Companions

...Rachel...

Fresh air hit my body as I took a deep breath, feeling and savoring every second of it. It was as if I were breathing for the first time and loving every moment.

My eyes needed a few moments to adjust to the sunlight—it was midday, after all—and when I was finally able to see, I realized exactly where I was. The entrance to the mine was in a large excavation crater, and the place was essentially a camp where the mine guards slept.

There were no more guards; the prisoners who had escaped when I started setting fire inside the cave had taken over the place. I hadn’t imagined there were so many of us. In that dark cavern, we never had time to get to know each other. Any attempt at interaction between slaves was severely punished—that was how they prevented revolts.

But that proved to be a problem too, because at the first opportunity, everyone united.

“Are you alright?!” I heard a familiar voice, and when I turned my gaze, I noticed it was the old man who had helped me recover.

Relief washed over me when I saw him, and I walked toward him. Other prisoners nearby turned their eyes to me. Some took steps back, and their expressions made it obvious they were afraid of something.

“Is it her?” a man asked. He was holding a sword and a shield. He was muscular, and his face was stained with blood. He had been the one to lead everyone when it became necessary, once they left the mines and reached the camp. After all, not all the guards had been inside the mine.

“Yes,” the old man replied with a calm smile.

The black-haired man nodded and lowered his sword. He stared at me, his eyes were sharp, but there was something strange about his gaze—he tried not to look at me directly.

“Thank you for helping us escape,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without you, miss.”

The words seemed to vanish from my mouth, and the reason was clear... I still hadn’t fully processed everything that had happened just minutes ago. In fact, there was no way I could’ve processed any of it yet. It was so much, and up until now, I had just been thrown from one bad situation to another.

More people had gathered around us—other prisoners who were still there. There were so many, and all of them seemed to be saying something. Their disguised whispers were obvious since the murmurs were so numerous they became loud. I looked at them, and when they noticed my gaze, they stepped back or tried to look away.

Did they think I was a monster? I wondered. After all, when the guards saw me walking with flames pouring from my hands and heat radiating from my body, they screamed curses and called me a demon. So to these people, I might also be nothing more than a demon that could explode in fury at any moment.

That thought made me want to cry... I didn’t want to be a demon.

“Here, queen...” the old man said, stepping closer. He had picked up a long cloth and handed it to me.

I was confused for a moment until I looked down at myself. The rags I had been wearing no longer existed—my flames had burned them long ago. I had been naked this whole time. My face burned red with shame, and all the men and women staring at me could see my bare body.

I let out a frustrated scream and immediately wrapped myself in the cloth that felt like a sheet. It was terribly embarrassing, and a few of my fellow prisoners laughed, which helped ease the discomfort a bit. I believe it also helped relieve the tension everyone felt. They were survivors of a horrible place, and now they were free...

And I believe that also made them realize I wasn’t some kind of monster. They came closer to me. And the strong man holding the sword also stepped forward.

“You should introduce yourself to your subjects, queen...” he said, kneeling before me. His appearance, dressed in rags, was the complete opposite of a knight kneeling before his queen, but his bloodstained sword, taken from the men who had imprisoned us, was all the symbol of loyalty and values he needed.

That was definitely unexpected, and yet I knew what I had to do. I looked at everyone and showed the mark on my hand. Some came even closer, others were afraid—still, I didn’t judge them. After all, I had seen myself what that mark was capable of.

“My name is Rachel!” I said, the name I had in my first life. In my new memories, I had never really been given a name. So I could only say this one. The people looked confused by my name, which made sense—it was from a completely different world to them. “I was cursed with this mark. Everyone hates me for it, calling me a monster—just like they call all of you monsters!” I said, remembering the legend the old man had told me while treating my wounds. He had told me that it wasn’t only criminals who were sent to that place.

Anyone considered a heretic or a traitor to the kingdom was “exiled” and then sent to this place to work until death.

“We are not monsters!” I raised my voice even more. “We are just people who were treated unjustly, and now we can seek our own justice!”

Some people shouted in agreement, while others seemed hesitant. It was completely understandable that they felt that way, and it could make me lose the trust they had just started to place in me.

“I know not everyone here can or wants to fight. That’s why I’m grateful to every one of you who chooses to fight by my side—and I’m also grateful for the support of those who stand with me even if not in battle!”

That seemed to move those who were still uncertain. Their eyes now held hope, and I wondered where all this confidence was coming from—all this motivation... Was it the power of my hatred that gave me the strength to say these things and take command? Was it the new memories? I couldn’t really tell.

The man stood up, stepping closer to me. His steps were confident, and he turned to the small crowd around us.

“My name is Aldric,” he said. His voice was much more confident than mine, and that was obvious—his physical form was that of a warrior. It was even surprising that he had been imprisoned with us. “And I will join Rachel on her journey. I have seen much destruction caused by the kingdom of Aetheris. I believe the mark she carries is not the sign of a cursed one—instead, it is the mark of the true queen.”

More of our companions murmured among themselves. The man’s smile was genuine, and his voice was contagious. It would be hard not to believe him.

“Just like the queen said, not everyone has to fight. And as a warrior, it is my duty to protect as many lives as possible.”

I agreed with him and then took the floor.

“Anyone who wishes is free to leave. All of us here are free now. Those who stay will have my protection—and Aldric’s.”

More whispers echoed among the people. Some walked away, forming groups. They seemed ashamed to be afraid of standing beside what looked like a lost cause. Still, I wasn’t judging them—and neither was Aldric.

The old man who had given me the cloth approached.

“We should prepare to leave. Let’s gather as many supplies as possible and get out of here before more soldiers arrive and discover what happened.”

“That makes sense,” I said, then looked at Aldric. As if he had read my mind, he gave the order for everyone to get ready.

I didn’t know exactly what I had just gotten myself into. Everything I had said was driven purely by instinct and a desire to live. Everything felt completely uncertain to me. That world seemed utterly insane in some way—a place with completely different rules, like a game I had skipped the tutorial for, with no choice but to keep playing as my instincts guided me.

Maybe I should just let fate lead me... Even if I still had in mind where I wished it would return me to.

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