"Corvus! Corvus, wait!" Luna called out. She had eventually caught up to him on the downward slope leading to the wooden bridge.
Snapping Corvus from the mental simulation of his plan, he looked back at Luna, who paused under his stare.
She forcefully pushed past her hesitation and muttered while avoiding Corvus's steady gaze, "Can we talk?" Seeing no change in his expression, she feared he was about to say no.
"Please, Corvus."
Corvus had been about to say no, unwilling to tolerate any delays, but seeing Luna's pleading look, he sighed internally.
"What is it?" he asked. His response caught Luna by surprise .
"I... I wanted to warn you. My father told me Jude has it out for you, and he has gained the favour of a clan member. So... so please be careful," she stammered.
Corvus only nodded slowly before turning back toward the slope, which frustrated Luna. "Why don't you just apologize? That way, you could avoid the trouble," she pleaded.
Corvus sighed, becoming increasingly annoyed by the delay Luna was causing and especially by her naivety. He finally spoke calmly. "Do you realize what you are asking of me? That I should apologize to a grieving family?"
"Y...es," Luna whispered.
"I killed his nephew. Tell me, if you were him, or anyone else related to him, would you seek my apology? Would you even stand my presence, huh?"
"But it was an accident! You were just defending yourself," Luna countered.
"You think so ?" Corvus asked coldly, his words making Luna flinch as if she had been struck. Her voice failed her, and she stood frozen as he took the opportunity to walk away. She wanted to call out, to stop him, but after his harsh dismissal, she found she had no words left to say.
He made his way toward the wooden bridge and tried not to brood over what Luna had said. As annoyed as he was by her naivety, he knew she had spoken the truth; he had trouble ahead of him, though evading it was the least of his priorities.
The truth was that for a year after Corvus lost his parents, he had been a victim of constant bullying alongside his friend Leon. And the one behind this harassment was a boy named Jerad, who found it convenient to throw his weight around with kids who lacked spirit masters in their families or were simply orphans.
It had gotten so bad back then that some orphans were beaten to a pulp with no one to tend to their injuries. Corvus had his grandmother to care for him, but he always saw the pain in her eyes. This was one of the catalysts for his change. He finally snapped when he found Jerad and two other boys tormenting Leon and his younger sister; making him corner them with a rock in his hands.
His intention was never to kill ,he couldn't even stomach the thought then but an accident happened, and the rock fell heavily onto Jerad's head.
Stepping into the servant district, Corvus frowned, making sure to suppress the sickening feeling of guilt that had haunted him for months after the incident.
The fact that the clan cared little about mortal servants only added to the stigma. Unlike Jerad, Corvus was expected to awaken a solid core, which made him untouchable until his awakening. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened if he had awakened a cracked core instead.
Regardless, he had enjoyed the isolation it brought, except now he would have to pay the price for it. So He wasn't about to let that debt linger; he planned on paying it his way. His solid core ensured that and Red Ball ensured it, too.
As for this Jude, he was likely only two stages above him. Even with the support of a clan member, he still had a cracked core. And Aaron, the cousin of his victim, was nothing more than a small fry in his eyes.
He eventually made it to his hut, crossing the bamboo boundary and entering the dimly lit interior. He easily spotted Granny sitting in a slanted chair, busy knitting clothes ,a long-time hobby of hers.
She raised her head toward the open door, and the sight of her grandson brought a warm smile to her weathered face.
"You're back early today, "
"Yes, I am," Corvus replied, moving across the room to a small hole in the clay wall. "I'll no longer be handling my old chores. I have a new duty now; it should start tomorrow or the day after," he added, reaching into the hole to pull out a small pouch that clinked with the sound of bronze coins.
"Hmm, and what's this new duty?" Granny could tell her grandson didn't really want to discuss the topic, but she felt a nagging sense of worry
Corvus made his way to the door and turned back to his grandmother. "Have you eaten?" he asked, ignoring her question. His grandmother let out a soft, resigned sigh before nodding.
"Then don't worry. It's nothing dangerous, and I'll be getting your medicines soon," he said offering a rare smile that brightened his grandmother's weary face before he stepped out of the hut
Corvus used his fingers to feel the coins within the leather pouch in his grasp. Though he already knew the count, it was more of a nervous habit as he headed in a direction completely different from the wooden bridge that led to the training fields.
Black Ridge Mountain was split into several districts: the servant district, where the mortal servants lived; the administrative district, where the clan's infrastructure was managed; and the market district, where trade from both within and beyond the mountain was conducted. There were many other districts, but these were the only three Corvus had ever truly set foot in. Like the training fields, each was connected by vast wooden bridges. He was currently crossing one of these brides except it was more larger, longer, and much busier than the others, filled with everyone from lowly mortal servants and spirit servants to members of the clan itself