Chapter 6 :secret and discoveries

As the crowd began to disperse, murmurs of relief and resentment blended together, the people slowly filtering back to their daily lives. The execution was over, but the weight of what they had just witnessed lingered in the air like a storm that refused to pass.

Nicholas and Gwen remained in place, neither of them quite ready to move. The tension between them was palpable, born from months of uncertainty, secrets, and shared struggles. It had been a long road since the attack, the town's reconstruction taking everything they had. Yet, there was a growing rift, a distance between them that Nicholas couldn't quite place.

"Do you think it was worth it?" Nicholas asked, breaking the silence as he turned to face his sister. "All this... the rebuilding, the sacrifices... Just to see another man lose his life in the square?"

Gwen's gaze remained fixed on the now-empty scaffold, her eyes shadowed with thoughts she didn't share. She took a deep breath, her shoulders stiffening. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "But I think... people need something to believe in. Even if it's just the idea that justice is served, that the world isn't entirely lost to corruption and chaos."

Nicholas watched her, searching for something in her eyes that would explain the quiet turmoil he sensed in her. The Gwen he knew was always so sure of herself, so determined, yet here she was, struggling with questions neither of them could answer.

"And the rangers?" he pressed, a hint of frustration seeping into his tone. "They saved us once, but they've been gone ever since. People are starting to say they've abandoned us, that they're needed more elsewhere." He paused, hesitant to voice the thoughts that had been gnawing at him. "Do you think they'll ever come back?"

Gwen flinched almost imperceptibly, her jaw tightening before she turned to face him fully. "The rangers have their own battles to fight, Nicholas," she said, her voice firmer now, as if trying to convince herself as much as him. "They can't be everywhere at once. Just because they're not here doesn't mean they've abandoned us."

There was something in the way she said it, a certainty that bordered on defensive, and Nicholas couldn't shake the feeling that there was more she wasn't telling him. But he let it go, unwilling to push her further. They had enough on their plates without adding more tension between them.

Instead, he turned his gaze back to the square, where a few villagers remained, exchanging quiet words as they dismantled the scaffold. "It's strange, isn't it?" he murmured. "The way the town's changed... the way we've all changed. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever really go back to the way things were."

Gwen's expression softened, a rare glimpse of the sister he knew beneath the armor she wore. "I don't think we can," she said softly. "But maybe that's not a bad thing. Maybe we're meant to grow stronger, to become something more than we were."

Nicholas wasn't sure he believed that, but he nodded all the same. The world was a brutal place, and it was up to them to find their way through it, no matter how uncertain the path ahead seemed.

As they walked back towards their home, their mother was waiting at the doorway, her eyes searching their faces for answers, for some sign that they were all right. She had become more protective since the attack, her distant demeanor replaced by a fierce, almost desperate love.

"Are you two all right?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern as she looked from Gwen to Nicholas.

Gwen gave a small nod, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "We're fine, Mother. Just... a lot to take in."

Their mother sighed, reaching out to pull them both into a tight embrace. "I wish things could be different," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I wish you didn't have to see things like this, that the world was kinder."

"We'll be all right," Nicholas reassured her, though he wasn't sure if he believed it. "We have each other, and we'll get through this. Somehow."

The three of them stood there for a moment, holding onto the fragile comfort of family, of being together, even as the world outside continued to crumble.

--

Later That Night

As the town settled into an uneasy silence, Nicholas lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep eluded him, his mind a whirl of thoughts and questions he couldn't escape. The execution, the town's recovery, the absence of the rangers—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together.

He thought of Old Man Wyl again, of the secrets the old man had taken to his grave. So much had been left unanswered, and now, with Alistair's death, there was a grim sense of finality that left him uneasy.

Suddenly, a faint sound reached his ears, muffled by the walls between their rooms. It was Gwen's voice, low and urgent, as if she were talking to someone. Nicholas frowned, straining to listen.

"...I know we can't be everywhere at once," he heard her say, her voice filled with frustration. "But the people here—they're starting to lose faith. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up without showing them we're still fighting for them."

Nicholas's heart skipped a beat. Who was she talking to? The rangers hadn't been seen in months, and Gwen rarely spoke to anyone outside of their family these days. The conversation continued, too quiet for him to catch more than a few words. But it was enough to spark a new suspicion, one that he hadn't dared to consider before.

Why is Gwen talking about the rangers as if she knows them?

He sat up, his mind racing. Gwen had always been secretive, especially in the months since the attack. Could she have some connection to the rangers he didn't know about? The thought was absurd... and yet, he couldn't shake it.

For now, he had no answers. Just more questions and a gnawing feeling that things were far from over.

He made a silent vow to find out the truth, whatever it might be. Because in a world as brutal and uncertain as theirs, secrets were the most dangerous weapon of all.

--

Nicholas paused just before Gwen's door, his heartbeat quickening. The dim glow of moonlight filtering through a nearby window cast eerie shadows along the wooden floorboards. He clenched his fists, steeling himself. This wasn't the first time he had heard Gwen talk to herself—or someone else—but tonight, it felt different. Urgent.

No more waiting. No more excuses.

The memory of his father's study loomed in his mind. He could almost hear his father's voice, calm yet firm, as he wrapped Nicholas's arm with care after that fall years ago. The sight of his father's black armor had left an impression. It made him feel safe then, a symbol of protection and strength. Now it was just another relic of a man who had left them too soon, gathering dust in a forgotten room. A man Nicholas barely remembered beyond faint moments like that.

He shook the thought away and focused on the present. His footsteps slowed, careful to avoid the creaky parts of the hallway as he approached Gwen's room. The door was slightly ajar, enough for him to see the faint flicker of candlelight dancing on the walls. Her voice was clearer now, though still low and measured, tinged with frustration.

"...I understand that, but we can't just leave them like this. People are scared. They're angry. We can't expect them to keep rebuilding their lives alone while we—" She paused, letting out a sigh. "No, I get it. I know there are priorities, but..."

Nicholas's brow furrowed. Who is she talking to?

He crouched slightly, peering through the gap. Gwen stood near the window, one hand gripping the frame while the other clutched something he couldn't quite see—a small device, glowing faintly red. Her expression was hard to read, a mixture of exhaustion and determination.

"...I just don't know how much longer I can keep this up," she said, her voice softer now. "They're asking questions, and Nicholas is... He's starting to notice things. I hate lying to him, but it's for his safety. You said that yourself."

Nicholas felt his chest tighten, anger bubbling up alongside confusion. She was talking about him. Lying to him.

Why? Why does she always treat me like a helpless child?

His hand gripped the edge of the doorframe, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to burst in, to demand answers, but he forced himself to stay put. If he confronted her now, she'd find a way to deflect, to spin another web of half-truths. He needed more.

Gwen continued, unaware of her brother's presence. "Look, I'll do what I can here. Just keep me updated on the others. If there's any sign of movement—yes, I'll let you know. No, he won't find out. He can't." Her tone sharpened, resolute. "Goodnight."

The faint glow of the device disappeared as Gwen lowered it, slipping it into a drawer before turning away from the window. Nicholas ducked back, retreating a few steps into the shadows as her footsteps approached the door. He held his breath, his heart pounding as she pulled the door closed behind her with a soft click.

He waited until her light footsteps faded down the hall before releasing the breath he'd been holding. His mind raced, piecing together fragments of what he'd overheard. The others. Priorities. Him not finding out.

The others... the rangers?

The realization hit him like a blow to the chest. The pieces of the puzzle he'd been trying to solve for months began to fall into place, though they still formed an incomplete picture. Gwen wasn't just connected to the rangers—she was one of them.

It was almost laughable. Gwen, who always lectured him about being cautious, about not rushing headfirst into danger, had been fighting battles of her own while keeping him in the dark. And now, as he replayed her words in his mind, he realized just how deeply she'd lied to him.

Anger flared again, stronger this time. She had no right to keep this from him. No right to make decisions about what he could or couldn't handle.

If she won't tell me the truth, I'll find it myself.

Nicholas turned and headed back to his room, his resolve hardening with each step. The shadows of the hallway seemed less daunting now, the memories of his father's study and his sister's secrets fueling his determination.

Tomorrow, he'd start searching for answers. About Gwen. About the rangers. About everything.

And this time, he wouldn't stop until he had the truth.