Chapter 84: Pain

Juno didn't want to say anything at first. Seeing Dante standing with his arm bandaged was something that affected her more than she would like to admit. She wanted to train, she had been longing for it since she arrived. But he, the one who was always willing to fight, could no longer do anything. The thought troubled her in a way she couldn't avoid.

She had been with Jix, playing tag, but despite her energy and determination, she hadn't won. The saddest part, however, wasn't losing the game, but the fact that Dante couldn't help her. He had always been fun, with that easy smile that lit up even the darkest moments, and the strange way he dealt with situations that made everything seem lighter. When the iron-man appeared, Dante reacted even faster than she did, and that made her more aware of her own limitations.

Speed and strength — two things Juno didn't have to overcome him. She knew that clearly. Even with her attack in the sky, it hadn't been enough to defeat the iron-man. Dante had to use his ability to the point of hurting himself, and that made her chest tighten with anguish.

She wanted to do more, she wanted to help him somehow, but what could she do?

"Are you ready?" Dante's question pulled her from her thoughts. He approached with his bandaged arm still down, his expression a mix of light concern and ease. "Are you sleeping standing up? What's wrong?"

"Your arm… you can't train. And I…" Juno hesitated, but Dante cut her off before she could finish.

"What? Who said that? You think I'd stay down longer?" He waved his hand as if the thought itself was absurd. "My arm will be fine in a couple of days, but that doesn't mean I can't use something else to teach you. Actually, when you were fighting, I noticed your dodge is much slower than your attack. It's too predictable, Juno. You always know where you're going and what you're going to do. That's why…"

He stretched his arm out to the side, and Marcus appeared, like a shadow, moving without hurry, but with an almost predatory precision. He placed a thin-bladed sword in Dante's hands, which he took with a wide grin, already visibly excited.

"Let's train with weapons." The proposal came out almost like an order, but the fun in his voice couldn't be missed.

Jix, who was watching from afar, already thought it was a bad idea. His closed expression and crossed arms said it all.

"I told you it was advanced, girl. Your dodge in tag is still too low to dodge weapon strikes. But Dante said he'll only use the sword in the sheath, so he won't hurt you too much."

Before Juno could react, Clara appeared, overhearing the conversation. She approached with a concerned expression, her eyes fixed on Dante.

"Not hurt too much?" Her voice carried a dose of exasperation, and she clicked her tongue at Dante with a reproachful gesture. "If this girl comes back all marked up, you three are sleeping in the snow, got it?"

Marcus raised his hands, confused.

"I didn't do anything."

"Yet," Clara pointed at him firmly, her voice harsher. "I know this sword was forged by you. And where are the Jones?"

"They decided to head out," Dante replied casually, as if their absence was just a minor distraction in the middle of the chaos.

But Clara didn't seem convinced. She looked at him, her eyes narrowed, and then threw a glance at Marcus.

"Can you go check on them for me, please?"

The shooter nodded with a sharp movement and walked toward the lower floors, his carbine steady in his hands, his steps echoing until they disappeared into the distance. Clara waited until he was completely gone before turning her attention back to Dante. She pointed at him, her eyes narrow, full of almost maternal focus, but with the weight of a real threat.

"Like I said. If this girl comes back saying she was mistreated, I'm going to deal with you."

Dante responded with a teasing laugh, that kind of laugh that seemed not to take anything seriously. He winked at Clara, provoking her.

"I'd love to see you try."

Clara bit her lower lip, her face slightly flushed, and turned away without answering. She walked off, already drawing the attention of other residents. Clara never stopped. There was always something to be done, someone to help, a problem to solve.

Juno watched the scene in silence, her head tilted as she tried to understand. Clara and Dante got along so well that it was almost obvious what was between them, even though neither of them admitted it. They seemed like a couple. The idea bothered Juno in a strange way, but she couldn't say why.

If two people like each other, shouldn't they be together?

The question settled like a nail in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt. If two people liked each other so much, why didn't they stay together? Why didn't Sindri, Bit Boy, and Gatuna stay? Why didn't they take her with them?

The headache came quickly and cruelly, throbbing at her temples. Juno squeezed her eyes shut, but the discomfort only dissipated when she felt something: Dante's hand, firm and heavy, resting on her head. Even with the bandages, he was absentmindedly stroking her hair while talking to Jix.

Dante was different. He held her hand when needed, looked at her in a way others didn't. He wouldn't leave her. No, he wouldn't go.

"That's it," Dante said, excited, pulling her back to the moment. "Let's train to get all those thoughts out of your head, shall we? I know when someone's spaced out. I used to be like that too."

"You used to?" Juno blinked, surprised. Could a man so strong question himself? Someone like him also got lost? "And what did you do to make them… go away?"

Dante laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. It was dry, filled with something Juno didn't understand.

"Well, I didn't do anything. My dad did. He came with a bamboo stick and hit my leg until I remembered there was no time to question things."

He lowered his eyes for a moment, and his voice, once playful, became as firm as steel.

"There's no trying, Juno. Either you do it, or you don't."

They were harsh words, but not cruel. Dante didn't speak rudely, in fact, he trained aggressively. Captain Seleri was the opposite, Juno remembered. He hit hard, but when he spoke, he poured all his anger on her, simply because she had failed to drive a stake to set up the tent.

Maybe that was her mistake? She failed and they left her?

"Come on, girl," Jix's rough voice cut through the air as he passed by her, his steps firm and rhythmic. "You need to learn a lot more if you want to defeat the people who give you nightmares."

Juno felt her body freeze. The old man's words echoed in her mind like distant thunder, tightening her chest. Her eyes widened, fixed on Jix's hunched back, walking ahead, carefree as always.

"He knows…?" she murmured almost inaudibly, as if admitting it would give form to her fears.

The old man stopped and turned his face just enough for her to see the trace of a mocking smile. Jix's eyes, always small and alert, gleamed under the light of the entire floor.

"Anyone with eyes can see, girl," he answered, his voice carrying a disquieting calm. "You have unfinished business, and they chase you like hungry dogs."

Juno shuddered, her heart racing in her chest. How could he know? She had never spoken to anyone about it. About the shadows that came at night, the faces that appeared when she closed her eyes, the screams she alone heard.

"Let's go," Jix continued, already resuming his path. "We don't have all day."

For a moment, Juno wanted to run. She wanted to return to the safest corner she knew and forget those words. But the world no longer had safe corners, and she knew that better than anyone.

"Yes… sir." Her voice came out low, almost broken, but filled with determination.

She took a step forward, then another, following the old man who seemed to see everything she hid. Her fears, her weaknesses, her debts.

Jix didn't even need to look back to know she was following him.

"Good girl," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

The wind blew, cold and cutting, carrying away the unspoken words between them.