Yukio's POV

We followed Rowan down the corridor, trudging through the thick underbrush, and trekking through the forest, not sure where we were going, and I glanced back to see everyone except Rowan and I were panting and huffing, some of them even hunched over, clutching their knees, trying to catch their breaths, and I gave a steely glance at Rowan, silently asking Rowan for permission to let the others rest, and he nodded, and I silently signalled at the others to take a 10 minute break, which they all nodded in thanks.

"Hey Yukio, His majesty, how did you both still staying upright? Aren't you both tired?" I heard one of my friends asked and Rowan and I exchanged glanced, not knowing how to reply, each completing each other's sentences.

"Erm.....we......."

"You see....."

"We erm...."

"...got used to it."

At the answers of Rowan and I, everyone can tell that it was a big fat lie, and that the answers that Rowan and I gave wasn't the answer at all but a watered-down version of the answer. Awkward silence ensued among all of us, each of us not knowing how to break this silence, until I couldn't stand it anymore, and decided to break it.

"Someone was going to kick the bucket bruh." I said to Rowan awkwardly while poking Rowan awkwardly, trying to break the awkward silence, and the tense silence continued, the others all holding a bated breath, waiting for the moment that Rowan strikes me down by my behaviour, but Rowan gave a deep throated laugh, sounding like a fish out of water, and I pouted, looking away from Rowan and everyone started laughing, some rolling onto the muddy forest floor as they did so.

"Oh my gods that was so hilarious! Your face!"

"Shut up Rowan you son of a bitch!"

"Oh come on, you should see your face. It was so constipated..."

"Seriously, Rowan. Shut up you fucktard or I'm fucking going to murder you!"

"Fine, fine. You win." Rowan admitted defeat, making everyone laughed at Rowan and my playful banter, the tense atmosphere lifting slightly, and both Rowan and I wheezed in laughter, trying to keep our laughter from emerging but was failing dramatically. After a whole one hour of laughing, everyone sobered up, and I glanced at Rowan, nudging him on his shoulder to catch his attention.

"Where exactly are we going?" Rowan thought for a while at my answer, knowing that I know that place so well, and after a while, he relented, deciding to just get out with it, to tell me the truth.

"Dorwyn." Rowan said that one word, making the others glancing at him in confusion, at first I also glanced at Rowan in confusion, not knowing what he meant, until the pieces finally clicked into place in my mind, and I glanced at Rowan in horror, shaking my head no.

"We are NOT going to that place, Rowan! You know how much I hate that place for causing my trauma in the first place after what happened to me!" I exclaimed in anger and underlying betrayal, feeling betrayed that Rowan had chosen to go to Dorwyn among all places, and I saw Rowan sighed, glancing at me sadly.

"I know that I promised you that we might not go there, but that place is our only chance at finding the answers on what killed the victims and my father." Rowan said in a desperate plea, hoping that I will agree, and I sighed, my anger towards Rowan dissipated, and I nodded, letting Rowan know that I agree to that plan, for now.

"You know I am going to kill you for teasing me just now." I saw Rowan smirked at my words.

"I know." I nodded with a stern glare at Rowan, and we all trudged down the forest path, heading towards Dorwyn, the place I never wanted to go to again after returning back here to Serendel.