Chapter 13
Outside, the bright sun mocked his dark mood. Tyler headed straight for the old stone bridge that crossed the river at the edge of town. There, a skinny boy who was also looking homeless sat fishing with a crooked pole.
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“Hey,” Tyler called.
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“Have you seen an older woman pass by? or around here, Gray–streaked hair, she must be wearing a simple blue necklace also?”
Then the boy looked up, squinting against the sun.
“You mean the crying lady? She went that way.”
He pointed toward the kings palace road.
“Said she was going to the king’s palace to beg for money.” Then he scratched his head.
“Lots of rich folks would be there today.”
The sharp words of the homeless man under the bridge pierced Tyler like a knife.
He froze, his fists clenched by his sides, trembling with rage.
He couldn’t believe his mother was going around begging for money now.
It was them, his ex–wife’s family.
It was their doing–the humiliation, the cruelty. If they hadn’t kicked his mother out, like she was worthless, hurled her into the streets like trash, none of this would have ever happened.
At that moment a knot of regret twisted painfully in Tyler’s chest.
If he had known… if he had even suspected that they had gone that far, he would have torn the whole city apart to find her. He would have sent his men. He would have made sure she was
safe.
But he didn’t, he thought she was fine. That she was living quietly, peacefully. He had believed them, trusted they would take her of his mother. And because of that… because of his blindness… he had failed her completely.
Tyler’s stomach churned–not just from hunger, but from a deep, searing anger that burned in his veins.
Five years, five years she must have suffered alone.
He couldn’t forgive himself, if anything happens to his mother.
He wouldn’t forgive them.
Without a second thought, Tyler turned on his heel, his body moving before his mind even caught up. His steps were firm, heavy, every movement fueled by a rage that demanded action.
He was heading straight for the King’s Palace.
Not long after he arrived, the gates loomed tall and menacing before him. Crowds had already gathered, nobles and commoners alike, buzzing with excitement and curiosity.
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But Tyler didn’t care about any of them, not anymore.
The palace courtyard was a sea of dazzling lights and powerful figures, top nobles, wealthy merchants, and mighty warriors were all gathered, dressed in their finest clothes, many looking so sad.
But Tyler had no time for any of them.
His eyes were cold and sharp as he moved quickly through the crowd, ignoring the curious stares. He wasn’t here for any of the promise.
He was here for his mother.
Without wasting a second, Tyler took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and pressed two fingers lightly over his heart.
In that moment, he activated one of the secret skills he had awakened during those years of survival–the ability to sense life energy.
A power passed down through his blood.
His mother’s energy was part of him. Mixed with the hidden strength he unlocked from his father’s side, it gave him the ability to find her when she’s around him—no matter what barriers had been placed around her.
Even though strange forces in this palace were blocking normal energy sensing, Tyler wasn’t ordinary.
With a silent whisper, his senses expanded across the crowd like an invisible wave.
And then he felt it, it was Faint, fragile… but there.
The tiny thread of warmth that belonged to his mother.
At that moment Tyler’s eyes snapped open, burning with emotion.
He had found her, without waiting, without hesitating, he pushed forward, weaving through the crowd like a shadow, his steps firm and unstoppable.
Every heartbeat brought him closer, and every step fueled the silent storm rising inside him.
He wasn’t going to let her suffer alone anymore.
At that moment, Tyler’s steps faltered.
His eyes locked onto a fragile figure crouched by the palace walls–a woman so thin and frail, it almost broke him just to look.
At that moment his breath caught in his throat.
It was her, his mother, she was sitting on the cold, dirty ground, a torn piece of cloth wrapped around her shoulders, trembling under the stares of the passing nobles. In front of her, a
Chapter 13
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small, broken bowl rested on the ground, filled with only a few scattered coins and 1 note of
cent.
She was begging, Begging for money.
Tyler’s entire body stiffened. For a moment, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. It felt like the world had collapsed around him.
His mother–his proud, beautiful mother–was begging.
The rage that exploded inside him was like a roaring inferno. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, then his heart pounded furiously against his ribs, demanding he lash out at everyone, at everything Particularly his ex wife family.
But he forced himself to breathe.
He forced himself to swallow the rage, this wasn’t the time to explode.
He had to stay calm–for her, his jaw tightened painfully as he stared at her. Every part of her screamed of suffering. Her clothes were ragged and stained. Her hair, once full and soft, now hung limp and dirty over her shoulders. Her face, once so warm and lively, was now pale, hollow, and tired.
And yet, even in her brokenness, Tyler could still see the strength that refused to die.
She was surviving, barely. But she was surviving.
Again Tyler’s chest ached deeply. They looked almost identical now–two broken souls abandoned by the world. He had lived through hell in the forest, and looking at her, he could see she had survived a different kind of hell.
No son should ever see his mother like this.
Without wasting another second, Tyler moved.
He walked forward, each step heavy with emotion but steady. His heart burned, but his face remained calm, masking the storm raging within him.
As he approached, the woman lifted her head slowly, probably thinking it was another stranger passing by.
But the moment her weary eyes landed on Tyler, her entire body froze.
Immediately Recognition flared in her gaze, at that moment her lips trembled.
And then, without a single word, she broke down completely.
Tears poured from her eyes as she reached out her trembling hands, her voice lost to sobs.
She cried–cried like all the pain she had held in for years was finally crashing down at once.
She cried because her son was alive.
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And Tyler… he just stood there, his heart shattering, watching the strongest woman he knew
weep.
Chapter 14
