[*]
His eyes, dark as lacquer, flickered with firelight, deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were usually exceptionally clear, but now they seemed shrouded in a black mist.
After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "So it was a dead end."
A hush fell, leaving only the CRACKLE of embers.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and smiled at him. "Didn't you want to serve the nation with utmost loyalty, swearing to die for your country? Why do you seem so afraid now?"
"If I had been born in a time of chaos, with no one but myself, my death would mean nothing. But now, with my family and country in peril, even if I'm willing to give my life, I fear it won't be enough to save a collapsing dynasty."
