Where are you old man?

Morning came, and life resumed. I trained, Shen helped with chores, and Musashi went hunting. But something gnawed at me-the fear in those bandits' eyes still lingered in my mind.

I decided to ask the old man when he returned. Only… he never did.

Night fell, and still, he was nowhere to be seen.

"I'll go find him," I told Shen. "Stay inside. Don't open the door for anyone."

She clung to my sleeve, hesitant. Though she said nothing, I understood-she didn't want to be left alone. So, I let her come, on one condition: if anything happened, she would run.

We searched for hours but found nothing. Fear settled deep in my gut.

"Maybe he went too far and decided to camp for the night," I said, forcing a smile. "Let's go back. He'll return tomorrow."

She nodded, and we went home.