Braedon watched Raena dancing the night away, twirling with one male suitor and then another. His heart ached to watch her, so alive and radiating with an easy, magnetic flow to her steps. He only wished her happiness, for her to be safe and sound. And perhaps the Terra District was the place for her. A home with her sister, and other people to mingle with that were her age. She could have friends here. Food and water enough to suffice. She'd never have to hunt for furs in the frigid winters again, never again have to delve deep into the Tenebris Forest for scraps of meat or half-decent vegetables and fruits.

When they had danced, he had been so tempted to tell her his real plan... to tell her that he was leaving the Terra District tonight, alone. That the reason he had been locked in his bedroom all afternoon, while Iris and Raena had prepared for the ball, hadn't been because his suit had taken ages to tailor. On the contrary, it had taken not over an hour. No, he had been ordering food and requesting certain supplies from different maids, trying to be inconspicuous about his intentions.

He desperately wanted to tell Raena where he was going. Knew how infuriated she would be when he discovered that he had left without her. But he also knew she would insist on coming with him. And he didn't want to put her in a position where she would have to give all this up. And anyway, the odds of both of them getting out of the Lymphan District alive, were slim. Especially if she, the Lymphan Princess came on this rescue mission. They would certainly sense her presence, and that was just one extra thing to worry about. But no one would care much for the boy with no element, no belonging. He could slip in and out, as inconspicuous as a shadow.

When he had danced with Iris, he was again tempted to voice his plans. Although she was still nowhere near earning his complete trust, he had definitely started warming up to her. Perhaps a little too much, in some senses. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, or if the easy, laidback feeling he had around her was reciprocated back. He fell into comfortable silences with her, and whilst he did enjoy her company, he could feel himself holding back from opening up to her too fast, and he was pretty sure she was doing the same.

If he were to be perfectly honest, his hesitation came from not wanting to expand his inner circle further than Grandpa Sage and Raena. It was too dangerous a time, and every relationship seemed too fragile at the moment. His grandpa could be on the cusp of death, and he didn't want to think of the alternative option. Plus, his relationship with Raena would soon turn bitter, he imagined, once she found out he intended to save Grandpa Sage without her. And though he hated himself for even thinking of leaving her here alone, he knew she wouldn't really be. She had her sister, she had a safe home for the time being. There was no way he could find it in his heart to jeopardise that. And so, even though, as he had danced with Iris, the song close to its end, mere seconds away from telling her his plans, he had eventually shut the thought down again when Iris had spoken her empty promise to him.

He knew she meant well, knew that she truly did want to help in any way she could. But unfortunately, it wasn't enough. There was nothing she could do in such a brief span of time, and Braedon could feel the itch of guilt scratching away at his insides each day that passed. Grandpa Sage was strong, he didn't doubt it for a second. But everyone had their breaking point, and if he hadn't already been beaten to death, then he would be soon enough. They would be waiting for Raena to show up, but they wouldn't wait forever. And as soon as they believed Grandpa Sage had become expendable... Braedon grimaced tightly.

And anyway, Braedon thought to himself, looking around the dazzling ballroom, and the women and men all dressed up and laughing amongst themselves, this place isn't for me.

He didn't like the fake world the Terrans had created for themselves. He respected them for it, respected that they had managed to create an underground district so vast and luxurious enough that the population was almost able to forget a war was currently waging. But he couldn't do that. He couldn't live in ignorance. Not after the stories Grandpa Sage had recounted to him, of the lives lost and the other districts who weren't as well-off, starving and dying while these people danced and ate and drank wine and gossiped. These fifteen years he spent safe in the woods wasn't out of ignorance... it was out of sheer necessity, for Raena. For survival. But her secret was out now. And he was done hiding. Done pretending. Done waiting.

At some point, he noticed Raena standing next to a waiter boy by the side of the room, the two casually conversing. Protectively, he had already taken a step towards them, eyeing the boy sceptically, before shaking his head and retracting. He wanted her to have fun. He wanted this to be her night. She didn't need her big brother-like figure ruining it. And anyway, the ball would eventually come to its end, and he didn't want to waste a second longer. He had to head back to the mansion, grab his backpack full of supplies and find a place to wait unsuspiciously until one of the border patrol members returned and swapped shifts with another. Then he would tail them out of this district and back up to the world above. The real world.

He glanced around a final time for Iris, but she was nowhere in sight. He wanted to tell her to look after Raena until he came back, to ensure she got enough sleeping tablets until the draugr problem was solved, but perhaps it was easier to just write it in a letter and leave it in Iris's room. Less questions would be asked that way. And that way neither girl could stop him or persuade him otherwise.

With a final glance towards Raena, he whispered a last goodbye under his breath before slipping away unnoticed via the backdoor.