The fortress was vast, crumbling under time's weight. Renjiro's weakened body barely carried him past the broken gates.
He wandered blindly through the corridors, his father still in his arms.
Then—he found the cave.
Dark. Silent. Hidden deep within the ruins.
Without a word, he collapsed to his knees.
He placed his head against his father's chest.
He listened.
Nothing.
No heartbeat.
No warmth.
Only silence.
Seven days passed.
Seven days of stillness. Of cold. Of emptiness.
He never moved. Never spoke.
All he could do was hold onto his father's lifeless form.
Then—
A voice.
Deep. Calm. Unshaken.
"Yo, kid."
Renjiro's body tensed.
"Are you just going to sit on your ass all day?"
His breath hitched.
Fear shot through his chest as he turned his head toward the unknown voice.
"Who…?"
The voice chuckled.
"I'm Zukios. Nice to meet you."
Renjiro said nothing.
He only tightened his grip around his father.
Zukios sighed.
"It's too late for him, kid."
Renjiro's heart pounded.
"Shut up!" he shouted.
But then—
Zukios spoke again.
And the words shattered Renjiro.
Because they were the same words his father once said.
"A hero isn't just about strength. It's about standing back up, no matter how many times you fall."
Renjiro's entire body trembled.
Tears poured down his face.
His final wall broke.
And for the first time in his life—
He wept.