Chapter 10: Tears
The capital had fallen silent after the council meeting. Yet inside Kael, a silent storm raged, a restless sea under a leaden sky. He held in his hands the old grimoire he had bought on the black market, his fingers brushing over the strange symbols as one might caress a forgotten scar. Not a single word was readable, and yet… he felt something. As if the book were watching him, as if every page knew the truths he was hiding.
Kael sighed, slowly closing the tome.
— "Why… why can't I read it… damn it, I've been searching for it for two years, and now that I finally have it, it's written in a strange language…" he murmured, his voice trembling.
Suo, motionless and silent, emerged from the shadows like a ghost. Arms crossed, his gaze was cold and piercing.
— "So, you've taken up reading now? A literary thief, that's not very common."
Kael flinched.
— "Suo? How long have you been there?"
— "That doesn't matter."
Kael clenched his fists, breath short.
— "Actually, it's just a book I borrowed from the palace library, nothing more."
Suo's gaze shifted toward the book. But Kael immediately closed it and stood up.
— "I have to go, Tara's waiting for me, she needs help with something."
Suo stayed silent, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. He had seen enough to know this was no ordinary book.
The night passed. It was cold and hostile.
The next day, Kael entered the arena. He had received a summons from Suo to meet him there. Suo was already present, training amidst dust and wind. Shadows danced around him, shaping themselves into chains, blades, and elusive forms that seemed to breathe. Kael stood frozen for a moment, hypnotized.
— "Why did you want to see me?"
Suo opened his eyes, sharp as blades of ice.
— "Well, probably to apologize. You and I started off on the wrong foot. So I thought we should try again, from the beginning."
Kael lowered his head, a weight tightening around his chest. Suo pressed further, his words sharp as arrows.
— "But there's something I want to check. During our battle in Kimena, I didn't sense a single drop of magical energy in you. How is that? On top of not knowing how to fight, you have no aptitude for magic either…"
Blood rushed to Kael's face, anger and shame blending with a burning fire inside him.
— "Shut up!!! If that's the only reason you wanted to see me, then it was really unnecessary!"
Suo's lips curved into a thin, enigmatic smile.
— "At last… you're starting to stand your ground a little… Come."
Suo tossed a sword in front of Kael, and Kael hurled himself at him. The fight began. But it was more of a slaughter than a duel. Unable to defend himself, Kael felt the painful truth: he was weak. Terribly weak. And if one day he faced a life-or-death situation, he would have no way of protecting anyone.
— "You're weak… weaker than I thought, Kael. Seth, on the other hand… he's strong. You're running out of time. The world is vast, dangerous… an ocean of malice. If you don't change, Tara and Seth will one day see you as a burden, and you'll end up being killed like a dog…"
Suo's shadow chains lashed out, binding Kael, who struggled in vain. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the rain that had begun to fall, as if the sky itself sought to wash away his despair.
— "You must improve, Kael… and to do that, you must break free of the loser's image you've chained yourself to. The next time I call you Kael, it will mean I've seen your worth and that you've become worthy as a man."
Suo walked away, leaving Kael behind, ashamed and powerless. The rain fell harder, turning his tears into silver rivulets, but his cold gaze slowly filled with determination.
Later that night, Seth and Suo shared a hushed conversation, their voices nearly carried away by the wind.
Seth, his voice trembling:
— "Suo… why are you really helping me? I know we had a deal, but… it was supposed to be over."
Suo remained silent for a long time, his eyes fixed on the moon as though it listened to their secrets. At last, he spoke:
— "Because I see myself in you. I too carried a part of me I didn't understand… They even told me I would become a monster. The difference is… I chose to become one, but only to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. That's why, when I saw you, instinctively, I decided to help you. And it's the same for Tara and Kael. I don't want more children to die because of me."
Seth's eyes widened, hope slipping into his heart like a ray of light.
— "Then… do you think I could also protect others?…"
Suo turned his heavy, sincere gaze toward him.
— "The most important thing… is to protect those you love, no matter how much evil may come. Friends are the most beautiful thing anyone can have. And Tara and Kael… they're your friends now. So protect them, Seth, and live!"
A solemn silence settled, deep as a calm sea beneath a starry sky. For the first time, Seth glimpsed Suo's heart.
Before leaving, Suo placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
— "Listen well, Seth. Whoever you are, I'll help you regain your memory. I promise you that. There won't be any more deals. Let's consider it a new pact, alright?" he said with a faint chuckle.
Seth swallowed hard, his heart pounding.
— "It's strange… to think we're just strangers, and yet I can trust you completely. I must be such an idiot…" he said with a faint smile.
Suo gave a bitter smile, a shadow of pain flickering in his eyes.
— "That's possible… After all, I may not be the man you think I am. Men are all manipulators. They wear a kind face to draw you in, but can become worse than the devil once you're their enemy. I've lived through that myself…" A silence fell, then he continued:
— "The most important thing, Seth… is that you recover your memory and your family. I believe you have one. Maybe you ran away from home, who knows… or maybe something happened to you."
Relieved, Seth threw his arms around Suo. Gratitude overflowed from his heart like a flooding river.
— "Thank you… for everything, Suo…"
The rain kept falling, carrying away sorrows and sowing promises of a future where light and shadow might finally coexist.
To be continued…