It had been three days since the fight between the two boys. Kazuki, consumed by guilt, wanted to apologize to Sebastian, but he just couldn’t find the courage.

  “Shit… what am I even doing here?” Kazuki shouted, wandering aimlessly around the injured camp, lost in confusion. He wanted to apologize, really, but something kept holding him back. His emotions were all over the place. It felt so strange... like something he had never experienced before.

  It was already the middle of the night when he left the camp to get some fresh air.

  “Damn it… what am I even thinking? He was just trying to comfort me…” Kazuki thought, staring into the darkness. “But still… he could’ve handled it differently. He didn’t even try that hard. I was the one who put effort in...”

  That thought wouldn’t leave him. Guilt, jealousy, and most of all, his pride, kept him from facing Sebastian. Kazuki sat outside the tent he had just come from, lost in thought. He didn’t even notice he was staring at someone, a drunken soldier nearby.

  “Hey, kid, what’re you starin’ at?” the soldier slurred, walking unsteadily toward him.

  “Ugh, shut up, you drunk… I just need some time alone,” Kazuki snapped, still half-trapped in his thoughts.

  “What’d you say, brat? Wanna get smacked?” the soldier barked, balling his fist and raising it.

  “Shut your damn mou”

  Before Kazuki could even finish, the soldier punched him square in the face. He fell to the ground. As he tried to stand back up, the soldier kicked him hard in the stomach.

  This wasn’t like Sebastian, there was no hesitation here. The soldier kicked him again. And again. Full force. No holding back.

  When the soldier finally left, Kazuki lay on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain. And then... he realized something:

  Sebastian hadn’t hit him that hard. Not even close. Maybe… there was still hope. Maybe Sebastian could forgive him.

  But as that thought echoed in his head, another one surfaced, sharper. Stronger. Clearer:

  “I want to become stronger.”

  So he woke up and went to Sebastian in the morning.

  "Hey, come out. I want to talk to you."

  Sebastian agreed, and the two boys stepped outside.

  "Alright, let’s hear it. What now? A love confession or something?" Sebastian said, still clearly annoyed.

  "Sebastian, I just wanted to say th-that"

  But Sebastian cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

  "Oh come on, seriously? You’re too proud to even apologize. I can’t take this anymore. It’s disgusting. If you’re not ready, then just go back inside. But remember one thing, if you keep this up, you’ll end up completely alone. Think about what you’re doing, man."

  Sebastian’s voice was full of disappointment.

  "Shut the hell up already! All you ever do is criticize others! Look at yourself, you’re no saint either, you’re just a human! Everyone makes mistakes, but not you, huh? That’s what pisses me off about you!"

  And with that, the shouting began again between the two.

  "Oh, so now you're saying I have it easy? What the hell is wrong with you? I don’t want anything to do with you anymore, just leave!" Sebastian shouted back.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "Yeah, right! Stop it already. All I ever hear from you is how rough your past was! You act like you’re the only one who’s suffered! Grow up!" Kazuki snapped.

  "Be honest for once. I’ll never see my parents again either. But I spent 17 years with them, I did everything with them, shared everything… and now I’ll never see them again."

  Kazuki broke down and started crying bitterly.

  "I’m done with this," Sebastian said coldly. "You’re 17 years old and still crying over every little thing. Don’t lecture me about growing up. You’re way more childish than I am, even though you’re legally an adult. Think about that."

  He turned and walked away.

  "Damn it… what was I thinking? I’m so pathetic… so damn stupid… I came here to apologize and I couldn’t even do that. I couldn’t say I’m sorry… because of my damn ego!"

  Kazuki screamed and slammed his fists on the ground over and over again. He eventually calmed himself, got up, and went for a walk.

  That evening, he went to bed. But in the days that followed, things between the two boys were so cold, they didn’t even look at each other.

  Kazuki sat alone in a dark corner of the camp.

  The fight with Sebastian still burned in his chest.

  Everything felt too heavy, way too heavy.

  The night was quiet, only the faint crackling of a fire in the distance.

  He stared into nothingness.

  And then...

  A whisper.

  So soft, it barely felt real.

  “Those like me were never truly mine.

  But you... you were like nothing

  and because of that, everything.”

  Kazuki froze.

  His breath caught in his throat.

  He looked around frantically, but there was no one.

  Only silence.

  That voice...

  It was the same one from his dream.

  Warm, calm... and sad.

  But it stuck with him.

  What did it mean?

  “Like nothing... and therefore everything...”

  He kept repeating it in his mind, over and over.

  His head throbbed. His heart raced.

  But no answer came.

  Then suddenly shouts echoed across the camp.

  "Everyone gather! The King is speaking!"

  Kazuki stood up and followed the crowd.

  In the center of the camp, the King stood tall on a horse

  the Queen at his side.

  Behind them: a massive army.

  Tension filled the air.

  The King raised his voice:

  “My people! I will lead the final campaign against the Empire of Astrye!”

  His voice was strong, clear, and full of determination.

  “This is our last chance to end this endless war!”

  Kazuki stood in the crowd and felt something stir inside

  Fear. Anger. Hope.

  The King pointed his sword forward.

  “While I’m away, my daughter Rina Estanis will lead.

  You will listen to her just as you listen to me.”

  Then he shouted:

  “This is the last chance against Astrye!”

  With that, he rode off

  the army charging behind him.

  “Just say sorry, dude!” But sometimes, pride can feel bigger than any battlefield.