There have been many sweet songs of victory sung since the Break. But for each tale of heroic deeds, there were hundreds of whispers of adventures gone wrong.

It was a hard lesson to learn, but one that every student of the Academy had to experience sooner or later.

The depths of depression that overtook his wife were hard to put into words. It was more than just grief, it was a wave of guilt that weighed her down. Seunghyo watched as Hana sat quietly, without a single word.

"Hana, you have to eat."

There was no response and no hint that one would be forthcoming. But still he waited. Hoping that he would find a way to pierce the veil.

"How long has she been like this?" Youngho asked.

Seunghyo hesitated. Partly out of shame that he had not been able to bring her back, but mostly because he was ashamed for waiting this long to contact Hana's father.

"Ten days. Ever since..." his voice trailed off. "I'm sorry, sir. I should've contacted you sooner."

A support party had been rounding the quest grounds. By some stroke of luck, they had found Hana, still fresh with injuries. It had taken two medics to stabilize her and another three days before she regained consciousness. Seunghyo had been in the field when he received news. By the time he returned, word had spread of the massacre that had occurred. Along with its lone survivor.

Youngho nodded sadly.

"She's been through so much. First her parents, then her brother. Now this."

Seunghyo had almost forgotten about her brother. She rarely spoke of him, almost as if she were afraid to talk about him. He'd been gone for years, but now and then he could see that she still carried within her a spark. The fragile light of hope that she might find him again.

That had been then.

Now, it was hard to see any light in Hana. It was as if she'd hidden herself from the world.

"Sir, I have a favor to ask," Seunghyo's voice cracked. "I... there's been a marker placed on Hana."

The old man's eyebrows raised. "Oh?"

The Society had delivered the message earlier in the week. Several families had lodged complaints along with an official corporate request for investigation. Even in the best of cases, Hana would be charged and jailed until trial and then sentencing.

"A farce if I've ever seen one," her father growled. "Everyone knows happened out on the field."

"That's true," Seunghyo said quietly.

But in the silence that followed, they quietly admitted to themselves that it wouldn't matter. Any investigation with a corporate influence was decided before it began. Justice had nothing to do with it.

"There's something else, sir."

Seunghyo retrieved a letter and handed it to his father-in-law who read it quietly. When he was done, Youngho lifted his eyes and took stock of his son-in-law.

"You're already accepted the offer, haven't you?"

***

"There's no question that it's dangerous, but it's a hidden quest, Hana. You know I need this."

But Jinyoung's words were falling on deaf ears and he knew it. Some part of him knew that the risk was too much and the ask too great, but he wanted this.

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"The Seorak Outbreak showed just what we're capable of and if we just-"

"Jinyoung."

Hana's expression was hard. The voice may be different, but she'd heard this argument before. The reason why a party should push just a little further. Fight just a little harder. The odds may favor their opponent, but there was a way. There had to be.

But Hana knew from personal experience, that strength of will might be enough to break a stalemate, but it wasn't enough to make up for a large difference in power.

"Jinyoung, the last time we faced off against something like this, there were nearly ten of us," Hana said. "That included one Guildmaster and a full-squad of ranged scholars."

"Only because we didn't know what we were up against," he pleaded. "Not to mention, we all made it out of there in the end didn't we-"

"No," Hana interrupted. "We didn't."

The onion knight's eyes narrowed until he realized what she was talking about. He'd spotted everyone including the Guildmaster Muho after the battle, but there was one missing.

"The squire."

Hana nodded. "There are consequences for our actions, oppa."

Willow and Seunghyo stood silently listening to the siblings' conversation from a distance. Seunghyo had only traveled with them for a short distance, but even he could feel the tension between the two. His instincts told him to wait and let Hana handle the situation. In his heart and his head, he knew this to be the right decision. And if circumstances were otherwise, he would listen to either, or both.

"I say we put it to a vote," Seunghyo called out, breaking the icy silence. "There's four of us and we each get one vote. Fair?"

Hana clenched her fists and cursed under her breath while Willow silently walked up beside her.

"All in favor?" the pathfinder asked.

Two hands raised, Seunghyo and Jinyoung. It didn't bear continuing to know where Willow's vote went.

"That's a split vote," Hana said.

Seunghyo sighed. He considered his options, but aside from outright lying, there was nothing more he could do. And the truth felt too bitter to tell her. Not after all this time.

Hana watched her ex-husband closely, looking for any sign of emotion. But he betrayed none and simply nodded in agreement.

Three pairs of feet turned from the gate-lock.

"Jinyoung?"

While Hana had been watching Seunghyo closely, Willow had kept a close eye on him.

Hana scoffed. "The decision's been made, brother."

"I make my own decisions, Hana," Jinyoung spat out. "I need to do this."

Hana felt her throat go tight and voice go cold.

"Jinyoung, fall in."

She watched as her brother turned to her. For a moment, she felt like time had folded and she was back in the underground subway station with Seah, Cyrus and Johann. She held her breath and hoped that logic would win out and Jinyoung would see reason. She hoped.

Her brother closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them, the hard look in his eyes reflected his purpose.

"No."