He died...
The thought echoed repeatedly in Pan Zheng's mind, like a hammer striking the same nail over and over again.
Kyrian. That boy with strange eyes and cold energy, and who never smiled.
Dead.
Because of him.
Pan Zheng let out a small, heavy sigh.
Guilt constantly gnawed at his chest.
He had hired Kyrian. He had brought him to that place.
But deep down, Pan Zheng knew, everyone knew, that exploring the Great Volcano would never be safe.
'If I had stayed behind...' Pan Zheng thought, but quickly discarded the idea.
Even if he had stayed, he would have died instantly. The lizard would have killed him with a single blow. He would not have been useful. It would not have made any difference.
Even so, that did not make his heart feel any better.
Guilt was not rational. It did not obey logic. It simply existed, a cold weight in his chest that refused to disappear.
Pan Zheng looked down at his hands.
'I am a coward.' Pan Zheng thought.
