Aaron and Ashen stood frozen inside the mansion, shocked that someone had managed to enter without their permission.
The intruder was a young woman. She walked calmly toward them, her golden eyes steady, and said that she had chased after them when she saw them running earlier. The soldiers had nearly caught them, but she had intervened. Yet, when she approached, they vanished into thin air.
Now, she demanded answers.
Aaron, cautious, asked, "Who are you?"
The woman bowed slightly. "My name is Nairina. I am… a friend of Kain's. And also a maid serving the queen."
The boys' eyes widened.
"What?! A maid of the queen?"
"Then why are you here? What do you want from us?"
Nairina's voice softened. "I came to ask for your help—to free Kain and Pierce."
Aaron narrowed his eyes. Deep inside, suspicion gnawed at him.
How can I trust her? He remembered his childhood in Takuba—when his adoptive siblings tricked him with promises of a "surprise." Instead of gifts, he had found fists, chains, and cold iron pressed against his skin. No one ever stepped in to save him.
But this was no longer Takuba. This was his new life. A life where he had to make his own choices.
Aaron clenched his fist. "Fine. I'll help."
Nairina's lips curved faintly. "Then you've chosen wisely."
Ashen, curious as always, asked, "Do you… have feelings for Master Kain? Like love?"
The question caught her off guard. Her cheeks turned crimson. "T-that is none of your business! Don't ask such things."
Inside, she whispered to herself: He almost found out about my feelings. Please, let no one else discover them.
Aaron noticed her blush and smirked mischievously.
When asked about Pierce and Kain's fate, Nairina's tone darkened. "They are to be sent to Martona Prison—a fortress on a distant island. A place no man has ever escaped."
The boys stiffened, horror flashing across their faces.
Silence filled the hall until Aaron finally spoke. "I have a plan."
Ashen leaned closer. "What kind of plan?"
Aaron's voice lowered with resolve. "The plan's name is… Rain, the Wolf Bounty Hunter."
The two burst out laughing. "That name is ridiculous!"
But Aaron slammed the table. "Enough joking!" His sharp eyes glared at them. "If you want Kain and Pierce back, you'll follow my lead."
Nairina nodded. "Do you already have a map?"
Aaron pulled a parchment from his cloak. "We sketched one ourselves during our time inside the castle. It shows every hallway, guard post, and passage."
Her lips parted in awe. "Perfect. With this, we can sneak in before the transfer."
Aaron declared, "We move tonight. But first—we rest. And eat."
Nairina offered to cook, asking where the kitchen was. Ashen guided her: "Down one floor, turn right. You'll find it."
---
In the kitchen, Nairina stirred pots of stew. The scent filled the air, reminding her of the days she cooked with Kain at the training center. Back then, she had no friends—only Kain, who offered her a hand. She whispered to herself:
"I'll free you, Kain. No matter what it takes. My heart won't betray you."
Later, at the table, Aaron and Ashen devoured the food. They complimented her cooking, and Aaron finally issued orders. "Ashen, Nairina—get me a black wolf mask and new clothes."
They set out into the night, buying a long black cloak, yellow gloves, sturdy boots, and—at last—a wolf mask with piercing eyes.
Meanwhile, Aaron ventured into Pierce's mansion, down to the forbidden blue cellar. Inside, he discovered a slender black blade resembling a katana. Its hilt was wrapped in black and blue bands, ending in a small chain. The scabbard gleamed with blue carvings.
He tested its weight. It was sharp, balanced—perfect.
In the training hall, he swung the blade. Memories resurfaced—of watching his adoptive brother train long ago.
But Aaron refused to copy anyone. His style would be his own. Holding the sword like a paintbrush, he slashed the air, each stroke like a brush across canvas. The hall echoed with the rhythm of art and steel.
Ashen and Nairina arrived, astonished to see Aaron's graceful swordplay.
Ashen clapped. "You… learned this just now?"
Aaron smirked. "From old memories. And instinct."
They handed him the mask and cloak. Aaron ordered them outside while he changed.
---
In the dungeon, Pierce and Kain sat in silence, weary of chains and shadows. Pierce grumbled, "See? I told you not to trust that girl."
Kain sighed. "She only asked for help… and I trust her. I still do."
But deep inside, he hid feelings he dared not admit.
Meanwhile, the queen sat on her throne, furious. Reports arrived of soldiers fainting when trying to capture Aaron. "That boy… where is he hiding?"
---
Night fell.
Ashen summoned a massive spectral bird. With Aaron now cloaked and masked as "Rain," they took to the skies.
At the queen's castle, Nairina appeared, leading a bound Aaron into the throne room. The queen gasped in delight. "Finally… I have you."
But the Aaron before her dissolved into smoke—only a phantom.
Down in the prison, the real plan unfolded. Ashen unleashed swarms of spectral insects, driving guards into chaos. With a blast of light, Kain shattered his cage, and together with Pierce, they escaped.
On the surface, soldiers clashed with Rain, the wolf-masked warrior. His blade danced like a brush painting fire across the battlefield. Guards fell in moments.
He raised his sword, voice echoing:
"I am the nightmare that stalks the night… I am Rain, the Wolf Bounty Hunter!"
The queen screamed in rage as Aaron vanished in a circle of fire.
Reunited with Ashen, Pierce, and Kain, Aaron finally pulled off the mask, revealing his smirk. The brothers embraced him, relief overwhelming them.
That night, they returned home, safe at last.
Aaron stared at the moon from his chamber window, whispering:
"From now on, I'll paint light again. But without sorrow. Without despair."
As he drifted to sleep, his final thought lingered:
"I wonder… how do King Eliver and Princess Sasa truly look?"
Far away, in a distant land, a blonde girl with emerald eyes sat with her father, a man with fiery orange hair and golden eyes.
"I wish Mother were here," she said softly.
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "So do I, my daughter… Sasa."