The situation in the DV Army was heating up again; news of Alber's evil plans had reached all the soldiers. While tending to their wounds, they began preparing for the next battle.
Everyone mingled, some joking around while others tended to each other's injuries. Jyu, however, was all alone; he truly had no friends here.
It was only natural; Jyu was still considered a weak soldier. Even during the mission to the Darkent realm, he hadn't suffered any serious injuries. This was in stark contrast to Taffie, who had been left permanently disabled after having one arm and one leg amputated.
Everyone was talking about Jyu, even looking at him with disdain. Jyu wasn't angry, though—after all, it was Taffie's carelessness that had caused him to suffer such severe injuries.
Jyu could only sit in the corner of the cafeteria, alone and lost in thought. It was here that he first met Sizhi.
"I miss him, too."
Jyu got up; his goal was to visit Sizhi, who was now being held in prison. The DV Army prison was located outside the main headquarters, but it wasn't too far away.
Carefully, Jyu approached the prison. As far as he knew, the prison had an entrance hidden behind a large tree. The prison was located beneath that tree, and access in and out was via an elevator.
Jyu got closer; now the large tree was clearly visible. The area was deserted, with no guards on duty.
"It's safe! Is it really true that the prison has no guards?" Jyu was confused by how completely deserted the area around the prison was.
Jyu circled the tree, trying to find a door to enter.
"What are you doing?" asked a man who suddenly appeared behind Jyu.
Jyu was so startled that he jumped forward. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"
The man, identified as a correctional officer, merely snorted in annoyance. In truth, the DV Army prison wasn't truly deserted; there were three guards on duty around it. They were hiding among the trees scattered around the prison. If a threat arose, they would immediately pounce without mercy. But Jyu was different; all the guards already knew about him, so they didn't attack right away.
"You don't need to know. Why are you here?"
Jyu was a little confused. If he told the truth, would he be allowed to enter the prison to see Sizhi?
"Do you want to see your friend?" the guard asked.
This question certainly took him by surprise, since Jyu hadn't spoken a single word yet.
"Yes! How did you know why I came here?"
"I'm just following Master Jenna's orders. If you come, I have to permit you to enter the prison. So go ahead—your friend is on the first floor, in cell number three. But remember, don't you dare let him out. I'll kill you!"
Jyu was immediately given a key to enter the prison. He thanked him right away. Without wasting any time, he quickly walked toward the large tree.
The prison door was on the tree's right side. There was a black mark that served as the key to unlock it. Jyu had to insert the key the guard had given him.
The door opened, and Jyu immediately went inside and went down to the first floor. This prison consists of 10 floors, each with 20 cells. The severity of the crimes committed categorizes each floor; the deeper you go, the more terrifying the criminals inside become.
Luckily, Sizhi is on the first floor, meaning the crime he committed is still considered minor. Although Jyu himself is confused—that a traitor is still considered a low-level criminal is a miracle.
The prison is completely silent; apparently, only Sizhi is inside. When Jyu arrives, Sizhi is still asleep. Both his legs are bound with heavy chains, severely restricting his movement.
Jyu could only stare at Sizhi; he was amazed that his friend had recovered from the stab wound inflicted by Alber. Cobra's healing was truly potent—perhaps he was the best in the Darkent realm or the human realm.
"Why are you here?" Sizhi asked, suddenly waking up.
Jyu immediately sat down in front of the cell; now only iron bars separated them.
"I have no friends; the other soldiers won't accept me. Remember, while I'm here, you're my only friend. This place isn't so bad for keeping my loneliness at bay."
"Then go back to sleep."
Jyu burst out laughing upon hearing those words. His laughter echoed loudly throughout the first floor of the prison.
"Jyu! Forgive me for the betrayal I committed."
"Don't worry about it. I know your own grandfather just tricked you."
Unexpectedly, these words made Sizhi cry. Her sobs were soft, sounding almost like moans of pain.
"Hey! What's wrong with you?" Jyu panicked upon hearing it; he thought Sizhi was in pain from his injuries.
"Does your wound hurt again?"
Sizhi cried even harder, "It's not my wound, you idiot! I'm crying because of my guilt toward you and Taffie."
"I love my grandfather so much. When I found out he was still alive in the Darkent Realm, I was so happy. He means the world to me."
"Back then, his death made me so depressed that I eventually chose to take my own life."
"But now he's betraying me—he even wants to kill me." Sizhi immediately began crying even harder.
Jyu was at a loss for how to respond. This was his first time dealing with a woman crying. He had absolutely no idea how to handle this situation. He only knew how to stop a small child from crying—like startling them or making a silly face.
Living on the fringes of society had indeed kept him away from romantic entanglements. He rarely interacted with women, which is why Jyu was so flustered in a situation like this.
Jyu could only do what he knew. Sizhi was immediately startled.
"What are you doing?" she said, seeing Jyu's silly expression pressed against the iron bars.
"Did it work? As far as I know, this is the only way to stop someone from crying."
Sizhi started laughing, "Why do you think I'm a little kid? Why is my best friend so stupid?"
"Even if it looks stupid, did my method work?"
Jyu began to feel at ease inside the prison, simply because Sizhi was there—his only friend. So his days weren't lonely. Now Jyu even lay on the floor, staring at the dark ceiling.
"We're both outcasts, aren't we? No one wants to accept us. Maybe you're seen as a weirdo, while I'm the annoying scion of a noble family."
"Then why do you still want to be close to me? People on the fringes like you must be allergic to someone like me. There's a grudge that feels like it needs to be avenged right away."
Jyu remained silent, staring at the prison ceiling.
"I've already avenged my grudge. Remember, when we were being treated at the hospital, and I ran away—that's when I met the person who killed me. I killed him right then and there. To me, vengeance must be taken on the guilty party. To me, you bear no blame for the misery of my life."