*This story is not a BL and contains many mysterious events. I would say it focuses more on the anime's storytelling style. So if you enjoy the anime, you will probably like this story as well

*The names of all places and the events that occur are fictional creations from my own imagination

The man, his blond hair gleaming in the sun took a seat. He was dressed in the elegant fashions of a bygone era, his attire a quiet relic from the 1910s. The afternoon light as golden as his hair bathed their white palace in a warm, ethereal glow and his gaze settled fondly on his young son. The boy was hunched intently over a flower bed wholly absorbed in his examination of the blossoms.

The father a man of perhaps thirty-one, possessed a singular, remarkable feature a magnificent head of long, blond hair. A gentle breeze whispered through it, lifting the strands like a soft caress

Having finished his close inspection, the son began to meticulously transcribe his observations into a small notebook. Then he turned and approached his father, his face bright with a hopeful smile

"Father" Kiyoshi began his voice brimming with anticipation "today I am twelve years old. Now you must honor your promise"

The Year 1891

The tiny village of Hischeria was bathed in the harsh light of dawn. The melodic calls of birds soared into the sky a stark contrast to the silent, sweat-drenched farmers already toiling in the fields. The relentless sun demanded their labor and their comfort.

"Please Mother... no more!" grumbled the black-haired boy Hyunjin grimacing as his mother firmly pushed a piece of bread into his mouth

"You must eat Hyunjin. You need your strength for the long walk to school" she insisted

The twelve-year-old boy chewed reluctantly, enduring his mother's scolding until a sudden, urgent knock echoed through their small home. His mother hurried to the entrance, where a farmer a friend of her husband delivered the news with a grave face.

"Mrs. Mitsaha !! I'm afraid …. Mr. Holmes has injured his hand"

"Hyunjin! Watch over your little brother! I will be back soon!" Mrs. Mitsaha's voice was laced with fear as she rushed out, the door swinging shut behind her.

A cold dread settled in Hyunjin's stomach. Heart pounding with worry for his father, he went to his five-year-old brother, Kiyoshi.

"Don't be afraid, little brother" Hyunjin whispered softly, stroking the boy's hair offering comfort he himself did not feel

After a tense wait, Hyunjin began mechanically clearing the table and washing the dishes, his mind a whirlwind of anxiety "I will be late to school" he murmured to the empty room

Then the door burst open. Hyunjin froze. The sight of his mother's tear-streaked face and his father's heavily bandaged hand the cloth stained a deep, frightening red all the way to the forearm sent a shock through his system.

"Father... what is this?" Hyunjin stammered, his eyes wide and fixed on the gruesome injury.

"I... I'm fine son. It's just a cut" Mr. Holmes said his voice strained but trying for reassurance.

Mrs. Mitsaha gently guided her husband to a chair and brought him water

"Go to school … my son" Mr. Holmes instructed Hyunjin.

Hyunjin stared in disbelief "But you're hurt! I'm not going"

"You will go, Hyunjin" his father refused, a flash of anger in his tired eyes "You must prove that the descendants of Hischeria are as talented and educated as anyone in Marshallan"

"Father, why?" Hyunjin's voice broke, desperation pouring out "Why must I study just to prove our worth while you work like a slave for the Marshallans? Look at your hand! Do you expect me to believe they didn't do this to you?" Tears streamed down his face "They mock me for studying in their city! They look down on me every single day! Why must we endure this humiliation?"

"So you still do not understand?" Mr. Holmes's voice thundered through the small house, and Hyunjin flinched. his father had never shouted at him like that before.

Mr. Holmes moved closer, his anger melting into profound intensity. He knelt wincing slightly and placed his other hand on Hyunjin's shoulder "That is precisely why you must be strong So you can stand tall against their scorn and prove, once and for all that we are their equals in every way. You will study. You will become a teacher or a powerful doctor—a man of respect in that very city. Then people will point to you and say with pride 'There stands a son of Hischeria.'" A faint weary smile touched his lips "I am sorry I raised my voice"

A new resolve hardened within Hyunjin. He wiped his tears and lifted his head his gaze steady "I will do it Father. I will make everyone proud of us"

He gathered his books and walked to the door. "Goodbye Mom and dad, Goodbye Kiyoshi"

Thus began the pivotal day when the boy named Hyunjin set out for the main road to board the communal wagon to Marshallan, for there was no school in his own village.

Hyunjin sprinted to the usual spot, his heart sinking as he saw the heavily-laden wagon already beginning to pull away, the horse straining at its harness. He gasped for air, his lungs burning

"Damn it... I can't miss it!" He forced his legs to run faster

"If I don't make it today, I'll be left behind!" he cried out desperately, pushing himself until he drew alongside the slow-moving vehicle.

"Hyunjin!" a voice called from the back. It was Ren, another student

"Ren!" Hyunjin shouted back.

Ren leaned out over the wooden sideboard, stretching his arm down. "Give me your hand!"

Hyunjin grabbed it and with a firm pull, Ren hauled him safely aboard the creaking wagon.

"Why are you so late?" Ren asked.

Catching his breath, a triumphant smile spread across Hyunjin's face "I'm never late for anything"

Ren like Hyunjin was a descendant of Hischeria. Together with about twenty other students, they commuted daily to the city of Marshallan carrying the hopes of their village with them

On that day, as Hyunjin departed with the other students, his journey truly began. But it was not merely the path to school; it was the first step into a living hell he never could have foreseen, a future heralded only by the inexplicable chill and feverish heat waging a silent war inside him

The sun bled its final, orange light over Hischeria as the wagon carrying the students from Marshallan creaked into the village. The journey back was always silent, the weight of the day's slights heavy upon them.

"I just don't understand" Ren murmured his voice thick with dejection "Why does Marshallan hold such a deep grudge against us? Why are we always their victims?"

"I don’t know either" Hyunjin replied, his own sorrow laced with a grim determination "But I suppose I'll only truly understand when I'm older" He clenched his fists "We are like slaves to them... but I have to believe that one day, someone from Hischeria will rise up, save us and force the world to see the truth"

"Such grand dreams are not for children to worry about. Don't be a fool" cut in a sharp, dismissive voice. It was Ayumi The girl was a study in silence with short-cropped hair, wide, doll-like brown eyes and a perpetually detached expression. She was the antithesis of the talkative Hyunjin and Ren

Finally, they arrived The students disembarked slowly, but this homecoming was different. An unnatural stillness hung in the air. No farmers called out from the fields, no villagers chatted in the lanes. The silence was deep, profound, and utterly terrifying

A cold knot of dread tightened in Hyunjin's stomach as they all walked warily toward their homes

"Goodbye, Ren" Hyunjin managed, forcing a strained smile before turning to his own door.

He pushed it open, and his heart seized. The interior was chaos furniture overturned, their few belongings scattered across the floor like fallen leaves.

"M-Mother! Father! Kiyo—" His scream was cut short as a crushing blow to the back of his head plunged him into blackness.

That was the moment Hyunjin might have wished he had never been born. The moment he lost everything in a single, brutal instant: hope, family, future …. everything

He awoke to a spinning darkness, his vision blurry As his eyes focused, they widened in pure, unadulterated horror. His mother, father, and little brother Kiyoshi were bound before him, his parents on chairs and Kiyoshi tied to his mother's legs. He tried to lurch forward but rough ropes dug into his own arms, securing him to a chair

"What... what is this?" he stammered his voice weak and thready from the blow "What's happening?"

"My son... are you alright?" his mother sobbed.

"Hyunjin are you hurt?" his father's voice was strained with a terror that Hyunjin had never heard before

Then two tall masked figures emerged from the shadows, their faces completely obscured. One of them raised a large canister and began to douse Hyunjin's family in a pungent, clear liquid. The other stood directly in front of him, a silent menacing statue.

"What are you doing? Stop! STOP!" Hyunjin screamed, his voice cracking with panic.

The man in front of him gripped his chin, forcing his head up "Look child. You must watch. You must see how your family is burned by the Marshallans"

Hyunjin sat frozen, his mind refusing to process the scene. The world seemed to slow down, the edges of his vision darkening, until a sharp click broke the silence. A flame sparked to life

"Noooo! Stop! Don't do this! PLEASE!" Hyunjin shrieked, throwing his body against his restraints

The screams of his family erupted, a sound of pure agony that would be seared into his soul forever. The roar of the fire joined them, and above it all, he could hear Kiyoshi's small, terrified wails. Hyunjin thrashed with every ounce of his strength, the ropes burning his skin.

"Stop! I beg you, I'll do anything you want! ANYTHING!" he screamed, his voice raw

But the screams began to fade, swallowed by the crackling inferno a horrifying sign that life was being extinguished.

"Be strong... my son..." his father's voice emerged, a ragged whisper fighting its way through the flames "Avenge us... Avenge Hischeria..."

They were his last words

The sudden, sharp pain of an injection pierced Hyunjin's neck. The horrific scene swam before his eyes before everything went dark once more

When he awoke again, he was on the floor, his hands free. He pushed himself up, his eyes struggling to adjust in the dim, smoke-haunted light. And when he saw, it was as if the whole world had collapsed into an endless, lightless void.

Where his family had been, there lay only grotesque, charred forms still smoldering like embers in a dying fire. Only fragments of bone remained.

A broken, guttural sound tore from his throat as he crawled forward through the carnage. His trembling hand reached out, his fingers brushing against a blackened piece of bone a charred rib, impossible to identify, that could have belonged to his mother, his father, or his little brother. It was still searingly hot, but he was numb to the pain. He lifted the fragment, and it crumbled to ash in his palm. A final, devastating scream erupted from the very core of his being, a raw, agonized cry that echoed through the empty shell of his home and out into the silent, complicit village

"This is a dream... This can't be real," he whispered, his voice a shredded, broken thing, denying the ashes that stained his hands

Suddenly, Hyunjin's eyes snapped open. The sound of his owner's shouting clawed him back from the depths of sleep.

"Hey, idiot, get to work! How long are you going to laze about?!" the man bellowed.

Seven years had passed since the inferno that consumed Hischeria. Hyunjin was now nineteen. In the immediate, chaotic aftermath of the tragedy, he had been found alone and catatonic. Deemed too young to fend for himself, he was sent to Marshallan, unconscious and unaware.

Over the years, he had heard whispers fragments of conversations between people that suggested a handful of Hischerians had been rescued. But he never knew who were they, or their fates. He didn't know if Ren or his other friends were among them, or where they could be now. He had awoken in this city to the grim reality that his only path to survival was to become a slave to the very people who had destroyed his world. He endured the daily humiliation, swallowing his pride and rage, all for one purpose: to uncover the truth about what happened to Hischeria, a place now forbidden for anyone to enter

Mechanically, he placed bottles of beer on the shelf and began wiping down the sticky tavern tables. The clatter of dishes and the boisterous laughter of patrons were the soundtrack of his servitude.

"Hey, I'll have your best beer" a young man called out.

Without turning or looking, Hyunjin placed a premium bottle and a clean mug on a tray and set it on the table

But then he froze. The person wasn't an old, grizzled regular. He was a young man, likely Hyunjin's own age. It was only his voice unnaturally deep and resonant that had suggested otherwise.

That was my first encounter with Hyunjin. I remember it vividly: the way his dark, hollow eyes widened as they met mine. He wore a faded blue shirt, its fabric stained and worn thin. Long strands of his black hair were hastily tied back from a face that was a mask of detached resignation, as if the very concept of feeling had been scorched out of him

"So you are one of the descendants of Hischeria?" Felix asked

"Yes" Hyunjin replied, his voice short, cold and utterly indifferent

"Are you satisfied with your current situation?" Felix asked, making a subtle gesture to encompass the grimy tavern.

"I suppose my suffering pleases the Marshallans greatly" Hyunjin retorted, a bitter edge sharpening his tone "So I should ask you: are you happy about it?"

"Who said I was one of the Marshallans?" Felix smiled

"Then who are you?" Hyunjin asked, his feigned indifference beginning to crack.

"I am one of the Hischerians" Felix said, lowering his voice.

Hyunjin's eyes widened in disbelief. The vague whispers of other survivors had never felt real until this moment. The idea that one stood before him, not as a broken slave but as a man dressed in expensive clothes and moving with such audacious freedom, was staggering.

"What... are you saying?" Hyunjin breathed, his voice trembling with a mixture of hope and long-suppressed anger "How can a Hischerian walk around here so freely, dressed like that, coming and going as he pleases?"

"If you want the answers," Felix said "come to this address tonight"

He stood up and moved closer. He was much shorter than Hyunjin, a fact that seemed to startle him for a moment. Maintaining his composure, he swiftly slipped a folded piece of paper into Hyunjin's hand.

Hyunjin gritted his teeth, a sudden tightness seizing his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"I want some beer!" another man roared from across the room

Without a word, Hyunjin slipped the paper deep into his pants pocket and moved to serve the customer, the ghost of their conversation haunting his every step

Part 2

The familiar weight of the beer crate was a comfort in Hyunjin's hands, a predictable burden in a world he refused to understand. As always, he carried it down the winding path to the house that belonged to Mr. Yamato. The man was a fixture, a middle-aged man, around 47 years old.

all he knew for certain was that during the great war between Hischeria and Marshallan the one that had raged before he was born, Mr. Yamato had lost two fingers

The scent of blooming jasmine and damp earth filled the expansive garden as Hyunjin approached the marble table "Mr. Yamato" he began, his voice a carefully neutral mask "I don't know why someone as wealthy as you would bother ordering beer from our small, dusty tavern" He set the crate down with a soft thud, the glass bottles clinking a hollow melody

A gentle, weary smile touched the older man's lips "Sit, Hyunjin. Rest those young bones for a moment before you rush back into the world" Mr. Yamato said, his voice a low rumble. He was already pouring two cups of rich, black coffee, the steam curling into the cool afternoon air like a ghost. He placed one before Hyunjin with a quiet reverence that the boy found both irritating and confusing

Hyunjin sank into the offered chair, his movements stiff with a reluctance he didn't bother to hide. The tranquility of the garden, a paradise of manicured greens and vibrant flowers, felt like a taunt. His eyes, hard and unwavering, locked onto Mr. Yamato's.

"Please..." Hyunjin said, the word sharp and strained. He reached for the coffee not out of thirst but to have something to hold onto "Just answer me this one time. Why does a man from Marshallan care so much about a Hischerian? Every time you look at me, I see it in your eyes. This... weight.... Aren't you afraid your own people will see that pity and brand you a traitor?"

A shadow of profound sorrow passed over Mr. Yamato's face so brief Hyunjin almost missed it "Ah, my stubborn boy" he sighed, the sound heavy with decades of unsaid words. He finally settled into the chair opposite, its frame groaning softly beneath him "Your questions are like stones you throw, hoping to break down a wall you do not understand"

"And I will keep throwing them until I get a real answer" Hyunjin shot back, though the heat in his words was banked by a flicker of something else frustration, yes but also a desperate, hidden need to understand the source of this inexplicable bond "I just find it strange! Nothing in this world is given for free. Not kindness, not coffee, and certainly not the attention of a Marshallan to a Hischerian orphan"

"One day...." his voice dropping to a near whisper as he cradled his cup "When the time is right, I will tell you everything"

A bitter, hollow laugh escaped Hyunjin's lips. "Who says you'll live long enough for that 'right time'?" he asked, the cruelty in his words a shield for the sudden, unwelcome pang of fear that notion caused "Look at your age. The past has already taken its pieces from you" He pushed his chair back, the legs scraping harshly against the stone patio "I have to go" The finality in his tone was as cold and impenetrable as ice

Mr. Yamato did not protest. He simply watched, his heart a tight, aching knot in his chest as the boy the living, breathing ghost of his greatest regret walked away. His hand twitched then lifted slightly from the table a helpless, aborted gesture as if he could physically pull Hyunjin back from the distance growing between them. His fingers curled inward, tightening until his knuckles turned white, the old scars on his missing digits stretching pale. He watched until Hyunjin was a silhouette swallowed by the glare of the setting sun, his eyes pools of a deep, bottomless regret that seemed to stain the very air around him.

The world was growing dark, the sunset bleeding into a bruised twilight as Hyunjin after much hesitation, found himself walking towards the address. It was a place on the frayed edges of Marshallan where the city's grip loosened and the wilds began. The house stood isolated, a large, old structure of weathered wood that leaned more towards a neglected cabin than a home.

His hands buried deep in his pockets, Hyunjin approached with a simmering reluctance. Then, his gaze lifted, and he froze. Leaning against the wall of the house, as if he had been waiting for an eternity was the same blond-haired figure.

Felix pushed himself off the wall, uncrossing his arms. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face "Wow" he said, his voice cutting through the quiet evening "You finally came"

"Whatever this is, say it quickly," Hyunjin said immediately, his voice flat, his eyes guarded and cold

"Hmm... don't you want to come inside?" Felix gestured towards the heavy wooden door, his tone infuriatingly casual.

"No" Hyunjin refused without a heartbeat of hesitation.

"Not even... " Felix's smile didn't falterbut his eyes sharpened "if it's about the fate of Hischeria?"

The words landed like a physical blow. Hyunjin let out a tense sigh, the weight of those words forcing his hand. He moved closer to the door, a silent, grim signal for Felix to enter first.

The inside was a stark contrast to the derelict exterior. And it was packed. Hyunjin's breath caught in his throat, his indifferent mask shattering as he scanned the room. There were forty people, maybe more, their faces a mix of determination and anxiety. The air was thick with whispered plans and unspoken fear.

Then a man sitting on a chair near the fireplace turned. His eyes widened, his face paled "Hyunjin?" he breathed, the name a disbelieving whisper. In an instant, he was on his feet, crossing the room in swift strides

Hyunjin could only stare, his mind reeling, unable to process the face before him. "R...Ren?"

Ren didn't answer with words. He grabbed Hyunjin in a fierce, desperate hug, his grip tight as a vice "You're alive" he murmured into Hyunjin's shoulder. Hyunjin stood rigid, his arms hanging limp at his sides too stunned to reciprocate too overwhelmed to push away

"You're here..." Hyunjin finally managed to pull back slightly, his voice a shaky echo "What are you doing? What is this?"

But his questions multiplied tenfold as his gaze swept over the crowd again. His heart hammered against his ribs. There was Ayumi, leaning against a far wall, watching him with an unnerving, cold indifference. And others faces from a life he thought was lost forever, ghosts from his school days, all here, all alive.

"What's happening...?" The words left him in a stunned exhale "Are all of you... alive?"

Ren finally released him, his own eyes glistening. It was Felix who stepped forward, that slight smile still playing on his lipsbut it now held a grim, official air.

"Welcome.... " he announced, spreading his arms wide to encompass the entire room "to the Hischerian resistance"

A cacophony of questions erupted in Hyunjin's mind, drowning out the murmurs of the room. He understood nothing. The foundations of his isolated world had been ripped away in a single moment.

It was at that moment Hyunjin stood at the precipice of a choice he never knew he had to make. Or perhaps the path had already been carved for him long ago, his destiny written in scars he couldn't remember receiving. His cold, lost eyes scanned the room and for a fleeting second, they seemed to lock not on a person but on a point in the void as if looking directly at me, the silent witness. And in that hellish, fractured gaze, I understood nothing except for the inferno raging within him

Hyunjin sank into the wooden chair Felix indicated, the protest of the old wood echoing in the sudden silence that had fallen over the room. Forty pairs of eyes were fixed on him, a mix of hope, suspicion, and shared pain.

"Can someone please explain everything to me?" Hyunjin's voice was low, the confusion warring with a simmering anger he usually kept buried.

Ren stepped forward, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists "As you know, the ruthless Marshallans killed our families just to ensure our descendants wouldn't survive and our name would be erased"

The memories crashed over Hyunjin unbidden: the leering face of a soldier, his parents' final, desperate shouts, the piercing sound of Kiyoshi's crying As the images flashed, a sudden, searing pain lanced through his core, a physical manifestation of the old wound being torn open. A strange, tingling awareness flickered to life within him

"Are you okay?" Ren asked, his anger momentarily replaced by concern as he placed a steadying hand on Hyunjin's shoulder.

Hyunjin flinched slightly but didn't pull away. "It's nothing... I just felt a pain" he managed, brushing it off.

"I felt it too" Ren confessed, his voice dropping "When I first came here and all those memories returned... the same thing happened"

Besides himself, Ren, and Ayumi, he didn't know most of the others except for their names, as he hadn't been very friendly with them. What was strange was that half of them had been students with him 7 years ago, totaling 20 people, but the other 23 people, he didn't recognize at all, and they seemed somewhat older

"Finished with your investigation?" Felix asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone as he rested his chin on his hand.

"Who are the others?" Hyunjin demanded.

"Hischerians like us. Rescued from that day, scattered and hidden until now" Felix explained

A girl with long black hair and sharp, honey-brown eyes named Shizu cut in, her impatience palpable "Now that we're all finally here, we're likely the only ones left. So let's stop wasting time, Speak"

Felix nodded, his expression turning grimly determined "We don't need to relive the past. We all carry that hell inside us. What we need now is to unite, to stand against Marshallan, to take our revenge and erase this injustice—"

Hyunjin cut him off with a hollow, weary laugh. "Ha..." He let out a sigh "Do you honestly believe this number is enough to defeat the entire nation of Marshallan?"

"The pain we carry is fuel enough to fight!" Felix retorted, his voice rising

"Soyour plan is to stand against every single Marshallan?" Hyuniin shot back, his gaze intense "Even the ones who are innocent?"

"Enough!" Ayumi's shout sliced through the tension. She strode forward, grabbing a fistful of Hyunjin's collar and forcing him to meet her fiery gaze "Innocent? Do you care about their innocence? Have you forgotten the sight of our families burning? Their screams as their bodies turned to ash? Huh ?"

"Please, stop this!" Kenji, a tall boy with messy blond hair and calm, ocean-colored eyes, moved to intervene

"I never said we would kill all Marshallans!" Felix's voice boomed, restoring a fragile order. The commotion died down

"Can you speak more clearly?" Ren said

"If all their people knew, do you think they would have let us live all these years in Marshallan? Only some of them knew, who were undoubtedly the soldiers because before I completely lost consciousness, I heard one of them saying 'Go tell all the soldiers, let's leave before they regain consciousness,'" Felix explained

A stunned silence filled the room.

"Then why did they let us live?" Hyunjin pressed, the question that had haunted him for years finally voiced "Out of pity? So we could grow up to serve them?"

"That" Felix said, his eyes glinting with resolve, "is the truth we must uncover."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Ayumi asked "We're just young . How can we stand against trained soldiers?"

"You will have to learn to become more than kids" Felix stated. "You must strive to learn how to fight."

A tall boy with short black hair named Haru spoke up, his voice skeptical "So, you know how to fight?"

A slow, enigmatic smile spread across Felix's face as he shook his head

A vast quantity of food, rich with roasted meats and steaming vegetables, was laid out on the tables. A hushed, almost reverent silence fell over the group. Eyes widened, staring at the feast as if it were a mirage for many, it had been years since they had seen such plenty

"First, eat Regain your strength" Felix instructed, his voice softer than before.

As everyone found their seats, Hyunjin remained detached, his eyes conducting a cold, analytical sweep of the room before settling into a distant stare.

"I never cared much for meat before" Ren admitted, reaching eagerly for a slice "But now... I feel like I could devour it all"

They had only just begun to eat when a firm, authoritative knock echoed through the cabin. Forks froze mid-air. A wave of tension instantly silenced the room. Everyone looked at one another, their faces etched with panic and suspicion.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Hyunjin asked Felix, his voice a low, accusing chill

"No" Felix replied, his own expression tight with worry

Haru moved to the door and opened it cautiously. Hyunjin, Ren, and Ayumi shot to their feet, their faces pale with shock. The others merely watched in confused silence.

"Commander William!" Ren blurted out, his body snapping straight instinctively, his hand pressed over his heart in a formal salute

Felix and the others stared, bewildered "Who are they?" Felix managed

"Greetings" the lead soldier said, a man with a weathered face and the bearing of a leader "I am Commander William. I was formerly of the Hischerian guard but my unit was reassigned to the northern borders years ago on a long-term deployment"

Felix quickly composed himself, stepping forward with a forced warmth "Please come in, You must be tired" He glanced at the other soldiers crowding the doorway "The space is small but please make yourselves as comfortable as you can"

While the others stood in uncertain respect, Hyunjin sank back into his chair with a dismissive slouch, his gaze burning into the commander "Why are you here?" he asked, his tone dripping with contempt.

Ayumi and Ren exchanged horrified glances at his blatant rudeness.

"I learned of the tragedy that befell Hischeria" Commander William explained, his voice heavy "I heard whispers that some of our people had survived. I have been searching for you to see if you were ali—"

"Really?" Hyunjin's laugh was a sharp, bitter sound "And where have you been all these years? Don't feed us lies about a 'mission' Tell us the truth. You went to elevate your status to earn glory in the eyes of our enemies while you left your own people undefended"

"It seems you are... acquainted," Felix interjected with a strained smile "It's the first time I've seen a citizen speak to a commander with such... familiarity"

"If you hadn't abandoned your post, if you had fulfilled the duty you swore to Hischeria none of this might have happened!" Hyunjin's voice rose, trembling with a rage he could no longer contain "You took the strongest soldiers, the most promising young men and you left us as lambs for the slaughter. So I'll ask again, why return now when there is nothing left to save?"

"That deployment was my duty—" William began, a defensive edge entering his voice

But Hyunjin exploded from his chair, slamming his hands down on the table with a force that made the plates rattle "Your duty was to protect the borders of Hischeria!" he roared, his voice cracking with raw pain and fury "Not to serve the enemies who crossed them!"

Without another word, without a glance at the stunned faces around him, Hyunjin turned and stormed out into the night, leaving a thick, uncomfortable silence in his wake.

I didn't know what connection existed between Hyunjin and Commander William but from Hyunjin's behavior, it seemed he held a deep hatred for him. He vanished into the night without a word, leaving his allegiance and his future a troubling question mark. I had mistaken his cold indifference for a lack of feeling, a quiet acceptance of his loss. I was wrong! What I saw in his eyes wasn't an absence of grief but a contained inferno! a hell so vast it threatened to immolate the entire world

The others had settled into their new, clandestine routines but Hyunjin remained adrift, his decision hanging in the balance. He was back at the tavern pouring drinks and wiping counters as if the world hadn't been upended

"So this is where you work" a familiar, unwelcome voice stated. Commander William stood at the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the dim interior.

Commander William was a man of imposing height and a soldier's rigid posture, his presence naturally commanding space. At thirty-eight, his hair was a thick, severe black, cropped short and disciplined, with the first distinguished hints of silver just beginning to thread at his temples. His eyes, a dark and piercing brown held a sharp, analytical intensity that seemed to weigh and assess everything in a single, sweeping glance.

Hyunjin slammed a ceramic mug onto the counter with a crack that made a nearby patron jump "What do you want?"

"Let's talk" William said, his tone even

"Slaves like me don't get breaks for conversation" Hyunjin retorted a bitter sarcastic smile twisting his lips as he turned away

"Sir" William addressed the owner, his voice dropping to a persuasive murmur. He stepped closer and a moment later the distinct clink of heavy coins passed from hand to pocket "I'd like a word with your employee"

"Of course! Take all the time you need!" the owner sputtered, nearly tripping over himself in his eagerness

Hyunjin shot William a look of pure venom but stormed out into the chilly air. They walked in tense silence until they reached a bridge overlooking the river.

William stood to his right side and stared out at the water. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable.

"Have you ever been in love?" William asked, his voice quiet

Hyunjin let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. "Ha... what a meaningless question! I have work to do"

"You hate me I know and I deserve it" William conceded, finally turning to look at the young man's profile "But you don't know the truth, Everything I did ... leaving Hischeria, taking the troops north was to be certain of something"

"Which truth?" Hyunjin snarled, finally turning to face him, his eyes blazing "The only truth I see is a commander who betrayed his homeland!"

William met his gaze, his own expression deadly serious "Do you believe that demons might actually exist?"

Hyunjin stared, his anger momentarily frozen by the sheer absurdity of the question. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief "Are you serious? Are you mocking me or have you finally lost your mind? DEMONS?!"

"Look, you can mock me but—" William's words came out in a rushed, urgent plea.

But he couldn't finish his sentence. Hyunjin's eyes rolled back, his body going limp. William lunged forward, catching him before he could hit the ground

"Hyunjin!" William's voice was sharp with alarm, all pretense of calm gone. He shook him gently "Hyunjin?!"

Sorry for all mistakes hop ya enjoy the part and don't forget to vote 🤍