They left the outpost at dawn.
No one said a word.
The ruins faded behind them as the three moved slowly along the forest path, their pace uneven and heavy. Darius leaned slightly on his sword as he walked, each step measured, controlled through sheer will. Lyra stayed close to him, her hand occasionally glowing faintly as she maintained what little healing energy she could still muster.
And Kofi walked behind them.
Not because he was told to.
Because he couldn't bring himself to walk beside them anymore.
Every step felt wrong. Too loud. Too slow. Too pointless.
The forest, once filled with birdsong and life, now felt suffocating. Every shadow looked like it might move. Every rustle made his chest tighten.
He could be watching again.
Kofi's fingers twitched at the thought, instinctively trying to summon holy energy.
Nothing came.
Not even a spark.
His hand slowly dropped to his side.
Of course…
He didn't even feel surprised anymore.
—
They stopped briefly at midday.
Darius lowered himself against a tree with a quiet grunt, finally allowing his exhaustion to show. Lyra knelt beside him immediately, her staff dimly glowing as she focused what little energy she had left into closing his wounds.
Kofi stayed standing.
He didn't move to help.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even look directly at them.
"Sit," Darius muttered after a while.
Kofi didn't respond.
"That wasn't a suggestion."
Still nothing.
Darius exhaled slowly, his patience thinning. "You think standing there makes you strong?"
Kofi's voice came out flat. "No."
"Then what?"
A pause.
"…I don't know."
The honesty of it hung in the air.
Lyra glanced up briefly, her expression tightening.
Darius stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head. "You're still alive. That's more than most can say after facing something like that."
Kofi let out a quiet, humorless breath. "That's not something to be proud of."
"No," Darius agreed bluntly. "But it's something to build from."
Kofi's hands clenched slightly.
Build what?
There was nothing to build. Nothing to hold onto.
He had seen it. Felt it. The gap between him and the crow man wasn't just large—it was endless.
There was no bridge across that.
—
They resumed walking soon after.
The hours dragged.
Kofi stopped noticing the path. The trees blurred together, his thoughts looping endlessly back to the same moment—
The blade caught between two fingers.
The shadows swallowing everything.
The words.
You are not ready
His chest tightened again.
I'll never be ready.
—
By the time the capital walls came into view, the sky was already darkening.
The massive gates loomed ahead, guards calling out as they recognized Darius and Lyra. Their voices were urgent, relieved—but when their eyes fell on Kofi, something shifted.
Confusion.
Concern.
Expectation.
"Is that… the hero?" one of them whispered.
Kofi lowered his gaze and walked past them without a word.
He didn't want to see their faces.
Didn't want to hear what they thought.
Hero.
The word felt like a lie.
—
Inside the capital, everything was the same.
The noise. The crowds. The life.
And yet, it all felt distant.
Muted.
Like he was walking through a world that didn't belong to him anymore.
They didn't go to the castle right away. Darius insisted on the infirmary first. He was guided away by medics, still conscious but clearly at his limit.
Lyra hesitated before following.
She glanced back at Kofi. "You should come too. You're injured."
"I'm fine."
"You're not—"
"I said I'm fine."
His tone was sharper than intended.
Lyra flinched.
The reaction hit him—but not enough to change anything.
She studied him for a moment, something unreadable in her eyes, before turning away. "Don't disappear," she said quietly.
Kofi didn't answer.
He didn't follow.
—
The training grounds were empty when he arrived.
Night had already settled in, the torches casting long shadows across the dirt. The place felt colder than usual.
He stepped into the center.
For a long time, he just stood there.
Then, slowly, he picked up a sword.
It felt heavier than before.
He raised it. Swung once.
Clumsy.
Unbalanced.
He swung again.
Worse.
His grip tightened, frustration rising. He forced another swing, faster this time—
The blade slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.
Kofi froze.
His breath hitched.
"…No."
He bent down quickly, grabbing the sword again. This time, he focused harder. Tightened every muscle. Forced his body into position.
Swing.
The motion broke halfway through.
His arms felt weak. Unresponsive.
Like they didn't belong to him.
His chest tightened.
"Come on…" he whispered.
Nothing worked.
Not his stance.
Not his strength.
Not his power.
It was all gone.
The sword slipped from his fingers again.
This time, he didn't pick it up.
—
"Still training?"
The voice came from the edge of the yard.
Kofi didn't turn. He already knew who it was.
Lyra stepped into the light, her staff faintly glowing. She looked tired, but steady.
"Darius is stable," she said. "He'll recover."
Kofi nodded faintly. "Good."
Silence followed.
Then she walked closer. "You're falling apart."
Kofi let out a quiet breath. "Yeah."
"You can't stay like this."
"I know."
Another pause.
"Then do something about it."
Kofi finally turned to look at her. His eyes were dull, exhausted. "Like what?"
Lyra didn't answer immediately.
And that was enough.
He looked away again.
"That's what I thought."
Her grip on her staff tightened. "Kofi—"
"I can't use it anymore," he said suddenly.
She blinked. "What?"
"My holy energy. It's gone."
"That's not—"
"I tried," he cut in. "Over and over. There's nothing there."
Lyra stepped closer, concern flashing across her face. "That's not how it works. You don't just lose it."
"Then where is it?" Kofi snapped, his voice rising for the first time. "Where was it when I needed it? Where was it when he was right in front of me?"
The words hung in the air, sharp and raw.
Lyra didn't flinch this time. She held his gaze. "It didn't disappear."
"Then what?"
"…You did."
Kofi froze.
Her voice softened, but her words didn't. "Holy energy responds to your will. Your belief. Your sense of self."
His chest tightened.
"And right now," she continued, "you don't believe in anything. Not yourself. Not your power. Not even your purpose."
Kofi looked away, jaw tightening.
"…So of course it's gone."
Silence fell between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Kofi's hands trembled slightly at his sides.
"I saw it, Lyra," he whispered. "I saw how strong he is. There's no catching up to that. No matter how much I train, no matter how hard I try…"
His voice cracked.
"I'm just delaying the inevitable."
Lyra stepped closer.
For a moment, it looked like she might say something comforting. Something gentle.
But she didn't.
"You're wrong."
Kofi blinked, caught off guard.
"You think strength is something fixed," she continued. "Something you either have or you don't."
Her eyes sharpened.
"But I've seen warriors surpass themselves. I've seen people break limits they thought were absolute."
Kofi shook his head. "Not like that. Not him."
"Especially like that," Lyra said firmly.
He fell silent.
For a moment, just a moment, something flickered in his chest.
But it faded just as quickly.
"…I don't know how to get back up," he admitted quietly.
Lyra's expression softened again.
This time, she did step closer.
"You don't have to know yet," she said. "You just have to not stay down."
Kofi let out a slow breath.
He didn't respond.
Didn't argue.
Didn't agree.
But he didn't walk away either.
And for now…
That was enough.