Chapter 44: Chapter 44: System's Betrayal

Carefully, Elio brought the salamander close to his shirt. This time, the creature didn't resist. With somewhat clumsy but determined movements, it began to crawl under the fabric of the resistant dress.

Elio couldn't help but laugh when he felt the salamander's feet against his skin. "It tickles," he gasped, squirming a bit as the creature settled in.

Lena watched the scene with a mixture of amazement and tenderness. For a moment, the chaos surrounding them seemed to fade away, replaced by this small bubble of normalcy and even joy.

Finally, the salamander found a comfortable spot, creating a strange but not too obvious bulge under Elio's shirt.

"How does it feel?" Lena asked, a smile still dancing on her lips.

Elio shifted a bit, adjusting to the sensation of having a living creature against his skin. "It's... weird," he admitted. "But I think it'll work."

Lena approached, smoothing Elio's shirt to make the bulge less noticeable. Her hands paused over her son's chest, where she could feel his heartbeat and, right next to it, the soft movement of the salamander's breathing.

"Be careful," she whispered, the gravity of the situation returning to her. "Both of you."

Elio nodded, covering his mother's hands with his own. "We'll come back," he promised.

And with that, Elio prepared to depart for the wall, carrying with him not only the weight of his duty but also that of his new companion.

Despite the danger that awaited him, he couldn't help but smile at the occasional movement of the salamander against his skin. Somehow, its presence gave him a strange sense of comfort.

♢♢♢♢

Elio began his painful journey towards the wall. Each step was agony, his body protesting the effort after the brutal battles. The streets near the wall were filled with running soldiers, shouts and confused orders filling the air. Elio moved with the current and wasn't knocked down despite the chaos surrounding him.

Without thinking twice, Elio ran heavily to the Locus's body. His hands closed around the lances, wrenching them from the creature's body.

It was then that disaster struck. A second Locus appeared suddenly behind Elio. Before he could react, a massive claw struck him from behind.

The impact was brutal. Elio felt his vision darkening at the edges. The level 5 armor prevented the blow from being fatal. Still, Elio fell to the ground, stunned and barely conscious.

In his semi-conscious state, Elio barely registered that the blue salamander was emerging from its hiding place, dazed by the impact. The creature staggered, disoriented, in plain sight of everyone.

Varen, who was nearby, witnessed the incident. He approached quickly, more out of curiosity than concern.

It was then that he noticed.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of the blue salamander, immediately understanding what it meant. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place in his mind, painting a picture that filled him with rage.

"So that's what happened," Von Varen murmured, his voice barely audible over the roar of the battle. "Marcus is dead, and you've taken his cores. And Lucien... that traitor has been helping you, his famous warrior, hasn't he?"

Elio tried to speak, to deny the accusations, but his body wouldn't respond. Von Varen leaned over him, his voice falsely concerned. "You're hurt, young Elio. Let me take you to a safe place to recover."

With surprising strength for his size, Von Varen lifted Elio.

As he carried him away from the heat of battle, a sinister smile spread across his face.

Elio, in his semi-conscious state, didn't realize they weren't heading to the infirmary, but to the families complex.

As they moved through the corridors, Varen's grip on Elio tightened. The young man's trial and execution were about to begin, and he wasn't even aware of it.