Aether tried to stand.
But…
both knees immediately gave out again.
“Ugh…”
A hand quickly caught his shoulder.
Kael.
“Easy, hey.”
Doran stood on his other side.
“Don’t act tough, damn it.”
Aether frowned.
“I wasn’t acting tough…”
Kael answered.
“You almost fell.”
Aether:
“I was just…”
Aether stopped.
He didn’t even know what excuse made sense.
Doran snorted.
“Yeah. Sure.”
Kael didn’t join in the joke.
His gaze was fixed on Aether.
Then…
on the young man’s right hand.
The white-gold Vestige Mark was still clearly visible.
But the light that had once covered Aether’s body was gone.
All that remained was a pale young man in clothing torn by battle.
Kael finally looked away.
“…Let’s go home.”
Aether nodded slowly.
Mira walked several steps behind them.
Her staff was still clutched in her hand.
She said nothing.
Lyra was silent as well.
But her steps were much steadier than they had been a few hours earlier.
Her eyes were no longer empty.
She was fully aware now.
She simply…
didn’t have much to say.
Then Doran stopped.
In front of him…
was a body.
Finn.
Doran stared at him for several seconds.
His hand slowly clenched.
There were no words.
No tears.
He simply crouched down.
Then…
lifted Finn’s body onto his back.
Kael did the same with Rowan.
The veteran’s body felt much heavier than before.
Not because of his weight.
But because…
Kael knew that this time…
Rowan would never stand again.
Mira looked at the body.
“…Mr. Rowan.”
There was no answer.
Mira lowered her head.
Then…
they started walking.
No one spoke during the journey.
Normally…
Finn would have been the first to complain.
About the road.
About hunger.
About the heat.
About anything.
Now…
there was nothing.
Doran opened his mouth several times.
But no words came out.
Kael walked in silence as well.
Rowan’s body rested on his back.
Every few steps…
his grip tightened.
As though afraid…
that if he let his guard down for even a moment…
his teacher would fall.
Mira walked behind them.
Every now and then, her gaze drifted toward the forest.
Toward the place where the victims of the Abyss Creation still remained.
They couldn’t bring all of them back.
Not yet.
Their own bodies were still wounded.
And…
they had to make sure Nareth was safe first.
“We’re going back to the village.”
Kael’s voice finally broke the silence.
Doran nodded.
“After that, we’ll come back.”
Mira looked at him.
“To bring them?”
“Yes.”
Kael answered without hesitation.
“We’re not leaving anyone behind.”
Lyra lowered her head.
Her hands clenched at her sides.
“…You’re right.”
Aether walked beside them.
The sword Rowan had given him still hung at his waist.
He touched the hilt for a moment.
Then let go.
No one talked about the Black Hole.
No one talked about how he had defeated the three Novus Executives.
No one asked about Authority of Creation.
Not now.
Even Aether didn’t want to talk about it.
He only wanted…
to reach Nareth.
A few hours later…
The gates of Nareth finally came into view.
Kael stopped.
Doran stopped as well.
Mira raised her head.
Lyra stared at the village in the distance.
Aether looked at it too.
But…
something was different.
Standing in front of the gates…
were many people.
They weren’t villagers.
Their armor was different.
Military uniforms.
The emblem of the Galaxium Empire was clearly displayed on their chests.
Some carried swords.
Others carried spears.
Several Vestigers stood behind the formation as well.
And…
at the center of them…
stood an old man dressed like a hunter.
The moment he saw the group…
his expression changed.
“Kael?”
The old man stepped forward.
Then his eyes fell on Doran.
Then Mira.
Lyra.
Aether.
All of them were covered in wounds.
Their clothes were torn.
Some were still stained with blood.
The old man frowned.
“What…”
“…What happened?”
No one answered.
Until…
his gaze fell on the body Kael was carrying.
The man froze.
“…”
His eyes widened.
“Rowan?”
Kael lowered his head.
The old man took one step forward.
Then another.
As though…
his mind refused to understand what he was seeing.
“Hey…”
His voice began to tremble.
“Kael…”
“…is that Rowan?”
Kael finally answered.
“…Yes.”
Silence.
The old man stopped.
His gaze didn’t move.
Then…
slowly, he looked toward Doran.
Finn’s body was on the young man’s back.
The man’s face immediately went pale.
“…Finn?”
Doran clenched his jaw.
“…He’s gone too.”
The old man closed his eyes.
For several seconds…
there wasn’t a single sound.
Then…
“Who did this?”
Another voice came from the military formation.
A man stepped forward.
Dark military armor covered his body.
The Galaxium emblem was mounted on his left shoulder.
His gaze was sharp.
He wasn’t someone who panicked easily.
But seeing their condition…
even his expression changed.
“I’m Captain Roderic Vale.”
He briefly gestured toward himself.
“Imperial Military Investigation Unit.”
His eyes moved from one person to another.
Then stopped on Aether.
The injuries on the young man’s body were severe.
But…
what caught his attention the most…
was the white-gold Vestige Mark on Aether’s right hand.
Roderic narrowed his eyes.
“Him?”
Kael answered.
“Aether.”
Roderic: “A Vestiger?”
Kael hesitated for a moment.
“…Newly awakened.”
Roderic raised an eyebrow.
But before he could ask anything else—
“That’s enough.”
A woman stepped out from the formation.
Her hair was tied back simply.
She carried a short staff with a Healer insignia on its tip.
Her eyes immediately scanned the entire group.
“I’m Serah.”
She looked at Kael.
“Sit.”
Kael was about to answer.
“Don’t argue.”
Kael fell silent.
Serah pointed toward Doran.
“You too.”
Then Mira.
“And you.”
Mira blinked.
“Huh…?”
“B-but…”
“I’m a Healer too…”
Serah: “I know.”
Serah answered flatly.
“That’s why you’re the most likely to ignore your own injuries.”
Mira fell silent.
Doran glanced at her.
“…She’s got you there.”
“Shut up.”
Mira glared at him.
For the first time since their return…
the atmosphere changed slightly.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“Next.”
Lyra didn’t answer.
She simply sat down.
Serah began examining her body.
Her wounds slowly closed one by one.
Healer Mana flowed through Lyra’s body.
It wasn’t anything like Mira’s abilities.
Nor was it Origin Restoration.
But…
it was strong enough to stop severe bleeding.
Fractured bones were mended.
Deep wounds closed.
Her breathing stabilized.
Serah moved on to Doran.
Then Kael.
Then Mira.
And finally…
Aether.
Serah placed her palm against Aether’s chest.
Healer Mana flowed into him.
Her expression slowly changed.
“…Hm?”
Aether opened one eye.
“What?”
Serah didn’t answer.
Mana continued flowing.
Several seconds later…
she pulled her hand away.
“Young man.”
Aether:
“Yes?”
“Who taught you to reinforce your body like this?”
Aether frowned.
“…No one.”
Serah stared at him.
“Don’t joke around.”
Aether:
“I’m not joking.”
Serah looked at Aether’s body again.
Wounds that should have left a young Vestiger unable to stand…
had already begun closing.
And there were countless old slash marks that even Serah couldn’t heal.
Even after pouring an absurd amount of Mana into him…
his body remained far stronger than that of an ordinary human.
Serah finally sighed.
“Alright…”
“I won’t ask any further.”
Aether nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Not done yet.”
Serah raised her hand.
“Don’t move.”
Light surrounded Aether again.
Aether immediately frowned.
“…Is this going to take long?”
Serah: “It’ll take longer if you keep talking.”
Aether:
“Huh?!”
Aether shut his mouth.
Doran, sitting nearby, let out a small laugh.
Aether turned toward him.
“What?”
Doran: “Nothing…”
He turned his face away.
Aether: “Shut up.”
Aether frowned.
Doran: “You’re the one laughing.”
Aether: “I said shut up.”
For a few seconds…
it almost felt like they had returned to the days before everything changed.
Almost.
But then…
Doran’s gaze fell on Finn’s body.
And his smile disappeared.
After all the injuries that could still be treated had been healed…
Roderic finally stepped forward again.
He didn’t immediately ask questions.
His eyes first went to Rowan.
Then Finn.
Then the six young people standing before him.
“The senior hunter told us that you went into the eastern forest to look for the missing villagers.”
“But…”
His expression became serious.
“Seeing your condition…”
“…I think something much bigger happened.”
Kael stood.
His body still hurt.
But he forced himself upright.
Roderic looked at him.
“Who attacked you?”
Kael took a breath.
Then…
he began telling them everything.
The forest.
The missing villagers.
The Abyss Creation.
The ancient ruins.
Novus.
The Arc Sage.
The ritual.
The three Executives.
And…
Rowan.
Kael’s voice faltered several times.
But he kept going.
Until finally…
he reached Finn.
Doran lowered his head.
Mira closed her eyes.
Lyra remained silent.
Not one of them interrupted.
Kael continued.
Then…
he reached the final part.
“Aether…”
Roderic raised an eyebrow.
Kael looked toward him.
“He awakened a Vestige.”
Every soldier’s gaze immediately turned toward Aether.
Aether simply sighed.
Kael continued.
“After that…”
“…he created thousands of swords in an instant.”
Roderic fell silent.
Serah looked at him as well.
The senior hunter frowned.
Doran added.
“He wasn’t controlling the swords like Mr. Rowan.”
“He actually created them from nothing.”
Kael nodded.
“And then…”
He stopped.
As though even saying the next part was difficult.
“He created a Black Hole.”
Several soldiers immediately exchanged looks.
Roderic said nothing.
Kael looked straight at him.
“The three Novus Executives…”
“…were pulled into it.”
Silence.
Roderic finally spoke.
“All three?”
“Yes.”
“Fighter.”
“Yes.”
“Assassin.”
“Yes.”
“Mage.”
Kael nodded.
“All three.”
Roderic looked at Aether.
For the first time…
his gaze was no longer that of a soldier examining an injured child.
It was…
the gaze of someone who had just heard something almost impossible to believe.
Aether shrugged.
“…I still don’t really understand how it works myself.”
Roderic said nothing.
Doran looked toward him.
Doran: “He’s always like that.”
Aether looked at him.
Aether: “What do you mean?”
Doran: “He just got a Vestige and already made a Black Hole.”
Doran: “What the hell is that?”
Doran shook his head.
Doran: “Relax.”
Doran: “If I were you, I’d be confused too.”
Aether fell silent.
“…I am confused.”
Serah sighed.
“At least he’s aware of it.”
Roderic was still looking at Aether.
But finally…
he turned away.
“Then…”
“…we’ll have to see the battlefield ourselves.”
Kael immediately replied.
“There are still survivors.”
Roderic nodded.
“Then we’ll go.”
The senior hunter stepped forward.
“And Rowan?”
Kael looked toward him.
The old man stared at his friend.
Then…
at Finn.
“We’re not leaving them here.”
Kael tightened his grip on Rowan’s hand.
“…No.”
Doran lowered his head.
“Of course we’ll take them.”
Roderic looked toward his troops.
“Prepare the wagons.”
Several soldiers immediately moved.
“And prepare coffins for all the victims.”
Roderic then looked toward the eastern forest.
The sun had fully risen by now.
Morning light illuminated the road ahead.
But…
none of them knew…
what was still waiting beyond that forest.
Roderic took a breath.
“We’re leaving.”
And once again…
they returned toward the ruins.
This time…
not to fight.
But…
to bring home those who could no longer return on their own.
The small procession entered the Eastern Forest once more.
But…
their steps were different this time.
There was none of the alertness from before.
No one spoke.
All that could be heard…
were footsteps.
And occasionally, the sound of wagon wheels rolling over tree roots.
The morning sun began filtering through the gaps between the leaves.
Its light fell upon the road that had been covered in blood only yesterday.
Now…
all that remained…
were traces of destruction.
…
Several dozen minutes later…
the ancient ruins came into view again.
All the Imperial soldiers stopped immediately.
Not a single person spoke.
What stretched before them…
was no longer a battlefield.
It was…
a graveyard.
The ground across nearly the entire area had collapsed.
Huge stones lay scattered without any order.
In the center of the ruins…
the remains of the ritual circle were still visible.
But…
the gate was completely gone.
Roderic surveyed the entire area.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
“…Hard to believe.”
One of the soldiers swallowed hard.
“Captain…”
“…did the battle really happen here?”
Roderic didn’t answer.
Because…
the answer was already right in front of them.
…
Several soldiers spread out.
They began searching for any remaining victims.
Not long after…
someone shouted.
“Captain!”
“Over here!”
Everyone immediately rushed over.
Behind a pile of broken stone…
dozens of bodies lay scattered.
Their faces were still recognizable.
Their clothes…
still belonged to the people of Nareth.
But…
their bodies had changed.
Blackened skin.
Abyssal veins running through their entire bodies.
Horns.
Claws.
Half-formed wings.
The remnants of Abyss Creation.
Mira immediately covered her mouth.
Tears streamed down her face again.
“…Them…”
A senior Hunter lowered his head.
“Villagers…”
Kael closed his eyes.
They…
had failed to save anyone.
One by one…
the Imperial soldiers began carrying the bodies away.
No one recoiled.
No one complained.
They treated every corpse…
like a human being.
Because…
that was what they were.
Human.
Roderic stood silently.
Then spoke quietly.
“Make sure…”
“…every one of them is brought home.”
“Don’t leave a single one behind.”
“Yes, Captain!”
Dozens of soldiers immediately got to work.
…
By noon…
the procession of wagons finally returned to Nareth.
The wheels creaked softly over the dirt road, still marked by yesterday’s destruction.
Not long after…
the village bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Its sound echoed far beyond the village.
Through the silent Eastern Forest.
Across the fields beginning to turn golden.
Even reaching the small hills surrounding Nareth.
As though the land itself had heard the unspoken news of tragedy.
The surviving villagers began emerging from their hiding places.
From behind their homes.
From old storage sheds.
From the edge of the forest where they had hidden the previous night.
One by one…
they returned to Nareth.
The moment they saw the first wagon…
they understood.
No words were needed.
No explanation.
Crying began.
Quietly.
Then more and more.
A mother ran forward.
She stopped in the middle of the road.
Her body went limp the instant she saw her son inside one of the coffins.
The world around her seemed to collapse.
A small child called out for his parents.
Again and again.
His voice becoming more desperate each time.
But…
there was no answer.
Only the wind moving through the crowd.
And a silence that could no longer be called peaceful.
The entire village…
was filled with sobs.
…
On a small hill behind Nareth…
dozens of graves had been prepared.
Rows of wooden coffins stood neatly in place.
At the center…
two coffins had been placed at the front.
Rowan.
And Finn.
Kael stood directly before Rowan’s coffin.
Doran stood before Finn’s.
Mira.
Lyra.
Aether.
stood behind them.
No one spoke.
…
Roderic stepped forward.
All the Imperial soldiers immediately stood at attention.
Their swords were slowly drawn.
Then…
raised before their chests.
A final salute.
Roderic spoke.
“On behalf of the Galaxium Empire.”
“We offer our highest respect…”
“…to First Lieutenant Rowan.”
“Commander of Platoon 11.”
“Who once served and led us within the Galaxium Imperial Military…”
He paused.
His eyes softened slightly.
“…Platoon 11 will forever remember your service and sacrifice.”
The silence deepened.
Roderic continued.
“And to Finn.”
“A Hunter.”
“Who chose to give his life…”
“…to save his companion.”
The silence returned.
Then…
Roderic raised his right hand.
“Salute.”
CLANG.
Dozens of military swords struck their armor in unison.
The sound of metal echoed across the hill.
Not loud.
Yet…
enough to make everyone lower their heads.
…
Kael stepped forward.
His hand touched Rowan’s coffin.
“Master…”
His voice trembled.
“No…”
He took a deep breath.
Then slowly shook his head.
“…Thank you.”
No long speech.
Only two words.
Yet…
they said everything.
Doran let out a quiet laugh.
A laugh that sounded far more painful than crying.
“Hey, Finn…”
“You said…”
“…once this mission was over, we’d eat some roasted meat.”
He wiped his face.
“…You damn liar.”
His tears finally fell.
For the first time…
Doran cried.
Without trying to hide it.
…
Mira stepped forward slowly.
She placed a wildflower on Rowan’s coffin.
Then…
another on Finn’s.
“I hope…”
“…you can both rest peacefully.”
…
Lyra stood there for a long time.
She stared at Finn’s coffin without blinking.
Then…
she pulled something from the small pouch at her waist.
An arrow.
One she had carried as a spare for a long time.
She carefully placed it on Finn’s coffin.
“…Next time…”
“…I’ll shoot faster.”
“…I promise…”
Her voice was barely audible.
Yet…
everyone heard it.
…
Finally…
Aether stepped forward.
He stood before Rowan’s coffin for a long time.
Then…
before Finn’s.
He hadn’t known them for very long.
But…
they were the first people…
to accept him…
when he didn’t even know who he was.
Aether slowly removed the sword hanging from his waist.
The sword Rowan had given him.
He held it for several seconds.
Then…
shook his head.
No.
He would keep the sword.
As a reminder.
He simply lowered his head.
“Thank you.”
That was all.
Yet…
those words felt heavier than anything else he could have said.
…
One by one…
the coffins were lowered.
Earth slowly covered them.
The afternoon sun shone warmly.
The wind drifted softly across the hill.
And on that day…
Nareth lost many people.
A military veteran.
A Hunter who always carried laughter with him.
And…
dozens of villagers who never got the chance to return home.
But…
they would not be forgotten.
Because…
as long as there were still people who remembered their names…
they were never truly gone.
LOVE YA’LL