"Alright, I've decided."
In the cramped room, Endi muttered to himself and slowly rose to his feet.
At that moment, knock knock—a soft rapping echoed. Someone tapped the door twice from outside.
"…?"
Frowning, Endi hurried to the entrance and opened the door. Standing there was—Rabesta.
"Oh, Rabesta. What's up?"
"Sorry to drop in like this, Endi. I just thought we should talk a little… about what comes next."
Wearing his usual poker face, Rabesta spoke in an oddly formal tone.
"About what comes next? Sorry, Rabesta, but I don't have time for that right now."
Endi's words were sharp, almost dismissive.
"Because I'm about to go smash those Yudra people!"
"…Huh?"
Chest puffed out with pride, eyes glittering with determination, Endi declared his intent. Rabesta could only gape in disbelief.
"I've been thinking about it ever since. What I should do now… when they'll attack again… but I couldn't come up with any good ideas. So I decided—I'll take the fight to them first!!"
"Endi, wait. Calm down."
What a reckless thought, Rabesta sighed inwardly.
"No, I won't wait. I can't calm down! I'm going, so don't get in my way!"
Endi shouted, anger rising, and strode toward the exit. But—
"Just hold on."
Rabesta grabbed his arm, irritation slipping through his voice.
"Let go, Rabesta! Every second we waste, Lamia might be suffering! Cain, too—we can't abandon him. And Prince Rose might already be in their hands! How can I sit around doing nothing!?"
Desperation made Endi's voice shake.
"Go where, exactly? Do you even know where the Yudra are?"
"…Ah."
Rabesta's one question left Endi frozen, caught off guard. A foolish silence followed.
Rabesta heaved a long sigh.
"Endi, let's take a walk outside."
"…Alright."
Nodding to the invitation, Endi left the room. His head had cooled, if only a little.
Side by side, they walked through the capital. The royal city of Nakatam seemed to have shed the mourning of the previous day, regaining its everyday bustle.
But—
Look closer, and every face in the crowd bore shadows. Their eyes were uneasy, fearful, as if weighed down by some invisible dread.
"I get how you feel, but rushing won't solve anything. It's times like these you need to stay calm."
"Yeah… you're amazing, Rabesta."
Even as vice-captain of the Nakatam army, Rabesta hadn't lost his composure. Endi truly respected him for that.
"Not really. I sound cool, but honestly I'm not calm at all. The truth is—Nova has been missing since yesterday."
Rabesta lowered his gaze, anxiety slipping into his voice.
"What? Nova!?"
Endi stopped dead, eyes wide.
"Yeah… maybe the Yudra abducted him. And this wound from Abel still hurts. I never imagined that guy was one of the Yudra…"
Rabesta pressed his shoulder, face twisted with pain and frustration.
"Cain is Yudra… and so am I."
Endi's voice cracked, almost self-mocking.
"I'm one of them too. But I don't remember a thing… Maybe King Regalo's death, Lamia's kidnapping, Prince Rose and Nova's disappearance… maybe it's all my fault…"
The heavy words slipped from his lips.
"Endi, don't overthink it. But yeah… I do think you're connected to this. And you and Cain—there's something big between you two."
Rabesta's voice was sharp, but not cold. His words pierced, yet still carried warmth.
"Yeah… I think so too. He told me. He said—'Come to the land of the Yudra.'"
"Then you have no choice but to go. I'm worried about Nova, too. But we don't know where their base is. That's the problem."
"True… Rabesta, I want to protect them all. Lamia, Prince Rose, Cain, Abel, Nova… I want to save everyone."
"Forget Abel. He shot me, remember?"
Rabesta turned away, sulking. He was still holding a grudge.
Endi let out a wry laugh.
Still, both of them kept moving forward.
And then—
"Hehehe… well, hello there, you two."
A sudden voice from behind.
They turned to see—Marshal Valentino.
His sudden appearance, looming silently behind them, was almost insect-like in its eeriness.
"Marshal Valentino!? You scared me…"
"Hehehe… don't make such a face, like you've seen a ghost. That hurts, you know."
"What do you want?"
Rabesta glared slightly as he spoke, his words utterly informal. Valentino didn't seem to mind.
"Hehehe… I overheard your little conversation in broad daylight. Dangerous talk, isn't it? I came to warn you. You can't just act on your own."
Valentino's eyes were sharp, cold.
Tension instantly gripped Endi and Rabesta.
"Hehehe… Rabesta, you're vice-captain, right? With Nova gone, if you leave too, what happens to the country? And Endi… now that we know you're Yudra, there are many things I'd like to ask you."
"Questions? Marshal Valentino, you should know—I've lost my memory. I can't tell you anything. If I could, I'd rather remember and face the truth myself."
"Hehehe… memory loss, huh… Are you really sure?"
"…What are you getting at?"
"Hehehe… nothing, nothing. Just teasing. But think about it—after all the Yudra have done, we can't keep letting one of them run free. 'I don't remember' won't cut it anymore. If you won't recall it on your own, we'll force it out of you."
His eyes held no trace of a joke.
A chill ran down Endi's spine.
"That's absurd."
Rabesta's voice was low, dangerous.
"Hehehe… call it what you like. Either way, Endi—you're coming with me."
Endi's mind went blank.
"Endi, don't go. Don't listen to this nonsense."
Rabesta's voice barely reached him.
And then—
A hooded man appeared, stepping silently into their path.
"…And who might you be?"
Valentino asked, but the man didn't answer.
Rabesta's eyes widened, fixed on him.
Endi felt something stir in his chest.
A strange nostalgia.
He didn't know why. But deep inside, some forgotten past was clawing to the surface—