As he entered the building, Cain and his comrades walked in the back of the pack. He was inside a long corridor, each corner layered by a metal that glittered from the reflection of the neon hanging above.
With a hundred more people entering, their footsteps were rumbling throughout the entire space. Like an army, marching into a battlefield to lower the enemy's morale
The boy glanced from his shoulder, watching his other teammates focus on a brown-haired girl. Louise cast her gaze down, ever since encountering the young man earlier.
No one knows what had happened between them, but one thing was clear. There was someone who dared to threaten Cain's comrades' peace, which was enough of a reason for him to act.
When the boys fell silent, Rika took Louise's hand and drew her closer. The red-haired girl leaned her head forward, trying to peek at Louise's expression.
"Louise, what happened?"
Louise's body flinched, causing her feet to stall in place. Cain and the other three hesitated before placing their feet firmly. They wanted to hear what was troubling the girl.
But an unwritten rule between them: their mutual agreement of avoiding each other's pasts snapped their thoughts back.
Cain, Abel, and Peter exchanged glances as the grey-haired boy was made to open his mouth, trying to disclose the sensitive matter.
"Well, Rika, you shouldn't bring it..."
The red-haired girl widened her eyes. She gulped, then looked toward him and the two others. Her brows knitted in worry.
A second passed in silence, yet it was stretched as if an hour had passed. Cain locked eyes with Rika and was about to urge the other to get back in line, but Louise beat him to it.
"A-Adler is..."
Louise's voice trailed off. He could see the girl's shoulders trembling and both of her fists clenched tight. Cain couldn't fathom just what emotions were swirling in her heart.
Was it anger? Fear? Or maybe a regret for pulling her other comrades into her problem?
Cain, Abel, Peter, and Rika looked at each other. In their eyes shone a single, blazing resolve: to end this half-assed relationship.
Even though the four had shared several experiences like battling in the ruins, exchanging pointers to help each other grow, and playing on their holiday. None of them dared to breach through the last wall that prevents them from digging deeper into each other's hearts.
Some might call it a consideration for other parties. Yet thanks to that ambiguous distance, when a definite moment came as one person around them laid bare her darkness to others, the rest of them couldn't do anything but only grit their teeth in frustration.
This could be the trigger to shatter the wall. No more barriers around them and a chance to deepen the group relationship as a whole.
Cain took a deep breath, trying to calm his beating heart. Unlike others, he was the only one who wanted to avoid this matter.
'We should move forward regardless of what is haunting us from the past!'
However, he shook his head and looked straight at Rika, who was staring at him. Her red eyes often glanced at the girl beside her.
The boy nodded. His response made the other four loosen their facial muscles.
Cain stared back, watching Rika move aside and stand before the shivering girl. She grabbed Louise's hands, then gave a little squeeze as she tried to reassure the brown-haired girl that she was not alone.
"Louise, it's alright."
Hearing the soft words from Rika's mouth, Louise gradually lifted her face. Cain and the other three raised their brows, seeing glittering tears accumulated in Louise's jade-like eyes.
Louise swept her eyes through her comrades. She bit her lips, and a single tear ran along her delicate chin, which caused the four to hold their breath.
"S-Senior Adler and I came from the same place."
Not only Cain, but the other three tilted their heads. They were unsure as to what kind of place Louise was talking about.
However, before Rika could open her mouth, Louise took a deep breath. Her quivering lips began to reveal everything about their relationship, even in a shrill tone.
...
It started back then when Louise was trained in spearmanship. Her father was a renowned spearman in one of the city's known families, having risen to the top through his fearsome ability in martial arts.
As the second-born in the family, Louise was rigorously trained in martial arts from a young age. But it was never forced on her; the girl practiced because it was fun.
When she trained, Louise always looked up to her father or brother, whose skill was far beyond what she could comprehend. Even though both were always busy and rarely came to the dojo.
Years passed, and at some point, the dojo began welcoming new students. From that moment on, Adler came into Louise's life.
Adler's handsome face, his calm demeanor, and his habit of always parting his lips whenever facing others put the naive girl's heart at ease.
Thanks to that, both of them started getting close and training together at the dojo run by her family. Both relationships were known amongst other students until things began to change as she became aware of her surroundings.
At some point, other students start to distance themselves from her. She didn't know why, but one time Louise accidentally overheard one of her colleagues whispering.
"Hey Adler, how was your relationship with her?"
A boy in his mid-teens spoke, his voice laced with teasing at Adler.
Louise looked down as she twisted her ankle, trying to leave the place. But the voice of Adler stopped her in her tracks.
"Nothing, I was just getting close to her to build a connection."
The girl's heart tightened to the point of hurt. She reached out over her chest, feeling nothing but cold and slow thumping.
"Connection? From what the other said, you two are so close and look like a couple."
"Couple? Oh please. She isn't close to my type, and I enjoy getting close to her because there is merit in doing it."
"Wow, sounds like a bastard. Yeah, you're right. Besides, I also don't like how she always acts so mighty before others."
"Right. She should be grateful to me because I paid attention to her."
"Right, ahahaha."
Louise couldn't remember how she left the place as she kept lowering her gaze. Her face was flat, devoid of emotion, mirroring her now-cracking heart.
...
Cain, Abel, Peter, and Rika held their breath as they listened to the story of the now sobbing Louise. Not finished, the brown-haired girl lifted her face. Tears started to pour down her cheeks, and she spoke.
"...There was one time, I faced him alone and asked about the truth. But the answer is..."
The atmosphere froze. Cain held his breath and noticed the other three already surrounding Louise in the middle.
He took a deep breath and looked over his shoulder to witness that the other cadets had already entered the arena, leaving them alone in the corridor.
The boy shifted his attention back to his team. Rika pulled Louise close as she wrapped both arms around the brown-haired girl's back tightly. Cain turned to the other two boys; their faces were hardened. It was evident from their clenched fists. They were trembling in rage.
Cain closed his eyes. He exhaled a long breath, trying to calm the ragging drum in his chest. The boy's closed eyes fluttered open, and he watched his three comrades stare down at him.
The intent in their glares resonated with the crackling thunder in his clenched fist. Cain bowed his head slightly, causing the other to widen their eyes in shock.
"First of all, I apologize."
He lifted his gaze and locked eyes with others.
"I take back what I said to keep being observant."
Rika, Abel, and Peter narrowed their gazes. Louise, who was in Rika's embrace, separated from the girl and looked at Cain.
"Let's teach them what we're made of!"