"...Have you ever borne witness to a cosmic war before?"
"...No."
Robin narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone cautious. He couldn't quite grasp the intent behind the question—or why, exactly, they were strolling together toward the edge of the floating cloud. It felt oddly... ceremonial.
The crimson clouds stretched across the horizon like bleeding silk.
The sun—obscured behind curtains of smoke and cloud—cast long shadows across the sky.
Below, radiant meteors blazed upward like defiant arrows piercing the heavens.
The view was breathtaking, poetic even—like a myth captured in motion.
But Robin couldn't help but wonder:
Were men of their power and rank truly meant to stand still and marvel at the skies?
Was this just Hedrick's version of stalling?
Hedrick ignored the unspoken question laced in Robin's voice. Instead, he kept his pace steady, his hands behind his back, and spoke as if recounting a memory carved deep in his soul:
