The first rays of dawn slipped through the canopy, scattering gold across the forest floor. Dew clung to the leaves, and birdsong cautiously returned after the long night.
Sakura sat beside Xesre's sleeping body, her knees drawn up to her chest. She hadn't slept at all. Not after what she'd seen.
His face was calm now, but it wasn't peace she saw there. It was emptiness.The kind that only came after too much pain.
"Why are you carrying all of this alone…?" she whispered.
She reached out, hesitating for just a heartbeat, and then rested her hand gently on his arm. His skin was cold. Not lifeless—but distant. Like he was somewhere far away, trapped inside his own head.
Hours later, when he stirred, the forest was fully awake. Xesre's eyes opened slowly, sharp blue meeting gold. For a moment, he didn't speak. He just stared at her, as if trying to figure out why she was still there.
"You followed me," he muttered, his voice rough.
Sakura nodded. "Yeah."
He sat up stiffly, brushing dirt off his cloak. There was no gratitude in his expression. No anger either. Just the same distant look he always wore.
"You shouldn't have," he said simply."You'll regret it."
"Maybe," she replied. "But I couldn't ignore what I saw last night."
Xesre froze. His eyes narrowed, not in rage, but in quiet defensiveness.
"Forget about that," he muttered. "It's none of your business."
"You made it my business," she shot back softly.
For a heartbeat, the air between them thickened—unspoken pain pressing down like fog. But then he turned away and started walking.
She followed.
Later that day, they reached a quiet riverbank. The water glittered in the sunlight, flowing gently. Xesre crouched at the edge, splashing his face with cold water. His reflection wavered—a boy's face hiding an ancient, broken soul.
Sakura stood behind him, clutching her staff.She'd made up her mind.
"Holy Magic: Remembrance Light."
A soft golden glow spread from her staff, surrounding them in a warm halo. The spell wasn't powerful enough to heal deep trauma, but it could untangle fragmented memories, easing emotional weight.
The light seeped into Xesre's skin. He stiffened immediately.
Suddenly, memories flooded back—not all, but fragments.
The saint women.The endless needles.The sound of chains clinking.The taste of blood in his mouth as they harvested it.
Their smiles—cold, saintly, obsessed with eternal youth.
"Stop…" he whispered."S–Stop it!"
The glow flickered as his breathing quickened. His hands shook.
"I don't want to see it again."
"I'm not forcing you," Sakura said gently. "But you don't have to carry it alone."
The golden light pulsed softly, washing through the fragments like gentle waves on broken glass. Some memories softened, blurred at the edges—not erased, but less sharp. For the first time in centuries, the weight in his chest eased ever so slightly.
Three days later, they stumbled across something unexpected.
Deep in the forest, half-hidden beneath overgrown vines, stood a small wooden cabin. Smoke curled faintly from its chimney, and the sound of rhythmic impacts echoed from behind it—thwack, thwack, thwack—like someone striking a training post.
"Someone's here," Sakura said, raising her staff cautiously.
Xesre said nothing. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the clearing.
They rounded the corner—and froze.
There, shirtless and drenched in sweat, was a brown-haired boy about their age. Half of his hair was black, the other half blue, split perfectly down the middle. His movements were lightning-fast, each punch and kick striking with precision that almost defied sight.
"What… is that speed?" Sakura whispered.
Xesre's sharp gaze caught a flicker in the boy's eyes. A strange gleam.
Special eyes, he realized. Reflexes that fast… he's dangerous.
The boy turned, noticing them. His expression was sharp but not hostile.
"Who are you two?" he demanded.
"Travelers," Sakura replied carefully.
"Then stay out of my way," he said flatly, and returned to his training.
Xesre's lips twitched faintly. Not a smile—but interest.This boy… wasn't ordinary.