"So, that's it for today."
Noen packed up his things, pushed his chair back to the desk and left the classroom without looking back once more. The hallway was already almost empty, only a few scattered footsteps and voices echoing faintly through the building.
In the locker room, Thel was already waiting for him.
"Come on, let's walk home together."
Noen gave a short nod and followed him outside.
They walked side by side through the narrow backstreets of Halmswick. As always, they avoided the normal roads. Instead, they took shortcuts through backyards, over low walls, old fences, and even across rooftops that they knew almost as well as their own rooms by now.
Their shoes scraped softly against the tiles as they balanced across an old roof, then dropped down into a narrow alley.
"Come on, let's talk for a bit," Thel said.
Noen nodded. "Sure."
For a moment, they walked in silence, until Thel suddenly let out a breath and shook his head.
"I swear, Halmswick is so damn awful…" he began. His voice grew darker, harder. "I swear… that damn Beldrin!"
He practically spat the name.
Noen slowed down a step and looked at him in confusion.
"Why are you bringing up the mayor all of a sudden?" he asked.
Thel scoffed and kicked a small stone on the ground.
"Because thanks to Beldrin, nobody is doing anything against the mini god powerbearers anymore!" he said, disgusted, disappointed and furious all at once.
"My parents voted for him too, but back then he was still a nice good guy.
Only because of his damn—"
"Mini-god powers?" Noen cut in.
Thel nodded vehemently. "Yes. Exactly! And nobody dares to oppose him because that son of a bitch is so insanely powerful that no one dares. I swear, if I ever get my hands on—"
"But there are people who go after him. " Noen snapped.
Thel frowned, confused. "What? Who?"
Noen hesitated for a moment.
"Well… the Black Synod right?"
Thel stopped walking.
"What is that supposed to mean? Who are you talking about?"
— Aha… so nothing publicly known huh… —
Noen slowly exhaled. "Forget it.
Wasn't your brother an officer here in Halmswick?" he asked carefully.
"Yeah… emphasis on was," Thel's voice suddenly broke. "He was killed by Beldrin…"
He fell silent. Closed his eyes. His head lowered.
Tears slid soundlessly down his face.
Noen took a step back. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories. Please forgive me."
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then Thel snapped his head up.
"What the hell are you talking about, you idiot…" he muttered.
"What?" Noen asked, completely confused and shocked by his response.
"I ASKED WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!"
Thel raised his hand.
Something glistened in his palm — a single tear that had only just run down his cheek.
But it did not remain what it was.
It twisted. Thickened. Darkened.
A soft, metallic click echoed as something sharp began to take shape.
A… knife.
Thel pulled his arm back.
And…