Chapter 20
Hasollan had spoken harshly, but Akelans didn’t react. Compared to how crazy he was acting when he first woke up after defying time itself, he seemed back to normal now. Figures.
Hasollan drifted around Roetingen like air—always floating, never truly part of anything. She didn’t join in conversations, just listened quietly to what others said.
“Boats leave every night, so”
“As long as you’ve got money, there’s nowhere you can’t go”
Smuggling yourself out of Roetingen wasn’t all that difficult. Hasollan had money—and no lingering attachments. She didn’t want to think. All she could focus on was the thought that she had to leave. She had never truly been free from Akelans, so it made sense.
“Lisa, I’m here.”
Hasollan already knew where to go and how to get out. After surviving war and death, she had very few fears left. She planned to seize the next chance to run away again. Her life under Akelans’s control wasn’t much different from when she was under Solaris’s rule—just a quiet, endless chain.
“Lisa?”
The shop hadn’t opened yet, but it was unlocked. Hasollan called out for Lisa, but there was no answer. The place felt empty.
“Lisa? Where are you?”
Had she stepped out for a moment? That didn’t feel right. A bad feeling crept in. She suddenly remembered the man who had been lurking around, making Lisa pale with fear. Hasollan glanced around, then rushed out the back of the store.
The backyard was quiet, only leading out to the back alley. No signs of people, just the occasional box being dropped or taken.
“Lisa?”
She listened carefully. There had to be some sound. She cut through to the alley—where she saw a single shoe lying in the dirt. It looked like someone had struggled, and it came off.
“Lisa!”
Then she saw it—Lisa being shoved and beaten by a man. That man. The one who’d been hanging around the store.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Startled by Hasollan’s shout, the man turned. It was him—the same guy from the shop. He hesitated, then raised his elbow to hit her. Big mistake.
He didn’t know who he was messing with.
“Huh? What the?!”
The man fell flat on the ground, confused and groaning in disbelief. Hasollan had taken him down with ease. Then she turned to Lisa—and her face twisted in horror.
“Oh my god, Lisa—Lisa, wake up!”
Lisa was on the ground, covered in blood, barely conscious. Behind Hasollan, Sir Gidmong came running from the back of the store, having heard the shouting.
“Miss! Miss, what—ah, no… oh dear heavens!”
Even he groaned at the gruesome sight, then quickly turned away.
“I’ll call for help!”
Hasollan would have handled the man alone. What she needed now was a doctor and the guards.
“Hurry!”
“Yes, ma’am! Stay with her!”
Hasollan pressed a handkerchief against Lisa’s wounds to stop the bleeding and wrapped her in her coat.
“Lisa, please—stay with me. You can’t pass out here!”
How could anyone beat up a civilian—a woman—like this? Hasollan had to look away, her heart aching. Lisa’s eyes were swollen and bruised, her arm probably broken. Nearby lay a broken shovel handle, stained with blood. Hasollan stared at it in horror, then turned a cold gaze on the man.
“Looks like you need a taste of your own medicine.”
The man flinched at her icy voice. He had never experienced anything like this before—his body refusing to move, pinned to the ground. Lisa still wasn’t waking up.
“Lisa, Lisa, it’s okay now. Look at me. Please, open your eyes. It’s too cold here, don’t give up!”
Hasollan kept calling to her, holding her gently. Lisa slowly opened her eyes.
“That’s it. It’s me—Hasollan. You’re safe now. Stay awake, okay?”
“Ha… Ha…”
“That’s right. I came. I’m here. I’m at work—so you can’t get fired yet, okay?”
Even with her broken, swollen lips, Lisa gave a tiny smile. Her hair was tangled and dirty, her clothes torn. Hasollan kept speaking clearly, firmly everything a victim needed to hear right now.
“You have to stay awake. Help is coming. I’m not leaving you, okay? Is anyone out there?!”
It was still early morning, and the streets were nearly empty. Hasollan gently massaged the uninjured parts of Lisa’s body to warm her up.
“Over here!”
Finally, after what felt like forever, Gidmong’s voice echoed. A doctor came running, holding a medical bag.
“She’s got a head wound, and her arm is broken. There are bruises old and new—all over.”
“This just happened?”
“She was beaten with that.”
Hasollan pointed at the broken shovel handle. The doctor clicked his tongue.
“To break that—he must’ve been hitting her.”
Then came the guards. Gidmong had them arrest the man still lying flat on the ground.
“Take him to the castle—now.”
“Miss, are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. I just… took him down.”
“Impressive.”
“Not really…”
Every time Hasollan used her powers, she worried—then brushed it off. Akelans never cared, even when she used her abilities on the battlefield. He never acknowledged her, even with proof. So what was the point?
“The shop will need to stay closed…”
People were starting to open their stores and peek out. The alley was soon cleaned up.
Later, at the trial
Lisa only stood once she was healed enough to move. Witnesses came forward.
“I saw him hanging around her a lot. Gave me the creeps. Imagine how she felt.”
People confirmed they’d seen the man lurking. The judge reviewed old records.
“He was reported three years ago, too. For assault. Witnessed again back then?”
“Yes, sir. I begged for him to be exiled. He was—only to sneak back in!”
Another witness—his uncle—stood up, awkward and ashamed.
“He always said she was going to marry him. That he loved her. We believed him. We never even met the girl…”
Lisa, wrapped in bandages, finally spoke.
“After I turned down his proposal, he started stalking me. I was terrified. And once his exile was lifted, it got worse. I had no one—no family, no help.”
The man had told everyone he was dating Lisa, but in truth, he was obsessed and violent.
“I loved her… I didn’t mean to hurt her…”
“I said no. Over and over. He didn’t stop. I couldn’t look up without seeing him.”
“He makes my skin crawl. I hate him.”
Lisa’s voice shook with rage. Hasollan had held her hand so many times before the trial, giving her courage.
Suddenly, Hasollan glanced at Akelans, sitting quietly nearby. She wondered—did I look that desperate and pathetic to him? He never said how he felt. Maybe he couldn’t stand her either. Maybe he never wanted her near in the first place, just couldn’t get rid of her.
“Final witness: Miss Hasollan Odair.”
“Yes.”
She recounted what happened.
“I used a bit of force to stop him.”
“Force?”
The judge looked confused. Hasollan hesitated.
“I… I’m trained in combat.”
The judge raised an eyebrow, but Akelans motioned to him, and he nodded.
“Understood. Continue.”
Hasollan remembered those 14 years—not all bad, but exhausting. Maybe Akelans hated them all. Hated her.
“Then the doctor arrived.”
“You saw him near the store before?”
“Yes. Lisa had bruises. She was afraid of him—I saw it many times.”
The judge took in all the testimonies, glanced at Akelans one last time, and then made the ruling.
“This was a severe, ongoing crime. It could have ended in murder. Given the risk of repeat offenses, the punishment cannot be light. Twenty years of penal servitude, followed by permanent exile.”
Penal servitude meant death. No one came back. Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. Hasollan tried to smile—but couldn’t.
She wondered… Was I any better to Akelans than that man was to Lisa?
That night
Outside Roetingen, it was quiet. Winter wind whipped along the coast. Hasollan snuck out unnoticed. The city had finally calmed down.
“Cash,” the ship captain said gruffly.
Hasollan handed him a handful of gold coins.
“Get on.”
She had to cut ties with Akelans. Their bond was too tangled, too toxic. She had to forget him.
“It’ll take about five days.”
She said nothing. Maybe she should’ve done this long ago.
They each had their burdens to carry. Staying together would only mean repeating the same painful 14 years.
And I… Hasollan sat down and shut her eyes tightly.
I’ll probably keep living, still unable to let go.
Her heart burnt black but still burning like coal, refusing to cool. It sparked, ached, wanted revenge—and love. She couldn’t throw it away.
“Raise the sail. Let’s go.”
The ship creaked softly, drifting out into the dark sea. All Hasollan could wish was Let me get far, far away from Roetingen…
