Chronicle of the Returned King

Doubt

The scorching sun was reaching its peak, but the horse-drawn carriage ride on which Alex and his three friends had not yet arrived at the Nousant Kingdom.

Throughout the trip, Alex could not sleep even though he had tried many times. Every time he was almost asleep, the pebbles in the road that made the carriage sway made him wake again.

"We've traveled from the village to the Nousant Kingdom many times. But it's still tiring." Salieri blurts out amidst the silence.

Alex lowered the cloth that had been covering his face from the sun's reflection. He stares at Salieri with narrowed eyes—indeed, even though he's inside the train, the sun's rays still sting his skin.

"Are you tired?" he asked.

Salieri nods his leaning head. Salieri's face shows both sleepiness and fatigue. Even under his eyes just had formed eye bags.

"I feel more sleepy," Alex said.

Stella watched her two male friends without saying anything else. He placed both hands on his bent knees, hugging himself. But just like Al