The Valden mansion stood on the western side of the capital.
Huge walls surrounded the enormous estate while banners carrying the Valden insignia fluttered calmly in the cold evening wind. Guards patrolled every corner of the property while rows of young knights trained within the massive courtyard below.
Clang!
A man wearing steel knight armor swung his sword forward with sharp precision before calmly lowering the blade.
The setting sun reflected faintly across the silver armor covering his body while the cold wind brushed softly against his white hair.
Cassian.
Captain of the Valden knights.
He slowly lowered the training sword before turning toward the exhausted knights gathered around him.
"Training is over for today."
His calm voice echoed across the courtyard.
"Go get some rest."
The knights immediately bowed respectfully before slowly dispersing across the grounds.
Cassian placed the wooden practice sword back onto the nearby weapon rack before calling one of the younger knights toward him.
"Have you seen Young Master Aarav today?"
The knight immediately straightened his posture.
"No, Sir Cassian."
"The last time I saw Young Master Aarav was when he left for the academy this morning."
"I don't think he has returned yet."
Cassian frowned slightly.
"I see…"
The evening wind brushed against his cape as he quietly walked away from the training grounds.
As he moved through the mansion corridors, several maids respectfully bowed toward him.
Cassian greeted them politely before eventually stopping in front of a large wooden door guarded by two knights.
The Duke's office.
Knock. Knock.
Cassian waited patiently.
"Come in."
The moment he entered, the atmosphere immediately changed.
The room was majestic.
Beautiful paintings decorated the walls while shelves filled with records and books stretched across the chamber. Mounted proudly upon the wall behind the desk rested two swords and a crimson spear—
weapons once wielded by the duke and his brother ,the legendary Ray Valden himself .
Behind the massive desk sat Ronan Valden.
The current Duke of the Valden family.
Without even looking up, Ronan calmly continued signing the documents spread across his desk.
"What brought you here, Cassian?"
Cassian bowed respectfully.
"Young Master Aarav still hasn't returned yet."
For a brief moment Ronan's pen stopped moving. Then slowly he continued signing the documents once more.
"Did that boy cause trouble again?"
His voice carried clear irritation.
"Hah…"
"Why can't he be more like Arin?"
Cassian remained silent.
Ronan finally placed one of the signed documents aside before speaking again.
"Contact the academy."
"Find out about his whereabouts."
Cassian bowed once more.
"As you wish, my lord."
Without another word, he quietly exited the room.
The moment the door closed, Ronan's pen stopped moving once again.
His tired eyes slowly drifted toward the crimson spear hanging on the wall.
The silence filled the room.
________________________________________
In the outskirts of the capital
multiple black carriages rushed rapidly toward the outskirts of the capital.
The insignia of Dravik
was painted across each carriage door.
Inside the leading carriage, Drake sat with a grim expression while gripping a communication crystal tightly in his hand.
Suddenly the crystal glowed faintly.
A scout's voice immediately echoed through it.
"Drake!"
"I reached the location."
"The carriage is overturned… and there's a dead body here."
Drake's expression darkened instantly.
"I also found the guild master's footprints leading deeper into the forest."
Drake slowly took a deep breath before speaking calmly.
"Understood."
"Some of you follow the footprints immediately."
"Everyone else identify the body and search the area carefully."
The crystal connection ended.
Inside the carriage, silence filled the atmosphere.
Then Drake quietly muttered beneath his breath
"Please still be alive…"
________________________________________
deep inside the dark forest
Vyom Dravik continued running desperately through the trees.
Moonlight barely pierced through the dense forest canopy while branches snapped violently beneath his feet. Blood continuously dripped onto the wet forest ground behind him.
His breathing had become completely uneven.
His severed shoulder burned with unbearable pain despite the pressure he desperately kept applying against it.
Vyom gritted his teeth tightly.
His communication crystal had shattered during the carriage crash.
No way to contact Dravik.
No backup.
Nothing.
Yet he still forced himself forward.
Because he knew one thing clearly.
The moment he stopped running
he would die.
Vyom stumbled briefly against a tree before forcing himself forward again.
His vision slowly blurred from blood loss.
Every breath now felt heavier than the last.
Still
he kept moving somehow.
Then suddenly
TWANG!
A sharp sound echoed through the forest.
Before Vyom could react
SHHK!
An arrow pierced directly through his thigh.
"AAGH!"
THUD!
Vyom immediately collapsed onto the muddy forest ground.
Fallen leaves scattered beneath him while pain shot violently through his body.
"Arghhh…!"
His body refused to move properly anymore.
"Come on, Vyom….get up....."
He desperately tried pushing himself back up.
"Get up….."
But the pain in his thigh and shoulder forced him back onto the ground again.
" Is this really the end?"
Vyom coughed out blood weakly before laughing bitterly.
"First life it was a truck…"
"…and now some guys in black robes?"
"Give me a break already…"
Heavy footsteps slowly echoed from the darkness surrounding him.
One by one figures dressed entirely in black slowly emerged between the trees.
Moonlight reflected faintly across their dark masks as they silently surrounded him.
Slowly walking toward him.
_______________________________________
Near the cliff
the cold evening wind continued to howl violently across the rocky edge.
Aarav shivered slightly.
The oversized academy uniform hanging loosely around his body did little to protect him from the cold anymore.
He rubbed his freezing palms together .
He then slowly looked down toward the roaring river far below.
One step.
That was all it would take.
One step and everything would finally end and yet his legs refused to move.
Fear tightened around his chest once more.
Aarav lowered his trembling gaze before quietly picking up a small white flower growing between the rocks nearby.
For a moment, he simply stared at it silently.
Then slowly he plucked one petal.
"Live."
Another petal.
"Die."
"Live."
"Die."
The cold wind scattered the petals into the air as Aarav continued quietly arguing with himself.
He wanted fate to decide for him.
Because he no longer had the courage to decide himself.
Eventually only one petal remained.
"Die huh. Looks like this is my fate's decision after all"
Aarav stared at it silently before letting out a weak laugh.
"Pathetic…"
After standing there for a long time,Aarav finally mustered the courage to move.
With trembling hands, he carefully placed his final note beneath a nearby rock so the wind would not carry it away.
Then slowly he walked toward the edge of the cliff.
"Mother… Father…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"I'm really sorry I couldn't make you proud in this life."
Tears slowly rolled down his face.
Aarav wiped them away weakly before forcing out another smile.
"Maybe… in the next life…"
"I'll try to do better."
Step.
Aarav reached the very edge of the cliff.
One more step and everything would finally end.
Then suddenly
BOOOOM!
A massive explosion echoed through the distant forest.
The ground trembled violently beneath Aarav's feet.
"W-What the hell was that?!"
The sudden shock caused Aarav to stumble backward onto the ground.
His heart pounded violently inside his chest.
For a moment, he simply stared toward the distant forest where smoke slowly rose into the darkening sky.
Then Aarav laughed weakly.
"Well… what do I even care?"
"I'm about to die anyway… right?"
Silence followed.
Then slowly Aarav stood back up.His eyes remained fixed toward the distant smoke.
Aarav gets up without talking and slowly walks towards the smoke.