Kael frowned and turned his face away.
Emilio tilted his head, trying to hold back a laugh.
"Huh? Is he shy or sulking?"
Serina stepped forward quietly, brushing dust off her skirt. A cloth bag hung from her hand.
"Kael…" she said softly. "I saved food for you. It's just soup and bread, but… you haven't eaten since morning."
Kael didn't respond.
He was still bound—strapped up to a tree branch like some criminal. The bark dug into his back, and the humiliation boiled inside him. That lazy bastard of a teacher dared to knock him out and tie him up like this? Was he a joke to them?
"Kael, please…" Serina opened the container. The soup had gone cold, but she still lifted a spoon, stretching up to feed him.
He turned his head.
Refused.
Ignored them both.
"Kael… just eat a little," she pleaded again.
"Yeah, man," Emilio added, trying to smile. "You've got to be starving. Don't make her feel bad—she waited all day—"
"Damn it!" Kael snapped, voice cracking like thunder through the academy courtyard. "Why are you all so damn persistent?! Stop getting involved with me!"
Silence.
Serina froze, the spoon still in the air. Her hands were trembling—red from the cold, fingertips tinged purple. Emilio stepped back, stunned.
Kael looked down at them both. Their faces… They weren't mocking him. They were worried.
Why?
Why the hell did they care?
He didn't ask for this.
He didn't ask for any of this.
"I don't get it…" he muttered, voice low but sharp. "Why are you even here? We just met. You don't know me. You don't owe me anything!"
Emilio clenched his fists. His usual light-hearted tone cracked with anger.
"You really don't get it, do you?!" he shouted. "I watched you take on a teacher alone. I thought you were dead! We all did!"
He stepped closer.
"You want to know why I care? Because I respect your family. I've heard the stories since I was a kid—how your people fought dragons, protected the helpless, risked everything for this damn kingdom!"
Kael looked away again and his jaw tight.
"And when I heard what happened to the Veyrions…" Emilio's voice broke for a second. "…I cried. For days. I blamed myself for being powerless. I came to this academy to change that. To get stronger. Not just for me—but to honor what your family stood for."
Kael looked down at Emilio, whose golden eyes were staring straight into his.
"That's why, Kael…" Emilio said. "You're not alone anymore. You have friends now—you've got me, Serina… and even…" He sighed, glancing off to the side.
"Neira—damn it, Neira!"
"Mmm."
Kael's eyes snapped to the shadows near the base of the tree. Neira was standing there silently. He hadn't sensed her at all. Just how strong was she?
But it didn't matter. Not now.
Hearing those words from Emilio made something flicker in Kael's chest—for just a moment. But it vanished just as quickly. A friendship couldn't patch the kind of hole carved into him. It couldn't erase the pain.
Serina stepped forward again, gently lifting the spoon toward him. Her hands were trembling.
"Kael… please eat…"
BAM!
Kael lashed out with his foot, kicking the container from her hands. The soup spilled, the bread hit the dirt. Everything scattered.
Emilio and Neira froze. Serina stared at the mess, then up at Kael, her eyes wide and glistening.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Emilio barked.
Kael smiled bitterly, mockery curling his lips.
"I warned you not to get involved. I told you I don't want friends. The closer you get, the more you'll regret it. So forget about me. Consider this your final warning."
Serina flinched, tears finally breaking free and sliding down her cheek.
Kael saw them—and looked away.
Emilio clenched his fists.
"I see. Got it."
He stepped to Serina, handing her a handkerchief.
"Preciosa… tears don't suit you. Wipe them away, yeah?"
She blinked and took it gently. "Thank you…"
Emilio looked at Kael one last time.
"Fine. I won't bother you again."
He turned, walking off.
Serina hesitated, her voice trembling.
"But Kael…"
"He made it clear," Emilio said without looking back. "We're not his friends."
She bit her lip and followed.
Neira lingered in the shadows, watching. Then, without warning, she doubled back—her footsteps silent.
BAM!
Her fist slammed into Kael's stomach.
He gasped, coughing from the sudden impact, the breath knocked out of him.
Neira glared up at him, her voice low and sharp.
"That's for throwing Serina's food. You don't even know how long she waited there for you. I'm here because of her—and I won't let her waste her time on someone who doesn't give a damn."
Kael didn't respond. The pain sat heavy in his chest—and not just from her punch. But he stayed silent. If this was what it took to push them away, it was worth it.
Neira scoffed and turned, walking off without another word.
And just like that—he was alone again.
As the sun rose, students began to pass by. Some laughed, others whispered, but most just stared at the boy strung up to a tree like a criminal.
Humiliation burned through Kael, but he didn't flinch. He didn't speak. He let them stare.
He didn't even understand why the instructor had hung him here. Why not just suspend him—or expel him?
But the rumors had already started to spread.
Some said he was justified. That Salvius was lazy, that the duel made sense. Others called him a disgrace, a walking tragedy who clung to a dead legacy.
The worst part?
None of it was wrong.
And when night came again, Kael was still there. Cold. Hungry. His body numb. His spirit hollow.
"Why does everything keep falling apart?" he whispered, his breath fogging in the air.
"I hate this life. I don't want to keep going. Maybe… maybe dying would be better. I could see my family again. That'd be better than this."
"Oh? You want to die?"
Kael's eyes shot open.
Salvius was standing just ahead, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"Well then. Go on. Try dying."
Kael growled through clenched teeth.
"Don't tell me what to do."
Salvius scratched the back of his crimson hair and looked off, then back down at Kael with a crooked grin.
"Still got fight in you, huh? Even tied to a tree like a damn scarecrow, you've got that fire. You really are a stubborn bastard."