Tower of Paradise

—Actually, I already have a plan.

—What makes you so confident?

My voice came out sharper than I intended, but Cassie, as always, wasn't bothered by my tone.

—I found something.

I could detect the sincerity in her voice.

I watched her lean forward with one of her mysterious smiles, those that always put me on alert.

—Something that changes everything.

I remained silent, analyzing every nuance of her expression. Was she really going to reveal her secret to me? I knew her well enough to know that keeping secrets wasn't like her, at least not from me.

The silence that followed was heavy as I watched her internally debate how much to reveal.

—Yesterday... During recess when I was walking and debating what I was going to do, I found this while exploring the orphanage grounds.

She whispered with barely contained excitement that reminded me why she was different from the others.

—At first it seemed like just a piece of dirty metal, I even thought it was trash, but...

She stopped abruptly, and I noticed how her eyes nervously darted toward the door. Her caution didn't surprise me; since I had been unconscious, most of the children were outside helping Emilia with the chores, which gave us a rare opportunity for privacy.

—It was a medallion.

I raised an eyebrow, my mind calculating the probabilities and analyzing the implications of her finding.@@novelbin@@

—A medallion?

I kept my tone neutral although my curiosity was more than awake.

I watched as Cassie bent down to take out the medallion she had hidden in her boot.

—You couldn't keep it anywhere else.

I commented, allowing a mocking smile to form on my face.

As expected, Cassie reacted by pouting, puffing her cheeks in a show of offense and embarrassment that I found curiously comforting in its familiarity.

—You know I couldn't!

She crossed her arms and glared at me.

I examined the medallion with clinical attention. It was a circular piece, with a diameter less than five centimeters. Its polished surface emitted a golden metallic shine that seemed out of place in our austere environment. In the center, engraved in relief, was the figure of an imposing dragon.

However, my thoughts were interrupted by Cassie's soft voice.

—It's not just any medallion. It's a storage medallion, Arceus. It contains grimoires, crystals, stellar cores, potions... all hidden in this small object.

I felt my eyes tremble slightly at the revelation.

Cassie's luck was something that defied all logic, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a pang of envy.

I had had to go through a sea of blood and tears to be able to awaken, and she had achieved it simply with her good fortune. She was breaking the system in a way that not even I had foreseen.

I returned the medallion to her, watching as she gently rubbed it with a familiarity that suggested she had spent a long time studying it.

—But that's not the most important thing.

She continued, and I noticed how her fingers nervously drummed on her knee.

—I found magical scrolls, Arceus. A mass teleportation scroll.

Spatial movement scroll for multiple people. The mention of the scroll made my face harden.

Magical scrolls were rolls of parchment that had been enchanted to contain spells and were considered disposable single-use items. Their most important quality was that these scrolls didn't require a person to have high knowledge of magic to cast them.

It had to be said, the creation of a magical scroll with spatial magic was extremely expensive and difficult to produce, not only because of the precious materials but because they required advanced knowledge and specialized skills.

Unfortunately...

None of that would make sense. It wasn't so easy to escape from this place, that diary I had read made that quite clear.

Before I could respond, my sharpened senses caught a soft creak coming from the door. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

Reinhardt was there, his slender figure silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway. His blue eyes shone with that calculating intensity that reminded me so much of myself.

—Are you alright, man?

He asked as he entered the room with measured steps.

His reddish-brown hair looked almost black in the darkness, and I noticed how his eyes quickly scanned the room, assessing the situation.

—You're late, Reinhardt. And you didn't even bring food?

I commented with an exaggerated sigh, slightly shaking my head. It was easier to maintain my sarcastic facade than to show the relief I felt at seeing him.

—Haaa... I guess you're fine if you can talk like that.

He responded, letting out a sigh as relief flooded his face.

I saw Cassie straighten up beside me, her posture subtly changing at Reinhardt's presence.

He approached my bed, and I felt his penetrating gaze studying me with an intensity that suggested he was seeing beyond my calm exterior.

—How long have you known?

He asked abruptly.

—Known what?

I kept my tone neutral although we both knew exactly what he was referring to. If Reinhardt knew it could only mean that Cassie had told him.

—The truth about the orphanage.

His voice was devoid of accusation but full of a curiosity that I recognized as similar to my own.

I held his gaze without blinking, carefully evaluating how much to reveal.

—For a long time.

The silence that followed was dense, loaded with unasked questions and half-revealed truths. I saw Reinhardt open his mouth to say something more, but the sound of approaching footsteps in the hallway interrupted him.

The door opened completely, revealing the figure of Emilia, the caretaker. Her radiant smile seemed more artificial than ever, a constant reminder of the farce we lived in. She knew that we knew and yet she acted as if nothing had happened.

This woman was... The iron lady.

—Oh, how nice to see you all gathered!

She exclaimed in a melodious voice that might once have seemed natural, but now sounded like nails scratching a chalkboard to my trained ears.

—Cassie, dear, I have wonderful news.

Her smile widened in a way that made my instincts flare up.

—Your adoption is scheduled for next week.

I felt the atmosphere in the room freeze. Beside me, Cassie visibly tensed, while I observed Reinhardt remain completely still, his face a mask of indifference that contradicted the force with which he clenched his fists.

In that moment, I shared a look with my only two friends, a silent but clear message passing between us: time was running out.