The morning after the attack was strangely peaceful.
No one spoke about the masked figure.
Not immediately.
The group simply continued preparing for the journey.
Yet something had changed.
Before the attack, many of them had believed that the dangers surrounding William were distant.
They had heard rumors.
They had seen strange events.
They had watched powerful organizations take an interest in him.
But yesterday had been different.
Someone had deliberately trapped them.
Someone had tested them.
And someone had been strong enough to create a formation capable of separating the entire group.
The danger was no longer theoretical.
It was standing beside them.
William noticed the hesitation in several people's movements.
Nobody wanted to admit fear.
But fear was there.
He didn't blame them.
Instead, he gathered everyone before they left.
"I won't ask you to stay."
The words immediately drew everyone's attention.
William continued.
"You've seen what is following us. You know now that this won't be an easy journey."
Nobody interrupted.
"If you decide that this isn't the path you want, leave."
He looked around.
"Nobody will stop you."
Leon frowned.
"You mean that?"
"Yes."
Mira watched William carefully.
He continued.
"I don't want people beside me because they're afraid to leave."
His voice remained calm.
"If you're going to stay, I want it to be because you've decided that whatever lies ahead is worth facing."
Silence.
One person slowly stepped forward.
"I'll stay."
Another followed.
"So will I."
Then another.
The decisions came one after another.
Not everyone spoke immediately.
Some needed time.
William didn't pressure them.
Eventually, the group began moving.
Nobody had been forced to remain.
And yet almost everyone remained.
They traveled for several days.
The road took them away from the settlement and toward a region known for its vast abandoned territories.
Few powerful organizations controlled the area.
That made it attractive.
It also made it dangerous.
Mira walked beside William.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere I heard about."
"That's vague."
"I know."
She smiled.
"You've been doing that a lot lately."
"Doing what?"
"Keeping things to yourself."
William glanced at her.
"Would you prefer I lie?"
"No."
"Then I won't."
Mira laughed.
Adrian, walking behind them, shook his head.
"You two are becoming strange."
Mira looked back.
"How?"
"You actually talk now."
William smiled.
"We've known each other for a while."
"Exactly."
Adrian looked ahead.
"And somehow I still don't understand either of you."
Near sunset, they reached a massive abandoned city.
The walls had collapsed in many places.
Ancient formations had been destroyed.
The streets were covered with vegetation.
Yet the city was not empty.
William sensed several presences.
"Someone is here."
The group immediately became alert.
Mira looked around.
"Enemies?"
"I don't know."
They continued carefully.
Eventually, they found several people living inside one of the surviving buildings.
They were cultivators.
But their clothing carried no insignia.
Their leader stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
William answered honestly.
"Travelers."
The man looked at the group.
"From where?"
"Everywhere."
The man frowned.
"That's not an answer."
"It doesn't need to be."
The man stared at William for several seconds.
Then he noticed something.
"You are the group people have been talking about."
William didn't deny it.
"Perhaps."
The man's expression changed.
"Then you should leave."
"Why?"
"Because trouble follows you."
Several members of William's group looked uncomfortable.
The man continued.
"We don't want it here."
William nodded.
"That's reasonable."
He turned.
"Let's go."
Mira looked surprised.
"You aren't going to argue?"
"No."
William looked at the man.
"This is their home."
He turned away.
"We have no right to bring our problems into it."
The group followed.
The man watched them leave.
Then one of his companions asked:
"Why didn't you stop them?"
The man smiled.
"Because I wanted to see whether the rumors were true."
"What rumors?"
"That William doesn't force people to follow him."
They camped several kilometers away.
The group was tired.
William remained awake.
He noticed something.
Several members were speaking quietly.
He didn't approach.
He listened only enough to understand the subject.
They were discussing the abandoned city.
Some believed they should have stayed.
Others believed leaving was correct.
Then one voice said:
"Maybe we should split."
The conversation stopped.
Another person asked:
"Why?"
"Because we're becoming targets."
Nobody answered.
The first person continued.
"I joined because I wanted to grow stronger."
He looked toward the sleeping group.
"But now I'm wondering whether staying is worth dying for."
William closed his eyes.
He had expected this.
The attack had created the first crack.
Not because people had lost trust in him.
Because they had begun questioning the price of following him.
William stood.
The conversation stopped immediately.
Nobody knew how long he had been listening.
William didn't accuse them.
Instead, he sat near the fire.
"Continue."
The group looked uncomfortable.
William waited.
Eventually, the same person spoke.
"I don't want to die."
William nodded.
"Neither do I."
The answer surprised him.
William continued.
"If that's your reason for leaving, I won't blame you."
The man looked at him.
"But..."
"No."
William shook his head.
"There is no 'but.'"
He looked at everyone.
"Fear is not betrayal."
Silence.
"Wanting to live isn't weakness."
He paused.
"If someone decides tomorrow that they don't want this life anymore, I'll understand."
Mira watched him.
"But..."
William looked toward the fire.
"There is something I want you to understand."
Everyone listened.
"I cannot promise that you'll be safe."
His voice became quieter.
"I cannot promise that I can protect everyone."
He looked at them.
"And I won't lie and tell you that our enemies will eventually disappear."
Nobody moved.
"But I can promise that if you stay, I won't treat you as expendable."
The group remained silent.
William continued.
"You will have a voice."
"You will be allowed to disagree."
"And if one day you decide that your path is somewhere else, you will leave without becoming my enemy."
The man who had spoken earlier lowered his head.
"I understand."
William nodded.
"Good."
Later that night, the man approached William alone.
"My name is Elias."
William looked at him.
"Elias."
"I've been thinking."
"About leaving?"
"Yes."
William waited.
"I still don't know."
"That's fine."
Elias looked surprised.
"You're not going to convince me?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because if I convince you, then your decision isn't yours anymore."
Elias smiled weakly.
"You're strange."
"I've heard that before."
Elias laughed.
Then became serious.
"What made you choose this?"
William looked at him.
"What?"
"This way of thinking."
William was silent for several seconds.
Then he answered:
"Loss."
Elias waited.
William didn't explain further.
He didn't need to.
Some memories didn't need to be spoken aloud to remain heavy.
Elias nodded.
"I think I understand."
The next morning, Elias stayed.
So did everyone else.
But William didn't celebrate.
He knew staying today didn't mean staying forever.
And that was fine.
Trust wasn't something that could be declared once.
It had to be chosen repeatedly.
That afternoon, they discovered something unexpected.
A small group of cultivators had arrived near the abandoned city.
They were injured.
One of them was carrying another on his back.
William immediately approached.
"What happened?"
The leader looked at him.
"We were attacked."
"By whom?"
"We don't know."
William examined the injured cultivator.
The injuries weren't caused by ordinary techniques.
There were strange marks around the person's spiritual channels.
William recognized them.
"Formation damage."
The leader nodded.
"We were trapped."
William's expression changed.
"Where?"
The man pointed toward the north.
"We were traveling through the valley."
William looked at Adrian.
"Same method."
Adrian nodded.
"The same people?"
"Maybe."
The injured cultivator suddenly opened his eyes.
He looked at William.
"You..."
William crouched beside him.
"What?"
The man struggled to speak.
"They said your name."
William's expression became serious.
"What did they say?"
The man swallowed.
"They said..."
He struggled for breath.
"...that everything around you would eventually become a battlefield."
William remained silent.
Then the man continued.
"They told us to stay away from you."
Mira frowned.
"Did they attack you because of us?"
The man shook his head.
"No."
"Then why?"
He looked toward William.
"They wanted us to blame you."
Silence.
William understood.
This was the next stage.
The enemy wasn't attacking his companions anymore.
They were attacking people around them.
People who had never even chosen to join William.
The objective was obvious.
Make everyone believe that simply being near him was dangerous.
Make his presence synonymous with destruction.
Then anyone who met him would have a reason to walk away.
William stood.
His expression became colder.
"They're expanding."
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
Mira looked at him.
"What do we do?"
William looked toward the north.
"We find out where they're operating."
That night, William gathered everyone again.
This time, his words were different.
"I won't ask you to follow me into this."
Several people looked surprised.
"This isn't your fight unless you choose it."
Leon stepped forward.
"It became our fight when they attacked us."
William shook his head.
"No."
Leon frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want anger to decide your choices."
Leon stared at him.
William continued.
"If you come with me because you're angry, you may eventually regret it."
He looked at everyone.
"But if you come because you believe stopping them is worth the risk..."
He paused.
"...then I'll accept your decision."
One by one, people stepped forward.
Leon first.
Then Elias.
Then Mira.
Then Adrian.
Others followed.
William looked at them.
This time, he didn't say anything.
He simply nodded.
They traveled north.
The landscape gradually became darker.
The mountains grew larger.
The roads disappeared.
Eventually, they reached a canyon.
William stopped.
He could sense something.
"There's a formation ahead."
Adrian looked around.
"Can you see it?"
"No."
"Then how do you know?"
"I can feel the distortion."
William stepped forward.
The formation appeared.
A massive barrier stretched across the canyon.
But it wasn't meant to stop them.
It was meant to hide something.
William looked at it.
"There's a settlement beyond this."
Mira frowned.
"An enemy base?"
"Maybe."
Leon stepped forward.
"Then let's go."
William raised his hand.
"Wait."
Everyone stopped.
He looked at the formation again.
There was something unusual.
A message had been carved into the barrier.
Only three words.
You were expected.
William stared at them.
Adrian's expression became serious.
"They knew we'd come."
"Yes."
Mira looked around.
"Then it's another trap."
William shook his head.
"Probably."
"Then why are you smiling?"
William looked at the barrier.
"Because they finally made a mistake."
"What mistake?"
"They invited everyone."
Leon looked at him.
William's expression hardened.
"If they wanted to isolate me, they should have attacked me alone."
He stepped toward the barrier.
"But now..."
He looked back at the people standing behind him.
"...they've given everyone a reason to see the truth."
William placed his hand against the formation.
The barrier trembled.
"We're going in."
The group prepared themselves.
No one moved backward.
And somewhere beyond the barrier, something waited.
Something that had spent a long time manipulating events from the shadows.
But now William was walking directly toward it.
Not alone.
Not as a leader dragging followers behind him.
But surrounded by people who had chosen, once again, to walk beside him.