The path leading out of the village was quiet.
Elios walked without slowing.
His grip on the blade was firm, steady—his steps measured, certain.
He didn't look back.
"Yo, Elios."
The voice came from the side.
Not loud.
Not urgent.
Elios stopped.
Only for a moment.
Then he turned slightly.
A man stood a few steps away.
Not blocking his path.
Just… standing there.
"You're going back."
Not a question.
Elios' eyes hardened.
"If you're here to stop me," he said flatly, "go home."
A pause.
"I'm not in the mood to listen."
The man didn't react.
"…Yeah," he said after a second. "I figured."
Silence lingered.
"…I did the same thing."
Elios' steps stopped completely this time.
"…What?"
He turned fully now.
"You think you understand?" Elios' voice sharpened. "You don't even know what I—"
"I do."
The interruption was calm.
Too calm.
"…You lost your father."
A pause.
"…Your brother."
Elios' jaw tightened.
"And now you think going back there will fix something."
Elios stepped forward slightly.
"…Don't talk like you know me."
The man exhaled quietly.
"…You're right," he said. "I don't know you."
A pause.
"…But I know what it turns into."
Elios didn't move.
"…My father died there too."
The words came flat.
"I went back the next day."
"…Didn't come home for a week."
Silence.
"When I came back…"
The man's gaze lowered slightly.
"…people didn't look at me the same."
No anger.
No bitterness.
Just fact.
"…They said I should've died instead."
A pause.
"…Said my father wasted his life protecting me."
Elios' grip tightened slightly.
"…My father owed people money," the man continued.
"…Not much. But after he died… it became something else."
Elios didn't interrupt.
"They came to the house."
"…Every day."
"…Not to help."
Another pause.
"…To remind us."
The man's voice didn't change.
"They stood outside… shouted…"
"…Threw things."
"…Told us to leave."
A longer silence settled.
"My mother stopped speaking after a while."
"…Not completely."
"…Just enough that you knew something was wrong."
Elios' eyes flickered.
"One day…"
The man paused.
"…I wasn't there."
Flat.
"I came back late."
"…The door was open."
A breath.
"…She was inside."
Another pause.
"…My brother was there too."
Elios didn't move.
"…He saw it."
Silence.
Heavy.
"…He hasn't spoken since."
The words landed without force—
but didn't need any.
"my mom died because she couldn't tolerate the humiliation and I was in the mine."
A small breath escaped him.
"…Chasing something that didn't matter anymore."
The wind moved slightly between them.
"…So no," the man said quietly, "I don't know you."
A pause.
"…But I know where this goes."
Elios stood still.
For the first time—
he didn't argue.
"…You still have people waiting."
His fingers tightened.
"…Don't make them look at you like mine did."
Silence followed.
Elios didn't respond immediately.
Didn't deny it.
Didn't accept it either.
The man reached to his side and pulled out a blade.
Without ceremony—
he tossed it.
Elios caught it.
Instinctively.
It was heavier.
Better balanced.
"…Yours won't last long down there."
Elios looked at it for a moment.
Then back at the man.
"…I'm not here to stop you," the man said.
"…I know I can't."
A pause.
"…Just don't make the same mistake I did."
Elios turned.
Didn't thank him.
Didn't speak.
He started walking again.
After a few steps—
he paused.
Not turning back.
"…I won't stay."
The words were quiet.
Unclear.
Then—
he kept moving.
Toward the mine.
The man didn't follow.
Didn't call out.
He stood there for a moment—
then turned away.
Like he had already seen how this path ends.
End.