And the Beaten Learned to Strike Back

I strode through the garden's arched exit, gravel crunching underfoot. Behind me, the waterfall's roar faded into the hum of campus life—chattering students, rustling leaves, the distant clang of training swords.

I hope he understood.

The thought slipped out before I could stop it. Aeron wasn't stupid—just tragically stubborn. But that flicker of warmth in his eyes at the end... Maybe, just maybe—

Ding.

A chime like silver bells echoed in my skull. 

Oh, it's about time, huh.

━━━◇◆◇━━━

[Scenario Completed: "The Hero's Hollow Heart"]

"Guilt is a silent blade, sharpened on the whetstone of good intentions. You found the hands clenched around its hilt - not in malice, but in misguided protection. Where others saw only a warrior's stubborn pride, you recognized the fear of a boy who loved too deeply to risk love again."

▸ Achievements: