The wind brushed past him as Leon stood on the balcony, his eyes fixed on the stars scattered above. Somewhere below, the estate slept, vast and silent. He leaned forward, fingers curling around the cold stone, feeling the chill seep into his skin. He drew in a slow breath and let it slip from his chest.
"I miss the old days," he murmured, the words barely louder than the night.
The door behind him creaked open. Leon didn't turn. Footsteps crossed the balcony.
"You moron," his sister snapped, breathless as she came to a stop beside him. "I've been looking for you everywhere." She barely gave him time to react before adding, "I've got news for you."
Leon turned fully toward her and took a slow step closer. Up close, her annoyance didn't quite hold.
"Alright," he said quietly, meeting her eyes. "Tell me. What's the news?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's a new mission."
Leon frowned. "That's it? I thought it'd be something important."
She stared at him. "Are you stupid or something?"
He didn't answer.
"This isn't like the other missions," she said, her tone sharpening. "We won't be hunting on our own. We're getting a squad."
That caught his attention.
"And we're not dealing with giant spiders or goblins anymore," she added. "We're facing orcs."
Leon let out a slow breath, half a laugh escaping him. "Great. A squad."
She folded her arms. "From what I've heard, the highest-ranked hunter on this mission is a mid B-rank. The second-highest would be a basic B-rank."
Leon scoffed. "Don't bother telling me about B-ranks."
She looked at him, saying nothing.
"To me, they're all the same," he said.
"How so?" she asked, looking straight at him.
Leon turned to her, his eyes narrowing. "I'm not aiming for A-rank. Or S-rank." She stayed silent. "I won't be stopping at S-rank," he said. He smiled, just barely. "I'll reach it, like he did."
His sister glanced at him for a moment, then shook her head. "You mean the Ultra-rank? Ha. Keep dreaming."
"You'll see," Leon said.
She scoffed. "If that's how you see it, Leon, then my goal is simple. I'll become an Ultra-rank before you."
Leon let out a short laugh. "Before me?" He shook his head. "Sister, you're still a basic C-rank. I'm already Low C-rank. That alone puts you behind."
Her jaw tightened.
"And at the pace I'm moving," he continued calmly, "you won't be catching up anytime soon." He stepped past her toward the door, brushing her shoulder on purpose. "Face it," he said over his shoulder. "You'll be eating my dust soon enough, so do try to keep up."
Earlier that day, inside Division Six headquarters, Arin and Maya sat across from each other at a narrow table. Coffee cups rested beside a stack of old files, their warmth long faded. It felt like another ordinary day.
The business phone rang. Maya glanced at the display—it read Kira. She picked it up immediately.
"Good evening, Ms. Kira."
Kira's voice came through, calm and direct. "Are the arrangements complete?"
Maya hesitated. "I was just about to inform the hunters about the mission, madam."
"Good," Kira said. "Then you'll need to adjust those plans."
Maya straightened. "May I ask why, Ms. Kira?"
"I won't be participating in the hunt," Kira replied. "I have personal matters to attend to."
"I understand, Ms. Kira," Maya said evenly. "Should the mission be canceled then?"
"No," Kira interrupted. "Everything proceeds as planned. Ren can handle matters in my absence. Leon as well."
"Okay, Ms. Kira." Ms. Kira ended the call.
Maya lowered the phone and set it back in its place. She turned to Arin.
"Sir, Ms. Kira has withdrawn from the hunt."
Arin looked up from his cup. "She has?"
"She said it's a personal matter," Maya replied. "But the mission is to continue as planned."
Arin leaned back slightly, exhaling. "That's new."
Maya nodded once, then looked down at the files, her fingers resting against the edge of the table. She couldn't recall a single mission where Leon and Kira had worked together. Kira's certainty didn't sit right with her.
Leon came home with a bag of chips in one hand, jogging up the steps, already smiling as he pushed the door open. The smile didn't last. Crying reached him from inside. He took a few steps forward, then froze as he recognized the sound.
"Anya?" he called, confused. "Why are you crying?"
She didn't answer. The living room came into view. Anya was kneeling on the floor, her shoulders shaking. Their mother lay motionless beside her.
Leon felt like the world had just gone silent. He couldn't hear the crying anymore. He couldn't hear anything at all—not even his own voice.
"…Mom?" he said faintly, unable to hear a sound in the room. He stepped forward. The bag slipped from his shoulder, the chips spilling across the floor, forgotten. His breath came fast and uneven.
"Anya…" His voice shook. "What's going on? Why—why is Mom on the floor?"
Anya only sobbed, her hands trembling, her mouth open but no words coming out.
Something inside Leon snapped. "Answer me!" he shouted. "Anya, talk to me! Please!"
He dropped to his knees and grabbed his mother's hand. It felt cold.
"Mom, what's wrong?!" His voice broke.
Panicking, he scrambled up and grabbed the family phone, his fingers slipping as he dialed. "Please," he gasped when someone answered. "You have to help my mother. She—she's dying."
The voice on the other end said something, but Leon couldn't hear it. He turned back toward her, tried to run—and fell. His legs wouldn't move. No matter how hard he tried, his body refused to respond. Tears spilled down his face as the room blurred, the walls stretching, the sounds melting away.
Anya's crying faded. The living room dissolved into darkness.
And Leon woke up.
"I keep seeing you, Mother," he whispered, his voice unsteady. "In my dreams."
Leon sat up slowly, pressing his palms against his face as if that might ground him. It never did. Every time he closed his eyes, it was the same image—her lying on the floor, unmoving, the silence louder than any scream.
He exhaled shakily and looked up at the ceiling. "Mother… Father… I miss you," he said quietly. "That's why I became a hunter. Just like you."
His voice cracked, but he continued. "It's only me and Anya left." Leon clenched his fists. "I became a hunter because I wanted to be like you two. I know I'm not perfect. I know I'm not good enough. But I want to do everything I can to become an Ultra-rank, just like you were. I want the Heart family to bloom again, the way it once did."
He swallowed hard. "I told Anya to focus on school, to live a normal life… but she won't listen. She's stubborn. Just like you." He smiled, but the smile didn't last.
"Mother… are you listening?" he asked softly. "Anya is the only comfort I have left."
His shoulders trembled. "Anya is doing two things at once. She's still going to school, and she's a hunter too. She's even the same rank as me—just a stage below." He laughed weakly. "She's something else, isn't she?"
"I know I wouldn't manage that." Silence filled the room. "But honestly, for her stage, she's doing well."
His strength left his legs. He collapsed to the ground and stopped holding back his tears. They fell without restraint, soaking into the floor as his quiet sobs echoed in the darkness. For the first time that night, Leon allowed himself to break.
A gentle knock came at the door. Leon didn't respond.
"Hey, big bro, open up," Anya called from the hallway. "It's that day—don't forget. I'm making breakfast, so you better get yourself ready."
Silence followed.
"Hey, are you listening to me?" she called. No answer.
"Are you still sleeping?" she shouted. "Open up!"
From inside the room, Leon finally spoke, his voice low and rough. "I'm coming, sis. I'm still naked, you know."
"Well, that's not my fault," Anya shot back. "Just get down here. I'm making breakfast, brother."
"…Okay, sis," Leon replied quietly.
There was a brief pause.
"Wait," Anya said, her tone softening. "Were you crying?"
"No. Of course not," Leon answered quickly. "Don't be stupid."
"Oh… okay then." She hesitated. "But if anything's wrong, you should know I'm always here."
Leon didn't reply.
Anya lingered for a moment, then stepped away slowly and walked down the hallway.
"Leon's been acting strange lately," she thought. "But today… I'm pretty sure I heard him crying." She clenched her fingers lightly. "He never tells me anything. Not anymore."
As she made her way toward the stairs, her thoughts kept racing. "I hope this mission helps him feel better. Every time we're on a battlefield… he smiles." Her steps slowed. "That smile… it always widens."
At first, it had creeped her out—the way his expression shifted so suddenly, like all the pain vanished the moment danger appeared. But over time, she'd come to accept it.
Up in the room, Leon pushed himself up from the floor. Standing felt heavier than it should have. He wiped the tears from his face with the back of his sleeve, then coughed a few times.
"Get it together," he muttered. He inhaled deeply. "Okay. I'm alright."
Leon pulled on his clothes quickly, movements practiced and automatic. Once dressed, he walked to the door, unlocked it, and opened it wide.
"Is the food ready?" he yelled down the stairs, his voice suddenly loud and casual.
Anya looked up from the kitchen. "I'm just about to make it or just wait."
Leon nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Okay. That's fine."
Inside the deep, dark ends of the forest, the ground began to shake. Orcs crowded the trees until there was no clear edge to their numbers. They lowered their heads, mana leaving their bodies. At the center, the Orc Lord stood still. No one stood close to him. On a distant ridge, two orcs watched without speaking nor moving.
The Orc Lord lifted one of his hands and roared so loudly that it echoed through the entire forest.
{Chapter 1: The Shallow Heart Finally Breaks}