Chapter 16: Little Shadow
"My boy… it was out of my hands."
Grandfather's voice softened, sorrow clouding his weathered features like mist over still water. "You may not understand the affairs of adults yet, but in time, you will."
His gaze drifted into the distance as painful memories resurfaced, peering back through decades of regret.
"When you reach the pinnacle of Rank Nine, you will understand why my hands were tied."
Dax listened in silence, his heartbeat thundering in his ears as each word landed like a hammer on an anvil.
"During my isolation… that was when the Blood River Cult struck," Omin continued quietly. "The only ones present to protect her were your father and his disciple. They were not strong enough."
The surrounding space fell dead silent—the wind dying and the leaves stilling, as though the world itself held its breath.
