23. Purple Forest

He wasn’t proud of what he had done. Neither did he regret it.

It was something that had to be done, so he could close that chapter of his life. The one that had pushed him toward a path of blood. A path of destruction. One he wouldn’t be able to return from.

That day had haunted him in his nightmares, just as the destruction of his village had. The things he had done. The innocent lives lost. It still weighed on him, but not as much as it had when he first woke from that frenzy.

He had promised himself that day that it would never happen again. A promise he had already broken.

His mentor had kept him moving. Then his party. If not for them, he didn’t know what would have become of him. Nothing good. That much he knew.

His lips curled into a faint smile.

The Demon King had given him another chance. A new life beyond the chains that had bound him. A chance to become something more. Something that might even make him happy. And… make his mentor proud. That was a good goal to have.

He would have to thank the Demon King. Maybe even learn his name, if he met him in this world. He had a feeling he would.

The sun was already setting by the time he returned to the clearing. The smell of iron had only deepened. The soldiers were still harvesting materials. Two hours, and they hadn’t stopped once.

It was good to be a mage. He didn’t have to do the dirty work. Just watch from a distance.

Revel sat by a tree. The color had returned to her face some time ago. She was good. Better than he had expected in the heat of battle. But she lacked confidence. She could do more than just support.

Lira would be alone for a while. He just hoped they returned in time, before her cravings got worse. He didn’t want her to go through that again.

He didn’t know anything about her. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t know much about anyone around him. Not in this life. Not in the last one. At least not before his party. They hadn’t given him a choice.

He needed to try harder this time. To get to know the people around him. That would be a step in the right direction. And it would make his mentor proud.

He chuckled.

His mentor wasn’t hard to please.

He stopped in front of Revel.

“You did well,” Adolin said.

She tilted her head. “That was unexpected.” She looked him over. “After… well.” She chuckled. “Thanks, I guess.”

He didn’t blame her. He had been overwhelmed by the attention himself.

He sat down beside her.

“Your awareness is good, and your instincts are on point. But you rely too much on a single spell.”

She frowned slightly. “And how would you know?”

“Oh,” he chuckled. “There’s more to me than you think.” He winked at her.

He felt awkward the moment he did it. She was usually the one doing that.

Revel stared at him, her eyes widening slightly. Then she laughed, softly at first, then louder.

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“Didn’t know you had that side to you.”

He chuckled lightly. “Only when I’m in a good mood.”

“You are?” she pressed.

He didn’t answer right away. “You could say that. The… fight brought back some memories,” he said, looking up at the sky.

“Good? Bad?” she asked.

“A bit of both.”