[*]
His eyes, like polished 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's a dead end."
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the CRACKLE of embers.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and grinned at him. "Weren't you just talking about serving the nation with utmost loyalty, swearing to die for your country? Why the sudden fear?"
"If I were born in a chaotic era, alone with nothing but my own flesh and blood, it wouldn't matter if I died. But now, with the nation adrift and in peril, even if I'm willing to give my life, I fear it won't be enough to prevent the dynasty from collapsing."
