Shin managed to find the courage to visit Lusy that afternoon, though his mind was anything but calm. He stood outside the building, staring at the distant garden while countless thoughts battled inside his head.
"Hmm... what should I do?"
The question had been repeating itself endlessly.
Then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet surroundings.
Shin slightly turned his head.
The moment he saw who it was, his expression became even more troubled.
It wasn't an enemy.
It wasn't a crisis.
It was someone far more difficult to face.
Ben.
The tall man walked toward him through the HQ corridor with a serious expression on his face.
"It's been a while, Captain."
Shin forced out an awkward laugh.
"Haha... yeah. It has been a while. How have things been, Ben?"
Before Ben could answer, the nearby door suddenly opened.
Lusy stepped outside.
The moment she saw Shin, her eyes narrowed.
"You came!"
Then she noticed Ben.
"Oh, Ben. You came at the perfect time."
"I think so too, Miss Lusy."
Both of them slowly approached Shin.
For perhaps the first time in a very long while, the strongest person in HQ felt cornered.
Shin instinctively stepped backward.
Lusy crossed her arms.
"Time to spill the beans, Shin."
"Tell you what exactly?"
He took another step back.
Then another.
Until his back finally hit the wall.
There was nowhere left to escape.
"Don't play dumb," Lusy said, her voice carrying clear frustration. "Tell us why you pushed Zaraf and Zeo to their limits. Things were already difficult for Zaraf. You knew how unstable Zeo's mentality was. Then why did you choose him as your student? Why did you make everything even more complicated?"
Silence fell.
For a few moments, Shin simply stared at them.
Then he sighed.
A long, tired sigh.
The kind of sigh carried by someone who had been holding regrets for years.
"You both deserve an explanation."
His voice was quiet.
"So I'll tell you everything."
He slowly walked toward the balcony and sat down, facing the garden below.
The evening wind flowed through the air like invisible flames, brushing against their clothes while carrying an unexpected heaviness.
Ben leaned against the wall.
Lusy stood nearby.
Neither interrupted him.
After several seconds, Shin finally spoke.
"Let's talk about Zaraf first."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ben froze.
His expression darkened instantly.
Lusy noticed it.
So did Shin.
Yet neither of them said anything.
Shin's gaze remained fixed on the garden.
"It started after Zaraf returned from his world."
His voice became distant, as though recalling an old nightmare.
"When he met Hussen again... he was different."
Ben lowered his head.
Lusy remained silent.
"There was something inside him that felt wrong. Something dark. Something twisted. I couldn't explain it at the time, but I sensed it."
The wind grew stronger.
"As you both know, my One Eye allows me to see things others can't. When I felt something was off, I decided to investigate. I met him personally."
Shin paused.
"At first everything looked normal. On the surface, he was still Zaraf."
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"But only on the surface."
His eyes slowly narrowed.
"For a brief moment, I saw his smile disappear. His eyes looked empty. That was when I knew something was wrong."
Lusy quietly clenched her fists.
Ben's expression became increasingly guilty.
Shin continued.
"I couldn't tell whether Zaraf himself was unaware of it... or if he was intentionally hiding it."
His words struck them like blades.
Because neither of them had noticed.
Neither of them had seen the darkness growing inside their friend.
Ben tightened his hands until his knuckles turned white.
Lusy looked away.
"So I made a decision."
Shin's voice became heavier.
"I pushed him."
The confession echoed through the balcony.
"I placed pressure on him. More and more pressure."
His eyes filled with regret.
"I hoped I was wrong."
A small laugh escaped him.
"I really hoped I was wrong."
The laugh quickly disappeared.
"So for my final test, I sent Nihara . the three reincarnated souls to become his students."
The atmosphere grew colder.
"And what I feared... became reality."
Shin slowly closed his eyes.
"The darkness inside Zaraf emerged."
Nobody spoke.
The setting sun painted the horizon red.
For a moment, the sky looked as though it was bleeding.
"I was prepared to deal with him," Shin continued. "But then I discovered something I never expected."
His voice trembled slightly.
"Zaraf had developed a split personality."
Even now, the memory clearly haunted him.
"That made everything far more complicated."
The silence that followed felt suffocating.
Eventually, Shin continued.
"Then Bell stepped in."
His eyes moved toward Ben.
"And with Ben's help... we managed to save him."
Ben lowered his head further.
Shin smiled sadly.
"At least... that's what we thought."
His smile vanished.
"We saved him."
Then he shook his head.
"No."
"Not completely."
The words felt painfully honest.
"He lost too much."
His hands slowly tightened.
"So I consider that my failure."
The guilt in his voice was impossible to hide.
"And because of that failure..."
His eyes darkened.
"...the most dangerous threat we have ever faced was born."
The air itself seemed heavier.
"Shadow."
Even speaking that name felt uncomfortable.
"And Shadow is still out there."
No one spoke after that.
Night slowly replaced the dying sunlight.
Darkness crept across the garden below.
Lusy eventually stepped forward and gently placed her hand on Shin's shoulder.
"It wasn't only your fault."
Her voice was soft.
"We all failed to see what Zaraf was going through."
Ben remained silent, but deep down he blamed himself as well.
Regret was a burden all of them carried.
Lusy looked toward the stars that were beginning to appear.
"Regret is like a curse," she whispered. "It stays with you. It eats away at happiness. It drains all the color from life."
Her eyes returned to Shin.
"But we can't stay trapped in it forever."
A small smile appeared.
"All we can do is become better than we were yesterday."
For a while, nobody spoke.
The night breeze continued to flow around them.
Above, stars slowly awakened one by one.
The moon climbed into the sky.
It was a beautiful night.
Yet none of them could fully appreciate it.
Eventually, Shin broke the silence.
"Now..."
He looked upward.
"About Zeo."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"That kid was interesting from the very beginning."
His eyes softened.
"Bright too."
The pride in his voice was impossible to miss.
"I truly believe he'll guide the next era better than any of us."
Lusy immediately narrowed her eyes.
"I knew there was more to it than that."
Shin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Then his expression became serious again.
"Do you remember the man who interfered with Zaraf's test?"
"Death," Ben answered immediately.
Shin nodded.
"Yes."
His gaze became distant.
"From the very beginning, something about him felt familiar."
The atmosphere shifted.
"But I couldn't investigate him myself."
"Why?" Lusy asked.
Shin laughed bitterly.
"Because everyone was watching me."
His One Eye glowed faintly.
"The fairies."
"The higher ups."
"And someone else."
His smile vanished.
"I believe Death was watching me as well."
The realization sent chills through the group.
"So I needed a distraction."
He pointed upward.
"And then Zeo appeared."
A chuckle escaped him.
"When I first read his report, I thought he would become a massive headache."
Ben nodded.
"Reasonable."
"But after meeting him..."
Shin's eyes brightened slightly.
"I changed my mind within seconds."
Lusy folded her arms.
"And that's when you chose him?"
"Exactly."
Shin nodded.
"I made him my successor."
The wind blew through the balcony.
"And suddenly everyone's attention shifted toward him."
Ben immediately understood.
"You used him as bait."
Shin coughed.
"When you say it like that, it sounds terrible."
"Because it is terrible."
Lusy glared at him.
Ben gave him a similar look.
"You put that kid through hell and it wasn't even your main objective."
Shin scratched his head.
"Look, it wasn't just that."
His expression softened.
"I genuinely believed he was the one who needed to find those answers."
Lusy immediately smacked the back of his head.
"Ow!"
"Deserved."
Shin rubbed his head while pouting.
Lusy crossed her arms.
"So what about your talk about retiring and passing everything to Zeo?"
Shin suddenly became silent.
Very silent.
Lusy froze.
Ben's eyes narrowed.
Both of them slowly turned toward him.
"...Shin."
He looked away.
"...Maybe."
The atmosphere instantly became dangerous.
Lusy's expression paled.
Ben became serious.
Seeing their reaction, Shin quickly waved his hands.
"Hey, hey, relax. Zeo still wants to become my successor. I don't have a problem with that.Even without the investigation, I would have chosen Zeo. The moment I met him, I knew he possessed the qualities needed to guide the next generation."
Lusy suddenly grabbed his shirt.
The strength behind it surprised even him.
Her hands were trembling.
Her eyes glistened.
"As I said..."
Her voice cracked.
"Don't talk like that."
The smile disappeared from Shin's face.
"I don't want to lose another person important to me."
The fear in her voice was genuine.
Raw.
Painful.
"Please, Shin."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Even Ben looked away.
Then he quietly handed her a tissue.
Lusy stared at him.
Glared at him.
Then took it anyway.
A small smile appeared on Shin's face.
"Don't worry."
His voice became gentle.
"You know me."
He pointed at himself.
"No one can defeat me."
Then he grinned.
"And killing me is even more impossible."
"You think too highly of yourself."
Lusy immediately replied.
The irritation in her voice finally brought a little warmth back to the atmosphere.
Then Ben shrugged.
"He's not entirely wrong."
Lusy looked at him.
Ben crossed his arms.
"I've seen him fight seriously."
His expression became thoughtful.
"Honestly, it's difficult to imagine him losing."
Lusy remained silent.
The fear still lingered in her eyes.
Shin slowly stood.
Then he extended a hand toward both of them.
"Then let's continue."
His voice carried determination.
"Let's guide them."
He looked toward the moonlit sky.
"The next generation."
"As seniors."
"As adults."
"As family."
Lusy's eyes widened slightly.
Then Shin gently pulled her into a hug.
She didn't resist.
A moment later, Shin looked toward Ben.
"What are you standing there for?"
Ben immediately frowned.
"Huh?"
"Come here."
Shin grinned.
"Family time."
Ben looked utterly disgusted.
"No."
Lusy slowly turned her head.
"What did you say?"
The terrifying look in her eyes instantly made Ben regret his decision.
"..."
Without another word, he reluctantly walked closer.
Not close enough to hug them.
But close enough to be included.
Shin laughed.
Lusy smiled through her tears.
And for the first time that evening, the weight on their hearts felt slightly lighter.
Far above them, the moon shone brightly across the endless night sky.
Its silver light fell upon three figures standing together on the balcony.
Three people burdened by regrets.
Three people carrying responsibilities.
Three people who had lost much.
Yet despite everything, they remained together.
And perhaps that was enough.
For now.