The Broken Halo

Mira and her companions paid the driver the fee to transport them to Velmora City, and Simon also paid the driver to transport he, Akaza, and Sonya to Velmora City.

After paying the driver, the seven of them entered the carriage and Simon was a little surprised when he saw that the inside of the carriage was larger than it looked on the outside.

’A spatial array? No wonder it was expensive.’

The interior of the carriage was not luxurious and neither did it seem expensive.

Simon glanced around as he sat on one of the seats. He sat close to the window, and Sonya sat next to him, with Akaza sitting next to her.

Sonya sat in between both of them, and when she realized this, she could not help but smirk.

She crossed her legs and parted Simon and Akaza’s backs.

"You’re doing well my bodyguards. Make sure to protect this Honourable with your life."

Simon and Akaza looked at Sonya with blank expressions while Mira and the others had strange expressions when they heard Sonya refer to herself as an Honourable.

Sonya saw their expressions and scoffed.

"What? Do you have anything to say to this Honourable?"

Mira, Devia, Brukk, and Orven quickly shook their heads.

Even though Sonya was small, they all knew that Sonya would be able to beat them even if they faced her at once.

"Good." Sonya smiled after seeing their reactions.

A second later, the driver’s voice came through an opening in the wall of the carriage.

"We’re moving now. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to Velmora City in one week. And if we’re not, we’ll get to Velmora City in two weeks or never."

"So buckle up."

The opening in the wall closed after the driver left those ominous words for them to ponder on.

Mira, Devia, Brukk, and Orven had tense and worried expressions after hearing the driver’s words.

Meanwhile, Simon, Akaza, and Sonya were completely calm and unbothered.

A few seconds later, they felt the carriage move.

The atmosphere became silent and awkward as the carriage moved.

Sonya, Akaza, Devia, Brukk, and Orven took subtle glances at Simon and Mira since both of them were the reason why the atmosphere was awkward.

Simon looked outside the window for some seconds, then he glanced at Mira who was staring intently at him with a complicated expression.

Seeing that Mira was too shaken and confused to start a conversation, he decided to start.

"I can see that you have some questions to ask me. Why don’t you start by asking me one."

Mira’s eyes flickered slightly, then she exhaled deeply.

"Alright then."

She paused.

"Let me start with the obvious... What happened to you?"

Everybody glanced at Simon, and Simon’s lips curled up slightly.

He remained silent for a few seconds, then he spoke.

"A lot has happened to me actually. What exactly do you want to know? You have to be specific."

Mira frowned in thought for a few seconds, then she spoke.

"Why are you here? What happened to the Duskfang Tribe? And what about your mother?"

Simon chuckled softly.

"That’s three questions, but no problem though. I’ll answer them all."

Mira unconsciously leaned forward with an attentive expression.

Simon spoke.

"The Duskfang Tribe is no more. It has been destroyed."

Mira’s eyes widened in disbelief and shock.

"What? How?"

Simon leaned into his chair and folded his arms.

"The economic situation of the tribe got worse, and a Daegrin appeared in the tribe. Some things happened, and at the end of the day, the tribe members destroyed the tribe with their own hands all because of their greed and foolishness."

"The Daegrin did not directly destroy the tribe, but his words and offer destroyed the tribe."

Mira’s expression changed to one of shock, disbelief, confusion, and even more disbelief.

The first thing that was in her mind was relief.

She was immensely relieved that she left the Duskfang Tribe before all this happened. She had taken a gamble, and it worked.

She was still alive.

"Wow. You’ve always been a lucky one, Mira. But I didn’t know that you’ve been lucky even before you met us. I can only imagine what would have happened if you had remained in that pitiful tribe."

Mira glanced at her friend, Devia, but she didn’t know what to say.

Even though she never liked the Duskfang Tribe, hearing that the place she grew up in has been destroyed... left a strange feeling in her heart.

She looked back at Simon.

"What about your mother then? What about Lyssa? Is she... Is she dead?"

She almost found it difficult to say those words since Lyssa was her good friend, but she had to know.

Simon shook his head.

"I don’t know."

Mira frowned. "What?"

Simon looked outside the window, and after a few seconds, he spoke.

"I don’t know where she is. I was even thinking that you would know... considering that you guys were very close."

Mira was taken aback.

"What? What happened? The last time I met Lyssa or spoke to her was in the Duskfang Tribe. I don’t know where she is."

"... I see." Simon looked at the moving road with a calm and indifferent expression and gaze.

Mira was suddenly worried, and she could not help but ask again.

"What happened to her, Blackmoon? How did you get to Vashar City?"

Simon glanced at Mira.

"Lyssa betrayed me and sold me for some money to the Daegrin that arrived in the tribe."

Mira immediately froze, and so did Devia, Brukk, and Orven.

The carriage became silent once more, and Mira’s face underwent a series of expressions.

She didn’t know what to say because she did not expect Simon to say such a thing.

He never expected Lyssa who cared for Simon more than herself to ever sell Simon for some money.

She looked at Simon with a complicated expression.

"Are you serious about her selling you?"

Simon nodded.

"Yeah."

Then he smiled.

"She sold me for twenty low grade Infernal Crystals... just like you always suggested to her."

Mira trembled in fear the moment she heard Simon’s last sentence.