***
His eyes, dark as lacquer, flickered with firelight, deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were usually exceptionally clear, but now they seemed veiled in a black fog.
After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "So it was a dead end."
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the CRACKLE AND POP of sparks from the fire.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and smiled at him. "Didn't you say you wanted to serve the nation with utter loyalty and die for your country? Why do you seem so afraid now?"
"If I were born in a chaotic era, with no one but myself, my death would mean nothing. But with the nation in turmoil, even if I'm willing to die for it, I fear my death alone cannot save this crumbling dynasty."
