The sky pulsed beneath the weight of violence, a tapestry of chaos woven from steel and bone.
At its center stood Endi, like a solitary spark defying even the fall of stars.
The soldiers surged in from every direction, cloaked in iron shadows, their movements precise as the hands of a celestial clock.
Each strike thundered like the collapse of a star, shaking Endi's body—yet he stood firm, bending like a young tree in the storm, unbroken.
Darmaine lit his third cigarette, a sly grin carved upon his lips as he watched the savage beating unfold, as though it were a theatrical intermission.
The smoke curled around him like a ghost, mingling with the breath of his mocking laughter.
These soldiers were formidable—nothing like the street thugs or defeated stragglers Endi had fought before.
Each one's strength was a sharpened blade, every movement etched with the mark of ruthless training.
And still, Endi did not yield.
He rose no matter how many times he was struck down.
He climbed back to his feet after being hurled aside, after being kicked into the dirt, always baring his fangs in defiance.
Yet the odds pressed him mercilessly.
Had it been five against one, his victory would have been assured.
But nineteen against one—such numbers were a brutal trial.
His youthful face was swollen and bloodied, his features smeared with sweat and gore.
"Damn it… what is this brat? Why won't he fall!?"
Frustration and disbelief tainted the soldiers' voices.
Endi's indomitable spirit and iron resilience were dulling their will to fight.
"Gahaha! Stronger than I expected! Killing him now would be a waste—what a specimen!"
Darmaine's grin gleamed like a blade tearing through darkness.
The fire of his cigarette lit his eyes in a savage glow.
"Stop it already! He'll really die if you keep going!"
"Poor boy… he's just a child!"
The townsfolk could do nothing but watch from afar.
Their voices of pity drifted on the wind, yet none dared step forward.
Their eyes were wet with grief, silently witnessing the carnage.
It was a miracle Endi still stood.
His face drenched in blood, his left arm broken, every breath rattled with the creak of bone.
His boyish features were mercilessly swollen.
"You disgusting brat! I'll snap your neck!"
One soldier lunged—but then a cry split the air.
"Stop!"
It was Lamia.
Her voice cut through the battlefield, freezing the frenzy for a single fragile heartbeat.
"Look! That's Lamia!"
"So she really was here!"
The soldiers' gazes snapped toward her, murmurs spreading like waves.
But Darmaine remained unmoved, exhaling smoke with chilling calm.
"I'm the one you want, right? I'll go quietly. Just stop hurting people who have nothing to do with this!"
Her eyes held both fear and resolve as she stepped toward him, her legs trembling but never stopping.
"Don't… come… Lamia… run."
Endi's voice was faint, his battered body swaying. His words scattered weakly into the wind.
Lamia broke into a run, tears streaking her face.
"I'm sorry, Endi. This is my fault. But it's all right now—I'll be fine!"
"Forget it… run…"
"I won't run! Please, just stop this! I'll do whatever you ask!"
"Hah! So you two know each other? Well, if she comes quietly, everything's settled. Men, take Lamia and let's move out!"
As one soldier reached for her, Endi's fist exploded like thunder into his face.
And Endi roared at Lamia:
"If you're afraid—then run!!"
She froze, her eyes trembling at his words, time itself seeming to halt.
Darmaine's gaze was cold, as if he were watching a beast driven mad by too many blows.
"There's no shame in fear! No shame in admitting it! No shame in asking for help! I promise—I'll save you!"
His tone softened, his smile glowing like dawn's first light, warming Lamia's heart.
"Endi… I've been so afraid… Please, save me…!"
Her voice broke, and her tears finally burst free.
Ever since her abduction, she had locked her fear inside, hiding behind a mask of courage.
Endi's kindness shattered it, and her heart was freed.
"Sorry to cut this little play short," Darmaine sneered. "But we don't have time for it."
With a metallic snap, he clamped shackles on Lamia's wrists, chains of fate binding her.
"Stay away from her!" Endi cried.
But Darmaine ignored him.
"Kill the brat! Fire at will!"
Twenty rifles rose as one.
Even the unconscious soldiers staggered up, every barrel aimed at Endi.
He could barely move, drained and broken.
"Stop! Please!" Lamia screamed.
"Fire!"
Twenty bullets tore through the air.
The marksmen were trained, the distance barely ten meters—none would miss.
Everyone was certain of Endi's death.
Lamia's scream ripped the sky, and Endi himself braced for the end.
He still knew nothing of who he truly was.
He had failed to protect the girl who had saved him.
Life was fleeting—he accepted death quietly.
But then, the impossible occurred.
A gale burst from Endi's body, divine breath scattering the bullets like dust.
The wind struck the twenty soldiers, sweeping them away in a single stroke.
Endi still stood alive.
Even he could not comprehend it.
The wind swirled around him, a spectral dance like a guardian spirit.
"Endi… don't tell me… you too…?"
Lamia's voice quivered with shock, yet relief colored her tone.
In her eyes burned certainty—he, too, was something more.
A chill raced down Darmaine's spine.
In an instant, he lunged forward, slamming a brutal blow into Endi's gut.
The battered boy collapsed, his consciousness snuffed out.
"Endi!!"
Lamia's cry tore the sky.
Darmaine barked coldly:
"Quit standing around! Get Lamia on the ship! And bring the brat alive!"
"What? Him too? Why—?"
"Shut up and move!"
He strode toward the black ship.
The soldiers hauled Lamia and the unconscious Endi aboard.
When all twenty-three had boarded, the Indus warship slid out to sea.
Its silhouette vanished over the horizon, like a coffin of lost souls bound for the underworld.
The townsfolk, dulled by peace, struggled to accept what they had witnessed.
Barely thirty minutes had passed, yet the events seemed torn from the reels of a film.
As the warship disappeared into the boundless sea, silence returned to the port town—
a silence like the calm before a storm.