Stepping into the inn, the first sound to greet him was the heart-wrenching cry of a woman and child. He spared it a glance only to see Miss Lina crouched on the floor, holding her son Ethan tightly. Tears streaked the boy’s face as he sobbed uncontrollably, his voice breaking with each word.

"Why, Dad? Why? Why can’t you come with us?" Ethan’s small fists pounded weakly against his father’s chest as though he could shake the man’s resolve.

Maber, the boy’s father, knelt in front of him, his large hands trembling as they rested on Ethan’s shoulders. His sorrowful gaze met his wife for a brief moment before turning back to his son.

"Ethan," Maber said gently, though his voice wavered. "You’re grown up now. Stop crying. Dad just has to work, okay? I’ll follow behind, soon. I promise."

But Ethan shook his head violently, clinging to his father as if letting go meant losing him forever. "I don’t want to go if you’re not coming! I don’t want to! I can help you with your work, Dad. I’ll be good—I’ll help, so we can stay together!"

Miss Lina stroked her son’s hair, tears glistening in her own eyes despite her attempt to stay strong. “No, dear… It doesn’t work that way. Your father has to stay here, but he wants us to be safe. Please, listen to him, Ethan.”

Kaiser’s heart tightened as he watched the exchange. The raw emotion in the room was suffocating, and he felt like an intruder in their private moment. Turning away, he ascended the staircase, his boots creaking softly on the worn wooden steps.

Its strange... In this kind of situation, his old self—Alone, selfish, unburdened by anything but himself— was exceedingly ideal. That way, he could run away on his own with a high chance of surviving, instead of bearing so much pressure. Yet, for some reason, he couldn't be happier, as if those that rely on him hold no weight.

'... I changed, I'm not that kid anymore.'

When he reached the landing, his eyes immediately found Ariella. She stood serenely by a closed door, her hands clasped behind her. The dim light filtering through a nearby window casts a soft glow around her, highlighting her peaceful expression. She seemed to absorb the sorrowful atmosphere below, her face tranquil yet touched with a quiet sadness. Like a holy maiden listening to a sad melody, her faint smile hovering between happiness and sorrow.

He really can't understand this goddess of his.

When her mesmerizing eyes met his, they lit up with a warmth that made his chest tighten. Her expression softened, a tender mix of gladness and unspoken affection.

Kaiser offered her a small, weary smile. “What’s with that strange look?”

Ariella shook her head gently, her long silver hair swaying slightly, as if to say "nothing". Before her gaze lingered on him again, expectant and full of undescribable emotions, that somehow begged to be embraced.

Kaiser would have loved to, but he swallowed hard, forcing himself to focus. The situation was too dire to let emotions take over.

“Where’s Cia?” he asked, his voice steadier than he felt.

Ariella nodded toward the door beside her.

“Thanks… And Arie,” he added after a moment, “there’s a carriage parked near the blacksmith shop. Take Miss Lina and Ethan with you. I’ll join you after I get Cia.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Ariella hesitated, her brows knitting in concern. She studied her guardian's face with doubt, unsure if he would truly come back. But after a brief pause, she nodded, her obedience tempered by reluctance.

Kaiser turned to the door, the urgency of their dwindling time pressing on him. But when he tried the knob, it didn’t budge. His frown deepened as unease prickled at the back of his mind. Something felt off. Why is it locked?

With a frustrated sigh, he gripped the iron knob tightly, his muscles tensing. Metal groaned under the pressure of his hand until the lock gave way with a sharp crack. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside.

Moonlight filtered through the half-open balcony door, spilling into the dim room. There, huddled against the far wall, was Cia. She sat with her knees pulled tightly to her chest, her pale blond hair glinting softly in the faint light. Her body trembled as quiet sobs escaped her lips.

The sight froze Kaiser in place, for he never thought he would ever see Cia crumble to this point. The blind girl he knew looked so small, so fragile, so weak and sad—like a princess locked in her tower, weeping silently in the dark.

Kaiser didn’t know what to feel, honestly... Perhaps his heart got numb after everything—the crushing revelations, the mounting despair, the cruel truth, the grim outcome of everyone—but given so little time to process. He didn't know what to do, for he's probably as lost as Garba, Chief and Alfred. Why did he even force his mentor to share those truths?

Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile and walked toward her. His voice was gentle but firm. “What’s up? Everything’s okay?"

Cia look didn’t look up. Ignoring him.

Kaiser’s jaw tightened. But he remained patient, he crouched down, lowering himself to her level. “Hey, I don’t know what’s going on, but we have to go. Ariella and the others are—”

“Leave me alone.”

Her fragile voice was muffled, her face burying deeper in her knees.

Kaiser’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I said leave me alone!” she snapped, her sobs intensifying as she hugged herself tighter.

“And why the f*** would I do that?!” he barked, his frustration boiling over. “Stop having stupid ideas, Cia. You’re coming with me!”

Kai felt like snapping, too. He already has so much sh*ts in his mind. Now, the blind girl his trying so hard to help was adding to his troubles.

“No…” Her voice cracked, broken and full of anguish. “Please, Kai. Do me a favor. Just leave me here.”

Kaiser’s fists clenched at his sides. He opened his mouth, wanting to shout, but no words came, it closed and opened yet still, he can't find his words. His throat tightened as he looked at her—so vulnerable, so lost. Finally, letting out a shaky breath, he slumped down beside her, his back pressing hard against the wall more than it should. How nice it would have been to turn back time, and rest peacefully at this time of day instead of dealing with so many problems he doesn't know a single sh*ts how to solve.

If anything, letting emotions drive him would likely just make things worse.

For a long moment, the two sat in silence, the weight of the situation bearing down on both of them.

Eventually, Kaiser spoke, his voice quieter and calmer now. “…Why?”

Cia didn’t answer immediately, her sobs slowing into soft, hiccupping breaths. The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating, until finally, she whispered:

“Because I’m nothing but a burden to all of you…”

“Ah, F*ck you.”

That... That at least made her face up to him.

His blunt remark broke the tension like a sledgehammer.

Her lips are slightly agape.

“What?” she managed in an incredulous voice.

He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, and scoffed nonchalantly. “Oh, please. That’s the most obvious excuse I’ve ever heard. Even a kid could come up with a better reason. If you think I’m going to leave you just because you think you’re as useless as Ariella, then go f*ck yourselves!. Because I won’t. Even if you two turned into a pair of boulders. So, Cia, do better. If you’re trying to get me to do something I don’t like, you’ll have to try a hell of a lot harder than that and note that lies don't work well on me, spout sh*t on me again, like it or not, I'll drag you back with me.”

Actually, he could do that right here and now but decided otherwise. Cia isn't a foolish girl, she must have her reasons. Besides, forcing her to do what he wants is no better than forcing him to leave her.

For a moment, her lips twitched, almost forming a ghost of a smile, but it didn’t last. Her voice came quieter this time, touched with bitter amusement. “You’re… a lot stranger than I thought, Kai. And smarter, too. I don’t really get you…”

She faced down at her knees again, hesitating. Then, as if summoning all her courage, she whispered, “To answer your question... It’s because I… I don’t want to live anymore.”

Kaiser froze. Those words struck his heart like daggers, ripping it, their weight far heavier than anything he had prepared himself for.

However, his response was almost immediate, though it betrayed his earlier declaration. “Okay, that’s it. I’m dragging you back now.”

“I’m not done yet.”

Her quiet interruption made him pause. He studied her face, the tears pooling again in her closed eyes, the way her body trembled with every breath of desperation.

'I really can't understand sh*t'

Kai's mind urged to force her into submission, to end this... But in the end, gritting his teeth, he slumped back, tiredly. His hopeless...

Cia pressed on, her voice barely above a whisper but growing steadier with each word. “You must’ve figured it out by now, Kai. Those who are staying behind are insufficient. They’ll never be enough to save the people fleeing. You know it as well as I do.”

Kaiser flinched, his mask of calm shattering for a moment.

'H-huh?'

Sensing his surprise, Cia continued, her tone sharpening. “I see, I am right. If my speculation is correct… then that means we’re all likely to die."

He looked at her with widening eyes, his mind racing.

“...How did you know that?”