The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 120: An old man (1)

Chapter 120: An old man (1)

Darkness blanketed the land once more.

"Is...it over?"

Hestia asked hesitantly. Her eyes searched for hope on top of the hill. As did Althea’s eyes. But no matter how much they stared, they didn’t see anything.

Oron looked at them and then toward Orvyn and Adgar. Seeing them shrug, he scraped his throat.

"Ahum. Shouldn’t we just go take a look? At least a few of us?"

His female teammates didn’t reply immediately. They hesitated. They were torn on the inside. On one hand, they wished to know the result of the battle. On the other hand, they rather didn’t know and cherished the hope in their hearts.

"Let’s go."

After a while, it was Althea who made the call. Despite some protest from the men, it was decided that Althea and Hestia would go to check the status of the battle. Only when they gave the signal would the others follow.

"Please hurry," Aunt Jute said restlessly. She was worried about her only child. The female Knights nodded and left for the hill.

...

"Did we succeed?" Solos inquired, once Ella’s men brought the corpse of his mother away.

"I think so but we will soon find out," Ella replied. She turned towards Edward. "Take care of her. We will leave at dawn, with the rest of the Silver Serpents."

"Why not now?" Briella asked, pointing to the darkness outside. Her meaning was clear. No one would notice them, giving them a free passage.

"Because Sterling is out there. He possesses a Blessed Tool that allows him to spy on others while he remains hidden. Don’t worry. You guys will pose as my servants. Plus, I am still a Moneiwell. No one will risk offending me."

"Okay, Miss Moneiwell," Elron said, laying down on the table used to strap in the Queen. "Wake me up when it’s time to leave."

...

The top of the hill was silent. The clouds had vanished, seizing the thunderous rumblings.

It was dark. When the baron had slammed the door shut upon entering, the Vault had vanished, taking all the lights with it.

It was lonely. Everyone else was either dead or unconscious.

There was no wind, yet Hex was cold. It was strange. The hill was his home for years. He had never felt cold before. So why was he shivering now?

Was it truly cold? Or had he never known warmth before?

Hex regretted not hugging the baroness...no, his mother longer. He regretted not talking more to the baron. And if he was honest, part of him regretted not killing the infant when he had the chance.

"Even if everything and everyone was destroyed, the baron would have survived. Maybe he would have saved the others too?"

Hex stood in the middle of the broken tower. Gorge’s unconscious body lay in the corner.

"No, not Gorge. It’s a deity’s body now."

Not far from him was Silvera’s lifeless body. He didn’t dare to call it a corpse just yet. She had died too many times but maybe she still had a life in her. He would have to wait and find out.

It was hard to see anything else in the darkness. Not even a star shone in the sky. The only thing he could see was the destruction around him. The magnificent castle and its majestic towers were reduced to ruin.

The cold seeped into his heart and the darkness shrouded his mind. He felt lost. A small voice kept whispering to him that he didn’t deserve to live. He didn’t deserve to survive. He didn’t deserve the sacrifices of others.

He sat on the cold floor, slumped with his knees bent and head lowered. Everything seemed so pointless.

"How come the only person left is the one who isn’t even human? Maybe...maybe I am truly a Hex. I bring doom and gloom wherever I go. There is no reason for me to exist."

He sat with his eyes closed, losing himself in the darkness of the night. It was then someone spoke. His calm voice broke the silence of the night.

"And yet you exist. Yet others have died to let you survive. Yet, you cry. Isn’t that human enough?"

With a start, Hex jumped to his feet. His body immediately posed to battle. Only then did he notice the speaker.

"You? What are you doing here?" Hex exclaimed, partially confused, partially happy to see the old gardener.

Dirt clung to the gardener’s torn clothes. There were even patches of dried blood around his fingers. The man’s frail body trembled in the cold. But somehow his eyes radiated warmth.

"If not here, where else was I supposed to be? Or don’t you like the company of an old man like me?" The gardener turned to leave.

"No, no, not at all," Hex called hurriedly, walking toward the old man. The old man looked back at him with a grin.

"Relax, I am just teasing you," he said, chuckling when he saw Hex frown at him.

"You were sitting as if life had stopped. I am just trying to cheer you up," the gardener said. But when he saw Hex slump his shoulders, he grabbed them.

"Stand straight. You fought and survived against foes unimaginable times stronger than you. So what if some people were lost? You are alive. Swallowing in self-pity and regret will only insult their sentiments toward you."

Seeing the fiery look in the eyes of the old man, rekindled some of Hex’s spirit. He couldn’t help but think about his master’s words. He still had his dream. His goal. To defeat the baron.

’In the past, I had to survive the chasms long enough to gain a sliver of chance. Now, I have to survive the darkness in my heart so that one day I can tear open that golden door and defeat my master.’

Hex vowed to continue his path, no matter how hard it became or how long it took. One day he would achieve his dreams.

"Thank you, old man," he said, smiling again. "You are right."

The gardener laughed. "As long as you feel better." He walked toward the corner, where the broken container stood. Inside it, lay the baroness.

"Can you give me a hand?" He asked.

Hex suppressed his emotions when he saw the baroness’ body.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, confused by his actions.

"I am burying it. I thought it would be better to rest her remains beside her sister’s grave. Let them reconcile in the afterlife."

Hex remembered the gardener digging holes when they arrived at the castle. And he saw the Witch fall in one of those holes.

"How did you know she would fall exactly there? And why did you dig those holes?"

It was weird. Not even he had expected the Witch’s fall at that point. And even this close he didn’t sense a fraction of Blessing energy in the old man.

"Well, obviously because I was the one who planned everything. So, I would know, wouldn’t I?"

"You?" Hex asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, me. After all, I am the Herald."

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