The morning sun peeked through the cracks of the wooden window, spilling golden light across the cabin floor. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of pine and morning dew.
"Hah… yesterday was kinda hectic," Kaien muttered, stretching lazily as he rubbed his eyes.
He sat on the edge of his bed, letting his gaze wander to the faint mist curling outside. His mind drifted back to the previous night — to the quiet village meeting, and to the people who had turned their eyes away from him.
---
Last night…
"I have to go now, my friend," Edrin said, standing by the doorway. His tired eyes softened as he looked at Garrick.
A faint creak came from behind
Kaien had stepped into view.
"Oh? Is that the child… Kaien?" Edrin asked, turning slightly.
Garrick nodded. "Yeah. He's the one who helped during the patrol incident."
Edrin's brow furrowed, then he sighed. "I see… but you both know what happened. Because of that stunt, you, Lyra, and this boy are forbidden to enter the village for now."
Kaien looked down, his hand tightening slightly.
Garrick started to protest, but Edrin raised a hand. "Don't worry. I'll try to talk to the elders, convince them to at least let you visit from time to time."
He chuckled softly. "Though… knowing them, I'll probably get scolded for it."
Garrick smiled faintly. "You always do."
Edrin laughed. "That's what friends are for."
With that, he patted Garrick's shoulder and left into the night, his figure fading beyond the lantern light.
---
Back to the present.
Kaien stood, shaking off the thought with a sigh. "No use worrying about it."
He tidied up the cabin, shouldered his practice sword, and stepped outside. The morning air brushed against his hair as he began his usual training with Garrick and Lyra.
"Focus your stance!" Garrick barked, crossing his arms.
Kaien adjusted his footing, swinging again.
Lyra grinned from the side. "Your form's better today. Guess you didn't stay up late, huh?"
Kaien smirked. "Just thinking."
"Oh no," Lyra teased. "That's dangerous."
Garrick let out a quiet laugh. "All right, that's enough for today. Go hunt something for breakfast. You'll need the energy."
---
After some time in the forest, Kaien returned with a few fresh catches, a pair of hares and a bundle of herbs. As he stepped back into camp, he noticed Garrick talking to someone near the fire.
"Hey, Kaien!" Garrick called out, waving him over. "Come here, I've got someone to introduce."
"Kaien?!" Kyras thought while recognizing the name and the presence
Kaien raised an eyebrow, approaching.
When he saw who it was, he froze for a moment.
Standing quietly beside Garrick was the same boy from yesterday — blindfolded eyes, calm expression, and faint traces of carved wood dust on his fingers.
Kyras.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Kaien thought.
Garrick smiled, oblivious to the tension. "This is Kyras. His grandmother's resting, so he'll be staying here for a while. Thought you two might get along."
Kaien stared at him. "..."
Kyras tilted his head slightly. "..."
The silence that followed was almost comical. Garrick glanced between them, confused. "Wait—you two already know each other?"
Kaien scratched the back of his head. "Yea—"
Kyras cut him off with a flat tone. "No."
Kaien's eyebrow twitched. "Y-Yeah, never met," he said with an awkward laugh.
Garrick rubbed his temples. "All right then, you should introduce yourselves properly."
Kaien grinned, stepping closer. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kaien."
Kyras turned slightly, his blindfold glinting faintly in the sunlight. "I'm Kyras."
As Kaien reached out, Kyras's hand hesitated — but before he could withdraw, Kaien grabbed it with a firm shake.
Lyra giggled. "Oh wow, you have a friend now. Good for you, Kaien!"
Garrick shot her a warning look, though even he couldn't hide a small smile.
"Okay, you can stop now, you two," he said. "You should get along."
Kaien smirked. "Yeah, we'll get along really well."
Garrick and Lyra left them some space.
---
Kaien glanced at Kyras occasionally, watching how he moved — careful, silent, but precise, like someone who could sense the air itself.
Something about that calmness bothered him.
He's not just blind, Kaien thought. He's listening to everything.
And for a moment, as the wind rustled through the trees, Kaien swore he saw Kyras's lips curve — just slightly — into a knowing smile.
---
Later that afternoon…
Kaien leaned against a tree, tossing a wooden practice sword from hand to hand. Kyras sat nearby, quietly carving something out of a block of wood.
"So," Kaien began casually, "you ever spar before?"
Kyras didn't look up. "Spar?"
"Yeah," Kaien said, pushing himself off the tree. "You know—two people fight, one wins, the other learns not to mess with the first guy."
Kyras tilted his head, his tone unreadable. "You mean… you want to fight me?"
Kaien smirked. "Nah, not fight. Just... a friendly match. You can even use a stick or something."
Kyras sighed, setting his carving aside. "You're persistent."
"I just wanna see how good your 'sensing' thing is," Kaien said, twirling the sword. "Unless you're scared."
That made Kyras stand up, expression calm but firm. "You'll regret that."
Kaien grinned. "We'll see about that."
He lunged forward — but before the wooden blade could touch Kyras, the blind boy sidestepped with inhuman smoothness, his hand grazing Kaien's wrist and redirecting the swing into the ground.
Kaien blinked. "Huh?"
Kyras tilted his head. "You rely too much on sight."
Before Kaien could react, Kyras gently tapped his shoulder with the tip of the stick he'd picked up. "Point."
Kaien's jaw dropped. "You—!"
Lyra's voice called from afar, laughing. "What's going on over there?"
Kaien grumbled, lowering his weapon. "Nothing! Just… testing something!"
Kyras smiled faintly. "I think you passed… barely."
Kaien stared, half-annoyed and half-impressed. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Kyras shrugged. "Maybe."
For the first time, Kaien found himself smiling for real. "Alright, Kyras. Round two later. Don't think I'll lose again."
"We'll see," Kyras said softly.
And as the wind blew between them, Kaien couldn't shake the feeling — this "blind kid" might just be more dangerous than he looked.
---End of Chapter 16---