The crowd was restless.
Someone from the back shouted,"Why did he betray us?!"
Another voice joined in, louder, harsher—"What about the Septarion Shard? Who did he give it to?"
Murmurs broke out like ripples through a stormy sea. The villagers' curiosity twisted into something colder—accusation, resentment, confusion.
Rina took a step back. Kevin stood frozen.
Then—a calm voice, firm and unwavering, rose from the crowd.
"I will speak."
Heads turned.
Yuna stepped forward. Her eyes were wet, but her voice was steady. Mira followed close behind her, worried but proud.
"Sayura told us everything… before she died," Yuna said.
The villagers quieted. Even the wind stilled.
"Sayura told you?" someone asked, stunned.
Yuna nodded."Yes. And she told us the truth. Kaizen never betrayed this village. He died protecting it… and us."
Kevin lifted his head slowly, eyes locked on the woman who had raised them like her own.
Yuna began.
"That night… someone came to Kaizen. They said his child had been kidnapped. He didn't hesitate—he left alone. He thought it was just a group of local criminals."
Her voice trembled, but she didn't stop.
"But it was a trap. A cruel one. It was them—the Seven. The same seven who once tried to destroy this village and failed."
Shock rippled through the crowd.
"Back then, Kaizen fought them and ruined their plan. But they came back—not with fire or swords—but with Sayura."
She looked down, just for a moment.
"Sayura was pregnant. One of them held a knife to her throat. They told Kaizen to steal the Septarion Shard and give it to them—or they'd kill her and the unborn children."
Gasps echoed from every direction.
Kevin clenched his fists. Rina bit her lip, fighting the tears she could no longer hold back.
"Kaizen tried to resist," Yuna said softly. "He even used his spells to protect her. But the Seven had already set a forbidden spell—a blast that would destroy this entire village."
The silence was suffocating.
"He had no choice. He took the Shard and gave it to them… not for himself, but to save Sayura… and everyone here."
Tears welled in the eyes of many in the crowd.
"Even then, Kaizen fought. He broke the spell. He tried to save Sayura. But they killed him. She saw it with her own eyes."
Rina couldn't hold back anymore. Her tears fell freely, and Yuna placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before continuing.
"They burned his body… to erase him completely. Sayura ran, wounded and terrified. She hid in the trees and, with shaking hands, threw a stone at the horse pulling the cart they had thrown her into. The startled animal bolted, dragging the cart off the cliff. The Seven believed she had died in the crash—but she had never been in it. She waited, holding her breath, hidden among the branches… and only escaped once they were gone."
Kevin's eyes were empty—too much to feel, too much to cry.
"She lived in fear from that day on. Not for herself—but for them."Yuna pointed gently at Kevin and Rina."She never told anyone… not because she was ashamed. But because she knew Kaizen had many enemies. She wanted her children to live… without a target on their back."
The silence was no longer heavy—it was sorrowful.
Then Rina whispered, her voice cracking,"She carried it all… alone."
Selena stepped forward, her voice calm but commanding.
"That's enough," she said, addressing the villagers."Kaizen didn't betray the village. He saved you. Sayura didn't lie to you. She protected you, while suffering alone."
But someone in the crowd still had doubts.
"Then why didn't she tell us the truth?" a man asked.
Kevin's voice finally broke through, steady but fierce.
"Because you would've never believed her."
He took a slow step forward, eyes meeting the crowd's.
"You called me cursed. Called us traitors' children. Even when we did nothing."He swallowed hard."If she had told the truth… would you have listened?"
No one answered.
Rina moved to his side and said with quiet strength,"She cried at night, you know. We heard her. Every night. For the father we never got to meet… and for the secret she had to keep."
The village elder—who had once whispered rumors himself—lowered his head.
The silence wasn't cold anymore.
It was grieving.
Regret hung in the air like smoke after fire.
"We were wrong," someone muttered.
"They never deserved this," said another.
One by one, the villagers softened. Shame, sadness, and empathy filled their faces.
Selena nodded slowly."Let this be the last day you see them as children of betrayal."She turned to Kevin and Rina."From now on, you are known not by your father's sins… but by your parents' sacrifice."
Kevin didn't speak.He just bowed his head in gratitude—his shoulders no longer weighed down by lies.
Rina cried quietly, her hand gripping her brother's.
And the crowd—no longer enemies—stood in silence.
Mourning a man they had misunderstood.
And honoring a woman they never truly knew.