"You have to accept me in the group… and teach me the sword dance yourself. Like before."
There was a beat of silence.
Ryoma's expression shifted the moment Astra said the words. His jaw tightened, and without a moment's pause, he snapped—
"NO!"
Astra's eyes widened. She yanked her hand free from his grip. "Then I won't stay either."
Ryoma's voice suddenly rose, sharper than before. "Stop threatening!"
Everyone flinched slightly at the harshness.
"You are not leaving," he growled. "Nor will I accept you in the group and it's far from likely that I'll teach you sword dance myself! Understand?!"
"No!" Astra shouted back, eyes burning. "I won't!"
There was a tense silence, until Kaen finally stepped forward. His voice, usually so calm, now cracked with frustration.
"Astra!"
She froze.
"Just shut up and come with me," he snapped, grabbing her arm without waiting for a reply.
Startled and unable to process the sudden shift, Astra could only follow, eyes wide in disbelief. She stared at Kaen's back as he led her away, her heart thudding not from fear, but from the shock of seeing him, of all people, finally lose his calm.
————
Astra sat on the edge of the wooden chair, her fists clenched tightly in her lap, eyes fixed on the floor. Kaen paced the room restlessly, his brows furrowed, jaw set in frustration. After a few moments, he stopped then slowly kneeled in front of her.
"Astra…" His voice was calm now, careful, as though speaking too loudly might shatter something delicate between them. "Look at me."
She hesitated, lips trembling, then finally lifted her eyes to meet his.
"Will you listen to me now?"
A small nod. Nothing more.
"Good…" He exhaled. "Then just tell me one thing. You've been with us for so many years now… We've been traveling together for so long. In all that time have we ever made you feel lonely?"
Her lips parted, but no words came.
"Have we ever told you that you're a burden?" he asked again, voice softer this time.
"No…" she whispered.
"Have we ever…" his voice cracked slightly, "…made you feel like you're just an orphan?"
"No…" Astra's voice broke. "No."
"Right?" Kaen gently touched her arm. "You always said we were friends… more than family. We laughed, we fought but we never made you feel less. We never gave you a reason to think you weren't one of us… especially Ryoma. You know that."
Kaen smiled faintly, brushing his hand over her shoulder gently. "Astra… I've always said this—you're the heart of our family. This family is nothing without you."
His voice lowered, his tone threaded with emotion. "Every time you get yourself into trouble, it's like every string of our hearts starts to fray. I know you don't mean to cause chaos. it's just your nature— I mean… you try to do something fun, but somehow, it always ends up a disaster."
Kaen chuckled under his breath and continued, "Remember that time, as a kid, you and your little group of friends accidentally set the whole village on fire while playing?"
Astra nodded slightly, lips twitching into the faintest, guilty smile.
"Ryoma was so furious," Kaen said, laughing now too, "he banned you from making any friends ever again."
"But…" Astra whispered, smile fading into a thoughtful expression, "when I cried all night, wanting to play with friends again… he let me."
Kaen nodded slowly. "Exactly. That's who he is. He says no, acts strict… but in the end, he always gives in especially with you."
Astra's voice cracked a little as she said, "Just like that… he always let me do everything he objected to at first. But Kaen… why won't he let me use swords?" Her eyes lifted to meet his. "Even if I cry all night now? You guys never let me feel alone—but why won't you accept me in your group? Doesn't that make it even?"
Kaen lowered his head, his smile fading into a quiet sigh. For a long moment, he didn't answer. Then, slowly, he looked up at her with a gentle, wistful smile.
"It's because… swords are sharp, Astra. They'll hurt you. And sword dance isn't just a performance, it's dangerous. One wrong move, one misstep, and the cuts can be deep. Too deep."
Astra's expression turned serious. "Then what about you guys? You use swords all the time. Don't tell me you don't get hurt or bleed. I've seen it with my own eyes."
Kaen hesitated, then said softly, "Astra… of course we get hurt."
He looked her in the eyes, His voice dropped to a whisper.
"But if you get cut from a sword… if you bleed… someone else will feel—"
"Someone else?" Astra narrowed her eyes. "Will feel what, Kaen?"
Kaen paused.
"I mean… we will feel the hurt. All of us. Ryoma. Me. Shion. Seiya. Seirou…We'll feel it as if it happened to us."
Astra leaned forward, "Kaen… please. I want to be accepted in the group. I want to learn the sword dance. I won't ask for anything else."
Kaen sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Astra, you know it's not just about what you want. You could get hurt. It's not only swords that hurt people, but swords always leave a mark when they do."
"But so does being left out," Astra muttered under her breath, then looked up again. "You think cuts scare me? I get bruises and bumps all the time. You've seen me tumble down hills, fall from trees, get smacked in the face with doors and still laugh through it!"
Kaen chuckled briefly but grew serious again. "That's different. This isn't just normal play. It's needs hard training."
"I'm not asking to play with it like a toy!" Astra snapped, her voice rising. "I know it's serious! That's why I want to learn. I… I need to learn."
Kaen frowned, studying her face carefully. "Astra," he asked gently, "why are you so obsessed with swords? What's the real reason? Tell me."
Then, slowly, she stood up from the chair.
Her gaze drifted upward to the faint light of dawn peeking over the horizon. The silence stretched until it was almost unbearable. Finally, her voice came low and strange, like it was being pulled from somewhere deep inside her.
"Every time I see a sword… something stirs inside me."
Kaen blinked.
Astra continued, her voice trembling just a little. "It's not because I want to be a hero. I don't care about saving people or killing demons. It's something else. Something I can't explain. When I see a sword… it feels like it calls to me. Like it knows me."
She clutched her hands into fists.
"And when I hold one just even once, it's like I forget everything. All the noise in my head disappears. I just want to move with it. Dance with it. As if it was a part of me all along, waiting."
Kaen stared at her, stunned.
She looked at him then, her voice no longer pleading, but full of raw, honest truth.
"I'm not obsessed, Kaen. I'm just… trying to understand why a sword feels more like home than anything else ever has."
———
The steam curled lazily into the air, drifting toward the high ceiling of the spacious bathing hall. Warm light filtered in through the latticed windows, casting soft golden patterns across the stone floor.
The prince stood at the edge, His fingers reached up, slow and deliberate, brushing the edge of the mask that had clung to his face like a second skin. He paused for a long moment before lifting it away, exposing the calm, unreadable lines of his face. His eyes remained closed.
He stepped into the bath with barely a sound, the warmth of the water embracing him like a cocoon. relaxing the tension from his muscles as he submerged himself deeper until the water reached his shoulders.
The water rose to his collarbone as he settled in, leaning his head back against the smooth stone and letting the heat sink into his muscles. The subtle scent of herbs lingered in the air lavender, cedar, and something faintly sweet calming his mind. His sharp features, usually masked, now appeared softer under the golden light and rolling mist, his expression calm but distant as he stared at the reflection dancing on the surface.
The silence wrapped around him like a second skin, The steam swirled gently around him, veiling his face in wisps of gold and shadow as he leaned back, eyes closed again.
"…Why did it hurt again?"
His fingers moved through the water slowly, absently, as though reaching for something just out of memory. The ripples spread, faint and trembling.
"What made you get hurt this time… that it reached me? Yet even now, even after everything… it's your pain that finds me first."
"Like every time, I should've been able to ignore it…"
His voice dropped to a whisper, hoarse and raw. "But this time… I almost felt like dying."
His eyes, still shut, twitched faintly as if remembering something he wished he hadn't.
"How much did you get hurt this time…?"
The words hung there, heavy in the air, until he exhaled sharply and sank beneath the surface of the water. The heat swallowed him whole. Bubbles rose, then stilled.
Minutes passed.
When he emerged again, water cascading down his shoulders, his expression had returned to that practiced calm. Silence wrapped around him like a second skin as he moved to the side, stepping out and reaching for the silken robe laid neatly nearby. He dressed without a word, his movements composed and smooth, but his eyes held a distant, unreadable weight.
Finally, he picked up the mask resting on the bench. For a moment, he stared at it, as if wondering whether to wear it at all. Then, slowly deliberately he placed it back over his face.
The prince walked toward the exit, steam curling behind him like fading breath.
Two guards stood outside, heads bowed.
One of them spoke, "Your Highness, the second bloom has begun. His Majesty requests your presence at the sacred grounds."
The prince gave a small nod.
The second guard stepped forward. "Please follow us, Your Highness. Preparations are complete. We'll be departing shortly for Divine Lake Hōrinka, where the Eight Divine Lotuses bloom."
The prince said nothing, only walked forward, his footsteps echoing softly as the wind stirred the golden banners above.