[*]
His eyes were like black lacquer, flickering with the fire's light, deep and grim.
The young man's eyes were usually exceedingly clear, but now they seemed shrouded in a black mist.
After a long moment, he said in a low voice, "So it was a dead end."
A silence fell, leaving only the CRACKLE and POP of the embers.
"Little General," Amy clapped her hands lightly and smiled at him. "Weren't you determined to serve the nation with utmost loyalty, to die for your country if you must? Why do you seem so afraid now?"
"If I were born in a chaotic era, with no one but myself, it wouldn't matter if I died. But with the nation in turmoil, even if I'm willing to give my life in service, I fear it won't be enough to prop up a collapsing dynasty."
