…

Time passed like a flowing river. The sweat that once swamped Tristan’s back had already dried many times. But he kept panting. The exhaustion was too much.

Tristan thought he was hallucinating. His vision was unsteady. The ringing in his ears kept distracting him.

How long had it been?

Hours? A day? Many days?

He didn’t know. If not for his mental fortitude whetted by the years, he would already despair.

Tristan wasn’t afraid of dying. After all, death had already waved at him. He had no hopes or dreams. It was just he thought he could do more.

Adrian didn’t come back.

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He promised. But where was he?

Tristan believed in someone before. She was his pillar. The one that made him persist. He wouldn’t be standing today if he wasn’t chasing her back.

A smile blossomed on Tristan’s face. His movements seemed sluggish but he still coped with the dangers surrounding him. He clenched his sword and then swing it. His shoulder relaxed but his waist tightened. Once more, he clenched his sword and then swing.

Tristan practiced these movements countless times. He might have bigger, fancier, or more complicated moves, but the most basic was his go-to during crucial times.

He was left alone by his parents. Due to his nature, not many wanted to be with him. He got used to being alone. Although, he wasn’t lonely.

Her back – he could always visualize it. It made his heart warm. He didn’t feel the loneliness.

She could tear through multiple creatures with ease. He worked hard to do it too.

“Just clench and swing.” She advised him back then. After a long time, he could now do it too.

Pssshk!

Blood and pieces of meat splashed on his armor. Below him was a stream of corpses laying on top of each other!

“Hey, Adrian. I’m still waiting.” He thought before he lost focus once again. The rhythmic grinding of steel to steel, the gush of wind, and flesh being ripped apart continued.

…