I see you for a minute?"

A few glances in his direction were expected, as being told to stay after class was never a good thing. Considering how often it seemed to happen to him - he'd been asked to stay after only a few days ago to get his picture back - they probably assumed he was in trouble. Coupled with his weekly tutoring sessions, Adam spent far more time in the classroom than his peers.

With a sigh, Adam stepped to the side, letting the last of his classmates rush out while he waited. He watched Alyssa stack her books and clean her desk off a little, trying to discern what it could be about. She didn't look angry at least. Concerned, but not angry.

"How are you doing today, Adam?" Alyssa asked, beckoning him to her desk.

Adam shrugged as he approached. "Fine, I guess." He figured bringing up the multiple injuries he was hiding wasn't a great idea.

"You look a little rough." Alyssa reached out. Gently touching the side of his chin. Her eyes narrowed on the bruising near his neck. "Did you get hurt during freetime this morning?"

Not exactly. "I fell down the stairs this morning and got a little banged up."

"You should've come seen me then," Alyssa reminded him. On top of her other duties, Alyssa acted as a sort of nurse for the orphanage, mostly tending to small injuries. Anything serious would require a trip to the hospital across town.

"I'm fine," Adam insisted, stepping out of reach, hoping to end the investigation.

"That's not the point. I keep a log of injuries for insurance reasons, Adam. This doesn't look too bad, thankfully, but I'll need to add it. Follow me."

Before Adam could protest, Alyssa grabbed his wrist and led him down the hall. Adam did his best not to show how much it hurt. If he was lucky, she'd make a few notes and send him on his way.

When they reached her room, Alyssa pulled a heavy binder out of the bottom drawer on her desk, flipping past a series of notes that Adam couldn't quite read. When she finally paused on a blank page, she added some basic information, allowing Adam to see the details. "You said you slipped on the stairs this morning, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Adam confirmed, sticking to his original story. "I wasn't paying attention after working out and missed the first step."

"Looks like some minor abrasions to the face and neck and a cut on your chin," Alyssa said softly as she wrote. "Did you hurt anything else?"

"Nope." At least nothing else she needed to know about. Alyssa looked up, studying him for a second. He gulped under the scrutiny.

"Roll up your sleeve, Adam." Adam did as commanded, revealing the dark bruising around his wrist. "Thought so. Care to explain that one?"

"Must've hit the railing or something," Adam tried. Alyssa reached out and pulled his other sleeve up to reveal a matching wrist.

"With both hands?" Adam's confidence faltered as she held one of his hands, rotating it to inspect the entire bruise. "All the way around?"

Adam snatched his hand back, pulling the sleeves back down. "Guess I hit it harder than I remember." He instinctively rubbed his wrist, not realizing how much of a clue that proved.

"Looks more like someone grabbed you a little too tight," Alyssa observed. Adam didn't really have an answer, but his hesitation spoke volumes. "Alright. Off with your shirt."

"What?"

"Take off your shirt." Adam stiffened, knowing what she'd see. "I just need to see what other injuries you've forgotten." When Adam continued to resist, she added, "I'm not going anywhere, Adam. And you're not going anywhere until I see what else you're hiding."

With a defeated sigh, Adam slowly pulled the shirt over his head. Even before he could see her reaction, the sudden gasp told him he hadn't magically healed in the last few hours. Looking down, he could see the different splotches of purple and red. He briefly wondered if his birth mother had similar markings on her skin before a light touch drew him back to reality.

"Adam…" Alyssa carefully prodded the largest bruise, right along his ribs. The sharp inhale had her drawing back.

"It looks worse than it feels," he tried.

Alyssa's hand ghosted over another injury without drawing a reaction. "This doesn't look like stairs. If someone did this to you-"

"I fell." Adam knew the immediate denial wouldn't convince anyone, but it was only a matter of time until she put the obvious pieces together.

Luckily, she seemed willing to let it go…for now. "Sit down on the bed, Adam." Adam made to pull his shirt back on. "Not yet. You need to ice those bruises, especially the big one. I'll be right back."

Being left alone in a girl's room with his shirt off felt a little awkward, especially sitting on her bed, but orders were orders. Adam did his best to distract himself, looking around the room for a moment. Everything was neatly organized, meaning there wasn't much sitting out for him to focus on. Fresh flowers had replaced the old ones from his last visit. The only thing sitting out on her desk was the small stack of books and her binder from class, other than the open notes about his injury.

The bed felt a lot more comfortable than his own, but that wasn't a surprise. He wondered at the half dozen pillows, though, each neatly arranged in order of size against the headboard. A small picture of Alyssa, Madam de Thom, and some girl Adam didn't recognize sat on her nightstand. The other girl had to be Alyssa's sister with how similar she looked. Alyssa had never mentioned having a sister before, but then again, he'd never asked.

"I'm back," Alyssa quietly announced as she returned, a small bag of ice and a small towel in hand. "You need to ice these for a bit, then take a hot shower later to relax the muscles." So saying, Alyssa draped the towel over the ice pack and gently pressed it against Adam's side. He jumped at the sudden chill, but the towel helped mute it a little for him.

"Thanks," Adam said as he took over from her. "Sorry about today. I enjoyed your lesson, but…I guess my mind was elsewhere. It won't happen again."

Because he wouldn't let himself be put in that position again. He'd find a way to keep Pika at bay until Mazarin came back for him. In the meantime, he'd train even harder, so that the next time he ran into someone like Pika, he wouldn't be so helpless. Alyssa remained silent, deep in thought as he sat beside her, ice pressed against his side.

Adam figured he'd break the awkward silence. "So, is that your sister?"

"Huh?"

Adam pointed to her nightstand. "In your picture. She looks just like you."

"Idalia," Alyssa answered. "My older sister. She moved away years ago. Haven't seen her since."

"Do you know where she went?"

"No idea," Alyssa shrugged. Her lips tightened before she finally turned to face him. "Adam, there's…there's something I have to tell you."

If her words didn't raise all sorts of red flags, then her tone certainly did the trick.

"The reason I needed to talk to you after class…well, you see, I got a message recently…from Kuchinashi…"

Kuchinashi. The name came with all the fear and dread it deserved. That's the city Mazarin was traveling through. The den of thieves. The place too dangerous for him. He had a horrible feeling the message wasn't a postcard from Mazarin.

"One of the newer merchants got into a fight and Mazarin stepped in to protect him. She chased them off, but that night…there's no easy way to say this, Adam…"

No.

"They found her the next morning with a knife in her back." Alyssa couldn't meet his eyes, not that he wanted her to see the tears begin to fall, even before the final blow was struck. "Adam…"

No.

Mournfully, Alyssa finally looked at him again. He could see the pity. The pain. But it didn't compare to his own as he waited with baited breath for his final hope to be cruelly wrenched away.

"Mazarin was murdered."

"No!"

Press F to pay respects for Mazarin.

For a minor character who wasn't planned at all, Mazarin kinda stole the show a lot. Not sure why I was surprised, though. (Private Hopkins, much?). I only made her because I needed a guard for the caravan and didn't want to reuse my first one. Named her because it felt weird not to when I mentioned her so many times in her first chapter. Kept her around to add a little content in Katai and have some fun. Next thing you know, she's basically Adam's new mom and getting friendly with Father Bernard. That was fine...until I remembered that I needed to have Adam in the orphanage for this arc. Couldn't exactly have someone rushing back to take him away, and no way Mazarin would just abandon him. Which meant she had to get the axe (or the knife, in this case). Of course, I knew some people would hate seeing her die, so the best I could do was raise every death flag I could think of (didn't want to spring that one on you) and kill her offscreen.

Also had the start and end of this chapter planned, but not the middle and realized I needed something more. So in the course of a few hours, I threw together a lesson on the Faunus War, specifically looking at how I theorize it might have started, but with an obvious bias from the point of view of Mistral. Have to assume they were some of the instigators, since Vale and Vacuo don't strike me as the types of place post-Great War to try to banish all the faunus. Atlas is too far away. So maybe Mistral caused the problems early on. Embargos. International tensions. What sounds like a false flag attack. Just kinda ran with whatever popped into my head at the moment.

Anyways, things are finally picking up in the second arc. I've got a lot of plans here to really start hammering on our boy. Trying not to jump the gun too much, but we've got the main antagonist in place and Adam stranded with no hope of escape. Buckle up, friends. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Next chapter: Likely a bit of a time skip as Adam resigns himself to the life of an orphan.