The next morning, when West was awakened from his sleep by Gaius, he was already lying alone in his little bed, with no one around him.

Bright sunlight poured through the windows on the wooden floor, creating a slight warmth in the air. The young man sat up slowly with the quilt in his arms, and shook his head blankly, as if he wanted to shake off the tiredness that was still lingering in his head.

"Where's Merlin?"

He took the coat handed by the old doctor. Although he knew that most of the mages had gone to the palace to prepare breakfast for the king at this time, he subconsciously, West still asked.

"Because it's a routine hunt today, I'm going to Arthur's early in the morning."

Glancing at the boy with a bit of complication, remembering the scene he saw when he pushed open the door this morning, Gaius really didn't know how to describe his current mood...... It seemed a bit like the loss of watching his sons suddenly have a little secret - although Merlin had never admitted that he had any special feelings for West, no one had any doubt about it once he had seen the devastation he had returned from Barton Hill at that time.

Even if even the person concerned himself thinks that it is not too strong a sense of guilt.

'Gaius...... If I can't find him, even if I can fulfill Albion's destiny, even if I become the greatest magician, I will never have a good time in this life......

The old doctor still clearly remembered the bitterness in Merlin's tone at that time. He had the impression that the naturally optimistic boy rarely seemed to show that palpable sadness for something, and the few times it was for his fate, his loved ones, or ...... The druid girl who made him fall in love at first sight.

Gaius never felt that he should encourage the two juniors to get along like this, nor did he feel that he could do anything about it—which is why he remained silent to this day. Anyway, with Merlin's acumen, it was only a matter of time before he realized the feelings he had, and at that time, how the mages should deal with themselves, and how they should accept the variable of West within his predetermined fate, was probably not up to their own will.

And he really didn't want either of his two "sons" to be harmed, not in any case.

"Gaius?"

Probably sensing that the old doctor's brain waves suddenly became excited, West's hand in his coat paused, and turned around a little confusedly.

“…… It's nothing. ”

Shaking his head, he secretly laughed at himself for being really old, and he would be upset about this kind of thing that has not yet been brushed up. Gaius stepped forward to help the boy straighten his collar, and then without distraction he pulled him out of the hut, sat down at the wooden table, and pushed a plate of bread with bacon in front of him:

"Well, Merlin left you breakfast...... I'm going on a tour of Downtown today, and I can't stay home with you. If you want to go out for a walk, remember to talk to Mr. Savin next door, and remember not to run too far, and not to go to crowded places......"

"'Don't get into trouble with other people, don't go to the knight's training ground alone, don't go too high by yourself, and be sure to go home before noon.' - You and Merlin have to explain these words at least three times a day, and I have memorized them all. ”

With a wry smile, Gaius made up the next few sentences. West shrugged, picked up the bread on the plate and took a bite, his face becoming more and more helpless:

"I'm not a child anymore, Gaius, you know what to do, you don't have to worry about me all the time."

"I hope so."

Rolling his eyelids, although he felt that it was really unconvincing for this guy to stare at him with those godless eyes, he was also wise not to continue to dwell on this doomed and fruitless issue. Gaius took his treasure medicine box on his shoulder, placed the washed apples within West's reach, and pushed the door open to go about his day's work.

- So, should I be honest with them about my actual age?

Swallowing the last bite of bacon in his mouth, he thought so ramblingly. The boy sat down at the table for a moment, not feeling that he wanted to go out for a walk*, so he shrugged his shoulders in boredom and walked back to his and Merlin's hut.

……

Maybe it's because the mead I drank yesterday is too strong, or maybe it's been too long since I've slept such a nightmare-free nightmare, and my body instinctively doesn't want to wake up from sleepiness. When the boy leaned against the windowsill and listened aimlessly to the bustling noise outside the window, he slowly felt some hazy sleepiness again.

-- That's actually a good thing...... At the very least, it shows that his body is indeed slowly repairing itself.

Jumped lightly from the ledge without making any sound. West fumbled in front of him for a while, and when his fingers touched Merlin's cot outside, he didn't hesitate at all, and poured directly into the warm and fluffy quilt in the sun.

Because at that time, he was deprived of vision by Adelaide who forcibly smashed the mental barrier in the SC-T building, and his mental power was greatly damaged. Until he is fully restored, he will not be able to break through the plane and bring himself back to the timeline he was in - unless he has the help of an external force like Tony's converter when he came. Therefore, in this case, as a good place to cultivate and escape from reality, West is not reluctant to spend some more time here, and think about where he should go in the future.

- His future......

With a long sigh, the young man closed his eyes quietly, and little by little the figures that he wanted to forget and remember all the time began to appear in his mind.

He knew he couldn't hate Charles, no matter what...... Just as no matter how painful the leaves are beaten, they can never refuse the heavy rain that falls from the sky—it is the nourishment on which they live, and when they are deprived, they completely lose the foundation of their life. And it is precisely for this reason that the extraordinary admiration and trust for his adoptive father will be even more intolerable when faced with the mistakes he once made like ordinary people.

…… Yes, wrong.

Long before West's return to New York, he had called the Shapeshifter. As one of the culprits who tricked him into going to London, Raven sighed helplessly for the first time after listening to his almost collapsed questioning. Although the Shapeshifter insisted that Charles himself must tell him the cause and effect of the incident, this did not prevent West from vaguely feeling that both she and Eric actually only believed that it was a mistake made by Charles accidentally, rather than an irreparable betrayal of his adopted son.

So, you have been deceived, right? was deceived by a cunning and vicious person like Yi Laizhe, and lightly handed over his trust, and finally ended up in this uncontrollable situation.

The brow furrowed uneasily, dyed a golden shade under the halo. The sun that was about to enter the middle of summer, with a dazzling and scorching temperature, sprinkled on the boy through the eaves, which should have been warm, but now it only made him feel the coldness in his heart.

Of course, he can forgive, forgive his adoptive father who gave his information to his enemies, forgive Raven and Magneto, who insisted on keeping him in the dark...... Even, forgive all the people who have hurt him, let these wounds grow old with time, until one day they heal without a trace, and never mention it again.

However, after he forgave a qiē, who in this world can forgive the resentment and hatred accumulated in his heart, and forgive the sins he committed with his own hands?

West didn't know.

Maybe he's expecting something, or maybe there's nothing. In this world, time is fleeting, and only those who bear the scars stand still. No matter what the past is, no matter whether he can find his future or not, he still has to live as a silent 'hermit' after all, little by little, the youthfulness and recklessness hidden under his eyebrows and eyes are soaked into a tenderness that can no longer be left in his blood.

'Squeak-'

In the endless silence, the sound of the old wooden door being pushed open was incomparably clear, and a barely light footstep came down the wooden floor, stopping in front of the long cabinet in the corner where the medicines were distributed. With the loss of sight and the other senses becoming more sensitive than ever, West could easily tell that the person who was rummaging through the outhouse living room was not either Merlin or Gaius.

…… This was a bit of a surprise.

Somewhat surprised, he sat up. The boy turned his head to carefully probe the brain wave, and then pointed in mid-air, and the door in front of him was immediately pushed open by the air current, revealing his own body, and staring at the uninvited guest in the outhouse.

"Knight Mordred?"

Slowly descending the narrow staircase, it was like a proud king stepping down his magnificent palace. West "stared" at the young knight who had trespassed, his fingers curled slightly at his side, and nodded politely:

"What are you doing here?"

“…… So you're at home, Serena Williams. ”

Stared at by the young man's hollow gray eyes, although he knew that he couldn't see anything, there was a sense of uneasiness that had been perceived from beginning to end. Mordred hid the vial behind him and took a deep breath, trying to make her tone less heartless: "I'm here for Emory...... There's something wrong with Merlin, but he doesn't seem to be there. ”

"Oh?" Smiled, noncommittal. West turned his face slightly, his voice still calm, "So, do you need me to do something for you?" ”

"No, not necessarily...... I'll leave right away. ”

Shaking his head, he took two steps back a little wolfly. Mordred paused, then pursed his lips one last glance at the young man, who had nothing in particular, then turned around and walked briskly out of Gaius's hut.

――It's really suspicious......

Stand still until the young knight's brain waves disappear as far as he can sense. West was silent for a moment, remembering that Merlin seemed to have always been very jealous and hostile to Mordred, and he also paid a little more attention, and began to activate his abilities, feeling every trace of air in the air.

- Mordred probably thinks he's blind, so he won't find out if he takes anything from here?

With a snap of his fingers, the restless currents in the air calmed down again. The young man slowly walked to the place where the young knight had just stayed, and his fingertips groped for the neatly arranged row of bottles and cans, but at this time there were two more obviously vacant cans, and raised his eyebrows a little playfully.

……

"So, you mean, Mordred sneaked here and took two bottles of wound medicine?"

Swinging his legs casually, Merlin sat down on the table, peeling the apple in his hand into small pieces. Hearing West's words, the mage raised his head thoughtfully, looking at the flat expression of the person beside him, and something seemed to be quickly crossed in his eyes.

"His actions really weren't above board." The knuckles curled slightly, tapping on the table. Feeling Merlin touch his arm, the brown-haired boy naturally opened his mouth and took the apple cube that the mage handed to his mouth: "However, do you have to suspect him because of this?" If it's Xiao Mo, what kind of injury does he need to do this? ”

"Gaius passed by the training ground today."

The implication of this concise statement is that if Mordred really has any problems, he can ask the doctor for advice in advance, rather than taking something from here himself. Merlin snorted softly, turned the apple in his hand in a circle, cut off the other half of the flesh, and continued to stuff it into West's mouth:

"It seems that Mordred is really doing something behind all of us...... I'll leave this matter to me, Williams, and I'll talk to him about it. ”

"Hmm."

Lazily answered. Sensing the mage reach out and rub his hair, he jumped off the table and walked out, West waved at his back, not paying much attention to it, and quickly put his arm back on his pillow and lay on the windowsill to bask in the sun. At that time, none of them thought that this seemingly ordinary conversation would be like a prelude to the unveiling of fate. Everything that followed came here, whether it was the ending of King Arthur's doomed death on the battlefield, or the final parting of ways between him and Merlin in the face of time, they were all fates written in the future, which could not be changed, let alone repeated.

Within a few days, West heard from the mage that the King had captured an Assassin girl and that Mordred was trying to help her escape.

Soon after, after a sensational execution by Camelot, the youngest Knight of the Round Table vanished from the dungeon, and he was never seen again.