The two of them sat on their usual hilltop, chatting while picking at a few pieces of fruit.Luca had just brought up something Karim had tried hard to forget—or at least not think about until they were far away from this place.

  “So tell me… what’s it like having a sister?”

  Karim choked a little on the bite of fruit he was chewing and coughed.Then he paused, looking at Luca.“Where did that come from?”

  Luca shrugged lightly.“I’ve always wanted to have a little sibling.”

  After a brief silence, Karim replied.“Sometimes it’s great, and sometimes it’s insanely annoying.Back where we lived, it was just the two of us.So no matter how much we fought…she was both my sister and my best friend.”

  “Do you think she’ll come here one day?” Luca asked.

  Karim stared at the sky for a moment, then answered confidently:“I know she will.Because everything I know… she knows just as much.So even if not now, she’ll come. One day.”

  He lay back in the grass and changed the subject.“What do you think—are the rumors true?”

  “What rumors?” Luca asked.

  “About the trial.Some people say the ones who pass will be sent into active duty.”

  Luca took a slow bite of fruit and sighed.“I don’t know. But would that be so bad?Starting to earn money at our age wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”

  When the trial day arrived, Karim and Luca headed to the training grounds and were met with a massive crowd.

  Teachers lined the upper steps, watching as students battled below—making quiet remarks and notes.

  But there was one more important rule to this trial:You had to duel against the person you had trained with the most.

  Which meant… for the first time in a long while,Karim and Luca were going head-to-head.

  At first, they smiled at each other, saying it would be fun—but once they put on their armor and heard what the prize was, those smiles faded.

  Special suits were strapped onto them,and small, sturdy pouches filled with liquid were tied to key points on their bodies.

  When struck, these pouches would burst, leaking fluid to indicate a “wound.”

  If three pouches burst, the match was over.

  And dropping your weapon was considered surrender—no matter what, they had to hold onto their swords.

  Then came the prize announcement:The winner would officially be assigned to the army and earn their first rank.

  At the signal, the duel began.

  Karim grabbed the sword lying in the dirt.Having trained with wooden ones for so long,this was the first time he really felt the weight of real steel.

  They gripped their swords tightly, waiting for the other to make a move.

  With the weight of the armor, Karim couldn’t rely on speed.He could stay on the defensive—but he knew Luca had just as much stamina.

  So, it would either end in one of them giving up...or Karim would try to find some loophole in the rules to gain an advantage, just like before.

  They circled each other carefully, watching every movement.Luca made the first strike—a rightward swing.

  Karim blocked it with a mirrored move.

  For the first time, their steel blades clashed—sparks erupted as the metal ground together.

  Both of them flinched slightly at the flash.

  As they refocused, Luca launched his second attack—this time aiming directly for the pouch on Karim’s chest.

  Karim dodged at the last second, sidestepping the blow.

  As Luca began to pull back,Karim countered with a swift slash toward his leg.

  The sharp blade tore into the pouch strapped to Luca’s thigh—liquid sprayed out instantly.

  From beneath his armor, Luca cursed in frustration:“Ah fuck.”

  Seeing Luca’s trembling hands, Karim hesitated.He wanted to join the army too—but he knew Luca was willing to risk everything for this.

  If Karim won…Luca might resent him.Hell, he might hate him.

  While he was lost in thought, Luca’s voice snapped him back:“Karim! Focus! This isn’t a game!”

  Karim locked eyes with him again and tightened his grip on his sword.

  But he couldn’t burn all his energy just yet.If Luca managed to deflect a strike,he could immediately retaliate.

  So Karim went in carefully—raising his sword for an overhead swing toward Luca’s head.

  It was an illegal move.

  The instructors stepped in immediately—pulling the sword from Karim’s hand and separating them.

  Karim was still dazed when one of the teachers barked at him furiously:“When the hell did I teach you to make that kind of move?!”

  Karim was penalized for breaking the rules—but the duel wasn’t over.

  When they faced off again,Luca wasted no time.

  He charged in with a double strike.

  Luca struck first—swinging his sword to the left,then immediately aiming for Karim’s right leg.

  Karim blocked the first strike successfully,but Luca managed to tear the pouch on his leg,even if it meant catching sparks in his eyes.

  Now, both were one mistake away from losing.

  Feeling the burst pouch on his leg,Karim quickly stepped back twice.

  There was no way out anymore.Only one could win.They both knew it.

  Even though they couldn’t see each other’s faces through their helmets,it was as if their eyes met—and in that moment, they felt the truth.

  They had both saved their strength for a final, decisive strike.

  And at the exact same moment… they moved.

  Karim was first to swing.His blade lashed out,but Luca dodged skillfully and countered instantly.

  The dueling ground echoed only with the clashing of steel on steel.

  Caught in a dance of attack and defense,both fighters began to wear down—but they knew this was their last chance.

  They ran toward each other at the same time.

  Both raised their swords as if to swing—but instead, they drove them straight into each other’s chest pouches.

  It was a rare outcome.

  A perfect draw.

  Each of them had pierced the other’s chest pouch at the exact same moment.

  The instructors rushed in,removing their armor piece by piece.

  Once the heavy plates were off, the two of them felt light as feathers—but neither said a word.

  One of the instructors stepped in front of them and raised his voice:

  “Well then.We’ve found ourselves in an unusual situation.

  You have two options:Either fight another duel…or accept the draw—and join the army together, as paired partners.”

  Without a second thought,they chose the draw.

  Just like that, they were officially inducted into the army.

  But… what were they actually going to do there?

  They could barely breathe after a few sword swings.

  How the hell were they going to survive on the battlefield?

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  The two of them sat atop their usual hill, snacking on some fruit and celebrating quietly into the late hours of the night.

  “You almost fucking cracked my skull open, you bastard!” Luca laughed, bursting out in full-blown chuckles.

  Karim grinned slightly.“I didn’t mean to. It was just reflex, I swear.”

  Luca stretched his arms wide and took a deep breath.“Well then, I say we both deserve a celebration. But seriously… what now?”

  Karim shrugged.“No idea.They’ll probably have us doing errands for the higher-ranked officers or something.”

  Then he frowned and added,“And I still don’t get why they’re even doing this.”

  Luca waved his hand dismissively,“Honestly, I don’t give a shit.We’re soldiers now, Karim!We’re finally gonna earn our own money!” he said with fiery excitement.

  Karim let out a soft smile.“I know, I know…”

  But in that moment, a spark went off in his head.He could tell his mother.

  He wasn’t a student anymore. He was a soldier.

  But… how would she react?

  Caught between excitement and dread,he barely heard a word of what Luca was saying about future dreams and plans.

  He only came back to the moment when Luca suddenly hugged him tight.

  Karim looked at him, eyes wide, and whispered shakily,“My mom... I need to tell them. I need to tell my family.”

  The next morning, Karim tracked down his sword instructor and asked for permission to leave and visit his mother.

  The instructor gave him two days and said he’d inform the other teachers of the arrangement.

  As Karim headed toward the exit, he heard someone yelling behind him.It was Luca, running and gasping for air.

  “You’re not... you’re not gonna wait for me? Should I come? I wanna come!”

  “If you can get permission, come! But I can’t wait! Let’s go!” Karim shouted back, jaw clenched.

  Luca paused for just a second, then yelled,“Go to the stables! I’ll catch up!”and sprinted off toward his instructor.

  Karim quickly made it to the stables and asked the stablemaster for his horse.As it was being prepared, the stablemaster noticed Karim pacing impatiently.

  Just then, Luca showed up—breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.

  Karim looked at him, mounted without a word, and reached out.Luca climbed up behind him, and they took off at full gallop.

  During the ride, Luca tried to calculate the distance.“If we don’t stop, it’ll take us two full days,” he shouted, wind whipping across his face.

  Karim gave a slight nod.He didn’t plan to waste even a second.

  Aside from a few quick stops for necessities,they pushed on, speeding toward Karim’s home without pause.

  After a day and a half of relentless riding,they arrived at a cabin just outside the forest village.

  “Is this it?” Luca asked, voice tired but curious.

  Karim dismounted.“Yeah,” he said simply.

  But the closer he got to the house, the more tense he became.

  He knocked.

  Junya opened the door.The moment she saw him, she threw her arms around him.

  “Mom! Karim’s back!” she shouted.

  Karim hugged his sister tightly—and heard his mother Diana’s footsteps approaching.

  His heart began to race.

  Meanwhile, Luca stood quietly behind Karim,catching eyes with Junya and waving gently.

  Junya looked up at Luca.“Big brother… who’s this?” she asked.

  Before Karim could answer, Luca stepped forward to introduce himself.“I’m Luca. Karim’s friend,” he said, extending his hand.

  Junya looked at her brother, then shook Luca’s hand.

  Then Karim looked up—and met his mother’s eyes.

  Diana hadn’t expected her son to return so soon.It had been nearly a year—and she knew that even a full year of training wasn’t enough to graduate.

  So she couldn’t help but wonder why he had come back.

  Her eyes moved to Luca.

  “Come in,” she said warmly, though with a subtle distance.

  They all sat around the table.

  Diana wasted no time.“Alright, son. What happened?”

  Karim leaned forward with excitement.“Mom… I—no, we… we became soldiers!”

  At first, Diana’s face filled with shock.

  Diana frowned.“What?” she asked sharply.

  “We’re soldiers now, Mom! We’re officially part of the army!” Karim repeated.

  After a brief silence, Diana fixed her eyes on her son.Her voice hardened.“I never wanted that for you,” she said.“I only wanted you to finish your education.”

  Karim was confused.He was getting an education.Now he was even earning money.What could possibly be wrong with that?

  “Mom, I’m going to start saving as much as I can.We’ll finally be able to leave this place.The Academy is huge, and with the money I make, I can buy us a new house.We could live somewhere better.”

  But Diana’s face turned colder.

  “We are not doing that,” she said firmly.“You’re going to finish your training.Then, like we agreed, you’ll come back to me.”

  Karim was about to protest,but Diana cut him off.

  “Take your sister with you. She’s ready now.Also… aren’t you going to properly introduce your new friend?”

  Trying to hide the growing disappointment in his chest, Karim said,“This is Luca. He’s my only friend.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Luca said politely,gently taking Diana’s hand and kissing it with respect.

  After a short pause, Diana replied,“Alright then, have your dinner.Get some proper rest.You’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

  She added nothing more and walked outside.

  Karim sat there, staring at the table.

  He’d been working for nearly half a year with his mother in mind.Pushing himself at all hours, always trying to improve.

  And now...he didn’t even know if she was angry because he joined the army too early,or just upset that he had succeeded.

  It hit him harder than he expected.

  “So? What did you do at the Academy?” Junya asked excitedly.

  But Karim didn’t respond.He lowered his head and went completely silent.

  An uncomfortable quiet settled around the table.

  Then Karim leaned toward Junya and whispered,“You didn’t tell her about the raiders, did you?”

  Junya shook her head quickly.

  Karim dropped his head again and started rubbing his hands together.

  After a few seconds of looking away in thought,he suddenly stood up and stormed out of the house.

  Outside, he looked around for his mother.

  He found her standing just out front, talking with William.

  When Diana saw him approaching quickly, she stood up and asked with concern,“What happened?”

  Karim’s eyes were full of tears—whether from anger or heartbreak, it wasn’t clear.

  “I spent a whole year away from you,” he shouted.“Alone.In a place no one even knew existed.

  I survived, I achieved something—and when I come running back to tell you about it,this is how you treat me?”

  Junya and Luca stepped out of the house,watching as the argument unfolded.

  Diana looked at her son deeply and began,“All of us go through hardships—”

  But Karim cut her off.

  “I killed people! Two of them! Did you know that?”

  Diana’s eyes widened in shock.“What?!”

  Karim struggled to keep his breathing steady,but the rage wouldn’t stop.

  “That day… the day you sent us off without saying a word—when we had no idea what the fuck we were doing—I tried to find a place to stop with Junya.I had to stop.

  Then a group of men showed up. A fight broke out.First they tried to take Junya.Then they came for me.

  You know what I did?

  I shoved my dagger into one guy’s throat.Then I bashed the other’s skull and watched it dangle from his fucking scalp!”

  “Then what?

  Before I could even process what I’d done,we arrived at this dreamlike place.

  And when Junya failed the test, we came home.But you forced me to go back again.You told me it was my one and only chance.

  So what did I do?The whole journey,and every moment I spent in that cursed place,I thought about getting you out.Getting Junya out. Even getting Uncle William out.

  I trained until my arms were numb.I ran until my vision blurred.I became a soldier—

  And I came here to tell you that.And you treat me like I’ve done nothing.You send me away like none of it matters!”

  The whole forest fell silent.

  Diana didn’t know what to say.

  Karim clenched his fists and stared at her.He wiped the tears slowly from his face,then turned toward Luca—grabbed him by the arm and pulled him forward.

  Luca, startled, whispered,“Karim—what are you doing?”

  Karim didn’t respond.

  “Do you see Luca?

  If it weren’t for him…I would’ve run.

  I would’ve left you and that fucking place behind.”

  Diana looked at William—but Karim spoke again before she could.

  “You know what?I’m not staying here.”

  Then he turned his head toward Junya and called out.

  “Get on your horse. We’re leaving,” Karim said firmly.

  Junya walked toward him with slow, hesitant steps.As Karim and Luca prepared to mount their horses, Diana rushed forward and touched her son’s shoulder.

  “Wait.”

  But Karim shoved her hand away.Without saying a word, he spurred the horse forward, taking both Luca and Junya with him, galloping into the forest.

  Diana turned to William.“What are you waiting for?” William asked, his voice filled with reproach.

  Diana darted into the trees, trying to cut them off—and she succeeded.

  Seeing his mother suddenly block his path, Karim yanked the reins, bringing the horse to a sharp halt.

  “Get out of my way!” he shouted.

  Without saying a word, Diana locked eyes with him.Then she drew the small dagger from her wrist and swiftly cut the reins of both horses, letting them loose into the forest.

  “You’re not going anywhere until you listen to me,” she said, voice hard as steel.

  Karim gritted his teeth and tried to spur his horse again.“You can’t stop me.”

  But just as he moved, Diana grabbed his leg and pulled him off.

  He lost balance and crashed to the ground.

  Luca jumped off his horse in shock.

  Junya, eyes wide, asked in a trembling voice,“Mom, what are you doing?”

  Karim scrambled to his feet.“Isn’t this what you wanted?! I’m going back to that cursed place!” he screamed.

  But before he could finish,Diana raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

  The sound echoed through the silent forest.

  Karim froze in place, stunned.

  Diana stood there, breathing heavily, her eyes glassy—but her expression was still firm.

  Finally, with a trembling but commanding voice, she said,“Just listen.”

  Diana brought Karim, Luca, and Junya back to the house and sat them down in front of the fire.

  With a wounded tone, she asked,“Why didn’t you say anything?”

  Karim’s hands were trembling from fury,and it was taking everything in him not to explode again.

  Meanwhile, William stood up and turned to Luca.“Come. Let me show you the pond Karim used to swim in as a child.”

  Luca hesitated for a moment,but sensing the tension, he nodded and followed William out.

  Once they were gone, Diana turned back to Karim.

  “Do you remember what I told you the day you left this place, Karim?”

  Karim immediately understood what she meant and clenched his jaw.“I’m the dust of a drifter,” he said bitterly.

  Diana nodded slowly.“Yes. That phrase.Have you ever really thought about what it means?”

  Karim shook his head slightly.“No.”

  Diana took a deep breath.

  “I planned to tell you this when you were older.But given everything you’ve been through…maybe it will ease your anger, even just a little.”

  She drew the small dagger from her wrist and held it out to him.

  Karim noticed something engraved on the blade:Livon.

  “It was your father’s,” she said, her voice trembling.“I took it from his corpse.You were so small back then—barely even walking.

  But when I yelled, ‘Run! Head for the exit!’you both ran with everything you had.

  Your father gave his life so we could escape, Karim.”

  Karim clenched his teeth.“I know. You told me that already.”

  Diana nodded slowly.