The Glitch in the Hero's Path

Chapter 5: The Knight’s Undivided Attention

The taste of the liquid was metallic, like sucking on a penny, but as the world snapped back into focus, the expected darkness didn't come. Instead, the ballroom roared back to life, the music screeching to a halt as Budi stumbled.

He didn't collapse. He lunged forward, the glass shattering against the marble floor.

"Not today, you pompous windbag," Budi gasped, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Duke Ruan’s jaw dropped. "That… that was refined Nightshade. You should be turning to stone."

"Maybe I’m just allergic to bad hospitality," Budi snapped, already spinning toward the nearest exit.

He didn't get five steps before a hand like a vice gripped his shoulder. He spun, ready to throw a punch, but stopped short. Brody—the King’s own guard, the man whose blade had cut down a dozen would-be assassins in a single afternoon—stared down at him. His eyes were hard, unforgiving, and dangerously focused.

"Basra," Brody said, his voice dropping to a gravelly, lethal whisper. "You’re under arrest for high treason against the Crown."

"Treason? That’s a bit of a reach, don't you think? I was just trying to survive a glass of poisoned wine."

"You were seen in the cellar districts. You were seen with the rogue mage, Chairil Koko. And now, you’ve somehow cheated death," Brody countered, his grip tightening. "The King doesn't like mysteries, Budi."

"Neither do I, Brody. Why don't you let me go find a better hobby, like, I don't know, literally anything else?"

"I don't have the luxury of hobbies," Brody growled, pulling Budi toward the shadows of the gardens. "And you don't have the luxury of excuses. Move."

"I have two legs, thanks. You don't need to drag me like a sack of grain."

"If I don't drag you, you’ll vanish into thin air like you did in the pit. I’m not letting you slip away."

They hit the terrace, the cool night air biting at Budi’s overheated skin. The gardens were a labyrinth of manicured hedges and moonlight-drenched statues. Budi yanked his arm, but Brody was a wall of muscle and iron resolve.

"Why are you doing this?" Budi asked, his voice sharpening. "You know Ruan is the one who poisoned me. Why chase the victim instead of the killer?"

"My duty is to the law, not the morality of the culprit."

"That’s a fancy way of saying you’re a lapdog."

Brody stopped dead in the middle of the labyrinthine path. He shoved Budi against a cold, stone fountain. "Careful. I’m holding a sword, and you’re currently the most wanted man in the city."

"Then finish it," Budi challenged, his heart thumping a frantic rhythm against his ribs. "If I’m such a danger, draw the steel. Stop playing bodyguard to a crooked Duke."

"I don't want to kill you," Brody muttered, his gaze flickering—just for a second—to Budi’s throat.

"Is that a fact? Or are you just hoping for a promotion?"

"I’m hoping you’ll stop acting like a suicide-prone lunatic," Brody countered, his face inches from Budi’s.

"I’m not the one holding a blade, Brody. You are. So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to arrest me, or are you going to stop staring at me like I’m a puzzle you can’t solve?"

Brody’s grip on his sword hilt slackened. He leaned in, the moonlight casting sharp, predatory shadows across his chiseled jaw. "You aren't making this easy."

"I was never supposed to be easy."

"You’re a glitch," Brody breathed, his voice dropping. "Every time I look at you, the records don't match the man. The real Budi was a coward. You? You’re a liability."

"A liability that’s still standing. Why haven't you called for the guards yet?"

"Because if I call them, they’ll execute you before you can say a word. And I want to know who you really are."

"I’m just a guy who wants to stay alive, Budi. Is that a crime?"

"In this city? It’s practically an execution warrant."

Budi saw his chance. He shifted, his foot catching the base of the fountain, and he threw his weight against Brody. The guard stumbled, his balance wavering for a fraction of a second. It was all Budi needed. He darted into the narrow gap between two dense hedges, vanishing into the maze.

"Budi, get back here!" Brody roared.

"Come and find me, then!"

Budi didn't run straight. He sprinted, doubled back, and squeezed through a gap he’d marked earlier. The maze was a trap, but it was his kind of trap. He scrambled into a secluded clearing, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

A moment later, Brody burst through the same gap, his sword drawn. He scanned the clearing, his eyes darting to the shadows, until they locked onto Budi, who was standing behind a stone bench.

"End of the line," Brody said, his chest heaving. "There’s no way out of this circle."

"Are you sure about that?" Budi asked, his voice eerily calm. "I think you’re in a circle of your own making, Brody."

Brody advanced, but he didn't swing. He pinned Budi against the stone wall of the maze, the blade pointed toward the ground. The physical contact was jarring—the heat from Brody’s body, the scent of cedar and steel.

"You’re fast," Brody muttered, his eyes dark with something that wasn't just duty. "But you’re cornered."

"And you’re close. Very close."

"Does that scare you?"

"Should it?"

Brody’s hand moved, not to the sword, but to the wall beside Budi’s head. He caged him in, his gaze burning with a fierce, conflicted intensity. "You smell like that wine. Like that cursed, poisonous ritual."

"It’s a signature scent. I’m working on it."

"You’re maddening," Brody growled, his voice dropping to a low, intimate rasp. "The King wants your head. The Duke wants you dead. And I’m standing here, wondering why I haven't turned you over to the guards."

"Maybe you like the chase?"

"Maybe I don't want you to be someone else’s trophy."

Brody shifted, his weight pressing Budi firmly against the stone. The atmosphere in the clearing thickened, the violence of the chase dissolving into a suffocating, electric tension.

"You’re going to get us both killed," Brody whispered, his forehead leaning against Budi’s.

"Then at least we’ll go out on my terms," Budi retorted, his heart hammering against Brody’s chest. "What’s the plan, Brody? The guards will be here soon. They heard you shout."

"They’ll be here in three minutes."

"And you’re going to tell them what?"

Brody sighed, a rough, shaky sound. He leaned in, his lips grazing the shell of Budi’s ear. "I’m going to tell them I lost you. But if you walk away now, they’ll hunt you across the empire."

"So, what’s the alternative?"

"The alternative," Brody whispered, his grip on Budi’s jacket tightening until his knuckles turned white, "is that you stay under my protection. You live, you eat, you hide. But you don't go anywhere without me."

Budi froze. "Under your protection? That sounds like a prison sentence."

"It’s an alliance," Brody corrected, pulling back just enough to look Budi in the eye. "You want to survive? You play the role. You walk the halls as my companion. My secret lover. Nobody touches the King’s Guard’s 'favorite distraction.'"

Budi blinked, his mind reeling. "A secret lover? You’ve got a twisted sense of diplomacy, Brody."

"It’s the only way to keep the Duke’s eyes off you without raising suspicion."

"And if I say no?"

Brody’s eyes flashed with a dangerous, dark amusement. "Then you can try to fight your way out of the maze. There are twenty guards waiting at the exit. Good luck."

Budi looked at Brody—the man who was supposed to be his enemy, now offering him a lifeline woven with chains.

"One condition," Budi said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Name it."

"You stop calling me a liability."

Brody let out a short, sharp laugh that didn't reach his eyes. "We’ll see, Budi. We’ll see."

Footsteps crunched against the gravel of the outer path. Guards were closing in. Brody grabbed Budi’s hand, his fingers interlacing with his, and pulled him deep into the darkest corner of the hedge.

"Don't breathe," Brody commanded.

As the voices of the search party grew louder, Budi felt the sharp, stinging bite of the System’s notification echoing in his mind:

[New Quest: 'The Guard’s Shadow' accepted. Synchronization: 110%. WARNING: High-risk proximity to Brody identified. The 'Sacrifice Protocol' is reacting to the new bond.]

Budi looked up at Brody, who was watching the entrance with a predator’s focus, and realized with a jolt of terror that the game had only just begun.

"They're here," Brody whispered, his hand tightening around Budi's. "Remember: stay close, and keep your mouth shut, unless you want to see exactly how fast I can silence you."