Chapter 15: Thanks for everything Adrian

 The carriage stopped slowly in front of a small gray-roofed house at the end of the village's main street. The sky, which until recently had been a clear blue, now seemed veiled by a thin layer of melancholy. The clouds had gathered above the houses like silent spectators of a tragedy about to unfold.

The village chief descended first. His steps, slow and measured, echoed on the cobblestones like funeral drums. Behind him, guards held in their arms the shrouded body of Adrian, motionless, lifeless, yet still charged with dignity.

All around, people watched from afar. No one dared to speak. No one dared to cry. It was a dense silence of disbelief and restrained grief.

In front of the door, the leader stopped. He lifted his hand and knocked, once, twice, three times. The sound, muffled, was lost in the suspended air. Then, after a moment, the door opened with a slight creak.

A child emerged in the doorway, his eyes full of hope.

“Dad, are yo—”

He interrupted. His gaze slid to the body carried by the guards. The smile slowly faded from his lips.

“D-dad...?”

His voice trembled. He took a step forward, then another. His eyes began to glaze with tears.

“D-DADDY?!” he shouted, with a cry so full of despair that it seemed to rip through the silence of the village. “DAD!!!”

From inside, a rapid thud was heard. A woman rushed to the threshold, clutching her lap with trembling hands. “What's going on!” she asked, anxious.

Then she saw him. And it was as if the world shattered into a thousand pieces. She fell to her knees, hands trembling, unable to make a sound. Her gaze was fixed, blank, as Adrian's body was laid dutifully on the wood of the porch.

“Help her!” shouted one of the guards, trying to support her. But the woman shooed away anyone who approached, clutching the desperately sobbing child to her.

The leader lowered his gaze, clenching his fists. "I'm sorry... He lost this battle... But he will not be forgotten. I intend to honor him. We will build a statue, and this village—"

“I DON'T CARE!” cried the woman, raising her tear-streaked face. "I-I told him not to leave... I told him to stay with us!"

The leader lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. “I couldn't defend him...” he whispered. “I'm sorry.”

“Go away... leave us alone.”

A pain-filled silence fell. The chief nodded to the guards and everyone walked away in silence, leaving the family immersed in grief.

A little later, in the central square, the chief turned to the assembled soldiers. His gaze had changed. In his eyes there was no longer the uncertainty of the past, but a new flame. A promise.

“Listen to me!” he said in a firm voice. "Adrian has fallen... But he did not die in vain. His dream, his courage, his dedication will not be forgotten. From today, we will begin the expansion to the east. But we will do so without shedding innocent blood. We will not conquer with violence, but with honor."

The soldiers looked at each other. Some had glazed eyes, others clenched their fists in anger.

"For today... if you wish, you may rest. This pain unites us all. I leave you free to decide."

A young soldier stepped forward, his gaze determined. "No, sir. We will train! For Adrian! We will fight in his name!"

“Yes! For Adrian!” shouted others, one after another, until the cry became a wave of energy that swept through the square.

The masked man smiled, his heart heavy but filled with gratitude. "Thank you guys... Then go. Put into action everything he has taught you. I believe in you."

The soldiers dispersed, moving toward the training area with determined steps. The leader remained still, his gaze turned toward the sky.

The wind blew lightly through the leaves of the trees, like an invisible caress.

“Adrian...” he whispered. "I promise you that I will make this village a real city. A town that will bear your name. Rest in peace, my friend. And thank you... for all that you have left us."

Time seemed to stand still. The village square, usually filled with life and laughter, was now as silent as a temple. In the center, surrounded by white flowers and lit torches, stood a large, finely carved wooden container, only half closed. Inside, Adrian's body rested as if asleep. His belongings, a chipped sword, a locket with a portrait of his family, the old cloak he always wore, had been laid beside him. As if so little was enough to tell his whole life story.

A gentle wind blew through the houses, lifting white petals into the air, like spring snowflakes.

“D... Dad...” The child's voice, broken by a sob, made its way through the crowd. With an uncertain step, he approached the coffin. The little boy was clutching something in his hands-a flat stone with a star drawn on it. His last gift.

“Honey... come here...” his mother murmured, holding him close, her face streaked with tears.

Around them, men and women bowed their heads in a respectful, grief-laden silence. The soldiers were arranged in a circle, their weapons pointed toward the sky, as if to protect for the last time the one who had led them by example.

A little further back, a lone man observed the scene. His face covered by a mask, his black cloak slightly moved by the wind. The avenger.

He stood motionless, as if petrified. But from beneath the mask, two slow tears slid down his cheeks, falling silently into the ground.

"Adrian... protect your family, wherever you are..."

As soon as he spoke those words, as if the sky itself had heard his wish, the clouds began to clear. The sun's rays filtered through them, breaking the grayness with a warm, golden, almost divine light.

And that light ... descended silently right on Adrian's family. It illuminated the child, the mother, and the body of the one who had given his life to protect them. It was like a sign.

The village chief, standing before the coffin, looked up at the sky. Then he stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly at first but soon becoming loud and clear.

“I see that you are listening to me, Adrian.” He paused. Everyone held their breath.

"Let us begin this funeral. For our greatest warrior ... for our comrade, our friend, our brother: Adrian."

Some brought their hands to their chests, others knelt. Each gesture was a farewell.

His wife thus began to speak "Adrian did not live in sadness. He never allowed it. Even though his family was poor, he faced each day with determination and courage. He trained relentlessly, with only one goal in his heart: to protect those he loved."

The words flowed like a sad poem, engraved in the soul of the listener.

"He kept that promise until the end. He gave everything. For us, for his people. He died doing what he most desired: defending. He did not fall as a mere soldier. He died as a hero. And now, even though he left us at a delicate moment, just as the village was beginning to expand, we... will not stop. I swear before all of you!"

He lifted his arm toward the sky, and his voice rose above the silence.

"We will make this village the best in the world! In his name! For my husband Adrian!"

“FOR ADRIAN!” they all replied in chorus, as one soul.

“For our hero!”

The cry spread among the houses, among the trees, in the sky itself. The avenger, hidden in the shadows, did not respond. He did not have the strength. His hand clenched against his chest trembled.

“If only I had not insisted... if only I had not wanted to conquer so quickly...”

The guilt was eating at him. He knew: If he had listened more, if he had been less impulsive, maybe Adrian would still be alive. Maybe... he could have saved him. But now it was too late.

A few steps away from the square, a group of workers continued tirelessly to work. Between hammers and chisels, a statue was taking shape: tall, imposing, carved from white stone. The face was serious, the gaze proud. It represented Adrian as everyone remembered him: a warrior with a pure heart.

That statue was not just a tribute. It was the beginning of something.

The symbol of the village's new name: Adrian Village.

And in that square, as the sun continued to shine on them, someone heard the wind whispering... as if a distant but familiar voice was saying:

"It's okay. I'm home now."