Newton returned to his chamber without speaking to anyone.
The corridor outside had grown quiet again. Most of the castle had already heard the verdict, and servants now moved carefully through the halls, avoiding unnecessary noise.
The door closed behind him with a dull click. For a moment he stood there, staring at the room.
Nothing had changed. The same bed. The same wooden chest beside the wall. The same narrow window where winter light slipped through the frost. Yet the room suddenly felt different.
Temporary.
Newton exhaled slowly and walked toward the chest. He opened it and began packing.
Robes first.
He folded them roughly and placed them inside the box. The dark cloth piled up quickly.
The monastery did not allow luxury. A few robes would be enough. He reached for another garment when the door behind him clicked open.
Newton turned sharply. Sonia rolled into the room. She had not knocked. Her wheelchair moved slowly across the stone floor. Her hands rested weakly on the wheels.
Her face looked pale. Tears already filled her eyes. "You are truly going to the monastery?" Her voice trembled.
Newton nodded quietly. "You heard the verdict of the Warden." The words sounded formal coming from him.
Sonia's tears began falling.
Newton sighed softly. He dropped the clothes into the chest and walked toward her. When he reached the chair, he lowered himself to one knee beside her.
"Hey." His voice softened. "Do not cry."
He gently wiped one tear away with his thumb. "I will visit every weekend."
Sonia shook her head slowly. "You do not understand." Her fingers tightened around the armrest of the chair. "Going to the monastery means you will become a Divine Knight."
Her voice broke. "You cannot take a wife." Another tear slid down her cheek. "You cannot father any child."
Newton nodded. "I know." He tried to keep his voice calm. "I never wanted to extend my illegitimate bloodline anyway."
The sentence left his mouth quietly. But Sonia's reaction was immediate. She reached forward and grabbed his head with both hands. Her fingers held his face firmly. "That means I lose you."
Her voice cracked. "I had you…" Her eyes searched his' desperately. "And I always dreamed of becoming your wife."
Newton froze for a moment. Then he slowly pulled back. "We are siblings." The words sounded heavier than before. "And you are sworn to Ryli." He swallowed. "And now I will become a sword for the Gods."
Sonia's hands dropped slowly. Her fingers curled into fists on her lap. She stared at him. Studying him.
Then she spoke again. "If we were not siblings…" Her voice lowered. "Would you have fallen for a cripple like me?"
Newton's expression tightened instantly. He reached forward and wiped the tears from her cheeks again. "Stop calling yourself that."
But Sonia did not back down. "Is that not what I am?" Her voice remained steady now.
Newton exhaled slowly. "You remember the story of Ivar the Boneless?"
Sonia blinked.
"Our Norse ancestry?"
She nodded faintly. "He was crippled." Her voice softened slightly as she spoke. "Yet he ruled men with two strong legs."
Her eyes drifted briefly as she remembered the old stories. "He conquered lands filled with Neanderthals. He ruled both Norsemen and Neanderthal."
She looked back at Newton. "And returned to Skull Land to save his nation."
Newton nodded. A small smile touched his lips. "So I suppose cripples are special."
Sonia stared at him.
Then slowly, she smiled. For the first time since entering the room.
But instead of answering him, she leaned forward suddenly..Her hands grabbed his collar. Before Newton could react, her lips pressed against his.
Newton froze.
Completely still.
Newton pulled away from her so suddenly the chair creaked beneath Sonia's weight. His voice came sharp, almost harsher than he intended. "I have told you not to do that again."
The words hung between them. But Sonia did not shrink. She did not lower her eyes. She simply looked at him, breathing slowly, as though she had already accepted the consequences of what she had done.
"I love you." Her voice was quiet, but steady. "Even if the world calls it an abomination, I am no longer afraid to say it."
Newton rose to his feet. He turned away from her immediately and walked back to the chest beside his bed. His hands moved quickly through the robes as though the cloth needed urgent arranging.
"Easy for you to say," he muttered. He folded another robe with more force than necessary.
"You were not born a bastard." Sonia's gaze softened.
She understood the weight of those words. The bitterness behind them..She nodded slowly.."I would have preferred being born a bastard," she said.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the wheels of the chair. "Than being born a cripple."
Newton's hands stopped for a moment..Just a moment. Then he resumed packing. Another robe. Another fold.
Silence settled in the room again.
After a while he spoke, though he still refused to look at her. "Maybe this is best for both of us." He placed the last robe inside the chest and closed the lid halfway.
"I take the green." His voice grew quieter. "I swear celibacy to the First God."
His fingers rested on the lid. "You remain here in Snowland." A faint humorless smile touched his lips. "I suppose the gods are preventing the abomination from happening."
Sonia watched him carefully., Then something changed in her expression. A small smile crept across her face. "Are you admitting you have feelings for me?"
Newton froze.
The question landed exactly where she intended. For a moment he said nothing.
Then he resumed packing as though he had not heard her. "Give it up, Sonia.".His tone hardened. "Fate will not support your incestuous desire."
The word sounded heavy in the air.
Sonia inhaled slowly. Her shoulders rose and fell. "Your mind is made up." Her voice carried no anger now. Only tired acceptance. "You are leaving."
She looked toward the door briefly before turning back to him. "I cannot stop you if that is what you want."
A small pause followed. "Be happy."
Newton finally turned to face her. He nodded once. "You too."
His eyes softened slightly. "Do not marry Ryli if you do not want to." He stepped closer to her. "Fight for your freedom."
Sonia held his gaze. Then she forced a faint smile. "Says the man who could not fight for his own."
The words struck harder than a blade.
Newton's jaw tightened.
But Sonia had already turned her chair. The wheels rolled quietly across the floor as she moved toward the door..She did not look back.
The door opened, then closed. And she was gone.
Newton remained standing in the center of the room. His fists slowly clenched. A part of him knew she was right. He was not going to the monastery because he wanted to. He was going because the Warden had commanded it.
And he did not have the courage to defy his father.
The room felt quieter after that. Too quiet..The afternoon stretched slowly. Newton eventually sat on the edge of his bed.
His packed chest rested beside the wall. He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees. His thoughts wandered. "I am about to swear celibacy to the First God…"
The words slipped out of his mouth softly. "…and I do not even know the true taste of a woman."
He chuckled under his breath. The sound carried little humor. Then another memory surfaced. Sandra's voice.
Soft, and suggestive. "If you ever need a woman to talk to, you can come to Kalkigan."
He rubbed his face slowly. "I will be available for you." Newton stared at the floor. "I could simply go."
The thought lingered. "She desires me.".He leaned back slightly. "And I could finally know what a woman's body feels like before I swear celibacy."
The idea tempted him more than he expected. For a moment he almost stood. Then he stopped himself. He shook his head slowly.
"No."
His voice became firmer. "That kind of union created me in the first place."
His jaw tightened. "I will not father another bastard for the world to mock."
The thought settled heavily inside him. So he remained where he was.
The day passed quietly. Newton did not leave his room. Servants knocked once to bring food, but he barely touched it.
Evening slowly crept into the castle. The door opened again. This time with a knock. John stepped inside. His younger brother hesitated just inside the doorway.
"You are truly leaving."
Newton looked up and nodded. "A Woodland has always manned the Wall." His voice carried quiet pride. "For generations. It would be my honour."
John walked closer. He studied Newton carefully. "Is that what you really want?"
Newton did not answer immediately. He looked toward the window. Snow had begun falling outside.
"The Warden has commanded it." His voice came slowly. "And I must obey."
John stared at him for a moment longer. Then suddenly he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him.
Newton returned the embrace immediately. John's voice came muffled against his shoulder. "I had thought you would be here forever."
He swallowed. "So you could teach me swordsmanship forever."
Newton smiled faintly. He patted his younger brother's back. "You already know the basics." He pulled away slightly. "You will improve." He placed a reassuring hand on John's shoulder.
"And besides…" His smile grew warmer. "I will be home every weekend."
John blinked. "We can always train then.".John nodded. Then they embraced again. For a moment neither of them spoke.
Eventually John stepped back. They exchanged one last look before he left the room.
Night settled over the castle. Newton finally lay down on his bed.
Sleep came slowly. He was not happy. But he had already made his decision.
Complaining would not change it.
Morning arrived quietly. The first rays of sunlight slipped through the narrow window. Newton opened his eyes. He rose from the bed without hesitation.
He bathed. Dressed himself in clean robes. Then he lifted his bag.
The next chapter of his life was waiting.