Chapter 16 – A New Flame
Morning sun filtered through the branches as the group packed up camp, the events in Lepin still weighing heavy on their minds. They walked in silence at first, the only sound the crunch of leaves and the occasional bird call.
After about an hour, a small voice broke the quiet.
"Wait!"
They turned. Lyra had stopped walking and was staring at the forest path behind them.
A young girl stood there—barefoot, dressed in a tattered cloak two sizes too big. Her eyes were a warm amber, but they were heavy, like someone who'd lived through something they shouldn't have.
It was one of the kids they'd rescued from the Skinwalkers' nest.
"…You followed us?" Atlas said, stepping forward.
The girl nodded, clutching something tight in her hands—a wooden carving shaped like a rabbit.
Kaze blinked. "You should be back with the others. The village—"
"I don't want to go back," she said. "There's no one left for me there."
Kazuki didn't move, but his head tilted slightly.
"What's your name?" Lyra asked softly.
"Lyra," the girl answered.
The group blinked. Kaze looked at Lyra, then back at the girl.
"…Seriously?"
The girl gave a small nod. "My name's Lyra too. I guess that's funny."
Kaze looked between the two Lyras. "Okay. This is going to get confusing real fast."
The older Lyra crossed her arms. "We can call her Lil' Lyra."
"I'd rather not," the girl muttered.
Kaze squatted down in front of her. "Look, I get it. You're strong. You survived something horrible. But where we're going isn't safe."
"I don't care," she said. "You people saved me. And I want to get stronger so no one ever has to save me again."
Atlas tilted his head. "That's… actually a good reason."
Kaze looked at Kazuki. "Well? You're the quiet boss of this little journey. Say something."
Kazuki was silent for a long moment. Then:
"She can come. But if she slows us down, we leave her behind."
The younger Lyra nodded firmly. "Fair."
—
As the day wore on, they passed through more of Reverb's outer territories. Here, the culture of swordsmanship was everywhere—wooden dummies lined practice fields, statues of legendary warriors stood on stone pedestals, and children could be seen training with wooden swords in backyards.
Kaze watched one group of kids sparring with envy. "Man… their parents are training them? I had to fight birds bigger than me with wind magic and trauma."
Lyra chuckled. "You still do."
Atlas laughed. "Kazuki, ever think of starting a sword school?"
"I did," Kazuki said. "Then I remembered I hate people."
Fair.
—
They stopped for lunch near a tall hill overlooking the valley. Kaze sat beside Lyra, the older one, watching clouds drift by.
"You sure you're okay with the kid coming along?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I get it. The feeling of not wanting to be left behind again. After the storm that… well, after that, I just wanted someone to notice I was still here."
She nodded slowly. "You never told me how you survived it."
He didn't answer right away.
"It was all wind," he said quietly. "Everything went white and loud. When I woke up, the world was quiet… and my family was gone."
She reached out, gently touching his hand.
Kaze looked at her, startled. But he didn't pull away this time.
Her voice was low. "I don't know what you went through, Kaze. But I'm glad you're still here."
"Yeah," he said softly. "Me too."
From a distance, Atlas whispered to Kazuki, "Are they… flirting?"
Kazuki nodded.
"Should we be worried?"
"No. Let the kids be idiots."
—
That night, they camped near a lake glowing silver under the moonlight. Lil' Lyra sat near the fire, carving another wooden rabbit with a tiny blade Kaze had given her. She didn't speak much, but the tension in her shoulders had eased.
Atlas returned from fishing duty with a single tiny fish. He held it up. "Dinner is served!"
Kazuki: "Is that bait?"
"I caught it, okay? That means I won."
Kaze summoned a gust of wind that launched the fish back into the lake.
"HEY!"
"Try again," Kaze smirked.
The group laughed.
—
As the fire dimmed and the others began to rest, Kazuki stood watch on a rock overlooking the lake. His blindfold fluttered in the breeze, and his knife rested in his palm.
He heard footsteps behind him.
It was Atlas.
"Can't sleep?"
"No," Kazuki said. "You're loud."
Atlas sat next to him, grinning. "So… you really grew up in this kingdom?"
Kazuki nodded. "In a village smaller than Gage. Where swords were everything."
"Ever miss it?"
Kazuki was quiet. "Sometimes. Not the people. Just the feel of it."
Atlas leaned back, arms behind his head. "Well… you've got new people now. Even if one of them talks too much and another throws fish."
Kazuki didn't smile. But his voice was gentler than usual. "That's… acceptable."
—
End of Chapter 16