When I awoke the next day, it was with a smile.
A beautifully wide smile.
Not because I'd slept well. Quite the opposite. Any place where Mat was had become a crime scene. That snoring of his should've been bound by international laws.
But still I was happy. Because I knew someone else had it worse.
And that?
That brought all the joy a good night's rest would've.
Noah was already awake. Of course he would be. Judging by the hollowness in his gaze, I doubted he'd even slept. Shooting him a cheery grin, I walked past into the bathroom.
All I got in return was a stare filled with pure, undiluted hatred.
Utterly undeserved of course.
"What's the plan today?" I asked Felt.
"Briefing. Time to hear what our genius General's been scheming."
"Finally."
After we'd all gotten dressed, some of us better than others, Officer Scarlet arrived. Leading us into the briefing room.
Inside was a long table and enough chairs for the entire unit. Officer Scarlet decided to stand at the head of the table, next to a whiteboard.
When we were all dressed, Officer Scarlet arrived and led us into another room.
Inside: a long table, chairs enough for all of Unit 7, and Scarlet posted at the head beside a wide board.
I moved toward Noah—then thought better of it and joined Petro instead. I valued my life, however short it might be.
"Alright," Scarlet began. "Let's get into it."
'Finally', I thought, leaning forward. 'My ticket out of this frozen hell.'
"To explain the plan, you first need to understand what kind of war this is. The Thoracen Empire has fought many conflicts—for land, for trade, for pride. But this one… this one's different."
She tapped the board sharply.
"We're not fighting a nation. There's no capital to take. No government to topple. We're fighting the people. Every man, woman, and child who believes they deserve better. Trying to seize control by force is like swinging a hammer at a swarm of flies. Ineffective. Bloody. Pointless. So instead—"
She uncapped the marker again. "—we go for their light. Their figures. Their ideals. We smother the fire by cutting off the oxygen."
A crude diagram was drawn on the board: two names.
"There are two pillars holding this rebellion together. The first: Duke Kraelish. Codename: The Lion. Former West Duke of Thoracen. Revered. Feared. The sword of the rebellion."
She underlined the name.
"And the second… William of Orange."
'William of Orange?' The name felt smaller. Plain. Much less regal in the presence of names like Kraelish. And yet somehow, the title had a weight of its own.
"He has no noble blood. No military accolades. He's not a commander or a strategist."
"So how is he dangerous?" Finn asked, frowning.
Scarlet gave a thin smile.
"Because he's one of them. A commoner turned symbol. They don't just fight for him—they believe in him. William doesn't lead armies. He leads stories. We can't just kill him. Not yet. Not without turning him into a martyr."
She turned back to the board, writing a third word beneath his name: Discredit.
"We strip him down. Publicly. Morally. Personally. We dig through everything—lies, truths, rumors. We make the people doubt. Make them ashamed to follow him. And only then… we kill him. It shouldn't be too hard."
I swallowed. My throat felt dry. 'I feel like a villain just listening to this.'
"So," I asked quietly, "what's the General planning?"
"Infiltration."
I blinked. That was a word I hadn't expected.
"We'll embed ourselves within the rebellion. Find their spies. Expose their networks. Learn their plans. And when we know enough…"
She met our eyes. "We swallow them from the inside."
Mat leaned back, arms crossed. "So he's been laying the groundwork for a while, then?"
Scarlet nodded. "Identities forged. Records falsified. This has been months in the making."
I frowned. "But wouldn't it be suspicious if we just showed up out of nowhere?"
"Which is why we're replacing an army."
I blinked. "Replacing?"
"Yes. There's only one position we can realistically assume."
She drew a crude map of the Western Dukedom. "The region's hemmed in by mountains. No way through except narrow passes—all of them suicidal. We'll attack the one they have the least influence over, the one where no one would expect an attack coming."
"You don't mean Fort Lanai," Caster said.
Everyone turned. It was the first time I'd heard his voice in days. Caster was rarely one for words.
"I do," Scarlet confirmed.
"That Fort's never fallen."
"No," she agreed. "But it's never faced General Thanason either."
Caster fell silent.
"We're going to take it. Quietly. Quickly. We'll remove the existing garrison and assume their identities. Our allies within the rebellion have been preparing forged documentation and backstories for us. Once in place, we operate as part of their system—until the time comes."
I could feel the unease pooling in my stomach.
"Once we take Fort Lanai," she continued, "we'll hold a key passage into the Western Dukedom. That's our foothold. From there, we assimilate. Become rebels. Learn everything they know."
She paused.
"Make no mistake—this mission is delicate. One wrong move and we're dead."
I almost laughed. 'Just one?'
"Oh, and one more thing," Officer Scarlet added, voice cool.
"As of today, you're all officially dead."
The room froze.
'Ahhh...it seems I died again.'
….......
"Arthur and Noah, stay behind," Officer Scarlet called as the rest of Unit 7 filtered out of the briefing room.
Once the door shut, she turned to us. "I'll ask again, now that you know what's coming—are you sure you want to go through with this? Your records haven't been finalized yet. You can still back out."
Noah and I exchanged a look. Then, as one, we nodded.
"We'll carry on, Officer," Noah said.
Scarlet exhaled, her expression unreadable. "Fine. You're in. We'll need to forge your identities now. Do either of you want a different name, or should we stick with your own?"
"I'm good with mine," Noah replied. "Anything else and I'd probably forget to answer."
I hesitated, then smiled. "Actually, yes. I'd like to be called Reshi."
"…"
"What?"
"No," she said flatly.
"Why not?"
"I've never heard that name before. It's too unique. We don't want people remembering you."
"Arthur it is," I sighed.
'That's a shame. It would've been nice to walk around in my old name again.'
Scarlet moved on. "You're both alright with being publicly dead?"
Noah shrugged. "My family probably won't even get the news, wherever they are."
Before I could stop myself, a laugh slipped out—short, dry, and bitter.
Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"
I shook my head, the grin lingering. "I was just thinking... my family might actually be more upset when they find out I'm still alive."
A beat of silence.
Then Noah burst into soft chuckles, wiping at imaginary tears. "I can empathize."
Scarlet didn't smile. "Right," she said, deadpan. "Arthur, one more thing."
She tossed me two small pouches.
I caught them, barely—one nearly slipped through my fingers. "What are these?"
"Disguises. Colored contacts and hair dye. They're mana-reactive—draw tiny amounts from your reserves to stay permanent. Your current look stands out too much. White hair and red eyes aren't exactly subtle."
"Isn't there some kind of skill I could use instead?"
"There is. But it takes time and training. These? Instant results. No margin for error."
"Fair enough."
"You're both dismissed."
We saluted and stepped out. I made my way to the nearest bathroom, the pouches clenched tight in one hand.
Inside, I opened the first pouch: two ultra-thin contact lenses. I stood before the mirror and pressed them in, one by one. Then came the second pouch. I poured the black liquid into my palm—it had a slick, viscous feel—and rubbed it through my hair until every strand was coated.
The change was immediate. My crimson eyes were now deep, dark brown. My hair no longer gleamed white, but black as midnight.
I stared into the mirror.
Gone was the boy with snow-white hair and burning eyes. Gone was Arthur Gravewalker.
Staring back at me was someone plain. Someone unremarkable.
Someone who could disappear in a crowd.
And yet…
I smiled.
These features—they were closer to who I was, once. Closer to Reshi.
And honestly?
I quite liked it.
"Not bad," I muttered to myself. "Not bad at all."