Nightfall — Along the Kingdom Road
The carriage wheels creaked steadily against the rough road, cutting through a stretch of wilderness where even the wind seemed cautious.
Renn sat inside, the old box resting beside him, the scarf folded carefully within. His eyes were distant—fixed on thoughts he couldn't fully grasp.
Then—
A sudden halt.The horses neighed sharply.
"…What now?" Renn muttered, stepping out.
The driver pointed ahead, uneasy. "Someone's there."
At the edge of the road stood a lone figure.
A girl. Her silver-white hair shimmered faintly under the moonlight, her posture steady despite the torn edges of her cloak.
Renn approached slowly. "Are you hurt?" She didn't answer immediately. Her violet eyes studied him—sharp, unreadable.
"…They took it," she said quietly.
Renn frowned. "Took what?"
"My belongings."
A pause.
"My sword."
Something in her tone made it clear—it wasn't just any weapon.
Tracks led off the road. Downward toward a steep cliffside. Renn followed them, the girl silently trailing behind.
Below, hidden in the darkness, flickers of fire revealed a bandit camp nestled against the base of the cliff. Laughter echoed upward.
Careless. Unaware.
Renn crouched near the edge, observing.
"…Twenty… no… more," he whispered.
The girl spoke from behind him.
"Twenty-five."
Renn glanced at her. She met his gaze calmly.
"I counted."
A brief silence. Then Renn stood.
"I'll go down."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Alone?" Renn didn't answer. He simply drew his twin daggers. And stepped off the cliff.
He didn't fall. He moved.
Gripping rock edges, shifting weight, descending like something that had done this countless times before.
Silent.
Precise.
By the time his feet touched the ground—The first bandit was already dead.
It began without warning. A flash of steel— a throat cut cleanly. Another turn—a blade through the ribs. No wasted motion. No hesitation. The camp erupted into chaos.
"Enemy—!"
Too late.
Renn moved like a shadow breaking through firelight. One after another. Bandits fell before they could even understand what was happening.
A dagger across the neck. A strike to the heart. A body collapsing before a scream could fully form. He didn't fight like a desperate survivor. He fought like someone who had always known how to kill.
From above, the girl watched. Her expression didn't change. But her eyes widened—just slightly.
"…Who are you…" she murmured.
Below — the final bandit dropped. Silence returned.