[*]
His eyes, dark as lacquer, reflected the dancing flames, giving them a deep, grim light.
The young man's eyes were usually so clear, but now they seemed veiled by a black mist.
After a long moment, he said softly, "So it's a dead end."
A stretch of silence followed, broken only by the CRACKLE and POP of the fire.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and grinned at him. "You're the one who wants to serve the nation with your life, vowing to die for it, right? So why do you look so scared now?"
"If I lived in a chaotic era, alone in the world with nothing to my name, my death would mean nothing. But now, with my family and country adrift, even if I'm willing to die in service, I fear one man's death cannot save a nation on the brink of collapse."
