A Quiet Morning

Sho exhaled as he lifted Quinn onto his shoulder. The boy was still unconscious, his body limp from the shock of witnessing Escarion's overwhelming power. Sho adjusted his grip and began walking down the dirt path, his boots pressing into the soft earth. The village behind them was silent—no sign of life except the flickering lanterns that swayed in the night breeze.

Escarion walked beside him, his presence casting a heavy shadow over the road. Even in silence, his aura was suffocating.

Sho hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Escarion-sama… why do you make your enemies suffer so much?"

Escarion didn't answer immediately. He tilted his head slightly, his sharp gaze falling on Sho as if weighing whether he deserved an answer. Then, with a voice as cold as steel, he said,

"It's a message."

Sho furrowed his brows. "A message?"

Escarion's lips curled into a faint, almost unreadable smirk. "If they suffer enough, others will learn. If they fear enough, they won't even think about betraying or hurting others. One man's suffering prevents a hundred from making the same mistake."

Sho swallowed hard. He understood the logic, but something about the way Escarion said it—so calmly, so assuredly—sent chills down his spine.

The night stretched on as the three figures disappeared into the darkness, the weight of Escarion's words lingering in the air.

Escarion's face grew dull, his usual arrogance fading into something unreadable. His steps slowed, his gaze locked onto the empty road ahead.

Sho noticed the sudden change and hesitated before asking, "What happened, Escarion-sama?"

Escarion didn't respond. His lips moved slightly as he muttered to himself, "If I had this much power before… she wouldn't be dead now."

Sho's eyes widened. He had never seen Escarion like this before. The usual unshakable force now seemed… burdened. Sho thought about pressing further but decided against it. He simply nodded to himself and stepped away, leaving Escarion alone in his thoughts.

By the time they arrived at the castle, the night had deepened, wrapping everything in silence. Sho was exhausted. Instead of returning to his own room, he collapsed onto a chair in Quinn's room.

Sleep overtook him in seconds—he couldn't fight it any longer.

The morning sun peeked through the windows, casting a warm glow over the castle walls. Sho slowly opened his eyes, feeling the weight of exhaustion still lingering from the previous night. With a deep sigh, he sat up, stretched his arms, and rubbed his face.

Realizing he had fallen asleep in Quinn's room, he quietly stood up and made his way back to his own chamber. He quickly changed into fresh clothes and stepped outside, feeling the crisp morning air as he started toward the grand hall to report to Jun.

His boots echoed softly against the stone floors as he walked through the corridors. But when Sho reached the hall, he immediately noticed something was off—Jun wasn't there.

Frowning, he turned to a nearby soldier and asked, "Where is Jun-sama?"

The soldier straightened and replied, "Jun-sama has gone on a mission. He said it was important, and he will be back tomorrow."

Sho nodded. "I see." Without saying more, he turned away, lost in thought. It wasn't like Jun to leave suddenly without informing him. Whatever the mission was, it had to be serious.

With nothing else to do, Sho decided to head toward the training grounds. As he walked past the courtyard, the sound of clashing wood and heavy breathing reached his ears. He turned his head and saw Daigo, shirt drenched in sweat, swinging his training sword with relentless determination.

Sho approached and smirked. "Hard training, Daigo?"

Daigo paused for a moment, wiping the sweat off his forehead before grinning. "Yeah. I will surpass you one day."

Sho chuckled and crossed his arms. "I'm weak and can't even use my magic. You can easily beat me."

Daigo scoffed. "Same here."

For a brief moment, silence settled between them, only broken by the distant sounds of others training. Sho observed Daigo's stance, his grip on the sword firm, his movements sharp. He was determined—driven by something.

Sho exhaled and looked up at the sky. "You've been pushing yourself harder than usual. What's on your mind?"**

Daigo hesitated before answering, "I need to get stronger. We all do."

Sho nodded. "Yeah… we do."

Even though Sho didn't know what Jun's mission was, one thing was certain—there were difficult times ahead.

And strength would be the only thing that determined who survived.