Return

The sky was beginning to darken as Ikuro and Sarah stepped out of the village chief’s house, where they had taken shelter after the battle. The evening air felt cold, carrying the scent of ash and wet earth left behind by the devastation at Tem Village.

In front of the house, Garel was already waiting, leaning casually against the side of the wooden cart. His arms were folded across his chest, and his gaze immediately fixed on them the moment they appeared.

"Done?" he asked shortly.

Ikuro nodded. Before he could say anything else, Garel shifted his attention to Sarah, his expression questioning. "And... who’s she?"

Sarah tensed up for a moment, still not used to dealing with strangers. But Ikuro answered calmly, "She’s the sole survivor of this village. I’m taking her with me to Philin City."

Garel let out a long sigh. "Hah... You really have a knack for picking up trouble, huh?" he said, his tone a mix of fatigue and resignation.

Ikuro only gave a small smile before climbing onto the cart. Sarah hesitated for a second, but a slight nod from Ikuro encouraged her to climb up and sit beside him.

Without another word, Garel hopped onto the driver’s seat, grabbed the reins, and with a quick flick, the horses started moving. Slowly, they left behind Tem Village, now reduced to nothing more than ruins and painful memories.

The journey continued in silence. Only the sound of the horses' hooves and the wooden wheels creaking against the stone road accompanied them. Sarah sat quietly, her gaze empty as she stared ahead. Every now and then, her fingers tightened around the sheath of her sword, as if trying to steady her own heart.

"You still haven't explained," Garel finally broke the silence. "What exactly happened to the village?"

Sarah lifted her head, staring at Garel’s back. "Monsters attacked our village..." her voice trembled slightly. "But... as far as I know, this area was supposed to be safe from monster attacks."

Garel was silent for a moment before replying, "Then something’s wrong."

Ikuro kept his eyes on the uneven road ahead. "That’s what I thought too."

Sarah clenched her fists tightly. "I want to find out who did this. I want to make them pay."

Ikuro turned his head slightly toward her. "Revenge won’t bring back what’s lost."

"But at least it gives me a reason to keep going," Sarah shot back firmly.

Garel let out a long sigh. "Then you’d better make sure you survive first, before thinking about revenge."

As night began to fall, they decided to stop by the side of the road to rest. Garel climbed down first to check on the horses, while Ikuro started a small campfire. Sarah sat down against the wheel of the cart, her eyes gazing up at the night sky, now beginning to fill with stars.

"Is Philin City still far?" she asked.

"Yeah, still a ways off... about a day and a half," Ikuro replied.

Sarah nodded slowly. "You live there?"

"Yeah. It's where I settled after... everything ended."

Sarah didn’t push further, as if sensing that some wounds were better left untouched.

Meanwhile, far away from their journey, in a grand room dimly lit by the soft glow of a crystal chandelier, a man draped in black and red robes sat upon a lavish throne. His sharp eyes stared forward, unwavering.

Before him, someone knelt low, their head bowed. "Your Majesty, I bring a report from Tem Village."

The emperor raised an eyebrow slightly. "Speak."

"Sarah Eliam Spheir is still alive. And more than that... someone found her and took her away."

The emperor narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

"A young man... who goes by the name Ikuro."

The room fell into a heavy silence. The emperor leaned back in his throne, processing the information carefully.

"Interesting..." he said in a low voice. "So, Those filthy Spheir bastards still survive, huh?."

A thin smile crossed his lips as he turned his gaze to his subordinate. "Send someone to track them. I want to know where they’re headed... and make sure they don’t get too far."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

The subordinate bowed even deeper before slipping away into the shadows.

The emperor stood up slightly, his eyes drifting toward the window that overlooked the sparkling lights of the city below.

"It seems... the game has only just begun..."