Chương 363

Chapter 363: (in the morning(Vale POV)) Vale sat on the floor of his barracks with his back against the wooden wall, absentmindedly tapping his fingers against the polished surface of one of his Onyx blades. The rhythmic metallic clicks echoed softly through the otherwise silent room. In the far corner, a shadow stood perfectly motionless, blending so naturally into the darkness that it almost seemed to cease existing. After a long silence, Vale let out a weary sigh.

"... Well." He stared at the ceiling.

"That was... surprising." Only now, after several hours had passed, did the reality of last night's confession truly settle in. In the moment, he had accepted Nym's answer with surprising calm, almost as though he had expected it. Now that the emotions had caught up to him, he finally understood what had happened. Shade silently stepped away from the corner.

"What is it, Shade?" Vale asked without looking at him. His voice lacked its usual energy. He hadn't slept all night. The shadow approached before lowering himself onto one knee until his glowing crimson eyes met Vale's own. He simply stared, unblinking. Vale shifted uneasily beneath that gaze before pushing himself to his feet.

"If you've got something to say..." He stretched his sore shoulders and forced a tired smile.

"... just say it. I'm in a rather strange mood right now." Shade tilted his head, apparently having no idea what Vale meant. Vale sighed again before raising three fingers.

"First... I remembered my time with Kealix." His expression darkened.

"I died more times than I can count. I honestly think there are thousands of years' worth of memories inside my head now." One finger lowered.

"Second... I remembered how I actually lost my arm." His voice became noticeably quieter.

"I wasn't born like this. I was murdered." His eyes drifted toward the metallic limb.

"A man I don't even know ripped off my arm, took my eyes, and left me to die. He might even be the reason my eyes turned white." The moment the words left his mouth, Shade's posture changed. His crimson eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, slammed one fist into the palm of the other, and immediately assumed a combat stance. Vale pinched the bridge of his nose.

"... You can't fight him." Shade blinked.

"I don't even know who he is." The shadow remained frozen for several moments before reluctantly relaxing. Vale lowered his final finger.

"And lastly..." A bitter smile crossed his face.

"... Nym rejected me." Silence settled over the room.

"So..." He shrugged weakly.

"... my head's a bit of a mess." Shade continued staring. Somehow, despite lacking a face capable of expression, he managed to look both confused and concerned. Vale rolled his eyes. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"I know. It sounds ridiculous." Without another word, he stood and began fastening his armor. Every scar scattered across his body looked different now. They were no longer simply proof that he had survived. Now he remembered where each one had come from. Every mark had once been an attempt on his life, every wound carried memories he wished had remained buried. He paused before the small mirror leaning against the wall. No reflection stared back. Only the empty room. Vale clicked his tongue.

"... Still creepy." He tightened the final strap across his chest, secured both Onyx blades across his back, fastened his daggers around his waist, and slung his satchel of books and tools over one shoulder. Then he whistled.

"Shade." He smiled.

"Would you mind transforming?" The shadow looked at him with what could only be described as annoyance before silently walking straight out of the barracks. Vale watched him leave.

"... That's a first." Muttering to himself, he followed outside. The cool morning air greeted him. Closing his eyes, he drew in one slow, deep breath, and for the first time since waking, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"... At least the air's nice." The peaceful moment lasted barely three seconds.

"Eskar!" Nova's worried voice rang across the camp. Vale turned just in time to see her circling Eskar for what had to be the tenth time that morning, carefully inspecting every visible injury. Her expression shifted constantly between worry, relief, and disbelief as she examined his missing arm and ruined eye. Considering the condition he'd returned in, she had every reason to panic. Eskar, meanwhile, simply smiled patiently, allowing her to fuss over him without complaint.

A travel bag already rested over his remaining shoulder.

"He, Vale." Vale looked toward the familiar voice.

"He." Korin stopped beside him, his usual relaxed smile in place.

"You alright? There's no rush. You can rest longer if you need it." Vale slowly shook his head.

"No. I'm alright." He paused before correcting himself with a weak smile.

"Well... as alright as I can be."

"Eskar was right. I can't let my past consume me... but I can't pretend it never happened either. So... if I'm acting a little strange over the next few days... please bear with me." Korin's smile softened as he rested one enormous hand on Vale's shoulder.

"Take all the time you need. Believe me, I know exactly how difficult something like that can be." Vale laughed quietly.

"I imagine being afraid of your own power isn't exactly easy."

"Yeah." Korin let out a bitter chuckle.

"You've got that right." He looked down at his own hand.

"... At least I'm not the only one anymore." Vale shrugged.

"I guess we're both misfits now." Korin grinned.

"Seems that way." His attention shifted toward the forest drakes. Their mother still struggled to stand despite the bandages covering her injuries, while the hatchlings refused to leave her side.

"You think we should bring them with us?" Vale asked.

"They won't survive without her... and I'm not sure she'll survive without help." Korin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but before he could answer, Eskar calmly walked past them toward the resting drake. Vale blinked.

"... Something wrong?" Eskar glanced back.

"Nothing. I just want to ask her something."

"... Ask?" Vale frowned.

"You mean... talk to the drake?" Instead of answering, Eskar spoke." Reisha mumdu kalish." Vale froze. His eyes grew wide with shock. He recognized those words. Ancient Draconic.

"... How do you know Ancient Draconic?" He took another step before shaking his head.

"No... forget that."

"How does a drake understand Ancient Draconic?" The great beast let out a low rumble. Though incapable of speaking the language herself, she clearly understood every word. Slowly, she lowered her enormous head. Eskar smiled and gently rested his remaining hand against her scales.

"Thank you." Turning back to the others, he said, "She agreed. If we protect her young, she'll carry our supplies." Korin blinked twice. Even he looked mildly stunned. Vale, however, had become distracted by something else entirely. He cautiously stepped closer to the drake.

"... Eishi..." He hesitated, trying to remember the pronunciation.

"... Rosha?" The drake turned toward him, her eyes widening slightly before she gave a slow nod. Vale nearly dropped his bag.

"... Wait."

"I thought lesser draconic species couldn't understand Ancient Draconic." He stared at her in disbelief.

"... Are you special?" The Drake simply looked back at him blankly.

"... Right." Vale scratched the back of his head.

"My mistake." He tried again.

"... Efish?" This time, the drake nodded immediately. Vale blinked several times before laughing quietly.

"That's... unexpected." Before he could continue experimenting with the language, soft footsteps approached from beside him. He looked over. Nym. The two froze. For several awkward seconds, neither of them spoke. They simply met each other's eyes before, almost simultaneously, looking away.

"... Hey." Vale scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"How's it going?" Nym hesitated.

"It's... alright." The silence that followed became almost painful. Vale nodded far too enthusiastically.

"That's great!" He gave an awkward thumbs-up before immediately walking away. Nym watched him retreat.

"... Idiot." She whispered the word so quietly that even she wasn't entirely sure whether she meant him...... or herself. By the time the awkward encounter had ended, everyone had finished loading their supplies onto the mother drake. Despite her injuries, the massive creature bore the weight without complaint. Nearby, Nova happily chased the hatchlings around the clearing while Eskar remained beside their mother, quietly reassuring her in Ancient Draconic whenever she grew uneasy. At last, everything was ready.

The group gathered their weapons, tightened their packs, and stepped beyond the familiar campsite. Together, accompanied by the wounded drake and her hatchlings, they ventured deeper into the ancient forest, toward lands no living human had ever explored.