The moment Leo stepped out into the open grounds again
the world felt different.
Not because Valencrest had changed.
But because now he understood it a little more.
And that understanding made everything heavier.
The training grounds were just as active as before.
Steel clashed against steel.
Voices called out commands.
Footsteps moved in perfect rhythm.
Nothing had slowed down.
Nothing had softened.
And no one paid him any importance.
Leo stood near the edge, unsure of where to go.
Aldric had been called away.
Kael had disappeared without a word.
For the first time since entering Valencrest
Leo was alone.
Completely.
He looked around.
Groups trained together.
Pairs sparred with controlled aggression.
Instructors corrected movements with sharp precision.
Everyone belonged somewhere.
Except him.
Leo took a step forward.
Then another.
Slow.
Uncertain.
He didn't know what he was supposed to do.
"…Hey."
The voice came from his side.
Leo turned.
A group of trainees stood nearby.
Their eyes were on him.
Not curious.
Not friendly.
Something else.
"…You're new," one of them said.
Leo nodded slightly.
"…Yeah."
The man looked him up and down.
From his worn clothes…
to his posture…
to the way he stood.
"…You don't look like you belong here."
The words were simple.
But they landed heavily.
Leo didn't respond.
"…Which unit?" another one asked.
Leo hesitated.
"…I'm not assigned yet."
A small chuckle escaped one of them.
"…Not assigned?" he repeated.
"…Then why are you here?"
Leo opened his mouth
then stopped.
Because he didn't have an answer.
"…Lost your way?" someone else added, a faint smirk forming on his face.
A few of them laughed quietly.
Not loudly.
Not openly mocking.
But enough.
Enough for Leo to feel it.
That sting.
He clenched his fists slightly.
"…I came with someone," he said.
"…Oh?" the first one replied.
"…And who would that be?"
Leo hesitated.
"…Aldric."
The moment the name left his mouth
the atmosphere shifted.
The smiles faded.
The smirks disappeared.
For a brief second
there was silence.
Then
"…You expect us to believe that?" one of them said, his voice sharper now.
"…You?" another added.
"…With him?"
The disbelief was clear.
Not hidden.
Not softened.
Leo felt it again.
Stronger this time.
"…It's true," he said, his voice lower.
"…Then prove it."
The words came instantly.
Leo blinked.
"…What?"
One of them stepped forward.
"…If you're really with him…"
He tossed a wooden practice sword toward Leo.
It landed at his feet with a dull sound.
"…Then show us something."
Leo looked down at it.
Then back at them.
"…I'm not here to"
"…Then you don't belong here," the man cut him off.
Silence.
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Final.
Leo's fingers tightened.
Slowly
he bent down.
And picked up the sword.
It felt unfamiliar in his hand.
Unbalanced.
Wrong.
"…That's what I thought," one of them muttered.
The man who stepped forward grabbed another wooden sword.
"…Come on," he said.
"…Show us."
Leo stood there.
His grip tightened.
His heart pounded.
He wasn't ready.
Not for this.
Not here.
But if he stepped back now…
He knew exactly what it meant.
Leo took a step forward.
The distance closed.
The air grew tense.
"…Don't worry," the man said casually.
"…I'll go easy on you."
That line cut deeper than anything else.
Leo moved first.
A simple swing.
Unrefined.
Predictable.
The man blocked it effortlessly.
"…Too slow."
A counter came immediately.
Leo barely reacted.
The strike hit his side.
Pain shot through his body.
He stumbled.
But didn't fall.
"…Is that it?" someone said from behind.
Leo steadied himself.
His grip tightened again.
He tried once more.
Another swing.
Another block.
Another hit.
This time
he dropped to one knee.
The ground felt cold beneath him.
The laughter wasn't loud.
But it was there.
"…He's serious?""…This guy came with Aldric?""…No way…"
Each word
dug deeper.
Leo's breathing grew heavier.
His vision blurred slightly.
Not from pain.
But from something else.
Frustration.
He pushed himself up.
Again.
"…I'm not done," he said.
The man raised an eyebrow slightly.
"…Still going?"
Leo didn't answer.
He stepped forward.
Again.
This time faster.
More force.
More desperation.
But it didn't matter.
The result was the same.
Blocked.
Countered.
Overpowered.
Leo was pushed back again.
His body felt heavier.
Slower.
Useless.
He stood there
breathing hard.
Surrounded by people who belonged
while he didn't.
"…Enough," the man said, lowering his sword.
"…You've proved it."
Leo looked at him.
"…Proved what?" he asked quietly.
The man met his gaze.
"…That you don't belong here."
Silence.
No laughter this time.
Just truth.
Blunt.
Unavoidable.
Leo's grip loosened.
The sword fell from his hand.
A dull sound echoed as it hit the ground.
He didn't pick it up.
Didn't say anything.
Didn't look at anyone.
He just stood there.
"…Then where do I belong…?" he muttered.
No one answered.
Because no one cared.
Leo turned.
And walked away.
Slowly.
Each step heavier than the last.
The noise of training resumed behind him.
As if nothing had happened.
As if he had never been there.
Leo stopped at a distance.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
Not from pain.
But from something deeper.
Something breaking.
He looked at his hands.
Weak.
Useless.
Powerless.
-----------
The training grounds slowly returned to normal.
The sound of wooden swords clashing filled the air again.
Voices called out instructions.
Feet moved across the dirt in steady rhythm.
It was as if nothing had happened.
As if Leo had never been there.
He walked away without looking back.
No one stopped him.
No one called out to him.
The moment he left their sight
he disappeared from their world.
Leo's steps were slow.
Not because he was tired.
But because his body didn't know what to do anymore.
The energy he had forced himself to gather earlier was gone.
Completely gone.
He moved past the training grounds, past the open spaces, until the sounds behind him grew distant.
Quieter.
Fainter.
Until finally they disappeared.
Leo stopped.
He didn't know where he was exactly.
A corner of the compound, away from the main paths.
Few people passed here.
No one was watching.
No one cared.
That made it easier.
Slowly, Leo lowered himself to the ground.
He didn't sit properly.
He just… dropped.
His back leaned against the cold stone wall behind him.
For a moment
he didn't move.
Didn't think.
Didn't even breathe properly.
Then very slowly
he lifted his hands.
He stared at them.
Silently.
The same hands.
Rough.
Small.
The same hands that worked, carried, survived.
The same hands that had never held a weapon properly.
He turned them slightly.
Looked at his palms.
His fingers.
There were faint scratches.
Dirt that hadn't been cleaned.
Nothing had changed.
Nothing at all.
And yet
everything had.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not from pain.
Not from exhaustion.
But from something he didn't understand.
Leo didn't say anything.
Not a word.
He just looked.
As if trying to find something
anything that could explain what had just happened.
But there was nothing.
Just his hands.
Just himself.
Slowly, his gaze lowered.
The ground beneath him came into view.
Plain.
Unremarkable.
Just like before.
His thoughts began to move.
Not fast.
Not clear.
Just… slowly.
He remembered the training ground.
The way they looked at him.
The way they spoke.
The way they didn't believe him.
The way they didn't take him seriously.
The way he couldn't do anything.
His grip tightened slightly.
He remembered Aldric.
The way he stood.
The way he spoke.
Even when he was injured
he didn't look weak.
Then Kael.
The way he moved.
The way everyone stepped aside for him.
The way he didn't even try
and still won.
Leo's fingers curled slightly.
Then
his thoughts shifted again.
Back.
Further back.
To before all of this.
To a place much smaller.
Much quieter.
His village.
The simple days.
The same routine.
Waking up.
Working.
Surviving.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
At that time
he didn't think much about anything.
Didn't question things.
Didn't compare himself to anyone.
He was just… living.
But now
he couldn't go back to that.
Even if he wanted to.
Leo lowered his head slightly.
"…What should I do…?" he whispered.
The words were soft.
Almost too soft to hear.
No one answered.
There was no one to answer.
The silence around him only grew deeper.
Leo sat there
not moving.
Not thinking clearly.
Just… there.
Time passed.
He didn't know how much.
Then
something brushed lightly against his side.
Leo blinked.
His hand moved slowly.
Touching something tied around his waist.
The small carving.
He froze.
Carefully
he pulled it out.
The wooden idol rested in his hand.
Rough.
Simple.
But familiar.
Too familiar.
Leo stared at it.
His fingers gently traced its surface.
The small details.
The shape he had carved himself.
Something inside him shifted.
Softly.
Slowly.
His eyes didn't move away.
And then
without realizing
his thoughts changed.
His mother.
Her face.
Her voice.
The warmth she carried.
The way she spoke to him.
The way she smiled.
Leo's grip tightened slightly.
"…Mom…" he whispered.
The word felt strange.
Heavy.
Because this was the first time he had thought of her like this.
Not just as a memory.
But as someone he wanted right now.
A warmth spread through his chest.
Faint.
But real.
And with it something else.
A sharp ache.
A feeling he couldn't stop.
Leo's vision blurred slightly.
He didn't notice it at first.
Not until
a single drop fell.
Landing softly on the wooden idol.
Leo froze.
His fingers trembled.
He didn't wipe it away.
Didn't react.
Another drop followed.
Then another.
He didn't understand it.
Didn't try to.
He just sat there.
Holding the small carving tightly.
As if it was the only thing keeping him together.
"…It's cold…" he whispered.
His voice was barely there.
Not the air.
Not the place.
But inside.
Leo slowly curled into himself.
His knees pulled closer.
His arms wrapped around the idol.
Holding it tightly against his chest.
As if
if he let go
something would break.
His eyes slowly closed.
The warmth he remembered
the one from his mother
felt so far away.
Too far.
His body leaned slightly to the side.
Still holding the carving.
Still clinging to it.
His breathing slowed.
Not steady.
But quieter.
Time passed.
The world around him continued moving.
People walked.
Voices echoed faintly in the distance.
But here
in this small corner
everything was still.
Leo didn't move.
Didn't wake.
Curled against the wall
holding onto the only warmth he had left
he fell asleep.
Alone.
In a place where he didn't belong.