Otone sat alone in the darkened room, silence pressing against him like a physical weight. The faint flicker of the lamp cast long shadows along the walls, twisting in rhythm with his ragged breaths. Virex's words echoed in his mind, sharp and unrelenting.
"Listen, I'll be honest… you don't have enough mantra potential to rival even the Seraph Admirals. Let alone be strong enough to become a legendary navy officer."
Otone's jaw tightened, the memory cutting deeper than any blade. "Pirates are growing stronger every day. You saw how three Seraph Admirals were taken down by Dravon in the Devil War. Do you really think you can keep up?"
He took a sharp breath in the memory. "Honestly… just give up. You have no talent. But if you refuse… then come back."
Back in the present, Otone's hands trembled as he buried his face in them. Tears traced the lines of his cheeks, burning yet unable to fall. His voice cracked, choked with anguish.
"Why… why am I not gifted in any way? Why am I so weak? What did I do wrong?"
His chest heaved. "I want to be strong… strong enough to protect everyone… my brother… my family… yet I can't. Why is this happening to me?!"
Outside the door, Touka Hibuko froze. She whispered softly, "Captain?"
Otone's sobs grew heavier, wracking his body. He pressed his head against the floor. "I would never go through this again. I never want to… Kill me… someone… please… free me…"
Touka's eyes glistened. She stepped back quietly, wiping her own tears. "He's not what everyone sees. It's so much deeper than that… He's hurting, yet he smiles in front of others, keeps saving them… I want to be like him one day."
Her footsteps echoed softly down the hallway as she left him to his silence. Otone remained there, broken but still burning with the quiet fire of determination, even if he could not see it yet.