upstream or downstream?

Cyrus let the words escape his lips.

"Kagerō Giri."

In an instant, his wooden sword transformed into a deadly mirage, moving with subsonic speed in a consecutive motion. The falling leaves were sliced apart left and right, yet Viora—and perhaps even Gwishin herself—couldn't discern where the actual blade was within the shifting illusion.

His sword moved so fast that the sheer force of its motion sent gusts of wind rippling through the air. Viora stumbled back for a moment, her eyes wide in awe as a single thought crossed her mind.

So cool…

Then, with an untraceable burst of speed, Cyrus let out a roar. Spinning in a tight circle, his blade slashed through the air in a sweeping motion, generating a violent windstorm—like a miniature hurricane. The sudden force sent Viora tumbling to the ground, sweat beading on her face.

Beside her, Gwishin quickly moved to help her up.

Cyrus, realizing what had happened, came to an abrupt halt. As his sword stilled, the raging winds settled into a soft, gentle breeze, rustling through the garden like the whisper of autumn itself.

Gwishin placed a hand on Viora's shoulder, her voice filled with concern.

"Are you okay, Viora?"

Just as Viora was about to respond, Cyrus hurried to her side, breathing heavily. His voice carried a hint of guilt as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Viora. I put too much strength into it… Are you okay?"

For a moment, Viora remained silent, making both Gwishin and Cyrus even more worried. Then, all at once, she burst out in excitement, her face glowing with admiration.

"That was so cool! I didn't know you could do something this awesome with a wooden sword!"

Gwishin let out a relieved sigh before turning to Cyrus.

"She's right… Your swordsmanship was flawless. As expected from the future head of the Miravine family."

Cyrus's eyes widened slightly at the remark. Running a hand through his brown hair, he let out a small, gentle smile.

"Thanks, you two…"

Viora suddenly leaned in close to Cyrus's face, making him a little uncomfortable. With the same excitement in her voice, she asked:

"Say, say… Partner, can you teach me that sword style?"

Cyrus let out a sigh, resting his wooden sword on his shoulder.

"It took me four years of training with the sword. Before that, I spent my entire childhood learning Itto-ryū and Yagyū Shinkage-ryū before I could even attempt this style. So unless you're willing to put in that much effort, you won't be as good as me."

Then, with a teasing smirk, he added:

"Shorty."

Viora exploded in immature anger, stomping her foot as she spat at Cyrus:

"Why did you call me shorty?! How many times must I tell you that my height is perfectly fine for a woman my age, you dummy!"

Gwishin watched the entire exchange, struggling to hold back her laughter—something quite unusual for her.

Viora, still fuming, continued with the same fiery tone:

"If I really wanted to, I could learn that sword style of yours in just one week!"

Cyrus glanced at her with an indifferent expression before calmly responding:

"Is that so? And how exactly are you going to do that when lessons in Yagyū Itto-ryū aren't even available to the public? Only the main branch and the two minor branches of the Miravine family have access to them."

Viora opened her mouth to retort, but then her face gradually turned pink—brighter and brighter—until suddenly, a loud grumble came from her stomach.

Her entire face flushed red as she desperately tried to hide it.

Gwishin sighed before stepping forward and placing a hand on Viora's shoulder.

"Looks like it's time to eat…"

Cyrus nodded, turning to face his two friends.

"Well, what do you two want to eat?"

Viora eagerly raised her hand, swinging it left and right in excitement.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! How about we eat cake? I know a really good bakery just a few minutes from here!"

Gwishin gave Viora a curious look.

"You want to eat cake for dinner… Viora?"

Viora eagerly nodded, her excitement unwavering.

Cyrus let out a tired sigh, looking at her with weary eyes.

"What kind of person eats cake for dinner...? You really like doing everything wrong, don't you?"

Gwishin looked at Cyrus and spoke in a formal tone.

"Well, if it's a bakery, I believe we could go there to buy some bread along the way, Cyrus."

Cyrus lingered for a moment, then let out a sigh before smiling gently.

"...I suppose we could take advantage of that and get some bread… actual good bread."

Viora pulled her hoodie over her head and ran inside the house, leaving the backyard while shouting excitedly:

"I'll lead the way! Follow me!"

Gwishin sighed before turning to Cyrus with a smile.

"Well, shall we get going?"

Cyrus looked at her with somber eyes and nodded.

"Yeah…"

***

Five minutes had passed since they started walking. Viora was roller-skating along the sidewalk, whistling as she led the way to the bakery.

Cyrus wore a black hoodie with a weed plant design in the center of his chest. Across it, in graffiti-style lettering reminiscent of street art in New York, were the words:

"Everything will work out."

He paired it with simple black pants that matched the rest of his outfit.

Walking beside him, Gwishin wore an elegant beige trench coat, complemented by a red scarf wrapped twice around her neck.

Atop her head sat a bright red fur beanie, making her wolf-cut black hair stand out even more beautifully. She seemed to be in an unusually good mood.

As they walked, Cyrus lifted his head and watched the countless trees shedding their leaves. A mix of red and yellow drifted down, covering the streets and sidewalks below.

Turning to Gwishin, he called her name in an apologetic tone.

"Gwishin… I'm sorry."

She turned to face him, her expression pure confusion.

"Sorry for what?"

Cyrus lowered his gaze to his feet, his eyes somber.

"For how I treated you back then… for calling you back after four years… and more importantly, for not seeing you as a friend back then. I'm sorry for all of that."

Gwishing sighed softly, gripping her scarf lightly.

"So it was about that…" She shook her head. "Honestly, Cyrus… it's understandable that you didn't want to open up to me, especially considering everything you were going through at the time."

She paused for a moment, then looked at him—her black eyes gentle, yet tinged with sadness.

"I was, and still am, a maiden in training serving the Miravine family… I'm lucky that I even became friends with you."

They walked in silence for several minutes, neither speaking. The only sounds were the rustling leaves and the occasional hum of passing cars.

Finally, Cyrus decided to break the silence.

"A couple of days ago, you asked me why I brought you back after all this time… but I have a similar question."

His voice was quieter now, almost hesitant.

"Why did you decide to come here? To meet me… even after knowing everything I've done—the sins I committed on that fateful day, four years ago?"

Gwishing didn't respond at first, walking silently beneath the falling autumn leaves. She thought to herself somberly,

So he still blames himself for what happened four years ago… but he should know it wasn't his—

She let out a soft sigh before looking at him, her expression both sad and gentle.

"You should know by now, Cyrus… to me, you are my hero."

Her words only made his expression darken further, but she continued in the same calm tone.

"I owe you my life. The reason I defended you against all of them four years ago… and the reason I accepted to meet you again after all this time… is because I've devoted my loyalty to you completely."

She took a deep breath, her voice unwavering.

"Because you're the one who freed me from the hell I was living in every day."

He stopped walking the moment those words reached his ears. Gwishin halted as well, her expression filled with sadness as she turned to him.

He was trembling slightly.

"Cyru—"

Before she could fully call his name, he cut her off, his voice unsteady.

"You said my swordsmanship was expected from the future head of the Miravine family… yet, I don't think I'm ready. No, it's not that—I don't think I even have the right to become the head of the family… not after I murdered my own—"

Gwishin suddenly stopped him before he could finish his sentence, placing both of her hands gently on his head. She gazed directly into his eyes, her voice firm yet tender.

"You mustn't, Cyrus. Never try to say those words again… never."

Her grip tightened slightly as she continued, her tone filled with conviction.

"Listen to me carefully. What happened four years ago wasn't your fault, no matter what the other members of your family might say. No one could have predicted or stopped what happened that day."

She took a deep breath, her black eyes unwavering.

"And never doubt yourself again. You are the rightful future head of the Miravine family—the proud lineage of shamans that has endured for centuries."

Cyrus looked straight into her eyes for a moment before lowering his gaze again.

"But… how can I ever be worthy of your expectations? Of everyone else's… even Grandpa's…?"

As she studied his face, a single sorrowful thought crossed her mind.

I see… Seeing me again after all this time has made him relive everything that happened four years ago…

She took a long breath before answering,

"If you seek to change, let the river carry you—

drift with the current, and the world will reshape within your soul.

But if you wish to stand unshaken, wade against the tide—

for only by defying the flow can your beliefs become unbreakable."

She paused, then her face softened into a gentle smile.

"You know what that quote means, don't you, Cyrus?

He responded in a low, shaky voice.

"I do know… that quote was spoken by my ancestor, Kōun Kenja. I heard that phrase a lot from Grandma. There are multiple variations of it. One of them goes, 'If you want to change yourself, look inward to gain a new perspective on yourself and the world around you—go downstream. But if you want to strengthen your ideals and beliefs to a whole new fondation—go upstream.' But why did you bring that up?"

She smiled gently, lowering her hands and holding them together.

"You've decided to live a happy life, no matter what, haven't you? Yes, becoming the head of the clan will be hard—especially after what happened four years ago and how unjustly everyone views you. But if you don't like the current version of yourself… if you think you're not up to the task, then all you have to do is go downstream. You'll find that the answer was within you all along. And you're not alone, Cyrus. Viora and I will be here by your side, no matter what."

She gripped her scarf tightly, her face slightly blushing as she added,

"Because… we are your friends…"

Cyrus's eyes widened as he gently placed his hands over hers, causing her face to light up as well. He lifted his head, and his smile was gentle and genuine, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Thank you… thank you, Gwishin… for believing in me when no one else— not even I—did. I'm glad I have you as a friend."

Gwishin looked into his brown eyes, remembering how he used to be. She always knew him as a cold individual who only broke his facade of indifference around his grandparents and mother, showing no warmth to anyone else. The Cyrus she last saw four years ago couldn't smile at strangers; he couldn't open his heart to others because he thought no one outside his family could understand him.

She had thought she couldn't help him with his burden, yet her words had caused him to smile. For her, that smile was the most beautiful thing in the world. She let out a gentle smile of gratitude in return, simply nodding her head.

Cyrus sighed, glancing at her. "Well, shall we get going? Viora will wonder why we're taking so long…"

She nodded again, this time walking behind him, her gaze fixed on the ground. Yet, no matter how many times she tried, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. One thought kept echoing in her mind like a sweet melody:

I made him smile… I made him smile. I am so glad.

As they walked together through the autumn leaves, the warmth of their friendship wrapped around them like a comforting blanket. Gwishin felt a sense of joy she hadn't experienced in a long time, knowing that she had brought a glimmer of light to Cyrus's world.

chapter eighty-three end...