**Author Note:**
Hey readers!
After the heavy emotional blow in the last chapter, Aarav is trying to find his own path. Today he shares a hopeful idea that he believes could change everything.
But as we all know… this world doesn't make things easy.
Let's see how reality reacts to his optimism.
Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 22—
Aarav continued walking down the bright morning corridor, but his steps felt heavier than they should have.
The sunlight streaming through the tall arched windows was warm and golden, yet it somehow made the weight in his chest feel even more suffocating.
The palace looked
beautiful — too beautiful — as if it was pretending nothing was wrong while his mind was still trapped in that blood-stained training room.
He kept replaying the same thought again and again.
*What if I don't have to kill them? What if I can talk to the monsters… and make peace with them?*
The more he repeated it to himself, the more it felt like a lifeline. A real possibility. A way to be different from everyone else in this violent world.
*Yeah… this could be my path. I don't have to become a killer. I can change the rules.*
A small, hopeful smile crept onto his face. For the first time since waking up, the heavy feeling in his chest felt a little lighter.
He was so lost in his newfound "genius" plan that he almost didn't notice the man leaning casually against a marble pillar ahead.
It was the same black-haired man from yesterday — the one who had sliced those creatures in half without breaking a single drop of sweat.
Aarav stopped for a second, then walked toward him with renewed energy.
The man noticed his approach and raised a single lazy eyebrow, his posture remaining completely relaxed.
Aarav took a deep breath, unable to hide the desperate hope in his voice.
"I had an idea. A really good one."
The man didn't move. He just waited, looking mildly amused.
"What if we don't have to kill the monsters at all?"
Aarav blurted out.
"What if I try talking to them? What if I can make peace with them instead of fighting?"
The corridor fell dead silent.
For a few agonizing seconds, the man just stared at him. Then, he let out a short, dry breath. It was almost a laugh, but not quite.
"Peace with monsters?" he repeated slowly, as if tasting a bitter joke.
Aarav nodded eagerly, stepping closer.
"Yeah! Think about it. In stories back home, the hero always finds a way to understand the enemy. You find a middle ground. Maybe that can happen here too."
The man looked at him for a long, heavy moment. His expression didn't change much, but his eyes grew painfully realistic.
"Most monsters out there don't look at humans and see someone worth talking to," he said casually, as if stating the weather. "They look at us and see food. Or a threat. Or both."
Aarav's excited smile faltered, a tiny crack appearing in his confidence.
The man continued, his voice lazy but cutting straight to the bone.
"There are things in this world called Demi-humans — beings who are part human and part beast. Some look almost like us, some don't. They have minds. But even they don't always get along with pure humans. The wild monsters? They're something else entirely. They don't negotiate. They just survive."
Aarav stayed completely quiet.
Inside his head, the terrifying comparison began to take shape.
*When he says it like that… it really does sound stupid.*
He suddenly imagined himself standing in front of a massive, drooling beast, trying to smile and speak politely while it looked at him like a walking piece of meat.
Would he ask a starving tiger to be his friend?
The mental picture made a hot wave of embarrassment rush to his cheeks. His "revolutionary" idea was nothing but a childish fantasy. He was just a boy terrified of holding a sword.
The man watched the color drain from Aarav's face and added quietly,
"Optimistic ideas are nice, kid. But in this world, they can get you killed faster than a blade."
Before Aarav could swallow the lump in his throat and reply, another voice echoed through the hall.
"You must be the new guest everyone's talking about."
Aarav turned. A tall, impeccably dressed man in his late twenties was approaching. It was Elias Voss, one of the royal advisors, trailed by two silent guards.
Elias offered a small, perfectly measured smile.
"If you ever need someone to talk to — someone who isn't trying to test you or train you — you can find me in the eastern wing."
He gave a slight, polite nod and continued walking down the corridor, his footsteps echoing softly.
Aarav stood there, his mind spinning. *Another one?* He was feeling even more confused now.
The black-haired man glanced at Elias's retreating figure, then looked back at Aarav. The lazy amusement was gone from his eyes.
"Careful with the advisors," he said quietly. "They smile nicely, but they're always playing their own games. Their words can cut deeper than claws."
Aarav let out a long, shaky sigh.
"…Everything here is so complicated."
The man pushed himself off the pillar, turning his back to Aarav as he started to walk away.
"Welcome to the real world, kid."
Aarav stood alone in the grand hallway, watching him go. The heavy weight of reality settled onto his shoulders, far heavier than before.
His "genius" idea now felt incredibly small, naive, and pathetic.
"…Nothing here is easy," he whispered to himself.
Yet, somewhere deep inside, buried under the fear and the embarrassment… that stubborn little spark — the desperate desire to find another way — still refused to die completely.
He stood there for a long time, the morning light warming his skin while his thoughts remained cold.
*Maybe I was being too naive.*
*Maybe this world really is just about killing or being killed.*
But even as that dark thought settled in, a small, stubborn voice inside him whispered back:
*…Or maybe I just haven't found the right way yet.*
End—