Hope Within Despair
"Your father was a great man."
"He fulfilled his duty to the very end."
A brief silence followed.
Then Maya gently rested a comforting hand upon Shan's trembling shoulder.
"But from this day onward..."
"The heavy responsibility of Secret Sword Summit will fall upon you."
"You must not collapse."
Her voice was soft, yet every word carried undeniable weight.
Shan lowered his head. His fingers tightened around his father's cold hand, refusing to let go.
Around them, the elders and students of Celestis Academy silently shook their heads.
A heavy sigh escaped one elder after another.
No one blamed Shera.
No one blamed Shan.
Instead, every person present blamed themselves.
If only they had been stronger...
If only they had arrived sooner...
If only they could have shared even a fraction of the burden Shera had carried alone.
Perhaps...
Things would have ended differently.
Unfortunately, there was no "perhaps" in reality.
