The fire has ended; the bodies of all villagers have turned into ashes, which were being collected by Asher as well as others currently present.


    The priest had given his final prayers and left early, telling him he still had some work to do in other places.


    Asher did not ask for a name, thinking of this as trivial now. But still gave his regards and showed his gratitude to him.


    "Here, take it." Liber gave the orb-shaped container now containing the ashes of all the deceased resting in it.


    "Thank you once again for your help." Asher gave a small bow to the Libers team. Their help was much needed. If someone was not here with him, Asher didn''t know what kind of step he would have taken in his desperation.


    "Don''t worry, kid; it was our work we got paid for." Gian said in his heavy voice.


    This was true; they didn''t come here because they wanted to, because of the fire Asher caused huge smoke to emerge naturally, gaining the attention of surrounding places.


    "We hope you can come with us to Sefron City." Anny asked with hopeful eyes.


    Asher had no reason to decline; he could not live in this burned-out place anymore.


    Sefron City was the closest city from here, not more than a day away for mundane humans, and for an awakener, it was not more than half a day since their endurance and stamina were naturally above others.


    ...


    The travel was done on foot at a good pace, not too fast nor slow.


    Asher, who had a bag on his bag containing money, and his clothes were still gloomy. Anny and the others did not say anything, letting him be as he was.


    The forest road was indeed quiet and empty; the warm light of dawn was peeking through the dense canopy of trees, casting a serene glow that painted the world in hues of gold and amber. The light danced upon the leaves, creating intricate patterns of shadow and light on the ground beneath their feet. The air was cool, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and the faint hint of ashes in the distance. The silence was so profound that even the sound of their footsteps seemed to echo through the trees, a stark contrast to the chaos and horror they had left behind.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The journey had been a solemn one, the weight of their task pressing heavily upon them. Asher walked alongside Anny and the others from the Liber''s team, his eyes rarely straying from the path ahead. The ash container in his hand felt heavier with each step, a grim reminder of the lives lost in the fire. The others talked quietly among themselves, sharing stories of their past exploits and adventures, trying to ease the tension. But Asher remained silent, lost in his thoughts, the images of the charred remains of his village burned into his memory.


    As the sun climbed higher into the sky, the forest began to thin out, and soon, the city walls of Sefron could be seen in the distance. They had covered half the distance, and the sight of civilization brought a mix of relief to the group. The city loomed large, its ivory towers gleaming in the early morning light, a stark contrast to the destruction they had left behind. The walls stood tall and proud, a bastion of safety in an otherwise perilous world. As they grew closer, the sounds of life within the city grew clearer.


    "Finally, I can be out of this awkward silence." Gian murmured as he was happy to be finally out of this gloom.


    Seeing it, Liber''s eyes twitched. Same with Anny, Liber poked his hand to Gian''s back.


    "Have some decency, man." Liber murmured.


    Anny gave a look to Asher, who was following behind quietly through the whole journey.


    "It''s alright; I can understand it must be nerve-racking to always be careful with words. Please don''t mind me.


    Ash gave them a reassuring smile that he didn''t mind it one bit.


    Anny nodded and looked ahead. He also looked toward the city that was shining brightly under the brilliance of light.


    "So warm." Ash muttered to himself.


    .....


    As all of them entered the city, Ash looked around, seeing people walking down the stone streets, tall houses everywhere. Carriages going here and there in a rush.


    in the corner of his view a child could be seen, running away from a grown man who had something like a stick in his hand.


    In a child''s hand, a piece of bread and fruits could be seen, his clothes torn here and there.


    As the child passed Asher, he did not stop it. But as the grown man tried to pass him, Ash focused his attention on the man''s shoes.


    ''Static''


    "Ugh?"


    The man fell flat on his face to the ground with a grunt. Looking confused about how he fell suddenly to the ground, seeing this, Liber and others turned around to see him also looking confused but soon lost interest.


    "Hehe." A small chuckle escaped from Asher seeing this; it was a small prank he had played to help the kid.


    It was also his first time using ''static'' on an object; in this case, the man''s''s shoeweree the target to make him lose balance.


    The cost was also less compared to before as well. What he did was simple: he targeted the shoe that was in motion, used his ability to stop it, but since only the shoe was stopped, not the body, it made the body lose balance, while as the body moved, Asher stopped the effect of static simultaneously.


    These series of actions had led to his desired result in the fall of a grown man.


    Feeling a bit refreshed by this, Asher gave a glance to the kid who had safely run away before helping the man to stand.


    "Are you alright?" Ash asked with a small smile.


    "Ugh, how did I fall? Did that rascal run away? He stole food from my shop."


    "Sadly, yes. Watch your steps, alright."


    Leaving the man behind, Ash soon followed Libers team steps, walking behind them, this time with a small smile.