The night was calm, but Kaien's thoughts were not.
He stood outside the small hut, peering through a crack in the wooden door.
Inside, the blind boy — Kyras — was quietly humming as he arranged a few wooden carvings on the table.
Curiosity sparked in Kaien's mind. He slipped inside quietly, his steps as light as a breeze. The air was thick with the scent of herbs and old wood.
He spotted a small wooden charm beside Kyras's hand — carved like a crescent moon.
A mischievous grin curved on Kaien's lips.
He reached out and carefully slid the charm a few inches away.
Kyras frowned. His hand moved — searching the empty space.
Then, without hesitation, he reached out again — this time exactly where Kaien had moved it.
Kaien froze.
How did he... right on the mark ?
A grin tugged at his lips. He tried again, this time moving a bowl. And once more, Kyras's hand reached out and stopped exactly where it had been placed.
A sudden memory flashed in his mind.
A bright summer day.
Takeda snatched a bamboo flute from his blind friend, Akihiro, and tiptoed away.
Akihiro reached out helplessly, patting the ground.
"Takeda? Hey—where is it?!"
Takeda laughed. "Come on, guess! You can't even find your own stuff."
Akihiro smiled weakly. "You're cruel, Takeda."
He reached around, stumbling, knocking over a small bucket.
Clumsy, Takeda had thought back then — but now, in this dim hut, Kaien realized Kyras wasn't clumsy at all.
He knew where everything was, as if the world itself whispered its secrets only yo him.
---
Kaien quietly repeated the act, moving a different trinket — a small bowl this time.
Again, Kyras's hand went straight to it, as though he saw where it was.
"Who's there?" Kyras said suddenly, his voice calm but firm.
Kaien straightened, suppressing a laugh.
"Just someone curious ," he said. "How'd you know where that was? You move like someone who can see, You're blind, right?"
Kyras's expression didn't change. "It's none of your business. And how did you even get in here?"
Before Kaien could tease further, a weak, wavering voice broke through their conversation.
"Kyras… who's there?"
Kyras instantly moved — quick and sure-footed, not stumbling once despite the clutter.
"Grandmother," he said softly, kneeling beside an elderly woman lying on a straw bed. "You should rest. I'll bring your food."
Kaien watched silently as Kyras prepared a small bowl of stew. Every movement was measured testing, stirring, feeling the warmth with his fingers. The boy's blindness didn't slow him, it shaped him.
When Kyras brought the bowl close, the old woman turned slightly. Her eyes were clouded, her skin pale — yet her presence filled the room like quiet light.
The old woman turned her head toward Kaien. Her eyes were only half open, clouded but aware.
"Ah," she whispered, sensing Kaien nearby. "A visitor."
Kaien hesitated. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."
The shaman's cloudy eyes softened. "There are no intrusions — only meetings meant by the winds. Come closer, child."
Kaien hesitated but obeyed. The shaman's gaze lingered on his hair — deep black, gleaming even in dim light.
"You carry misfortune but not malice..." she said gently, "you must not let it break you. You must not let the world harden your heart. Live kindly, and your path will not end in sorrow."
Kaien blinked, unsure how to respond. "You… can tell that just by looking?"
A faint smile touched her lips. "The eyes may fade, but the spirit sees more than light ever could."
She coughed softly, her strength fading. Kyras set the bowl beside her, concern tightening his small face.
"Grandmother, don't speak too much."
"Are you not afraid of me?" Kaien asked quietly. "I've got black hair."
The shaman chuckled softly. "Ohoho, you silly boy. Why should I be? I have witnessed many things in this world. There are far worse things to fear."
"What's your name, boy?"
"Kaien."
The woman placed a trembling hand over Kyras head. "Kyras… you've grown stronger."
she whispered,
"It seems… you and my grandson have met before."
Kyras's hand trembled.
"I don't know him!" he snapped suddenly.
The old woman coughed softly. "I see… then perhaps you can become friends instead."
Her tone grew weaker. "He was not always like this. He was cheerful and kind… but the world has not been gentle to him these past two years."
Kaien frowned. "What do you mean?"
The shaman only smiled again — distant and sad — as her eyes slowly drifted shut.
Kyras gently adjusted her blanket, saying nothing.
"My Grandma needs to rest"
as he escort Kaien outside the room a memory flash in Kyras
---
Flashback — Before the sudden appearance of Ebonveil
"Are you all right back there, son?" asked his father, Daren.
"I'm fine, Dad! Can we go faster?" Kyras grinned, his small feet hurrying to keep up.
"Faster?" Daren laughed. "Don't blame me later!"
"Hey! Don't push him too much, Daren!" scolded Mira, Kyras's mother, half laughing, half worried.
Minutes later—
"Bleurgh!" Kyras vomited beside the path.
"See! I told you to slow down!" Mira said, glaring at her husband. "Look what you've done to our son!"
"B-but Kyras wanted it! I'm sure he'll be a strong adventurer like me someday!" Daren stammered.
From time to time, Kyras and his parents visited his grandmother, the village shaman.
Kyras was shy and rarely spoke to other children, but his father always encouraged him — introducing him, making jokes, breaking the silence so Kyras could join in.
His grandmother often watched with a proud smile, back when her body was still strong and her eyes still clear.
One afternoon, on the slopes of Mirrormont Mountain, Daren turned to his son.
"You okay, son?"
Kyras nodded, panting. "Haa… yes, Father."
"Oh no," Mira said, rushing over. "You're sweating again! Here, drink this."
She shot Daren a glare. "Your pace is too fast for a child!"
They stopped for a short rest — but suddenly, the sky darkened.
Both Daren and Mira's faces turned grim.
Kyras blinked, confused. "What's wrong, Father? Mother?"
The sky had torn open that day — a black veil spreading across the heavens, swallowing the sun and sky.
"Ebonveil," Daren whispered.
"Quick! Find a cave!"
But it was too late — the Veyliths had already appeared, shadows tearing through the trees.
Daren gripped his sword tightly, carrying little Kyras on his back as they fled through the forest. His wife, Mira, ran beside them, her voice trembling with chants she barely remembered — fragments of the shamanic teachings she'd learned from her mother.
The family ran. The creatures gave chase, shrieking.
"Daren, it's following us!" she cried, glancing behind as one of the Veyliths surged closer, tearing through the trees.
"Keep going!"
Kyras clung to his father's shoulders, crying out, "Father!"
"I'm here, son! Hold on—"
A flash of black light cut through the air, hurling Daren and Kyras to the ground. Mira turned, standing between them and the advancing creature, her eyes blazing.
"Spirit of the winds, heed my voice—" she began to chant, voice shaking.
Daren tried to rise, blood staining his side. Daren fought the advancing Veylith with everything he had.
When they were only a few steps from the cave, a Veylith struck — its split in to two, a veylith's tail grazing Kyras's eyes as Mira fought it off.
Daren cut down the creature, but he was too late. The corruption spread fast — dark veins crawling across Kyras's face.
Mira pressed her talisman against the cave entrance, sealing it shut with a burst of light. The barrier held, keeping the Veyliths out.
She lit a torch and tried to heal her son, but her magic had no effect.
Daren struck the cave wall with his fist, tears in his eyes. "If only I'd been faster…"
Mira began chanting something ancient — dark, powerful.
Daren realized what she was doing. "Mira, no—stop!"
But she shook her head, determination in her trembling voice.
"It's my fault, Daren. I won't let him die… even if it costs me everything."
Blood welled in Daren's fists as he clenched them, silent in his grief.
Kyras couldn't see, but he could hear every word — his parents' voices breaking, as if the world itself were slipping away.Kyras crawled to her side, shaking her hand. "Mother…?"
She smiled weakly, brushing his cheek. "Don't cry, Kyras… you must live."
Her gaze flickered to Daren. "Please… protect him."
Time passed. The storm outside faded. Moments later, the light went out of her eyes, Mira was gone — her life traded for her son's.
Daren's roar echoed through the forest, but there was no time to mourn,
Daren carried Kyras, running as fast as he could toward Oakrest Town. At the gate, Edrin, the village chief, stopped him.
He saw the dark curse marks on both father and son — and knew they wouldn't last long.
The villagers recoiled in fear, but Edrin still guided them to the shaman's home.
"Mother-in-law—! She's gone! They're coming!"
The old shaman's eyes burned with power and grief. "Give me the boy."
Daren hesitated. "What are you—"
"There is no time!" she said sharply. "He bears the mark. The curse is inside him!"
Kyras whimpered, clutching his father's sleeve.
The shaman raised her staff, voice trembling as she uttered forbidden words. The air turned heavy, the ground pulsing with dark light.
"I will draw out the curse… but it demands a life in exchange."
Daren's eyes widened — but when Kyras's faint glow began to turn crimson, he understood.
"Then take mine," he said quietly.
The shaman froze. "You'll die."
He smiled faintly. "He's my son."
Before she could protest, he stepped forward, placing his hand on Kyras's chest.
Light erupted, searing the darkness around them.a hole of pure white pierced the room.
When the light faded, Kyras lay unconscious, the black mark on his neck gone.
Daren was nowhere to be found.
The shaman collapsed, her body frail, her hair turning white in an instant.
The price of forbidden magic had been paid.
The next day, Kyras survived, but his hair had changed — half of it turned pure black.
From that day onward, the shaman's strength began to fade.
The memory faded — replaced by the soft hum of crickets and the creak of the hut's wooden door.
Kyras stood there quietly, eyes half-lidded, while Kaien waited outside, hands behind his head like he hadn't just been caught sneaking into someone's house.
"So…" Kaien began, flashing a lopsided grin. "Your grandma said we should be friends, right?"
He leaned forward slightly. "What do you say?"
Kyras blinked once.
"No."
BANG!
The door slammed shut right in Kaien's face. The gust of air rustled his hair as a single leaf drifted down between them.
Kaien just stood there, blinking. "…Wow. That was fast."
He stared at the door for a second longer before sighing. "Rejected before I even finished the sentence. Guess that's a new record."
He turned away, muttering under his breath, "He really does remind me of someone..."
From inside the hut, Kyras leaned against the door, exhaling softly. The faintest smirk touched his lips.
---End Of Chapter 15---