The Weight of Orders (1)

The third time Lily slipped into the clearing, Sol didn't bother pretending to be surprised. She stood at the edge of the trees, clutching a wilting wildflower in her small hand, her chestnut curls tangled with leaves. Three days. Three visits. Each time, her stubbornness chipped away another sliver of the walls he had built.

"Big Brother Sol!" she called, her voice softer than before, as if sensing the tension thickening the air.

He sheathed his sword but didn't turn.

She scurried forward, holding out the flower—a drooping bluebell. "This is for you! It's like your sword. Shiny... Shiny..."

Sol stared at the offering. The petals were already browning at the edges.

"It's nearly spent."

Lily's smile wavered. She clutched the flower tightly, not expecting such an answer.

"I—I… sworry… Lily didn't think that…"

Tears welled in her wide eyes, her small shoulders trembling as she struggled to hold them back.

Sol sighed—a sound equal parts regret and resignation. He took the flower, ignoring how her grin reignited.

For once, Lily was quiet. She sat with her hands clasped in her lap, watching him move through his kata. The blade gleamed like liquid silver in the dawn light. Every so often, her eyes would widen, or she'd bite her lip to stifle a gasp. He pretended not to notice.

When he finished, she leapt to her feet. "Your sword is so pretty," she breathed, edging closer. "Can I… can I touch it this time? Just the handle! I'll be super careful!"

Sol stared down at her, his expression unreadable. A week ago, he would have snarled at the request. Now, he found himself hesitating. The sword was an extension of his soul—a weapon, not a toy. But Lily's eyes shone with such earnest wonder that he let out a terse sigh.

"The hilt. Only."

Her face lit up. "Really?! Thank you, thank you—"

"Be quiet."

She clamped her mouth shut, trembling with excitement as Sol knelt, holding the blade flat across his palms. Lily reached out, her fingers brushing the worn leather wrapping of the hilt.

"It's warm," she whispered.

Sol said nothing.

Her fingertips traced the guard's intricate carvings—wolves chasing phoenixes, symbols of the Empire. "It's so beautiful! Did you make it?"

"No."

"Then who—"

A scream tore through the forest.

"LILY!"

Sol's head snapped up as a dozen villagers crashed into the clearing. At the front was Lily's mother, her face ashen. Behind her, the village chief gripped a rusted sickle, flanked by men clutching pitchforks and torches.

Time froze.

To the villagers, the scene was clear: the Empire's white-haired butcher crouched like a wolf, his cursed blade inches from a child's throat.

"Step away from her, demon!" the chief barked, voice trembling with false bravado.

Sol rose slowly, sheathing his sword in one fluid motion. Lily whirled, arms spread as if to shield him.

"Wait! He wasn't hurting me! I was just—"

"Lily, come here!" Her mother yanked her back, clutching her so tightly that Lily yelped. The villagers recoiled, forming a half-circle around Sol. Whispers slithered through the crowd like snakes:

"Sword at her neck, I saw it—"

"—always knew he'd turn on us—"

"—just like the Empire, monsters, all of them—"

"—Shhh! Do you have a death wish? Don't talk about the Empire like that—"

An old man stepped forward, leaning on his cane.

In the midst of the clamor, the village chief—a gaunt but dignified man with sorrowful eyes—raised a hand.

"Young man, we are grateful that you saved our village's daughter. Please, come inside and allow us to thank you." He hesitated, his wary gaze flickering over Sol.

Sol didn't react. He simply stared.

"What?!"

"Chief, are you insane? The moment he steps into our village, he'll slit our throats!"

"Yeah, didn't you see? He was about to—"

Lily peeked out from her mother's arms. "Sol wasn't hurting me! I wanted to see his sword. He was just showing me!"

"What do you know, little girl?" a villager snapped.

Lily's mother clamped a hand over her mouth before she could speak further. The child thrashed in her grasp, her small hands and feet kicking wildly, desperate to defend the one person she saw as a friend.

"Silence."

The chief's voice cut through the chaos. The villagers fell quiet, eyes darting between him and Sol.

The chief turned to Sol, his expression heavy with unspoken understanding. He knew who this man was. He had known from the beginning.

"Didn't you receive the order?" Sol asked, his voice calm but unwavering.

The question sent a visible shudder through the chief. Sweat beaded at his temple. His worst fear had come true.

Several elders turned pale. The younger villagers exchanged confused glances.

"Chief, what is he talking about? What order?"

Sol's gaze swept over the crowd, his expression unreadable. Then, with the weight of finality, he spoke:

"I am here by the Emperor's order."

The words dropped like lead.

"The Emperor has decreed that you must leave this land and come to the Empire, where you will be provided with homes, food, and work. You have already received his message. I am here for your answer."

A murmur of disbelief rippled through the villagers.

"What? Leave our village? Chief, what is this bastard talking about?"

"Our ancestors' bones rest beneath this soil—we can't just abandon it!"

The chief's face was pale, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to respond. "We… we have lived here for generations," he stuttered, sorrow thick in his voice. "How can we leave everything we know?"

An elder stepped forward. "Young man, please! We cannot accept your request. Our ancestors built this village—our entire lineage rests here. We cannot abandon our home."

"It's not a request," Sol corrected, his tone cold and emotionless. "It is an order."

"Big Brother…"

Lily's voice wavered. For the first time, she saw a side of Sol that frightened her.

Sol ignored her. His gaze remained fixed on the villagers. Then, with a voice that left no room for debate, he said, "You have three days before the army arrives. I suggest you think carefully about your decision."

Silence hung over the clearing, thick with dread. The villagers exchanged fearful glances. Desperate murmurs turned into frantic whispers.

Lily trembled. "Big Brother, I—I don't like it when you talk like that." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I don't want to leave my home."

For a moment, something flickered in Sol's eyes. But duty was a weight that could not be lifted.

"Three days," he repeated. "That is all you have."

Lily's small hands clenched into fists. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized—he wasn't going to stay.

"Sol, please don't go!"

She tried to run to him, but her mother held her back. "Mama, let go of me!"

The villagers stood frozen as Sol turned, his figure swallowed by the deepening shadows of the forest.

His departure left behind only silence—silence, and the crushing weight of an imperial decree that promised salvation yet demanded sacrifice.

As night fell, the village braced for a future it did not want.