As the sun set, he could feel the air freeze. The light fade away, as he stood over the grave his back to the village. He remembered watching the sunset like this way back. Back at the capital years back, but this time it was different. This time there weren't anyone by his side. He still remembered that day so clearly. He remembered the last beams of light against his skin. He remembered the person by his side. A boy with dark light hair, pure blue eyes that could see through everything. The way he looked at him as they made their promise. A promise he hadn't been able to keep. He could feel a single tear running down his chin. His hand clenching around something cold. How many years has it been since I felt like this? He wondered. He had asked the villagers about everything, tried to get as much information as possible. Hoping to find something. Something that would prove this was just one big nightmare. But in the end, he found nothing. The villagers had told him that Kenzo, and his son had gotten burned to ash, his wife and daughter killed by the sword. But still he had hoped this wasn't the case. Even if the chances were slim, he had hoped that somehow, he had managed to get out. But the more he thought about the less sense it made. After all he wasn't the kind of person to leave behind the people he cared about. He wiped the tear away, kneeling down and putting something on the grave. He stood up, turned his back and walked. Behind him he left behind a shining silver locket. Inside of it a picture of himself and a person a little taller with the same blue eyes as him, with light brown hair.
As he walked through the street he was met with angry stares. He could feel the blame weigh on him. The rest of the soldiers had already headed back to the capital. He was the only one left here. He was both glad and sad at this. He was glad that he could have some time for himself, but he was left with a hole in his heart. A hole of emptiness. As he walked down the street, he caught a glimpse of the major. He struck up a quick conversation, explaining he had to leave. He once again apologized for all the trouble they had caused, before leaving. He left for the north, heading towards a village not far away. He had brought a horse from one of the villagers before leaving. He didn't look much different from when he arrived, at least physical, but mentally that was a different story. It felt like his heart had broken into thousands of pieces. Pieces that wouldn't be able to heal, even after decades he knew the pain wouldn't disappear. But even if that was the case he couldn't leave behind his duties, not now, not after all this time. And with those thoughts he rode into the dark night.