Chapter 85: The Tears Behind the Lightning 🌧️💔⚡
​During breakfast, Ling-Feng (🌪️) casually mentioned how proud their late parents and old clans would have been to see them as Gods. The statement hit a raw nerve for Kael (⚡). His playful smile vanished, and his voice began to crack as he lowered his head beneath his neon hoodie.
​Through heavy tears, Kael shared his heartbreaking past. "You guys always ask why I joke around so much, even in deadly situations," Kael sobbing, confessed. "The night the shadow forces slaughtered my Thunder Clan, my parents hid me in a secret bunker. They told me, 'Kael, whatever happens outside, do not cry, or they will hear you.' To stop myself from crying, I bit my tongue and forced myself to smile in the pitch black just to combat the terror."
​He continued, heartbroken, "I survived, but my clan was wiped out. Since that night, I wore this mask of jokes and laughter to hide my crushing loneliness. I'm scared that if I stop laughing for even a single second, the horrific screams of that night will return, and I'll become that helpless, terrified kid again."
​Hearing his tragic story, the entire room teared up. Gojung (🌑) walked over and firmly placed a hand on Kael's trembling shoulder. "The darkness is over, Kael. You don't need a mask to hide your pain anymore. If you want to cry, cry. You are not alone; you have us." One by one, Ryun (🔥) and the rest of the guardians embraced Kael in a warm, tight family hug. For the first time in years, Kael let his tears flow freely, finally finding true healing and peace in the arms of his family.