Cassian.

The room was filled with heavy silence, each person lost in thought, theories running wild in their minds. Could it be possible that the captain had a child? And yet, no one had known? It was a ridiculous notion. The boy looked nothing like him.

Still, something about the child unsettled them. Jose, who had been observing him more closely, suddenly voiced his thoughts. "He looks like a noble's child…"

Though he had spoken in a murmur, the small house was so quiet that everyone heard him. A new wave of worry settled over the group.

"It can't be, right?" Hector asked, his usually relaxed expression vanishing, replaced by unease.

"No…" Jeremy responded, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. "Jose might be right. Just look at him—his skin, his clothes… He looks too well-fed, too clean. Nothing like the kids from the villages around here. Most of them barely have enough food to survive."

Dalia, who was holding the boy in her arms, suddenly felt a deep unease. She had been determined to take care of him, but if he truly was from a noble family… Would she be risking her life by getting involved? The last thing she wanted was to get on the wrong side of powerful people. Anxiety crept over her, but before she could say anything, Jose spoke again.

"We have to ask the captain for an explanation. Even if he gets mad, I'm not taking a kid to—"

He stopped mid-sentence. The boy had begun to stir.

Everyone's attention snapped toward the child, their breath catching as he slowly opened his eyes.

The moment his golden eyes met theirs, an immediate sense of discomfort settled over them. It was an odd, almost unnatural feeling, something instinctual telling them that something wasn't right.

The boy's eyes glowed faintly beneath the strands of his long, unkempt hair—like molten gold reflecting the firelight. But it wasn't the color that unsettled them. No, it was something else.

Jose was the first to realize it.

The boy's gaze had moved with unnatural speed, flicking from one person to another as if memorizing each face. And then, his eyes locked onto Jose.

For a brief moment, Jose felt exposed, as if the boy were looking through him rather than at him. And he wasn't the only one. Even those standing behind the child felt as if his eyes were on them.

The suffocating silence was broken by Dalia, who forced a smile and tried to steady her voice.

"What's your name, sweetie?" she asked, her voice softer than she intended.

The boy shifted his gaze to her, tilting his head slightly in curiosity, like a child observing a strange new animal.

"Cassian… My name is Cassian," he responded.

The group was taken aback. No fear. No hesitation. He answered as if he had been expecting the question, as if being surrounded by strangers was nothing unusual.

"Weird name," Hector muttered, then smirked as he turned to Cassian. "Tell me, Cas, do you find that ugly bitch Dalia so beautiful that you can't stop staring at her?" He chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Dalia shot him a deadpan glare, the kind that could kill if looks held power. Before she could retort, Jeremy cut in.

"How old are you, Cassian?" he asked.

The boy turned to him, his voice quieter this time.

"I'm seven."

Jose, still unsettled, pressed forward with the most important question. "Where are your parents?"

A heavy tension filled the room. The others shot Jose a look, as if to silently ask, How can you be so insensitive? But he didn't care. He needed answers.

Cassian's response, however, was not what they expected.

"They're dead…" he said simply. His golden eyes shimmered with unshed tears, yet his expression remained unreadable, disturbingly neutral. "Their bodies were burned… by Uncle Lucas."

The room went still.

Dalia's grip on the child tightened involuntarily. "What do you mean, Uncle Lucas?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you talking about the captain?"

Cassian turned to her again, his golden gaze unwavering.

"Yes," he said, nodding in a small, innocent gesture. "He is my uncle."

Shock rippled through the group.

Impossible.

It didn't make sense. The captain had never mentioned having a nephew. And if this boy was related to him, what was he doing all the way out here, near the border? This land didn't belong to the captain's homeland—it belonged to the kingdom they had been at war with.

Not only that, but this village… it had surrendered to them only six months ago.

Something was wrong.

The boy had to be lying.

Yet, as these thoughts swirled in their minds, something strange happened. A thick fog seemed to settle over their thoughts, clouding their reasoning. The more they tried to deny Cassian's words, the more… logical they seemed.

Yes. Of course, the captain had a nephew. That was the only explanation.

That's why he had seemed so urgent. That's why he had ordered them not to follow him. He had wanted to be alone with his family.

That had to be the reason.

Right?

As soon as the thought solidified in their minds, clarity washed over them, as if they had simply misunderstood all along.

They began to discuss their plans for when they returned home, already accepting Cassian as the captain's nephew. The tension had dissipated. It all made sense now.

Dalia, who still held the boy, felt all her previous hesitation vanish, replaced with a firm sense of purpose. She had to protect him. After all, he was the captain's nephew. Perhaps, if she did a good job, she would even gain the captain's favor.

The group continued talking, their voices casual, the previous tension seemingly forgotten.

Then, suddenly—

The torches in the room flared.

The flames, once yellow and warm, turned an eerie white.

And in an instant—

The world was swallowed by darkness.