The next day, after a light breakfast, Ryuzen and the group headed toward the nearest graveyard for Venus's father's funeral.
The funeral wasn't grand. They wore the same old clothes, carried the same weary expressions, but the grief in their eyes was unmistakable.
Venus cried silently. What hurt the most was the absence of her mother. She wasn't even there to see her husband one last time. Still unconscious, locked in a world of silence, unaware that the man she loved with her whole heart had left this world while protecting their family.
Ryuzen stood quietly beside her, a deep sense of respect swelling within him. The man may not have been strong, but he was a real father. The kind Ryuzen had never experienced. A father who loved, who sacrificed.
Regardless, In that moment Ryuzen realized what he had to do.
He gently placed a hand on Venus's shoulder and spoke in a low voice,
