Chapter 10: Oh Brave One

Lukas stared at Yumiko with an emotionless gaze, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "Fate? You chased me down with several men following you and called it fate?" His voice was flat, laced with disbelief, as though he was trying to make sense of something ridiculous.

Yumiko met his gaze, her expression softening, but her voice was steady. "I’ve had dreams," she said quietly. "In all of them, something goes terribly wrong." She sighed, glancing around the bustling street where curious onlookers still pointed and whispered, their excitement lingering from the pair’s earlier confrontation. Turning back to Lukas, her eyes seemed to plead for understanding. "Can we go somewhere more private?"

Lukas opened his mouth, clearly about to protest, but before he could say a word, Yumiko grabbed his arm. "It’ll just be a moment," she insisted, pulling him into a nearby narrow alleyway without waiting for a reply.

"What is it that you want?" Lukas snapped, his patience visibly thinning as she dragged him deeper into the shadows of the alley. His voice carried with frustration.

After finding a suitable spot down the alley, Yumiko released him, taking a small step back. "It’s not what I want—it’s what I need to say," she began, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant. She fidgeted, her fingers playing with the edge of her sleeve. "Those dreams I mentioned earlier… lately, there’s been more. A voice… it’s been guiding me. And it led me to you."

Lukas raised a brow while looking at her with a concerned look, "The guild has doctors for things like this," he said dryly.

"I’m not crazy!" Yumiko snapped, her voice louder than she intended. She quickly lowered it, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "I knew you wouldn’t believe me. I barely believe it myself. But this voice… it told me where to find you. I mean, it literally led me right to you. It told me you needed help. That your roll is huge and that we need to—"

"Let me get this straight," Lukas interrupted, folding his arms across his chest. "A voice in your head has been telling you all about me, and now you think you need to follow me or… save me?"

"Not save you. Not exactly," Yumiko corrected, her voice faltering as she looked up at him. His skepticism was like a wall between them. "It’s bigger than that. It told me to guide you. To aid you."

Lukas’ eyes darkened, his expression hardening. "Really? So this all-knowing voice must know everything about me, right?" His tone was cold, cutting through her explanation. "Tell me, then—what exactly do I need help with? Do you even know who I am?"

Yumiko hesitated, her mind scrambling. "I know you use fire magic… And that your name is Lukas…" she stammered, the only certainty she had, remembering how it was mentioned in the jail. She cursed herself for not asking the voice for more, but everything was so sudden and so cryptic.

"As I thought," Lukas muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "This is a waste of time. Nothing more than a coincidence." He turned, clearly done with the conversation, ready to walk away.

Before he could leave, Yumiko grabbed his arm again, this time with a fierceness in her grip. "I won’t let you walk away from this!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the confined space of the alley. "This is not a coincidence! How do you explain that I found you? How do you explain that on the very day you arrive at the capital with my brother’s sword, we cross paths?"

Lukas stared at her, his disbelief turning into exasperation. "That’s exactly what a coincidence is!" he yelled, yanking his arm free from her grasp. "I don’t care what you think this is—keep me out of it. You’ve got Hiro’s sword back, so stop following me. There’s nothing more that I can do for you or Hiro."

As Lukas began to walk away, Yumiko's voice cut through the air. "I don’t want to be with you either, you know!" she called after him, frustration boiling over as she clenched her fists. "If I had a choice, I’d be looking for Hiro right now, but fate… fate brought me to you!"

Lukas stopped in his tracks but didn’t turn around. His back remained turned, a cold silence hanging between them as her words sank in. Yumiko pressed on, her voice louder now, as if trying to break through an invisible wall. "You think I’d choose this? That I’d want to waste time with you when Hiro could still be alive out there?"

Her words hit a nerve. Lukas’s shoulders tensed, and he slowly turned to face her. His expression had shifted, the cool indifference replaced with something more vulnerable—concern, maybe even confusion. "What do you mean, still out there?" he asked, his voice quieter, almost distant as if he was afraid of the answer.

Yumiko opened her mouth to reply, but before she could get a word out, a faint glow emanated from the pouch at her side. The soft chime of a crystal broke the moment, snapping her attention to the source of the light. Her heart sank as she realized what it was—a communication crystal, pulsing with magical energy. The crystals are magical items, and can only last for short times before breaking.

"Now what?" she muttered under her breath, pulling the crystal from her pouch. She turned it over in her hand, the pale blue light flickering as it activated. Only one use, she reminded herself.

A familiar, calm male voice came through the crystal, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Sister," the voice said simply, waiting for her acknowledgement. It was Shoto, her older brother.

Yumiko’s eyes flickered toward Lukas, her mind racing. "Hey, nii-san, I’m in the middle of something—"

"I heard you went to Headwich," Shoto interrupted, his tone stern, leaving no room for pleasantries.

Yumiko’s jaw tightened. "Yes, because I found—"

"You know what I told you before!" His voice rose, sharp with frustration. "You were supposed to meet me in Wern! Now I hear you’ve been gallivanting around Headwich. Did I not make it clear how important the information I found about Hiro is?"

Yumiko swallowed hard, trying to form a response. "I know, but I—"

"And then I hear you spent the night in jail," Shoto added, his words dripping with disapproval. "You’re reckless, Yumiko. I expected better."

"How did you know about that?" Yumiko asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The shock was clear on her face. It felt like he knew everything before she could even say a word.

"I have my sources," Shoto said coldly. "That’s all you need to know. What you do need to understand is that you’re not just putting my title at risk—you’re dragging the family name through the mud." His words hit like a hammer, each one heavier than the last.

Yumiko’s grip tightened on the crystal, her knuckles turning white. "Shoto-nii-san," she said, her voice cracking as she struggled to maintain her composure, "I know how bad it looks, but you have to believe me—I finally found something!" Her voice rose with desperation, trying to get through to him. "I found a connection to Hiro!"

For a moment, the line went quiet, and the weight of his silence pressed down on her like a storm cloud. Finally, his voice returned, softer now but still cautious. "What do you mean?"

"I found Hiro’s katana," Yumiko said, her voice growing stronger as she spoke. "Not just that—I found someone who’s connected to him." She beamed, feeling the rush of confidence as the words spilled out. She had something real, something that might change everything.

There was another long pause, the kind that made her heart pound in her chest. "Nii-san?" she asked, her voice small and uncertain as she waited for his response, hoping that this time he would understand.

"Who is this person you speak of? You said they know Hiro?" Shoto's voice came through the crystal, sharp and edged with doubt.

Yumiko blinked, taken aback by the sudden change. She had imagined Shoto’s reaction would be filled with curiosity, maybe even hope, but this cold suspicion was unsettling. Her gaze flickered to Lukas, who stood nearby, watching her in silence. "I-I don’t know him personally," she stammered, her voice faltering. "But he knew Hiro… maybe only for a moment, but it’s something!"

“And how are we sure of this?” Shoto asked, still not trusting this new source of information.

"I was a part of the Golden Dragonflies," Lukas said, his voice low and even. His eyes never left hers. "Your brother’s group. I doubt anyone would know a random guild name from years ago."

Yumiko's heart skipped a beat. She turned to the crystal with sudden excitement. "Did you hear that, Shoto? He was part of Hiro’s group—the Golden Dragonflies!"

The silence that followed stretched uncomfortably. When Shoto finally spoke, his voice was hard as stone. "Impossible."

Yumiko’s stomach dropped. His flat denial struck her like a blow, leaving her momentarily speechless. "Shoto, what’s gotten into you?" she asked, her voice rising. "I’m telling you, I found Hiro-nii-san’s blade, and now someone who knew him! These are the breakthroughs we’ve needed!"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"And I am telling you," Shoto’s voice crackled through the crystal, sharp and angry, "it’s not possible. That man is a fraud! He’s trying to lure you in—"

"No!" Yumiko interrupted, shaking her head in defiance. "He had Hiro’s sword. He gave it to me himself! He knew the importance of the blade and knew where it came from. Why is it impossible that he was a part of Hiro’s old group?"

Lukas stepped forward, his presence cold and steady beside her. "Because," he said quietly, his eyes narrowing as they fixed on the glowing crystal in her hand, "all the members in the Golden Dragonflies were killed. Isn’t that right?" His words were a blow, his gaze unyielding as he stared into the crystal.

Shoto’s voice sliced through the air with a newfound urgency. “Who is this?” he demanded, his tone sharp. “You’ll be careful with your next words.”

Yumiko’s head spun, her world tilting with disorientation. His reaction wasn’t what she expected. There was no shock, no disbelief—only dismissal. He wasn’t surprised by the news, and that realization hit her like a punch to the gut. “What does he mean?” she stammered, her voice unsteady. “The Golden Dragonflies members… they were all killed? Hiro—Hiro was in charge of that group, wasn’t he?” She glanced down at the glowing crystal in her hand, her fingers trembling.

Shoto’s frustration crackled through the connection. “Clearly he’s lying! How could they all be dead if he’s standing right there talking to you?” His voice bristled with impatience, as though the entire conversation was an inconvenience to him.

Lukas, standing beside her, stared at the crystal with a haunted expression. “Because I was lucky,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with something Yumiko couldn’t quite place. “Nothing more, nothing less.” He shifted his gaze to the ground, the weight of his past pulling him down. “And I think you know the truth, Shoto. A guild member of your rank would have access to information the rest of us could only dream of. You know full well what happened to the Golden Dragonflies.”

The silence on the other end of the crystal was suffocating. Yumiko could feel it pressing down on her, an unspoken admission in Shoto’s stillness. Her hand clenched tighter around the crystal, knuckles paling as the weight of it all threatened to crush her. “You know something, don’t you?” she said, her voice rising, shaking now not with fear, but with fury. Anger surged in her chest, sharp and hot. “Tell me what you’re hiding!”

There was a heavy sigh from Shoto, the sound of defeat creeping into his voice. "We will talk more about this later," he said. "First, I need you—"

A long, heavy sigh came from Shoto, the weight of defeat evident in his voice. "We’ll discuss this later," he said, trying to maintain control. "Right now, I need you—"

“No!” Yumiko cut him off, her face flushing with rage. “We’re talking about this now!” Her voice trembled with frustration, her heart pounding in her chest. "What is it you’re not telling me? You wanted me to meet you in Wern, but you’ve been hiding something from me this whole time." Her fists clenched at her sides. "Did you know all the members of that group were killed? Or affected somehow? What are you keeping from me?"

The air between them grew thick with tension, the unspoken words hanging like a storm cloud ready to burst. Yumiko’s breath came fast and uneven as she fought to hold back the emotions rising inside her. Lukas shifted, his eyes falling to the ground with a slight shake of his head.

“When I said all the members were killed... I meant it,” Lukas muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, but laden with grief. “Read the room.”

Yumiko’s head snapped toward him, her confusion quickly turning into disbelief. Lukas met her gaze, his face etched with pain. The weight of his next words was clear in his eyes, and she braced herself for the blow.

“Hiro is dead,” Lukas said, his tone flat, hollow, as if the very act of saying it drained him. “Along with the rest of the Golden Dragonflies.”

Yumiko froze, the words hitting her like a physical blow. Her mind reeled, refusing to accept what she had just heard. She stared at Lukas, her breath caught in her throat. The crystal in her hand dimmed, the weight of Shoto’s silence confirming the truth she had dreaded all along.

Yumiko’s head spun as the world seemed to close in around her. She couldn’t believe what was happening. "No. That’s not possible," she whispered, shaking her head in denial. Her grip on the crystal tightened until her knuckles turned white. "Shoto, tell me you didn’t know. Don’t you dare lie to me. Swear it—swear to me on the goddess!" Her voice trembled, desperation leaking into every word.

For a long moment, there was only silence on the other end. When Shoto finally spoke, his voice was unnervingly calm. "Yumiko, there are things you don’t understand. There’s a lot at play—"

He wasn’t denying it. That was all it took for the fury building in her chest to erupt. "Stop talking!" she screamed, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes. "I don’t want to hear excuses from you!" Her gaze darted to Lukas, her desperation spilling over into rage. "What happened to my brother?" she demanded, her voice breaking.

Lukas’s face twisted in pain as memories he’d buried began to surface, each one clawing at him. He avoided her gaze, his voice low and heavy. "He was killed… four years ago," Lukas said, his words halting. "During an attack."

Yumiko’s entire body trembled, the world around her dissolving into chaos. From the crystal, Shoto’s voice snapped through the air, furious and commanding. "Who are you? Step away from my sis—" But before he could finish, Yumiko hurled the crystal down the alley with all her strength. It shattered against the cobblestones, its chime echoing as it died.

She turned to Lukas, her eyes burning with tears. Her heart pounded against her chest as she took a step forward, her glare sharp enough to cut through steel. "How do you know?" she demanded, her voice thick with pain.

Lukas flinched under her gaze, the weight of her grief pressing down on him. He looked away, his voice barely a whisper. "I was there. I saw it happen. It was… quick. Honorable." His words were strained, as if each one dragged him back to that fateful day. “That’s why is katana is no longer held by him anymore… After he died, someone took it. I bought it from auction and wanted to put it in the guild vault…”

Yumiko collapsed to the ground, her knees hitting the cobblestone with a dull thud. "No," she whispered, shaking her head violently. "No, no, no." Her hands clenched into fists, pounding the ground in frustration and despair. "I’ve been looking for him all this time…" Her voice broke as tears spilled down her face, each one splashing onto the cold stone beneath her. "This can’t be true. It can’t."

Lukas stood over her, his expression pained as he watched Yumiko fall apart. Her sobs filled the empty alleyway, and for a moment, he seemed to struggle with his words. “Years ago,” he began softly, his voice barely audible, “I tried to tell your family what happened. I wrote them a letter… but your eldest brother likely intercepted it." Regret laced his words, but the truth hung heavy between them, undeniable. “That katana—I was going to leave it on Hiro’s grave. That’s why I went to such lengths to fight you for it.” Lukas watched as she continued to silently cry to herself on the ground, “Would you like to know where he’s buried?”

It took her a moment to muster the strength, but Yumiko finally nodded, wiping her tears with shaking hands, though she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. Her gaze remained fixed on the cobblestone beneath her, her world unraveling around her.

"He’s buried outside of Dryffn," Lukas continued, his tone steady but distant, "on a hill that overlooks Horned Cave. There are five other graves alongside his. You can’t miss it."

Yumiko’s sobs softened, though her body trembled with each breath she took. Lukas took a step back, glancing away as if the weight of the moment was too much to bear. "Whether you believe fate brought us together because of Hiro… now you know the truth." His voice grew cold, detached, as he prepared to walk away from the pain that lingered between them. "Don’t follow me. Live your life. Stop chasing shadows, stop living for ghosts. It’s time to move on."

He turned, his footsteps slow and deliberate as they echoed down the narrow alleyway. But halfway through, Lukas hesitated. He looked back over his shoulder, his face shadowed by regret and something else—something deeper. "I’m sorry," he said, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "I’m sorry you had to find out like this. And I’m sorry for your loss. If I was only stronger, I’d…" His voice slowly faded, realizing there was no point in continuing.

He gritted his teeth, trying to maintain the cold exterior, but each of Yumiko’s quiet sobs behind him pierced deeper than he would ever admit.

As Lukas disappeared back into the streets of the capital, Yumiko remained where she was, shattered and hollow. Every sob that wracked her body was a reflection of the truth finally tearing her apart. Her mind raced, replaying every moment Shoto had directed her, every time her eldest brother had told her where to go, what to do.

Yumiko felt like a complete fool. How could she have been so blind? He had led her all this time with half-truths and false hopes, pushing her toward an endless chase while all along he knew Hiro was already gone.

Shoto, a level-thirteen guild member, one of the most respected and powerful in the ranks, had never once given her any real information about Hiro. How could someone so well-connected, so close to the top, claim to know nothing? The truth gnawed at her—Shoto’s silence during their conversation, his refusal to deny her questions, only confirmed what Lukas had said. Hiro was dead.

Her heart twisted in her chest, a hollow, aching sensation spreading through her as the truth settled like a weight she couldn’t bear. “What now?” she whispered, her voice raw with frustration and grief. With a sharp crack, her fist slammed into the ground, cobblestones biting into her knuckles, but the pain didn’t register. She was still trying to fight the tears, still struggling to justify the last three years of her life—the years she’d spent searching for Hiro, chasing a ghost.

“Find him.” The angelic voice echoed in her ears, clear and haunting. “Watch him. Guide him.” Its command lingered, wrapping around her in a soft, almost comforting way, though the words felt heavy. “Find your purpose through him. Fight on.”

Yumiko froze, the voice tugging at her, pulling her back to the promises she’d made, the visions she’d followed. Slowly, she pushed herself up from the ground, her legs unsteady beneath her. But what was the point? Her fists hung by her sides, clenched, shaking. "What’s the point?" she muttered, her voice thick with bitterness. She raised her face to the sky, where the clouds drifted lazily across the heavens, one small cloud floating alone by itself. "How do I know I’m not going to end up on another chase? Just… following someone else’s steps all over again?"

Her heart ached as she forced a bitter smile, tears gathering in her eyes. A single tear escaped, slipping down her cheek and falling from her chin as her gaze remained on the sky. "I’m just an idiot," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. The smile that had crept onto her face twisted, sad and empty.

“You are no idiot. You are strong.” The voice returned, gentle, but firm, like a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “In time, you will see your own strength and you will flourish.”

She closed her eyes, wanting to believe the words, but the doubt still clawed at her, raw and relentless.

“For now, trust me.” The voice softened, pleading almost. “Please, for the hope of mankind. You are needed, brave one. You are not a mere drop but a tidal wave, whose wake will ripple the very fabric of time.” The small cloud above slowly drifted further away, eventually merging seamlessly with a larger one.

The words washed over her, carrying a weight she didn’t fully understand, but there was power in them. Power she couldn’t ignore. Yumiko inhaled deeply, feeling the tightness in her chest ease, if only just a little. The tears that had threatened to spill over stayed on the edge, unshed.

She wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.

Her gaze dropped from the sky, falling back to the alley where Lukas had walked away. She clenched her fists, feeling the sting of the bruised skin, but this time, she welcomed the pain. She could feel her resolve hardening, even as uncertainty still swirled inside her.