The air was colder than before.
Or maybe
it only felt that way.
Leo didn't know.
He remained curled against the wall, his small body pressed into itself as if trying to hold onto whatever warmth he could find.
The wooden carving was still clutched tightly in his hands.
His breathing was soft.
Uneven.
Sleep had taken him quietly.
Not because he was at peace
but because his body had simply given up.
Time passed.
The sun had already begun to lower when footsteps entered that silent corner.
They were steady.
Measured.
Not hurried.
Not hesitant.
The sound stopped a short distance away.
For a moment
nothing happened.
Then a shadow fell over the boy.
Kael stood there.
His sharp gaze lowered slightly, resting on the small figure curled against the wall.
He didn't speak.
Didn't move immediately.
His eyes observed.
The position.
The grip.
The faint traces of dried tears on Leo's face.
The boy didn't look peaceful.
Even in sleep his brows were slightly drawn.
As if something still weighed on him.
Kael remained silent for a few seconds longer.
Then he stepped closer.
His boots made a soft sound against the ground.
Leo stirred.
Slightly.
His fingers tightened instinctively around the carving.
"…mm…"
A faint sound escaped him.
Kael stopped just in front of him.
"…Get up."
His voice was calm.
Flat.
Not loud.
But it carried enough weight to reach through the boy's sleep.
Leo's eyes slowly opened.
For a moment
they were unfocused.
Blank.
As if he didn't understand where he was.
Then reality returned.
His grip loosened slightly.
His body shifted.
He blinked a few times
then looked up.
Kael stood above him.
Unmoving.
Watching.
Leo didn't say anything.
He just stared for a second
then quickly looked away.
As if he didn't want to be seen like this.
Slowly, he pushed himself up.
His body felt stiff.
Heavy.
He didn't stand properly.
Just enough to not be on the ground anymore.
Silence settled between them.
Kael didn't ask anything.
Didn't question him.
His gaze simply remained on the boy.
Leo lowered his head slightly.
"…sorry," he muttered.
The word came out quietly.
Almost instinctively.
Kael's expression didn't change.
"…For what?"
Leo hesitated.
His fingers tightened slightly around the carving.
"…I don't know…"
It was an honest answer.
He didn't know what exactly he was apologizing for.
For being weak?
For being here?
For not belonging?
Maybe all of it.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…You lost."
The words were simple.
Blunt.
Leo flinched slightly.
Not because he didn't know
but because hearing it made it real again.
Kael continued.
"…You couldn't keep up."
"…You couldn't defend yourself."
"…You couldn't prove anything."
Each sentence landed heavily.
Leo's head lowered further.
His grip tightened again.
Kael watched him for a moment
then spoke again.
"…And then you ran."
Leo's shoulders tensed.
"…I didn't—"
"…You did."
Kael cut him off.
Not harshly.
Just… directly.
Leo fell silent.
Because he couldn't deny it.
He had left.
He had walked away.
Kael's gaze remained steady.
"…And now you're here."
Leo's fingers trembled slightly.
He didn't lift his head.
Didn't respond.
Kael stepped a little closer.
"…Crying alone."
The words were not mocking.
But they weren't soft either.
They were simply
true.
Leo's grip on the carving tightened.
His chest felt heavy again.
"…I wasn't—"
"…You were."
Kael's voice didn't rise.
But it stopped him.
Completely.
Silence followed.
Leo's breathing grew uneven again.
The same feeling from before
started to rise.
That cold.
That emptiness.
But this time
Kael didn't look away.
"…Listen carefully."
Leo froze.
Kael's voice was calm.
But something about it
felt heavier than before.
"…No one here cares if you cry."
The words landed hard.
Leo's fingers tightened again.
"…No one here will come to comfort you."
Silence.
"…And no one here will help you… just because you're weak."
Leo's head lowered further.
His vision blurred slightly.
But he didn't move.
Didn't turn away.
Kael continued.
"…This place…"
He glanced toward the distance.
Toward the vast grounds of Valencrest.
"…is not built for people who don't belong."
Leo's chest tightened.
"…Then why am I here…?" he asked quietly.
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Kael looked at him.
For a moment, he didn't answer.
Then
"…Because you chose to be."
Leo's eyes lifted slightly.
Just a little.
"…I didn't…" he muttered.
But the words lacked strength.
Kael didn't argue.
"…You followed."
"…You stayed."
Each word was simple.
But undeniable.
Leo fell silent again.
Because he knew
it was true.
Kael stepped back slightly.
Giving him space.
"…This world…"
His voice was steady.
"…is not kind."
Leo listened.
"…It doesn't wait."
"…It doesn't care."
"…And it doesn't change… for anyone."
The wind passed quietly through the space.
Leo's grip slowly loosened.
Just a little.
Kael's eyes remained on him.
"…If you stay the way you are now…"
A brief pause.
"…you won't survive."
The words were calm.
But final.
Leo's heart tightened.
Not in fear
but in understanding.
Slowly
very slowly
he lifted his head.
His eyes were still dull.
Still tired.
But they weren't avoiding anymore.
"…Then what should I do…?" he asked.
The question was small.
Like everything about him.
But this time
he asked it properly.
Kael looked at him.
For a brief moment
something shifted in his gaze.
Not softness.
But recognition.
"…Stand."
Leo blinked.
"…What?"
"…Stand properly."
Leo hesitated
then straightened slightly.
His posture was still weak.
Unstable.
But he stood.
Kael watched him for a second
then nodded once.
"…Good enough."
Leo didn't understand.
But he didn't ask.
Kael turned slightly.
Then looked back at him.
"…If you want to live in this kind of world…"
His voice remained calm.
Unchanging.
"…then you have to work for it."
Leo's fingers tightened again
but not in the same way as before.
"…Not cry over it."
The words landed firmly.
Leo didn't look away.
Didn't react.
But something inside him
shifted.
Just a little.
Kael's gaze stayed on him.
"…From tomorrow onwards…"
A brief pause.
"…we will begin your training."
Silence.
Leo stood there.
Still.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
The carving was still in his hand.
But his grip
had changed.
Not desperate anymore.
Not clinging.
Just… holding.
The cold hadn't disappeared.
The loneliness hadn't vanished.
But
something else had appeared.
Faint.
Unclear.
But real.
Leo slowly nodded.
A small movement.
Almost unnoticeable.
But enough.
Kael turned.
And walked away.
His footsteps steady.
Unhurried.
Leo remained where he was.
Watching.
Not calling out.
Not following.
Just standing there.
For the first time
not sitting.
Not hiding.
Standing.
Alone.
But not the same as before.
The wind passed through the quiet space.
And the sun dipped lower in the sky.
A new day was coming.