Silence was the only sound accompanying the night.
Two days had passed since the battle ended, and nothing like this had ever happened before. It was the first time the truce had lasted this long.
Adrian moved his fingers and furrowed his brows before slowly opening his eyes. It took him several seconds to process reality. He placed his uninjured hand on his head, trying to remember the dream he had experienced, but all he could recall were faint flashes: a white void and the voice of a woman singing.
He looked around but found none of the soldiers. He slowly sat up, then braced himself against the ground with his uninjured hand and stood. He took a few unsteady steps until he reached the outside of the camp, where he found the soldiers training in the open field. The sounds of clashing swords echoed through the cold air, and the snow that had covered the ground two days earlier was gradually melting beneath the faint sunlight. Although the sun stood high in the sky, the cold remained harsh.
Adrian turned to head back inside, but Vitus's voice stopped him.
"Adrian? You're finally awake."
He approached him and glanced at his injured shoulder before continuing, "Are you alright? Your injury was severe."
Adrian nodded calmly. "I'm fine."
Vitus smiled and looked toward the soldiers training in the field. "It really was a difficult day... Many soldiers died."
He fell silent for a moment before adding in a lighter tone, "Even my two friends, Sam and Adam, lost their lives."
He chuckled softly, as though trying to conceal the bitterness of his words, then continued, "I met them when I first arrived here... They're the same two who picked on you back then. But honestly, they weren't bad people... They were just taking out their anger on the nobles."
Adrian replied calmly, "I was never angry with them."
Vitus smiled warmly, then placed his palm on Adrian's head and gently patted it.
"That's kind of you."
He then turned away and headed back toward the training grounds, saying as he walked off, "Once you've recovered your strength, you should start training too. This place shows no mercy to anyone."
Adrian stood silently, watching the soldiers. Then he raised his gaze toward the sky, thinking about the dream whose traces still lingered in his heart.
He walked toward a nearby tree and sat beside it, gazing up at the sky. For him, the feeling of being an outcast in the palace was unbearable. Having others look at him as though he were a plague... he simply couldn't stand it. But whenever he sat alone and cried, Diana would always find him and embrace him.
Yet the present was far harsher. Watching others die before his eyes had left him unable to show any expression. Was he supposed to grieve, cry... scream... or fight back...?
He raised his hand and touched his heart, then whispered in a faint voice, "It hurts..."
He clenched his fist tightly and continued bitterly, "Diana... what am I supposed to do now? The smell of blood won't go away... and images of the dead keep replaying in my mind. I don't want this..."
He placed his hands over his head and squeezed his eyes shut.
"I'm scared."
The day passed, night fell, and then another day arrived. Adrian picked up his sword and headed toward the training grounds. Despite his injury, which had yet to heal, he had resolved to do one thing: become stronger.
He began swinging his sword in steady, consecutive movements, while saying deep within himself, "I don't want people to die for nothing... I don't want their lives to end so easily... That's why I'll become stronger. I'll train harder and do everything I can to protect everyone."
He cut through the air with one final swing.
"This time, I will definitely change this place."
But words were easier than actions. And that was something a young child who had yet to experience enough of life's harsh realities could not understand.
Adrian continued his relentless training with Vitus's help. An unusual sense of peace still prevailed throughout that region.
A month later...
Things returned to normal. The roars of various monsters echoed through the forests.
One of the soldiers rushed into the camp, gasping for breath, then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Monsters!! The monsters are coming! Prepare for battle!"
Everyone immediately got to their feet. They put on their armor, grabbed their weapons, and rushed outside.
Adrian clenched his fist and pressed his lips together, his worry clearly visible. Vitus placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder, prompting him to turn around.
Vitus smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry... This battle will pass peacefully."
Adrian sighed softly and nodded with determination. Then he picked up his sword and left the camp.
Deep within himself, he repeated, "This time... we'll win with as few casualties as possible."
One... two... three...
Fierce monsters poured out from behind the trees, one after another. The soldiers' cries of determination and resolve filled the battlefield.
The monsters collided with the soldiers, and the fighting began anew. The two sides were evenly matched.
As for Adrian, he found himself facing one of the enormous monsters. It was several times taller than him, its body covered in dark fur, while its sharp fangs gleamed whenever it opened its mouth and unleashed a terrifying roar.
Adrian gripped his sword with both hands as the monster suddenly charged toward him. He retreated at the last moment, and the monster's claw slammed violently into the ground.
He gasped in shock, his pupils trembling.
"If I'd been even one second slower, I'd be dead right now... I have to be careful."
He adjusted his stance and began watching the monster's movements as it slowly circled him. Only moments passed before the monster attacked again, accompanied by another terrifying roar.
Adrian leaped to the side, and before he could regain his balance, another attack followed. He retreated step by step, barely managing to dodge its strikes. His arms trembled under the immense strain.
"It's incredibly strong... and fast, too."
The monster lunged once more. The moment it opened its mouth to bite him, Adrian quickly ducked and charged forward, aiming for its legs. Before the monster could react, he swung his sword with all his might.
The blade cut through the monster's leg. It let out a pained roar, and its massive body staggered in place.
Adrian pulled his sword free and immediately charged toward its neck. The monster raised its claw high and let out an angry roar, but Adrian was one step faster.
He plunged his sword into its neck, and blood burst forth violently. The monster's arm froze in midair for a moment... before crashing to the ground as its massive body collapsed.
Adrian staggered backward several steps, breathing heavily. His legs could barely support him.
He looked at the fallen monster before him and whispered in a faint voice, "I... won."
A small smile appeared on his face. Then he turned toward the battlefield, as though expecting to see the others victorious as well.
But not everything we expect will come to pass. For truth is not built upon expectations... but upon facts.
His eyes widened, and his expression froze in utter shock. What lay before him was nothing short of a massacre in the truest sense of the word.
The soldiers...
Every single soldier there... was dead.