i messed up

Zed and Sir Jaeger rode through the goldenwaves, the rhythmic gallop of their horse blending with the soft patter of rain. The wasteland lay behind them, and ahead, the dense forest loomed, its dark silhouette barely visible through the mist. Despite the cold drizzle, their conversation was warm, filled with rare laughter.

But then—

Fwip!

Through the rain and darkness, an arrow tore through the air, heading straight for Zed's head.

Before he could even register it, Jaeger's hand shot up, catching the arrow inches from Zed's forehead.

Zed blinked. His heart skipped a beat. It took him a moment to even see the arrow, let alone comprehend what had just happened.

"Young Master, we're under attack. Get behind me," Jaeger ordered, his voice sharp as steel.

Zed wasted no time. He slid off the horse, landing on the muddy ground, and Jaeger followed, positioning himself protectively in front of him.

"What the hell was that?" Zed muttered, trying to steady his breathing. "I didn't even sense the arrow coming…"

Jaeger drew his sword, his eyes scanning the shadows. He spread his Rhu outward, searching for their attacker—but found nothing. The forest remained unnervingly still.

Then, the distant sound of hooves echoed through the trees.

A lone figure emerged from the darkness, riding a black horse. His cloak billowed slightly in the wind, his face obscured beneath a hood. A longbow rested in his hands, and a sword hung at his hip.

A chilling voice cut through the rain.

"It's been a long time, old friends… You don't recognize me, do you?"

Jaeger tensed, his grip tightening on his sword. His eyes darkened with recognition.

Zed, still behind him, swallowed hard as a cold shiver ran down his spine.

The lone figure reached up and pulled back his hood, revealing a familiar, weathered face. The scar across his cheek, the sharp glint in his eyes—it was unmistakable.

Zed's breath hitched in mild surprise. He quickly leaned toward Jaeger, whispering without taking his eyes off the man,

"That's the bandit chief who attacked the city last time…"

But when he looked up, he saw something unexpected—Sir Jaeger was frozen, his expression shifting from battle-readiness to pure shock.

"…Roadie?" Jaeger's voice carried disbelief. "You're the bandit chief?"

The man—Roadie—threw his head back and let out a deep, guttural laugh, the sound carrying through the rain like a predator reveling in the hunt.

"Hah! Jaeger, you never change, do you?" His grin widened into something almost feral. "Yes, it's me. i am the bandits chief."

Jaeger's grip on his sword loosened slightly as his brows furrowed. Instead of bracing for an attack, he lowered his guard and took a cautious step forward.

"I don't understand…" His voice was laced with confusion. "Weren't you assigned as the bodyguard for the 2nd Prince? Why would you abandon that post—to become this?"

Zed's mind raced as he pieced the information together.

So they knew each other… They must've met during their knight training in the capital.

Roadie's smirk vanished, replaced with a twisted scowl. His fingers tightened around the grip of his bow.

"Oh, spare me that nonsense." His voice turned bitter, laced with resentment. "You actually think they gave me that post? No, Jaeger… It was charity. A pity prize. Because you refused the position. And when they had no one else left, they threw it at me like a scrap of meat."

Jaeger remained silent, his brows knitted together in confusion. The rain drummed against their armor, but neither man moved. Roadie clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His breathing was heavy, uneven—like a dam on the verge of bursting.

Then, with a sharp breath, he spoke, his voice carrying years of suppressed rage.

"Jaeger… do you have any idea what it feels like to be shown your limits?" His tone wavered between bitterness and mockery. "To fight, train, bleed—only to realize that no matter how hard you try, you'll never be the best?"

His grip tightened around his bow as his lips curled into a sneer.

"Everywhere we went, it was always you in the spotlight. Jaeger this, Jaeger that. 'Oh, Jaeger landed a punch on Lord Martis !' 'Jaeger took down a sea serpent!' It never ended."

He took a step forward, his shadow stretching under the dim glow of the rain-soaked moonlight.

"And me?" He spat the words. "I was just the dog walking beside you, a nobody. A loyal follower who basked in your glory but never had any of his own." His breathing quickened. "I tried, Jaeger. I trained until my body gave out. I pushed myself to the edge. But no matter what, I was always a step behind you. Always in your damn shadow."

His voice cracked, his frustration bleeding through. But then, something changed. A small, twisted smile formed on his lips.

"And then you refused the position of the 2nd Prince's bodyguard." He let out a short, humorless chuckle. "Do you know what I felt in that moment? Relief. Happiness. For the first time, I thought—'Finally, this is my chance.'"

He exhaled sharply. His eyes, dark with emotion, bore into Jaeger's.

"Even though they only gave me the position out of pity—because they had no one else—I took it. I had to. It was my only chance to shine, my one shot at being someone other than 'Jaeger's shadow.'"

Zed, still behind Jaeger, listened intently, watching Roadie unravel years of pent-up emotion.

"But it didn't matter," Roadie muttered, his voice now laced with venom. "That bastard 2nd Prince and Bhishma—they taunted me every day. Every single day. They laughed at me, reminded me that I was nothing compared to you. Jaeger this, Jaeger that." His eyes darkened, burning with resentment. "They never let me forget it. They never let me escape you."

The air between them grew heavier. Jaeger's expression was unreadable, his grip on his sword tightening.

Roadie's voice dropped lower, almost a whisper, but the weight of his words was undeniable.

"I had enough." His gaze was sharp, unrelenting. "So I left."

The rain poured around them, but none of them moved. The only sound was the distant rumble of thunder and the slow, ragged breaths of a man who had spent a lifetime in another's shadow.

Roadie let out a slow, shaky breath. His lips curled into a grin, but there was no joy in it—only madness, only the hollow remnants of a man consumed by his demons. The rain trickled down his face, but it did nothing to wash away the bitterness in his eyes.

"But even after all that…" His voice dropped to a whisper, almost as if he were speaking to himself. "Even after I abandoned everything… even after I razed villages, looted estates, and slaughtered those who stood in my way… I still didn't find peace."

His fingers flexed over the grip of his bow, trembling slightly, but whether it was from rage or something deeper, even he didn't know.

"I thought—maybe—if I destroyed everything in my path, if I ripped apart the world that forced me into your shadow, I'd finally feel free. But no matter how many people I killed, no matter how much blood I spilled…" He gritted his teeth. "I still heard your damn name, Jaeger."

A bitter laugh escaped his lips, sharp and broken.

"And then, after all my searching, I finally came to a conclusion." His gaze locked onto Jaeger, unwavering and full of violent purpose. "If I want to shine, if I want to finally step out of the darkness—"

His body tensed, his grip tightening on his bow.

"—then I have to destroy the source."

Zed felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Roadie tilted his head slightly, a crazed grin splitting his face.

"I have to kill you, Jaeger." His voice was like steel—cold, final, and absolute. "That's why I'm here."

Lightning flashed behind him, illuminating the madness in his eyes. The air was thick with tension, the storm raging above mirroring the storm inside him.

Jaeger didn't move, didn't flinch. He simply watched the man before him, an old friend now lost to his own darkness.

Roadie exhaled, stepping forward, his stance shifting into one of absolute determination.

"So draw your sword, Jaeger." His voice was filled with anticipation, with rage, with something almost euphoric. "Let's end this here and now."

His smile widened, his teeth bared like a beast ready to pounce.

"Let's duel to our graves."