In front of the grand staircase at the headquarters of the Royal Fifth Knights, a gathering of knights had assembled, led by the Vice Commander, to bid farewell to their departing Commander.
This marked the Commander's final day in charge, and emotions ran high as they prepared to say their goodbyes.
Vice Commander Caliph glanced at his wristwatch, realizing that their departure was imminent.
The heavy wooden doors of the headquarters creaked open, drawing the attention of the assembled knights.
They expected to see their Commander descending the central staircase, but to their surprise, a petite figure clung closely to the middle-aged man.
"Grandfather, are you truly leaving? Please reconsider," pleaded the young woman, her black hair cut short, and her innocent, youthful face framed by bright, round eyes. Anasha Laina had recently turned twenty.
"Asha, you mustn't act like a child. This decision has been made, and there's no turning back," the middle-aged man replied sternly.
As he raised his voice, tears welled up in the corners of Anasha's eyes. She quickly wiped them away and spoke with determination, despite her incongruous appearance.
"Grandfather, you're not like any other Commander."
"Regardless of who takes my place, the Commander is the Commander. It's a matter of royal decree. As a member of this knight division, you must accept it."
"But!"
"How many times must I say it? Knights don't shed tears," the Commander rebuked.
Anasha's resolve only strengthened in the face of her grandfather's stern words. "Unless it's you, I don't want anyone else."
The knights watching below could only roll their eyes in exasperation.
"It's starting again."
"I thought she'd be more composed on the last day..."
Elvin, one of the knights, commented briefly, while Chris sighed, massaging his temples due to a headache.
"Vice Commander Caliph has been holding his stern demeanor for quite some time," Chris remarked, aware of the situation.
Those who understood the Vice Commander's struggle either pinched themselves or looked away to suppress their laughter.
Commander Albert eventually boarded the waiting carriage and turned to address the knights who held back Anasha.
"I appreciate all your hard work over the years. Thank you, everyone, for representing the Commander. Salute!"
The knights saluted in unison, and Albert waved back as the carriage began to move away.
"No, no, no!!" Anasha wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she watched the carriage disappear from view.
...
..
.
"Since then, she seems to have lost her spirit, Anasha...I am worried of her." Mavric said, concerned, observing Anasha perched high in a tree branch.
"It's understandable. She received quite the lecture from Vice Commander Caliph, but I'm more concerned about how she'll adjust to the new Commander," Chris replied, his worry evident.
Mavric, who had watched Anasha grow for fourteen years under Commander Albert's care, knew her situation well.
Now that Commander Albert had retired, leaving Anasha behind, her transition into this new chapter of her life was bound to be challenging.
As the days passed, Anasha couldn't help but feel a sense of unease about the impending arrival of the new Commander.
Her life had been intimately entwined with Commander Albert's, who had treated her like family.
The uncertainty of what lay ahead weighed heavily on her heart, and little did she know that her journey was about to take an unexpected turn, one that would test her in ways she had never imagined.
~~~
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Characters:
1: Anasha Laina
-FL of the novel
-Age: 20
-Strong-willed, determined, carefree
2. Commander Albert
-Extra: Grandfather of Anasha
-Age: 54
-Stern, responsible, loving
3. Vice Commander Caliph
-Side Character
-Age: 35
-Responsible, emotionless, workaholic
4. Chris Fenty
-SML of the novel
-Age: 24
-Enigmatic, charmistic, funny