They didn't even look at me when they said it. The Demon King's castle was still burning behind us, the sky stained black with smoke, my shield split in half and my arms still trembling from blocking the final strike that should've killed Arin. I thought we were catching our breath. I thought we were about to laugh in disbelief that we survived. Instead, they stood in a circle without me.
"Kael," Arin said, and something in his tone already felt distant. I stepped closer. "Yeah?" Dain crossed his arms. Lyra wouldn't meet my eyes. Arin exhaled slowly. "We've decided to remove you from the party."
For a second I thought I misheard him. I actually laughed. "Remove me?" My voice sounded strange, like it belonged to someone else. "You're holding us back," Dain said bluntly. "Your defense is good, but we need faster growth. More damage." I stared at him. I could still feel the Demon King's blade cutting into my shield when I jumped in front of him. My ribs still ached from taking that hit. "You're joking," I said quietly. No one smiled.
A system window appeared in front of me. [Party Status: Revoked.] [Hero Raid Contribution: Null.] My stomach dropped. "Null?" I whispered. Arin finally looked at me. There was no anger there. No guilt either. Just certainty. "The guild has already recorded the clear. The four of us are registered as the conquering party." Four. There were five of us. I opened my mouth but nothing came out at first. "I held the gate," I said eventually. "If I hadn't—" "We know what you did," Lyra cut in softly. "But this is about the future."
The future. The words felt heavier than the Demon King's sword. Another notification flashed. [Title Removed: Vanguard of the Hero.] The warmth in my chest—the shared link between us—vanished instantly. It was like someone pulled a cord out of my heart. I swallowed hard. "So that's it?" I asked. "After everything?" Dain looked away. Arin adjusted his cape. "It's better this way."
That was the moment it hit. Not anger. Not even sadness. Just embarrassment. I had believed in them. I nodded because if I didn't, I might've broken right there in front of them. "Alright," I said, and I hated how steady my voice sounded. My hands were shaking, so I clenched them into fists and turned around before they could see. I waited two steps. Three. Maybe someone would call my name. Maybe Arin would hesitate. Maybe Lyra would apologize. No one did.
When the global announcement appeared in the sky, I stopped walking. The Hero's Party Has Defeated the Demon King. Four names shone in gold light above the burning castle. Mine wasn't there. I stared at it longer than I should have. "Was I really that weak?" I muttered to myself. My voice cracked a little and I cleared my throat like that would fix it. The wind carried ash past me as if trying to bury the moment. I forced a small laugh, but it hurt. "Guess I was never part of the story," I whispered, and this time there was no one left to hear it.
Then the system erased my name from the records completely.