The night deepened over the smith village, but the campfire still burned strong.
Warmth filled the air—not just from the flames, but from the people gathered around it.
For once…
There was no tension.
No danger.
Just laughter.
Steel Beard sat near his forge, occasionally glancing over while chewing on a thick piece of grilled meat, grumbling under his breath at nothing in particular. Grace sat cross-legged near the fire, smiling as she listened, while Omen leaned back slightly, arms resting behind him, relaxed for once.
Rook remained standing, as always, but even he seemed… lighter.
And Louis—
Louis was speaking.
"…We were outnumbered," Louis said, his voice steady but carrying weight. "Badly."
Solarynth leaned forward slightly, listening closely.
Like a child hearing a story for the first time.
"There were only three hundred and fifty of us," Louis continued, eyes reflecting the firelight. "Against thousands."
Asura, beside Solarynth, was still eating—faster than before, finishing piece after piece without pause.
"…And you won?" Grace asked, already knowing the answer.
Louis gave a faint smirk.
"We pushed through."
"How?" Solarynth asked, his tone genuine, curious.
Louis glanced at him.
"…Because we had something they didn't."
A brief pause.
"Purpose."
The fire crackled softly.
"We weren't just fighting to survive," Louis continued. "We were fighting to end them. The men of Ethyl Ikonzent… they brought nothing but destruction wherever they went."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"So we became the wall they couldn't break."
Solarynth listened carefully.
Every word, Every detail.
His eyes carried a quiet excitement—not loud, not exaggerated—but real.
He was learning.
Understanding.
"…Three hundred against thousands," Asura muttered between bites. "That's insane."
Rook let out a low breath.
"It's war," he said simply.
For a moment, the group sat in silence again—but this time, it was peaceful.
Connected.
Far away from them
That peace did not exist.
A valley, miles from the warmth of the fire.
A place once filled with life.
Now—
Burning.
The village of Xenon lay in ruins.
Homes reduced to ash.
The ground blackened.
Smoke rising into the dark sky like a silent cry for help.
At the center of it all—
Stood a man.
Tall, Still.
Surrounded by death.
Dark hair rested against his face, unmoved by the chaos around him. His presence alone felt heavy—unnatural—as if the air itself rejected him.
In front of him, a man knelt.
The village chief.
Broken, Bleeding.
A sharp, feather-like blade pierced into his arm.
"Ghh—!!"
The chief groaned, gripping his wound tightly as blood spilled between his fingers. His body trembled—not just from pain, but from something far worse.
Fear.
"What… are you doing this for…?" he managed to say, his voice shaking. "We told you… we don't know this man… Solarynth…"
Silence.
The man's hazel eyes locked onto him.
And in that moment—
The chief felt it.
Something dark, something wrong.
"…You're more worthless than the others," the man said coldly.
Behind him—
Black wings unfolded.
Feathers dark as night, each one sharp, unnatural, alive with something dangerous. They moved slowly at first… then shifted with intent.
The chief's breathing became uneven.
His body refused to move.
With a single motion—
The wings sliced forward.
A clean cut.
The chief's body fell, lifeless.
Silence returned.
"…This is pointless," the man muttered, looking down briefly before turning away. "I'll just find you myself… Solarynth."
A small sound broke the quiet.
A child's cry.
The man stopped, slowly—
He turned his head.
His gaze locked onto a pile of ruined wood and stone.
"I know you're there," he said calmly. "Come out… and I might spare you."
A pause.
Then—
Movement.
A woman stepped out, holding a child tightly against her. Her body trembled, but she stood her ground, placing herself between the man and her son.
"Leave him out of this," she said, her voice shaking but firm. "We don't know who you're after… but this isn't necessary. You've already destroyed everything…"
The man tilted his head slightly.
"…Oh?"
In an instant—
He was in front of her.
So fast—
It didn't feel real.
"Not every woman deserves to be a mother."
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing her by the throat.
She gasped, her feet lifting off the ground as he held her effortlessly in the air.
The child cried out instantly.
"Mama! No—!"
He ran forward, hitting the man's arm with small, desperate fists.
It did nothing.
"Shut up, brat," the man said flatly.
Then—
Something changed.
A dark energy pulsed from his hand.
The woman's body stiffened.
Her eyes widened.
And slowly—
She began to weaken.
Her strength faded.
Her breath grew shallow.
"…Ahh…" the man exhaled softly. "That's better."
Time itself felt like it was being taken from her.
Years.
Life.
Drained.
Her body became fragile.
Weaker.
Older.
Then—
He let go.
She collapsed to the ground.
Alive—
But barely.
The child dropped beside her, shaking her, crying uncontrollably.
"Mama… wake up… please…!"
The man looked down at them both.
Unmoved.
"At least I spared you," he said calmly. "Though… I'm not sure about your mother."
His eyes lingered on the child for a moment.
Cold and Empty.
Then—
His wings spread wide.
With a single motion—
He vanished into the night.
Leaving behind nothing but fire.
Ruin.
And silence.
Far away—
Unaware—
Solarynth sat by the fire.
Listenin, learning.
And somewhere in the darkness—
Something had begun moving toward him.