Meanwhile, Raven just stared at the teacup in her hand.
Silence…
It was as if something in Seorin's words had struck a deeper chord than she had anticipated. A few seconds passed in silence. The night breeze blew gently, ruffling her still-slightly-damp hair.
"Lady—no," she said finally, her voice low, as if correcting herself.
"Seo-rin."
She lifted her gaze slightly.
"You know… what is the purpose of someone wanting to reach the peak?
Seo-rin furrowed her brow.
"The peak? You mean… like a life's purpose?"
Raven didn't answer right away. His gaze fell back on the fire flickering gently before them.
"Yes," he said briefly.
"Something like that."
Seo-rin took a small breath. Her shoulders dropped slightly, as if the question had touched on something she rarely thought about honestly.
"To be honest… I don't know what my purpose is," she said slowly.
"All I know is… I have to protect our home and lead my family someday."
She bowed her head slightly.
"As part of a major merchant family, I'm just fulfilling a role that was determined for me at birth."
A faint smile appeared on her lips
"Sometimes I'm not even sure myself… whether that's truly what I want," he continued softly,
"or just something I keep forcing myself to believe."
"…I see," Raven murmured.
He gave a slight nod, as if understanding more than he let on.
"So all this time you've been walking… because that was the path given to you."
Seo-rin nodded slowly.
Raven turned his gaze back to the fire. "In Murim… people call that destination the 'Peak.'" His voice was flat, yet it held something deeper than a mere explanation.
"Not the peak of power. Not victory. But the point where one stands after understanding why they fight, for whom… and with what they walk."
He glanced at Seo-rin out of the corner of his eye.
"You're not without a purpose. You just don't know yet whether that path belongs to you… or to someone else."
Raven looked back at the campfire. His eyes were calm, yet seemed distant.
"I used to walk a path I didn't choose. People call it fate."
He paused for a moment. The crackling of burning wood filled the silence between them.
"I kept moving forward… because everyone expected me to," he continued softly.
"Because the world around me only saw what I could do… not who I truly was."
The fire crackled softly.
"And when I realized it," she said softly,
"I was already standing too high to step down without destroying everything."
Seo-rin swallowed hard. Those words felt heavy—not just because of their meaning, but because of the way Raven spoke them. As if there was something truly significant behind them.
"Then… what happened?" she asked cautiously.
Raven didn't answer right away. He stared into the flames, as if seeing shadows of the past within them.
"At some point," he said finally,
"I realized I'd gone too far to turn back."
He let out a faint sigh.
"Everyone who walked with me… fell behind, one by one."
"On that path," Raven continued, his voice remaining calm,
"there was no room for doubt. No time to look back."
"Anyone who slowed down… would be crushed. Anyone who resisted… would be cast aside."
His tone was flat, as if he were recounting something ordinary. That was precisely what made it feel so heavy.
"I learned to close my eyes," he said again.
"Learned to call it sacrifice."
"Learned to tell myself that it was all necessary… for the sake of the goal."
He fell silent for a moment.
"Until finally, now," he continued softly,
"I realize one thing, I regret it."
Seo-rin gripped her cup tighter.
"So… was all of that because of that path?" she asked softly.
"No, but because I chose not to stop moving forward," Raven replied calmly.
"I told myself that as long as my goal was right, all those sacrifices were worth it."
She glanced at Seo-rin again.
"And maybe that's true… for a while."
Seo-rin fell silent. She held her breath without realizing it.
"So… reaching the summit isn't something that brings happiness, is it?"
Raven gave a faint smile. But the smile felt bitter.
"The summit… is empty," she said briefly.
"Everyone thinks it's the end of everything. But when you actually get there…" He paused for a moment, his voice dropping, "all that's left is you."
His gaze fell back on the flames.
"And if you get there having lost everything…"
"…then there's nothing left that can make you feel it's worth fighting for."
Silence once again enveloped them.
"I'm not saying your path is wrong, Seo-rin," Raven continued softly.
"I just hope… you've asked yourself whether you're walking this path because you want to protect them… or because you're afraid of letting them down."
Seo-rin lowered her head. Her chest felt tight with a truth that was too honest.
"I…" her voice trembled slightly.
"I've never thought about it that deeply."
"It's okay," Raven replied.
"Most people only realize it when it's already too late."
She stared at the fire once more, her eyes reflecting a weariness someone her age shouldn't possess.
"I hope you don't reach that point."
Seo-rin gripped her cup tightly—whether because of the cold, or because of something in her chest that suddenly felt heavy.
Amid the rustling of the wind and the gurgling of the river, Raven's words echoed softly yet clearly, like a warning from someone who had once stood alone at the highest place.
In the distance, Hana watched them with a slightly pouting expression.
The light from the campfire reflected in her eyes, highlighting the figures of Raven and Seo-rin, who seemed lost in their own world and were standing too close for just an ordinary conversation.
"Whoa, be careful, Han…" Karin whispered suddenly in her ear, making Hana jump slightly.
"Just a little longer, and he'll be snatched away."
"Eh—Karin! Don't just say things like that out of the blue," Hana said, a bit annoyed.
"Besides, Raven and I aren't in that kind of relationship. So… there's nothing wrong with him getting close to anyone."
"Hmmm, are you sure?" Karin raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing.
"The longer you stay silent, the more people will get close to him. And just from her appearance and aura, it's obvious that girl isn't an ordinary person."
Lisa nudged Hana's arm. "I agree with Karin. Why don't you just make a move before Raven gets snatched up by that girl?"
"Can't you two stop provoking me, you jerks…" Hana said, pouting.
From the side, Kevin, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up. "I don't think Raven will fall for that girl that easily."
Hana's eyes lit up instantly, gazing at Kevin hopefully. "Right? You feel that way too, don't you, Kevin?"
"Ah… yeah, I guess so," Kevin replied nervously. His face flushed because they were suddenly standing too close.
"Huh, why don't you just go win that girl over yourself, so she'll stay away from Raven?" Karin teased Kevin.
"What are you talking about? No way. I'm not interested in that girl," Kevin retorted quickly.
Lisa giggled softly. "Not interested? But weren't you staring at her for ages just now?"
"It's not like that, I was just… keeping an eye on her," Kevin said quickly, looking away.
Karin and Lisa exchanged glances, then laughed softly. Meanwhile, Kyle remained focused on his food, completely oblivious to their conversation.