The words hung in the air like a blade suspended before a strike.
Mamoru did not move. His fingers rested on his scabbard, but his hand no longer trembled. His eyes, though hidden in shadow, burned with focus. He wanted the truth ,He needed to hear it lest he strike this man at this moment.
Gyomei's voice was low, each syllable drawn out as though weighed down by grief. His breath shivered in the cooling air.
"I… I was only trying to protect them."
His voice faltered, and for a moment Mamoru thought he would fall silent again. But the blind boy pressed on, driven by that small, fragile ember of hope that someone ,just one person might listen.
"They were children from the temple… orphans like me. I watched over them, kept them safe when no one else would. Every day, I prayed for them, cooked for them,therefore we're days where I did not eat just so they can , I made sure they never felt alone . They were all I had. And then…"
He stopped, his throat tightening, breath quivering as though the memory itself burned his lungs. His fingers dug into the dirt of the cage floor.
"And then it all came crasjing down."
The words were a whisper, but they chilled Mamoru to the bone.
Gyomei tilted his head upward, tears threatening to spill again though his eyes could not see. "Bandits , cruel bandits . They appeared when the night was darkest. I heard it , I felt them arrive , their cruel laughter rang out . Their weapons tore through the temple walls, I fought them. With my hands, with stones, with prayer . I told all the kids to remain behind me at all costs , to never leave my side that way they'd be safe . They are kids , they were frightened and did not listen to my instructions they all tried to run to safety . "
"They tried to ..." Mamoru's breath caught. His mind sharpened on one word: demon. He didn't know why, but it made his blood run cold.