Chapter 84: Deep Trauma — The Shattered Soul
The night air in Mavaria grew still, the mist outside Serelna's hut forming soft halos under the moonlight. Inside, the herbal pool pulsed faintly with a ghostly green glow — like a heart still beating in silence. Moro's body lay motionless, but his soul… was far from peace.
---
Within the Spirit Realm
A soft wind drifted across an endless field of white. The air shimmered with fragments of broken glass — each piece reflecting memories like shattered mirrors. Moro stood barefoot among them, his breath fogging into the air. His clothes were torn, his skin covered in faint cracks that glowed blue. His eyes were heavy, lost.
"Where… am I?" his voice echoed weakly.
The field stretched infinitely in every direction, and as he took one step forward, a thousand shards rose around him — visions flickering within them like living ghosts.
He saw himself as a child, running barefoot on golden sand, laughter echoing under a crimson sky. His father stood nearby — tall, smiling, his hand guiding Moro's stance as he held a wooden sword.
"Always steady your stance, son. Power means nothing without balance."
The memory flickered — laughter, warmth, sunlight — and then it turned cold. His father's figure dissolved into smoke. The sky cracked open. The ocean turned black.
"Dad—!" Moro reached out, but the image shattered into fragments, scattering like dust on the wind. He dropped to his knees, trembling.
One by one, more fragments surfaced.
He saw himself training in the rain, his young fists bruised, his breath ragged.
He saw Kaya, smiling, handing him water after his practice sessions, teasing him about how he never took breaks.
He saw his team — Yaya, Kiro, Herbet — laughing together after their first victory in the lower cities.
And then, darkness seeped into everything.
Each shard bled black smoke. The laughter warped into screams. The sky twisted into blood-red. His friends' faces began to fade — their outlines dissolving into mist as a deep voice echoed all around him.
> "You think strength erases loss?"
"You think fighting more battles fills the hole left behind?"
"You're only delaying your collapse."
Moro clutched his head. "Stop it… stop talking!"
The voice deepened, cold and merciless.
> "You failed to save your father."
"You couldn't protect Kaya when she cried that night."
"You promised Kiro you'd keep everyone alive — but how many almost died because of you?"
"Enough!" Moro shouted, aura flaring wildly. But the light that erupted from him only made the darkness surge higher. His aura cracked — his blue energy flickered like a dying flame.
Then, the ground below him broke.
He fell — endlessly — through darkness.
---
The Abyss of Memory
When he landed, the world had changed.
He stood now in a ruined city — black smoke rising from crumbled towers. Flames danced in the distance, painting everything in a crimson haze. The smell of blood filled the air. And at the center of the destruction… lay himself, surrounded by shadows of all the enemies he had faced.
The Asura Twins, their demonic grins splitting their faces.
The Celtic Highs, chanting his downfall.
Revo, laughing with that cold, merciless smirk.
And Kuzak, standing tall with his crimson aura burning through the air.
All of them moved — attacking together, their weapons raised.
Moro gritted his teeth. "Even here… I have to fight?"
He raised his hand — but his sword was gone. His aura wouldn't come. His body trembled. Every movement sent pain through him.
The shadows struck — blows landing one after another. He stumbled, blood spilling, his knees giving out. He could barely stand.
> "You call yourself a warrior?" Kuzak's shadow sneered.
"You couldn't even protect yourself," whispered Revo's echo.
"Weak," hissed the Asura Twins together.
Moro fell again, the world tilting. His chest heaved, his vision blurring. "I've had enough…"
He pressed his palm to the ground, trembling. "I fought because I had to… not because I wanted to…"
He closed his eyes. "I just wanted to protect them."
The shadows paused — as if listening.
His voice cracked, soft but raw. "Every time I fought, I lost something. Every time I won, I felt emptier. My dad… my team… my peace."
The shadows began to fade, one by one. But instead of relief, a sharp pain shot through his chest — unbearable, suffocating. He looked down. His body was cracking again, fragments breaking off like glass.
"I can't…" he gasped. "I can't push forward anymore…"
His aura flickered out. His body collapsed. The entire realm trembled, collapsing with him — the field, the ruins, the sky — all turning into black ash.
---
Back in the Hut
Serelna sat cross-legged beside the herbal pool, her palms pressed against the water's surface. Her eyes were closed, her aura faintly golden. The glow from the pool dimmed — Moro's pulse fading weaker with each breath.
Kaya knelt beside her. "Is he—"
Serelna raised a trembling hand. "Quiet… I'm trying to reach him."
She inhaled deeply and chanted in the ancient tongue of Mavaria — a forgotten melody that sounded like wind weaving through crystal. Her consciousness dipped beneath the veil of reality.
And then she saw it.
Moro's spirit — cracked, bleeding, screaming silently in the dark.
His soul floated among endless shards of memory, each one showing his pain — every fight, every sacrifice, every night he stood bleeding but refused to stop. She saw him as a child, clutching his father's coat and crying in the rain. She saw him trembling after losing battles, patching wounds alone, whispering promises to the stars.
Her eyes opened — tears streaming down her wrinkled face.
"This boy…" she whispered. "His trauma is deeper than anything I've seen. He's been carrying pain far beyond his years."
Kaya looked at her anxiously. "Can you heal him?"
Serelna shook her head slowly. "No one can heal a heart that doesn't wish to live."
Her words struck Kaya's chest like a blade.
"He wants to stop," the old woman continued, voice trembling. "Every time he's fallen, he's risen again… but not for himself. Only for others. That kind of strength breaks the soul in silence."
Kaya's eyes filled with tears. "Then what can I do?"
"Stay," Serelna said softly. "Your voice can still reach him. The bond you share can pierce even the deepest abyss."
Kaya pressed her hands together, leaning close to Moro's body. "Moro…" she whispered. "You once told me you'd find your father no matter what. You said no darkness could stop you. So why stop now?"
Her tears fell into the water. "You think it's weakness to rest? To cry? You've been fighting so long, you forgot what it means to live."
Serelna watched silently as Kaya continued, her voice trembling but fierce.
"You're not alone anymore. You've got me. You've got Kiro. You've got all of us. So even if you're broken, even if your soul's bleeding… we'll carry the pieces with you."
The herbal pool began to shimmer brighter — the green light mixing with faint blue pulses. The cracks on Moro's skin started glowing faintly, his fingers twitching ever so slightly.
Serelna gasped softly. "He's responding… he heard her."
---
Within the Spirit Realm Again
In the void, Moro's body lay still among the shattered glass. But from above, a faint echo reached him — a familiar voice. Kaya's voice.
"Even if you're broken… we'll carry the pieces with you."
The words pierced through the darkness like sunlight through fog. The shattered fragments around him began to float, glowing blue.
Moro opened his eyes slowly. His tears still lingered, but his gaze steadied. "Kaya…"
He sat up, clutching his chest. The pain was still there — but it no longer consumed him.
"I can't keep running," he whispered. "But I can't stop either."
He stood, light spreading beneath his feet. "If pain is my path… then I'll walk through it."
The fragments of his memories began to fuse — his father's smile, Kaya's laughter, Kiro's loyalty, the fights he endured — all merging into one blinding light that filled the void.
His aura reignited — not wild or angry, but calm, like a flame burning steadily in the night.
---
Back to Reality
The pool exploded in radiant light, shaking the hut. The water lifted into the air, swirling like a living spirit before crashing back into the basin. Moro's chest heaved — one deep breath after another.
Kaya gasped, grabbing his hand. "Moro!"
His fingers twitched. His eyes fluttered open — faint, weak, but alive.
He looked at Kaya, barely whispering, "You… didn't leave?"
She smiled through tears. "I said I'd protect you, didn't I?"
Serelna wiped her eyes discreetly, smiling faintly. "He's back… against all odds."
Moro turned his head slowly toward her. "Thank you… for saving them…"
The old woman shook her head. "No, child. You saved yourself."
He closed his eyes again, breathing steadily. "I saw my father…" he whispered. "And he told me… 'Strength without peace leads to ruin.' I think I finally understand."
Serelna nodded knowingly. "Then your journey begins anew — not as a warrior of pain, but as one of purpose."
Kaya squeezed his hand. "Rest. The world can wait a little longer."
Outside, dawn broke over Mavaria — sunlight spilling over the horizon like gold ink across parchment. The cries of birds filled the air, and Carol, the giant fox, lifted her head, gazing eastward as if sensing the change in the wind.
Inside the hut, Moro slept peacefully for the first time in what felt like forever — his face calm, his spirit quiet, his soul no longer bleeding but healing.
And far beyond, in the distant heart of the Kingdom of Nobles, unseen eyes stirred. The tides of fate had shifted.
The boy who survived his own darkness had awakened — and soon, Mavaria would remember his name.
End of Chapter 84 — "Deep Trauma"
---