The silence hung in the air, almost like a fog too thick to be pushed aside. The fire in the hearth still crackled softly, casting an orange glow on the faces staring at Rio.
Rio's recent request—a plea to be trained, even if it cost him his life—still echoed in the air, like the ringing of a bell that refused to fade.
Lisa stared at him, her expression unreadable. Dany was silent, one eyebrow raised, as if trying to process whether this boy was serious or just speaking in a burst of anger.
Then, suddenly—laughter.
It wasn't a mocking laugh. It was a laugh of relief. Like someone who had held their breath for too long and could finally breathe again.
Dany looked down, laughing softly. "My god… I actually thought you were going to run the moment you woke up."
Lisa turned her head, her lips curving slightly. A small smile—brief, but real.
Rio's brow furrowed, confusion flashing across his usually cold face. "Why are you all laughing?" he asked, his tone flat, yet holding a hint of annoyance at feeling like he was being toyed with.
Dany wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye, trying to control his laughter. "Why do you think I went through the trouble of bringing you here, Rio? Isn't it strange that Kakek Henry would so easily reveal our existence and our purpose to a stranger like you? I could have just dropped you off at any hospital in the city center and forgotten all about you."
"Maybe… because you don't trust the doctors in the city," Rio answered, his logic trying to find an explanation. "They could be Eaters in disguise."
Dany shook his head slowly. "Not really. Eaters, those disgusting creatures, have strange tastes. They aren't particularly interested in the flesh of the sick or dying. Too… bland, they say." His tone was light, but a cold glint flashed in his blue eyes at the mention of Eaters.
Before Rio could process that information, Kakek Henry's deep and calm voice broke the silence.
The old man still sat upright in his chair, his dark brown eyes staring at Rio with an intensity that made the hair on his neck stand up. "Before you were fully conscious, son, Dany told Lisa and me a few interesting things."
The fire in the hearth crackled, sending shadows dancing across the wooden walls.
"This morning, Dany was actually heading to the city center for supplies. However, on his way, he sensed something unusual. The presence… an Aura of considerable power, something he rarely encounters among ordinary humans." Kakek Henry paused, letting his words sink in.
"Because of his instincts as a Gladius, he decided to follow the source of that power. And the trail led him to a small cafe… where he saw an old man in a fur-lined cloak speaking with you. Dany, of course, decided to observe and listen further."
Rio fell silent. The memory of the brief encounter in the cafe resurfaced. A strange old man, with a gaze that seemed to pierce his very soul. Their conversation was short, vague, yet it left an unforgettable impression. A premonition.
"So… what finally made Dany decide to bring me to this house?" Rio asked, his eyes now turning to Dany, searching for a more concrete answer.
Dany leaned back, his amused smile fading, replaced by a more serious expression.
"At first, I was just puzzled. Why would someone with an Aura that strong, strong enough to catch my attention from dozens of meters away, be interested in a kid like you? What did he see in you?"
He looked at Rio more deeply, as if trying to uncover something beneath his skin.
"Then, as I was eavesdropping on your conversation in the cafe, I saw the old man take out a slip of paper… and show it to you. You looked surprised, a little… shaken. But I was the only one who could see the expression on your face from the side."
Dany paused for a moment, then continued softly, "I caught a glimpse of the paper. The writing was very… personal. 'AFTER GRADUATION, I WILL EXTERMINATE ALL EATERS'."
Dany let out a small laugh, but it was more out of disbelief at the strange twist of fate.
"At that moment, I realized… this wasn't ordinary hatred. You weren't just a traumatized kid. You were harboring a fire that had yet to be extinguished."
He leaned back again, his shoulders more relaxed this time. "So yes, I decided to bring you here. Because a man that powerful wouldn't be interested in just any kid. And because I wanted to know… who you really are. The man named Rio Rosswel."
Rio lowered his head. His worn black jacket seemed to add to the weight on his shoulders.
For a moment, he just stared at the creaking wooden floor beneath his feet.
Then, in a low voice that trembled with the emotion he tried to suppress, he said, "Ten years ago… with my own two eyes… I watched my mother get eaten alive. By two Eaters."
The room fell instantly silent. The laughter that had echoed moments before vanished without a trace.
The fire in the hearth still crackled, but its sound seemed to dim, unable to penetrate the frost that had suddenly enveloped them.
Dany, who usually had a light comment for everything, was now silent. His blue eyes looked at Rio, and for the first time, Rio saw something else there—not amusement, not analysis, but a dark understanding. It was as if a shadow from Dany's own past had been disturbed, a bitter memory perhaps not so different from what he had just heard.
Lisa, who had been mostly silent with her arms crossed, now looked away. Her jaw tightened, and a cold anger flashed in her sharp, black eyes. Not at Rio, but at the Eaters. Rio's tragedy seemed to reignite the fire of hatred within her, reminding her of the loss and pain that she and her family had also once felt.
"I don't care," Rio's voice broke the silence, firmer now, his head lifted, his dark grey gaze piercing. "I don't care if I have some 'hidden potential' or not. What's clear is… you will train me." His expression was no longer pleading, but demanding with an undeniable seriousness.
Lisa let out a slow, cold breath. "Dany and I can't make a decision that big," she said, her voice flat, but there was a hidden challenge in her eyes as they met Rio's.
"It all depends on Kakek Henry."
Rio immediately looked at Kakek Henry. In the old man's eyes, he found no pity, only a sharp, unblinking assessment.
Rio held that gaze, allowing his own burning determination to be seen clearly.
"Do you know what it means to ask to be trained with a Gladius sword, son?" Kakek Henry asked, his voice still calm, but there was weight in every word.
"I'm ready!" Rio answered without hesitation, his voice loud. "Even if it costs me my life!"
Kakek Henry looked at him more deeply, as if trying to measure the depth of his oath.
Then, an almost imperceptible nod. "Very well. I accept your request."