The wind howled through the broken beams of the ruined orphanage, carrying dust and the faint scent of burnt wood. As Kael and Elric approached the entrance, the old man who had appeared from the shadows suddenly froze—his oil lamp rattling in his trembling grasp.
His eyes—cloudy with age yet sharp with terror—locked onto Kael's red eyes.
And he broke.
"Y-Y-You…" his voice cracked into a scream. "You came back!!"
He stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the uneven ground. His wrinkled hands shook violently as he pointed at Kael, eyes widening as if staring at a ghost.
Elric instinctively stepped forward, one arm half-extended in protection.
"Please calm down. We aren't going to harm you, sir."
But her voice didn't reach him.
"You… You curse!! You come back to curse us again!!" the old man cried, voice splitting with sheer terror.
Kael's breath halted.
He had seen hatred… disgust… fear in the eyes of strangers before.
But never something like this.
Never aimed at him like he was a monster returning from the grave.
For a moment Kael simply stared, stunned, unable to understand why this man looked as if he were staring into hell itself.
The old man's knees buckled.
He collapsed to the dirt—hands shaking, tears leaking from the corners of his sunken eyes.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Please forgive this old man for his sin!" he wailed, forehead hitting the ground so hard Kael flinched.
"I never sleep since that night… It haunted me… haunted me every time I close my eyes—!"
Kael stepped forward, instinctively reaching for the old man—only for the man to suddenly grab his wrist with desperate strength.
"Y-You come back to revenge your friends, right…?" he sobbed.
"Please… Please forgive me…"
Elric rushed forward, gently prying the old man's fingers away from Kael's wrist.
"Explain what you mean," she said firmly.
The old man's shoulders shook.
His voice came out broken, fragile.
"I… I used to work here… as… as one of the guardians…"
Kael inhaled sharply.
The world dimmed around him.
Ash, fire, blood—
Screams of children echoing in hallways—
Chains digging into flesh—
His own voice crying for help—
Warmth touched his hand.
Elric's fingers curled around his trembling fist.
Kael's voice emerged low, hollow, shaking—
"…Why…"
The old man bit his lip until it bled.
"W-We were ordered!" he cried.
"T-The Chairman—Lord David—he punished anyone who disobeyed! If any of us tried to help a child, our families will be taken! He said… he said you children weren't humans… you were tools…"
Kael's body trembled—not with fear, but with rage threatening to burst from every bone.
His voice cracked—
"Why you doing this to us? What sin we have done to deserve that treatment?!"
The old man collapsed further, crawling until his forehead pressed against Kael's boot.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… We were cowards… We didn't protect you… We didn't protect any of you… We let them die… We let it happen…"
Kael's breath hitched.
Elric quickly stepped behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to hold him steady.
His entire body shook—like a child freezing in the snow.
"They called for help…" Kael whispered, voice breaking.
"…Again and again… until their last breath…"
Tears slipped down his cheeks—hot, silent, tasting like grief buried too long.
"And no one came…"
Elric tightened her embrace.
"It's over now, Kael. You're safe. They can't hurt you anymore," she whispered, her voice trembling with the pain of seeing him like this.
But the old man's confession didn't stop.
His own tears dripped onto Kael's boots.
"I remember their cries," he sobbed.
"I remember stepping over their bodies when the fire broke out… I should have saved them… I should have saved you…"
Kael's heartbeat grew louder—painful—echoing in his ears.
His chest tightened sharply.
Everything blurred.
Breathing became impossible.
"Kael—Kael!" Elric called, panic filling her voice as his knees buckled.
His body collapsed forward.
Elric caught him in her arms just before he hit the ground.
"Kael!! Wake up!!"
His lashes trembled, his face pale, breath shallow—
A full panic attack.
"Guards!" Elric snapped. "Gather every document we found! Take this man with us—now!"
The guards rushed, restraining the old man, who didn't resist—he only sobbed harder as he heard Elric calling Kael's name.
"He's alive…" the old man whispered, trembling. "Subject 0… Hero Kael… He lived…"
Elric lifted Kael into her arms, pressing his head against her shoulder, heart pounding as she stroked his hair.
"Kael… I'm here. You're safe…"
Her voice cracked, the weight of everything crushing her chest.
Behind them, the ruined orphanage remained silent—
except for the long-dead ghosts who once cried for help
and were never heard.
-----------------------------------------
The evening fog curled around the forest like silent ghosts, thickening as the sun dipped behind the mountain. At the base, Robert sat at the open carriage door, his small frame leaning against the wood as he stared up toward the distant ruins.
The mountain's silhouette was jagged, shadowed… ominous.
Kael and Elric were somewhere up there—alone with the ghosts of a past Robert never wanted him to remember.
He held the file Reinhardt had prepared. The pages were worn at the edges, some smudged slightly—proof Reinhardt had handled them himself.
Every line was written in his distinctive sharp strokes. Notes, warnings, dates, reports. Everything Kael needed.
Robert traced a finger over one messy correction in the margin—Reinhardt must have written this one late at night, in haste.
He swallowed.
His mind drifted to their final conversation.
"Are you sure you want to continue doing this?"
Reinhardt's voice echoed coldly in his memory—too calm, too controlled.
Robert touched his chest lightly, fingers trembling.
"Another three years…" he whispered to himself.
His lifespan had always been a curse he quietly accepted.
At ten years old, the healers predicted he wouldn't survive past fifteen.
But he pushed through.
Sixteen.
Seventeen.
Every year felt like stolen time.
But he wasn't afraid of dying.
He was afraid of leaving Kael alone.
He was afraid of Kael breaking.
If Kael ever cried because of him… Robert didn't think he could forgive himself even in death.
He exhaled shakily and closed the file.
Behind him, the gentle footsteps of a servant approached.
"Sir Robert," she said softly, holding out a cup of steaming tea. "If you don't mind… would you like some? It will warm you. The mountain winds are freezing."
Robert's eyes lingered on the cup.
Tea.
Hot. Innocent.
Yet the memory of his lungs burning, his veins freezing, the metallic taste of poisoned coffee—
His hand tightened involuntarily.
The servant noticed.
"T-The drink is safe," she added quickly. "We've all drunk from the same pot."
She pointed to the other attendants gathered by the second carriage, sharing cups of the same brew.
Robert forced a smile and finally reached out.
"…Thank you."
He accepted the cup.
"What is your name?" he asked gently.
The young servant stiffened.
"M-My name is Aria Ashley, sir!" she said, bowing too deeply.
Robert quickly lifted a hand to stop her.
"No need to bow like that. I'm a servant too. Just call me Robert."
Aria blinked—surprised.
A shy smile bloomed.
"I—of course… Robert."
She watched expectantly as he took a sip.
Bitter.
Stronger than he would have prepared for Kael.
But there was an earnest warmth in the taste.
"You're new?" he asked.
Aria nodded brightly.
"Yes! I just started training at the palace! I want to serve Lord Kael someday… I heard he's very kind."
Robert laughed softly—the sound warm but tired.
"That he is. But he's also picky."
He teased, lifting his cup.
"If he doesn't touch what you prepare, don't cry."
Aria giggled—and for a moment, Robert saw himself many years ago. That same innocent determination. That same hope.
"Then… could you train me?" she asked shyly.
Robert blinked at her sudden courage.
Then he chuckled.
"My training is harsh, you know."
Aria grinned.
"I don't mind!"
Robert shook his head, raising her hand politely when she offered it.
He thought—quietly—that maybe he was choosing her to inherit the duty he could no longer promise to Kael.
But the warmth of the moment vanished abruptly when a shadow flickered at the treeline.
Robert froze.
The horses neighed, stamping nervously.
The guards instantly raised their weapons.
"Stay alert!" their captain barked. "Something's moving!"
Aria flinched, stepping close to Robert.
"W-What's happening?"
Robert stepped down from the carriage, summoning his wand despite Jaesper's warnings.
His voice dropped low.
"Stay still. Something is coming."
Aria clung to the side of the carriage, trembling.
Shadows spread around them—moving unnaturally, as if alive.
A silent, suffocating presence pressed against the group.
The guards formed a tight circle around the carriages.
"This is the Archduke of Delcra's convoy!" the captain shouted.
"Show yourselves or face punishment!"
The shadows did not answer.
Robert raised his wand slightly, gripping it so tightly his knuckles whitened.
He didn't intend to cast.
He only hoped to bluff.
But his heart pounded violently—strained, weak from poison and fear.
The shadows crept closer.
Not now… Kael needs me. Don't fail him now…
Suddenly—
Hoofbeats.
Dozens of them.
Fast.
Urgent.
The shadows dispersed instantly—retreating like smoke blown away by wind.
The guards slowly lowered their weapons, exhaling in relief just as figures emerged from the treeline.
Elric.
And Kael—unconscious in her arms.
Robert's world stopped.
"MASTER KAEL!!"
He sprinted toward them—faster than any of the guards.
Kael's face was ghostly pale.
His breathing was shallow.
His lashes damp from tears.
His body limp.
Robert grabbed his wrist, frantically checking his pulse.
Fast.
Too fast.
But steady.
"What—what happened?" Robert's voice cracked.
Elric's jaw tightened.
"He had a panic attack."
Robert stared at Kael, guilt slicing through him like a knife.
Kael…
His Kael…
Broken enough to faint from memories alone.
Robert's chest tightened unbearably.
"I should have… I should have been with him…" he whispered, voice trembling.
Elric shook her head firmly.
"No. If you were there, it would only make him worry more. We'll all protect him. Together."
Robert swallowed, looking down at Kael's unconscious face.
His fingers lingered on Kael's hand.
Three years left…
Three years to protect him…
Three years to teach someone to take over…
Three years before he breaks Kael's heart just by dying…
Robert wiped the tears forming in his eyes before anyone could notice.
"We need to lay him down," he whispered.
"I'll prepare the herbal compress to stabilize his breath."
Elric nodded.
The guards cleared space.
And as they gently placed Kael inside the carriage, Robert whispered to him—voice so soft only Kael could hear:
"Master Kael… please don't hurt anymore… I'm here… I'll always be here…"
Even if time was slipping away like sand in his hands.
Robert's hands shook as he rummaged through his medicine bag. Vials clinked together—too loud in the suffocating silence. His heart pounded painfully as he knelt beside Kael, who lay motionless on Elric's lap, his face drained of all color.
"Come on, please…" Robert whispered, pulling out a small glass vial.
A calm potion. Mild enough not to overwhelm Kael's weak body, strong enough to steady his breathing.
He uncorked it with trembling fingers.
"Master Kael… please drink just a little…" he murmured.
He lifted Kael carefully. Kael's lips were cold—frighteningly cold. Robert tipped the potion gently into his mouth, watching nervously.
A faint movement.
A swallow.
Slowly, Kael's breathing softened. Stabilized.
But his eyelids remained shut, damp from tears he must have shed as he collapsed.
Robert exhaled shakily and wiped Kael's forehead with a clean handkerchief. Sweat clung to his pale skin.
"He fell asleep," Elric said softly, brushing Kael's hair back. "But the panic attack hit him hard."
Robert nodded, though fear clung tightly to his chest.
He looked at Kael—his Kael—so fragile, so breakable.
The once bright, laughing boy from their childhood reduced to trembling in nightmares he couldn't escape.
"What actually happened up there?" he asked, voice too tight, too controlled.
Elric swallowed, her expression darkening.
"We found the secret basement thanks to him… but the scene below…"
Her voice cracked for the first time.
"It was too cruel, Robert. Too much suffering. And Kael forced himself to remember everything."
She handed him the three black files they retrieved.
Robert opened them… and froze.
Every photo felt like a knife to his heart.
Three children.
Too small. Too thin. Too bruised.
Their faces swollen from crying.
Needle marks covering their arms.
Straps on their limbs.
Fear frozen forever in their eyes.
And one of them—
Kael.
Kael when he was maybe five or six, strapped to a cold metal table.
Eyes lifeless.
Skin bruised purple.
Blood staining the sheets beneath him.
Robert's stomach lurched.
His breath hitched.
His fingers clutching the file trembled violently.
"S-So… this is how Master Kael was treated… during his childhood… being tortured like this…?"
His voice barely held shape.
He looked at Kael—now asleep, leaning into the coat Elric placed beneath his head.
Poor Kael.
Poor child.
A rage he never felt before flickered beneath his ribs.
Then he remembered—
"Elric…" Robert whispered, eyes sharp. "Earlier, we were surrounded by a group in black robes. I believe they were Demon Cult members. They vanished the moment your group started descending from the mountain."
Elric's expression turned deadly.
She gently laid Kael on the carriage seat and replaced her coat as his pillow, tucking it under his head.
"Then I'll check the perimeter. Stay here with him," she ordered.
Robert blinked.
She caught his wrist before he could stand.
"And don't you dare be reckless," she warned. "I know you. You act on emotion. If anything happens, Kael will blame himself."
Robert froze, then lowered his gaze.
"…I understand, Lady Elric."
She left him alone with Kael.
Silence filled the carriage.
Robert sat beside Kael and looked again at the black files.
Words stood out in bold ink:
Candidate of Blood of Eternity.
He didn't understand the exact meaning.
But he understood cruelty.
The cruelty of adults who saw children as tools, not human beings.
He touched Kael's hair gently.
"You were so cheerful," he whispered. "Even when we were kids… you never let this darkness show… Why did you carry this alone…?"
His voice broke.
Suddenly—
A hand grabbed his wrist.
Robert gasped.
Kael's eyes were half-open, unfocused and glassy. His breathing was ragged again.
"Master Kael!" Robert held his hand tightly. "Are you okay?!"
Kael didn't answer him.
His gaze drifted to the black file in Robert's lap.
His fingers tightened painfully around Robert's wrist.
"… If I was strong back then…"
Kael's voice trembled.
"… Maybe… I could save them… from that hell…"
Robert swallowed hard.
He forced a smile—one filled with heartbreak.
"Master… please don't blame yourself…" Robert whispered. "You were just a child. You were a victim just like them…"
Kael's eyes shut tightly. Tears escaped, trickling down his cheeks.
"No… I was supposed to die… long time ago…" his voice cracked.
"… Those kids… my friends…"
Robert felt his heart shatter.
Kael curled slightly, as if trying to make himself smaller, like the trembling child in the photos.
Robert placed a hand on Kael's shoulder and pulled him gently into his arms, letting Kael's head rest against him.
"You survived," he whispered fiercely. "And because you survived, those memories won't be buried. Their stories won't vanish. You're the only one who can honor them now."
Kael's fingers clutched Robert's sleeve—weak, trembling, desperate.
Robert held him tighter.
"Please… don't say you should have died," he whispered, tears burning his eyes. "If you died… all of us would have died with you. Reinhardt. Elric. Me."
Kael didn't respond.
But his breathing slowly—even painfully—steadied.
He was slipping back into unconsciousness.
Robert lowered him gently onto the coat and brushed his hair back.
"Rest," he whispered. "I'll stay here. I won't leave."
Outside, faint shouts echoed—Elric barking orders, guards forming defense lines, the villagers crying somewhere further away.
Trouble crept closer.
Danger.
Demon Cult.
Shadows.
But Robert stayed exactly where he promised to be—
By Kael's side.
Always, until the end.
Even if his "end" was only three years away.