The sky was gray. The wind swept over the clinic's roof, and the sun was fading at the horizon. Ken sat on a metal chair, one leg crossed over the other, a half-burned cigarette between his fingers, while Yoko sat beside him, staring silently at the horizon.
The wind played with her hair, and her voice came out soft:
"You know… I never imagined I'd see you here again, after all these years."
Ken didn't turn to her. He looked up at the sky for a moment, then replied in his usual calm detached tone:
"People disappear, then return. It's not uncommon."
She studied his face for a while… the sharper features, the silence that seemed to have become part of him. He was no longer the boy she once knew, the child who laughed at everything. The Ken in front of her now was different.
She smiled sadly, and said:
"You've changed a lot, Ken."
He glanced at her sideways and said:
"Does a child who walks out of war ever return as a child?"
Yoko froze. His words sank slowly into her chest. She lowered her gaze to the ground as the wind continued to play with her black hair, hiding a tear that slipped free without permission.
Inside, she whispered to herself:
"Have I… changed too?"
She remembered that little girl who used to run with him through burning streets, laughing through fear, dreaming through ruin. Where had that girl gone? Did time swallow her the same way it swallowed Ken? Had she too become just a shadow?
She raised her eyes to him again, quietly watching. He still wasn't looking at her, his gaze was fixed on the sky.
"Maybe we're not who we used to be, Ken… not you, not me."
The wind grew stronger, as if it's pushing her back into memory. One image lit up in her mind: an afternoon sun and the sound of laughter from a world that no longer existed.
[Ruby Province — Eight Years Ago]
Ruby was alive then. Houses lined with flowers on the balconies, air was filled with the smell of fresh bread. In one of those modest homes near the edge of the city, a red haired boy stood clenching his fists in excitement.
Ken, eight years old, laughed from the bottom of his heart as his older brother Dan chased him, his eyes were full of the mischievous spark of children who feared nothing. His brother Dan was three years older, with a dark red hair, and the same gray eyes as Ken.
Dan laughed loudly:
"Hey! Come on, little hero! I'll show you who's stronger today!"
Ken raised his tiny fists, grinning with stubborn determination:
"This time I won't lose! I trained a lot, you'll see!"
But Dan didn't wait. He charged forward, punched him lightly in the stomach, and Ken fell to the floor, gasping more from shock than pain, his tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
Dan laughed victoriously as their little sister Emily jumped from the corner, yelling:
"Dan! That's not fair! I'm telling Dad!"
Emily's features were unlike her brothers. Her hair was bright brown, and her eyes were blue like gems.
Ken wiped his tears with his sleeve and said with a trembling voice:
"I hate you! You're mean!"
Dan raised an eyebrow, amused:
"A kid crying from one hit? What drama."
The laughter stopped when the door opened. Their father Akako entered with quiet steps. Tall and broad-shouldered, he looked a lot like Dan, with same colors, same strong features, and eyes that held both authority and warmth.
He spoke in a firm voice:
"Dan, how many times have I told you? You shouldn't hurt your siblings. Strength means protecting the weak, not hitting them."
Dan shrank a little, lowering his head:
"Sorry, Dad."
Akako placed a hand on his shoulder, then looked at Ken with gentle firmness.
"Are you okay?"
Ken nodded but didn't meet his brother's eyes.
Akako sighed, then said:
"Apologies aren't made with words alone. Look him in the eyes."
Dan slowly raised his head and extended his hand toward his little brother.
"I'm sorry, Ken."
Ken hesitated, then took the hand with his small one, saying nothing. The tears were still glimmered faintly in his eyes.
At that moment, the door opened again, and their mother Masha entered softly, her swollen belly showing she was six months pregnant.
Masha resembled Emily almost perfectly, same light brown hair, same bright blue eyes, but her expression carried a mature gentleness. Her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, a few strands falling to her cheeks.
She touched her husband's shoulder and asked:
"What's this little mess?"
Akako smiled faintly.
"Nothing, Masha… just our sons learning what strength really means."
Ken immediately ran to her, hugging her and burying his face in her rounded belly.
He said in his sweet childish tone:
"Mom, when will my new siblings come? I want to play with them!"
Masha laughed softly, stroking his red hair.
"Soon, my love… very soon."
That day was ordinary, simple, but it stayed with Ken as one of his most precious memories.
The next morning, Ken sat on the floor, coloring with his pencils. He held them in his left hand, as always. Akako entered the room, holding a steaming cup of tea…
He sat beside him and asked with a faint smile:
"What are you drawing this time?"
Ken lifted the paper with excitement.
"Our family! Look, this is Mom, this is Emily, this is Dan, and here's me! I made myself taller than Dan!"
Akako chuckled softly.
"Ambitious since childhood, huh?"
He tilted his head slightly to get a better look, then asked:
"But why does Dan look angry?"
Ken stopped coloring. His voice dropped to a quiet tone:
"Because he hit me yesterday… so I gave him a grumpy face."
Akako looked at his son with calm kindness and asked in a low voice:
"Were you angry at him?"
Ken shook his head gently, his eyes fixed on the paper in front of him.
"No… just sad. I don't like fighting with my brother."
He fell silent for a moment, then set the paper down on the floor and looked up at his father, confusion flickering in his small eyes.
"Dad… am I weak?"
Akako stared at him for a long time, with a look filled with both understanding and sorrow. Then he leaned forward, placed his hand gently on Ken's head, and spoke with steady warmth.
"No, my son… weakness isn't in feeling. Weakness is when you stop feeling. To love your family and fear hurting them, that's a strength only few possess."
Ken looked at his father with silent eyes, then said:
"But I don't want to feel pain anymore."
Akako pulled him into a sudden embrace, pressing his head against his chest. His voice came out low and steady:
"When you grow up, you'll understand. Pain never fades… but it's the one thing that reminds you who you are."
Ken closed his eyes, surrendering to that warmth he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever.
And on the rooftop of the clinic in the present, his inner voice whispered with the wind:
"Father… you were right."
Despite their earlier fight, Ken and Dan sat side by side in the living room, as if nothing had happened. The room was warm, filled with the orange light of sunset. At the center stood a finely carved wooden box, marked with curved patterns and a faintly glowing blue crystal.
It was the Radison, the voice transmitter of Valoria, used to broadcast news and reports from across the continent. Akako, Masha, and Emily joined them, and the whole family sat together in tense silence as the device crackled before a steady voice came through:
Broadcaster: "Good evening from Ruby Province. Unfortunately, tonight's news is grim. Official reports confirm that the army of the Kaji Kingdom, led by King Cirrus, has begun advancing across the southern border of the capital. Massive tanks have been sighted, and fighter planes are flying over the outskirts. Are we standing at the edge of a new war?"
The room froze. Only the faint hum of the Radison filled the air, echoing like a quiet threat. The family exchanged looks, each face showing fear in a different way. Masha's expression tightened, Dan bit his lip, Ken's face went pale, and Emily still didn't fully understand.
Ken asked in a trembling voice:
"Dad… does this mean there's going to be a war?"
Akako replied quietly, tension hidden beneath his calm tone:
"I hope it doesn't come to that."
Dan stood abruptly, fists clenched, his eyes burning.
"But why? What does King Cirrus want from us?!"
Masha tried to steady her voice:
"They want to annex Ruby… make it part of Kaji kingdom."
Emily blinked, tilting her head in confusion as she stared at the glowing crystal:
"Kaji? It sounds like our name… Yukaji."
Dan gave a bitter half-smile and said while looking at her:
"Dad hasn't told you yet, huh? We're not from here. He came from Kaji."
Her eyes widened in shock, while Ken's small hand clenched in genuine anger.
"Who is this king?! Who is Cirrus?! Why does he want to destroy us?! I'll never forgive him… our army will defeat him!"
The blue crystal dimmed slowly, and the Radison's sound faded into a trembling static, as if the machine itself feared to continue. Akako stood up silently, looked at his children for a long moment, then turned and walked towards the bedroom. Masha followed him with worried steps.
The door closed behind them. Silence filled the room except for anxious breathing. Akako sat on the edge of the bed, head lowered, hands clasped, burdened by something far heavier than words.
He muttered under his breath, bitterness dripping from every word:
"I can't believe this is happening… is that bastard really planning to shatter the peace again?"
Masha sat beside him, placing her trembling hand over his.
"Cirrus… isn't just a king, Akako. With his power, he could burn an entire city with a single strike. No one can stop him."
Akako slowly raised his head, gray light flickering in his eyes.
"He's not just a king… he's my brother. And I… am still their exiled prince."
Masha's voice broke as she gripped his hand tighter:
"And the children don't know… they don't know they're heirs to the Yukaji bloodline… or that their uncle is the one leading this war."
Akako closed his eyes, breathing unevenly. Then came her whisper, soaked with tears:
"I'm scared, Akako… I don't want to lose you… or any of our children."
He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he could shield her from the world itself. The room was still, but beyond its walls, time was already moving slowly towards catastrophe.