The apartment was simple yet cozy, with pale cream walls, a worn navy-blue sofa, and a small wooden table cluttered with books and medicine. A yellowish ceiling lamp hung low, casting a warm glow over the stillness of the midnight hour.
In the guest room, a teenager with slightly messy black hair slouched in a swivel chair, eyes fixed on his phone screen. His fingers tapped quickly as he played, sighing every so often.
"Ahh! Why are the enemies so tanky?!" he groaned, stomping his foot against the floor. With a long sigh, he glanced at his mother's room, the door half-open. A faint cough drifted out from inside.
Zeydan Rothveil stood and slowly approached the doorway, peeking in. His mother, a gentle-faced woman with graying hair, lay in bed, her breathing uneven.
"Mom, you're still sick, huh? Just hold on a little longer… tomorrow I'll buy more medicine," Zeydan said, forcing cheerfulness though his heart was restless.
(I have to stay strong in front of her. If I look broken too, she'll only worry more.)
He returned to the living room, trying to resume his game to distract himself. But the quiet was suddenly broken.
Knock… knock… knock…
The sound at the door made Zeydan whip his head around.
"Huh? At this hour… who could it be?" he muttered, rising cautiously.
His hand gripped the doorknob. Deep inside, he whispered to himself, (Please… let it be Ivan. Please let him come home safe. I've missed him so much…)
With mixed emotions swirling in his chest, he opened the door. But it wasn't his brother standing there.
Instead, a sharply dressed man in a black suit stood before him. His face was stern, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
Zeydan frowned in confusion. "Uh… who are you?"
The man gave a slight bow. "My name is Rainer. I've come as an official envoy from the Warden organization."
Zeydan's eyes widened. "W-Wardens?!" His voice nearly cracked. (No way… the real Wardens? They're the ones who handle Santara! So then… don't tell me…)
Rainer exhaled deeply. "I've come with news… about Ivan Rothveil."
The name struck Zeydan like a lightning bolt. His heart stopped for a beat. His face stiffened. "B-Brother… Ivan…?"
"He and his team departed for Santara on a surveillance mission in the Inferna Biome. But…" Rainer's gaze locked firmly onto Zeydan's. "Their helicopter went down. Ivan has been declared missing."
The word missing slammed into Zeydan's ears like a hammer. His hands went limp at his sides. Words failed him.
(No. Don't joke. Ivan's strong. He promised he'd come back. There's no way… no way it ends like this…)
Seeing Zeydan frozen, Rainer continued, his tone softer. "I know this is heavy news. But you must stay strong. Ivan left something behind…"
From inside his jacket, Rainer pulled out a brown leather-bound book. Its cover was worn, a small scrawl of "Ivan" etched in the corner.
"This… is his diary. We found it at their temporary outpost."
Zeydan took the book with trembling hands. He stared at it for a long time, as though it weighed more than mere paper.
"…Brother…" he whispered, almost inaudibly.
Rainer patted his shoulder gently. "This diary may help you understand the path your brother walked. Hold it close. And… don't lose hope."
With those words, Rainer turned and walked away, his shadow fading down the dim corridor.
The door closed. Zeydan now stood alone in the living room, clutching the book. His jaw tightened.
(Why now…? Why when Mom is already sick… why must Ivan be the one to disappear…)
A frail voice broke the silence. From her room, his mother called weakly, "Zey… who was at the door?"
Hurriedly wiping his eyes, Zeydan stepped inside, forcing a smile. He sat on the chair beside her bed.
"It was… someone from the Warden organization, Mom," he said hoarsely. "They said… Brother Ivan… went missing in Santara."
At once, his mother's face went pale, her body stiff. She froze, her hands clenching atop the blanket.
The room fell into silence. Only her heavy breathing and the ticking of the wall clock echoed in the stillness. Zeydan remained seated, gripping the leather diary tightly.
Closing her eyes for a moment, his mother finally opened them again, her gaze drifting toward the book in his hands.
"Zey… so… Ivan really isn't coming back?"
Her voice was soft, trembling.
Zeydan lowered his head. His lips parted, but no words came. His hand clenched over the diary.
(What should I say? If I tell her Ivan's still alive, am I just giving false hope? But if I say he's… dead… I can't bring myself to speak it…)
Drawing a long breath, he met his mother's eyes. "They said Ivan's missing, Mom. Not… not dead."
His mother was silent for a moment. Then a faint smile tugged at her lips, though clearly forced.
"Then… I'll believe. As long as there's no body… Ivan must still be alive."
Her words pierced Zeydan's heart. He wanted to believe too, but his eyes betrayed him—wet, trembling, about to break.
"I… I want to believe too, Mom," he whispered.
Silence returned to the room. His mother broke into a small cough, her body trembling. Quickly, Zeydan tucked the blanket tighter around her and stood.
"Rest, Mom. I'll be outside. If you need anything, just call me."
She only nodded weakly.
---
Back in the living room, Zeydan sank onto the sofa, his body drained. The dim lamp cast long shadows across the floor. In his hands rested the dusty old book. He stared at its cover for a long time, murmuring softly:
"Brother's diary… so this is what he left behind…"
He brushed his hand across the cover, catching the faint scent of aged paper. Hesitantly, he opened the first page.
Ivan's handwriting was neat, leaning slightly to the right. The notes were concise—almost like a soldier's log—yet carried deep meaning.
"Day 12. I was taken into Santara for the first time. I awakened the Blaze element right away. Not the strongest, but useful enough to fight some monsters in this strange biome."
Zeydan whispered, "Blaze element… so Brother got that one?"
He flipped to the next page.
"First day of assignment in Santara. The Kronosis Biome is freezing beyond belief. Feels like my body's turning to stone. If Zeydan were here, he'd probably last one minute before freezing to death."
Zeydan froze, his lips trembling before letting out a faint snort.
"Hah… Brother Ivan. Even in a serious situation, you still found time to tease me."
(And that's what I miss the most. Your voice… your jokes… all of it.)
He kept reading until the fourth page.
"Now I'm fighting endless hordes of skeletal warriors. But I have to keep going… so my little brother won't end up like me."
Zeydan's grip tightened on the diary. Tears dripped, staining Ivan's handwriting.
He shut the diary tightly, hugging it to his chest. His body shook violently as sobs tore free.
But through his tears, a voice roared within him, echoing in his mind:
(If Brother Ivan can't come back… then I'll follow him to Santara. No matter what it takes. I won't let him be alone there.)
His fists clenched tight. His tear-streaked face hardened, a new fire of determination blazing behind his grief.