Chapter 6

  Echoes of the Past — (15 Years Ago)

  On a quiet night, the city’s warm lights spilled across the sidewalks as Sbyam walked beside Risa. They were both seventeen, wandering through the calm backstreets where the noise of the world seemed far away.

  Risa glanced at him with a mischievous smile, her voice light, teasing, and touched with shy playfulness.

  “Brylo won’t get mad at me… right?”

  Sbyam slowed to a stop, surprise flashing across his face. He hadn’t expected her to bring that up. After a brief pause, he asked,

  “Why would he?”

  Risa took a deep breath, then laughed softly. Her smile turned half-playful, half-mysterious.

  “Because I stole you from him.”

  For a moment, Sbyam was speechless. A quiet laugh escaped him as he looked at her, his expression carefully neutral, before turning his gaze forward—almost as if he were trying to outrun the emotions rising in his chest.

  Risa continued, her voice warm, her eyes gentle as they rested on him.

  “So… I told you how I feel earlier, didn’t I? Aren’t you going to tell me how you feel too?”

  He walked on slowly, fighting the smile tugging at his lips.

  “Give me some time,” he murmured. “I don’t want to rush my answer.”

  Risa studied him with longing, then smiled softly.

  “But you’re walking with me right now. Doesn’t that mean you’ve already accepted my feelings?”

  Their laughter lingered in the air as Risa gently slipped her hand into Sbyam’s. They walked in quiet harmony, as though the city itself were embracing them, their intertwined laughter echoing through the narrow streets—an eternal whisper from the past.

  ---

  The Present — (15 Years Later)

  Under the pale glow of the moon, a heavy, unsettling silence blanketed the ruined area after the brutal battle between Sbyam and Smart. The townspeople stood at a distance, staring at the devastation with faces frozen in fear and disbelief. Low whispers spread among them.

  A man spoke, his voice tight with unease.

  “What… what happened here?”

  A trembling girl answered,

  “He killed him in a horrifying way… I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Amid the scattered murmurs, Sbyam emerged.

  His face was drained of color, his eyes weighed down by a sorrow so deep it seemed endless. In his arms, he carried Risa’s lifeless body, holding her as if she were a part of his own shattered soul. His steps were slow, barely lifting from the ground, his gaze fixed on her silent face—as though he were searching for one last trace of life.

  At that sight, fear tightened its grip on the townspeople.

  The overwhelming power that had dominated the battle was gone. All that remained was a crushing silence—painful, absolute, and eerily close to death itself.

  ---

  In the Heart of the Forest — The Stone Castle

  Deep within a dense forest, a stone castle stood in silent isolation.

  Inside one of its vast chambers, Spailo stood motionless behind Raizo, who gazed out through a tall window as cold moonlight spilled into the wide stone room. The silence stretched on—until Spailo finally broke it, his voice firm, heavy with resolve.

  “I’ll do it.”

  Raizo turned slowly. His eyes studied Spailo’s face, as if reading thoughts left unspoken. When he replied, his tone was calm, yet a warning lay beneath it.

  “You’re not obligated to do this. You know that, don’t you?”

  Spailo’s answer came sharp and unyielding, his eyes burning with determination.

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  “I will. And I won’t back down.”

  Raizo’s response was cool, edged with quiet wisdom.

  “You know Suero hates you, don’t you? If he finds out what you’re planning, he’ll never forgive you. You’ve told me enough times how stubborn he is.”

  A brief silence followed. For a heartbeat, Spailo’s expression wavered, as though he were absorbing Raizo’s words. Then he lifted his gaze, steady and unshaken.

  “It doesn’t matter. The day will come when he understands the truth of this world… the full truth of Kaisima.”

  A faint smile touched Raizo’s lips—part satisfaction, part indifference—before he replied flatly,

  “Do as you wish.”

  ---

  At the Apartment Door

  Sbyam stood before the door, staring at it with exhausted eyes. A crushing weight pressed down on him as he held Risa’s lifeless body in his arms. Confusion and pain twisted across his face before he knocked softly, as if afraid of the sound it might make.

  Moments later, an elderly woman opened the door. She froze, staring at him as though she couldn’t believe what stood before her. Their eyes met, and in that brief exchange passed a grief too deep for words—before her gaze dropped to Risa’s body.

  Sbyam whispered, his voice barely audible, trembling as it broke through the silence.

  “She’s… she’s gone.”

  Shock filled the old woman’s eyes as she looked at Risa again, as if refusing to accept what she had just heard. Sbyam stepped inside slowly, laying Risa’s body gently on the couch, as though saying his final farewell. For a moment, he stared at her peaceful face. Then he turned and walked out, leaving the woman standing there, frozen in disbelief, as if her entire world had collapsed in an instant.

  ---

  At Dawn

  As dawn crept in, Salma stepped quietly out of her house, her movements careful, her features weighed down by worry. She paused in the street, drew in a deep breath of the cold morning air, and murmured in a trembling voice,

  “Spailo… I want an explanation for everything you’ve done.”

  Turning away from the house, she hailed a taxi and left, abandoning everything behind as she set out in search of the truth.

  ---

  Return to the Academy

  At sunrise, Sbyam returned to the academy. His steps were slow, weighed down by a long, sleepless night. He passed through the school gate in silence, where the students were already waiting. Their faces were filled with shock and unease.

  He said nothing. He didn’t need to.

  The silence alone was enough.

  His calm gaze swept over them, as if asking without words, What is it?

  But Suero stepped forward, worry clear in his voice.

  “Master Sbyam… are you alright?”

  Kamyo studied him more closely, noticing the exhaustion carved into his face.

  “What happened to you?”

  Sbyam lifted his eyes for a brief moment. He exhaled slowly, then answered in a low, cold tone.

  “Leave me alone. That’s all I want.”

  He walked to his room and closed the door behind him, letting the silence reclaim the space.

  Baysal stared at the floor, stunned, before whispering with a broken, suffocated voice,

  “Sbyam’s friend… she’s gone.”

  Moryo turned to her sharply, disbelief written across his face.

  “How do you know?”

  Baysal looked shaken as she replied,

  “Didn’t you see the news last night? Risa… she died.”

  Moryo murmured to himself, frozen in shock,

  “Risa…?”

  Baysal continued, as if dragging a painful memory back to the surface.

  “Do you remember, Moryo? …Risa was his friend.”

  ---

  Inside the Room

  Sbyam sat on the edge of his bed, holding an old photograph of himself and Risa. His eyes lingered on it, distant, lost somewhere between memory and pain. A faint smile touched his lips—only to be smothered by tears.

  A knock at the door shattered the quiet and pulled him back to the present.

  He hesitated, then forced himself to steady his voice.

  “What do you want?”

  A voice came from the other side.

  “Master Sbyam… may I come in?”

  He recognized it immediately.

  “Moryo? …Come in.”

  The door opened slowly. Moryo stepped inside and closed it behind him. He sat beside Sbyam on the bed, watching him in silence, concern heavy in his eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  Sbyam gave him a painful smile.

  “Of course… I just never thought I’d live to see this moment.”

  Moryo hesitated, then asked gently,

  “How… how did she die?”

  Sbyam frowned. His fingers twitched nervously, as if trying to escape the truth. The words stuck in his throat—an unbearable reality he refused to share.

  I won’t tell him her father is still alive. I won’t expose his crimes.

  After a long pause, he finally turned to Moryo.

  “It doesn’t matter. Someone killed her.”

  Moryo stared at him, stunned.

  “Someone…?”

  Sbyam lowered his head, his voice barely a whisper.

  “They say I’m strong… but is strength really enough?”

  He lifted his gaze slightly, searching the empty air for an answer that wasn’t there.

  Moryo looked at him with a mix of confusion, respect, and sympathy. He wanted to comfort him, but after a moment of silence, he spoke instead.

  “I don’t know… but this won’t stop you from training us, will it?”

  Sbyam slowly smiled at his reflection in the mirror, as if trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

  “Yes… that’s what keeps me going. You’re all still here. That’s enough.”

  Then he turned back to Moryo, a crooked grin forming as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “Come on. Let’s go to the cinema. I want to watch something amazing.”

  Moryo blinked, completely thrown off by the sudden shift.

  “What… what is wrong with this sudden change?”

  Sbyam laughed, giving his shoulder a playful pat.

  “Relax. You’ll enjoy it. Don’t be so serious, Moryo.”

  Moryo sighed in defeat, a small smile slipping through despite himself.

  “Damn it… I hate this side of you.”

  Sbyam widened his eyes theatrically.

  “This side? What do you mean?”

  Moryo turned away awkwardly.

  “Nothing. Forget it.”

  Suddenly, a massive explosion roared through the air, shaking the ground beneath them. Both of them froze, then rushed toward the window.

  Smoke was rising from the heart of the city.

  “What happened there?” Sbyam muttered.

  He turned to Moryo, decision already made.

  “Let’s go check it out.”

  Sbyam leapt out of the window. Moryo followed without hesitation. Together, they raced toward the source of the smoke.

  A familiar voice called out from behind them.

  “Master Sbyam!”

  He turned to see Suero approaching with the rest of the team.

  “What are you all doing here?”

  Kamyo answered with excitement,

  “We heard the explosion. We came to see what was going on!”

  Suero added firmly,

  “We’re here to help.”

  Sbyam nodded.

  “Alright. Let’s move.”

  They rushed toward the site of the blast. When they arrived, they hovered above a crowd gathered around a burning taxi. Tension hung thick in the air.

  Moryo broke the silence.

  “Is that what caused the explosion?”

  Sbyam’s eyes remained fixed on the flames.

  “Looks like it.”

  Baysal suddenly froze, her voice trembling.

  “There… there are people inside the car.”

  Suero focused his gaze—and his breath caught.

  Inside, he saw the lifeless body of a woman.

  His voice shook, distant, unreal.

  “Mom…?”

  End of Chapter.