''kanji!..... kanji!...…..kanji!'' a faint voice drifted through the air like a ghostly echo, capturing the man's attention in an instant. '' who is there! who just called my name? spinning with the speed of a hawk, he searched around, his eyes straining in vain to locate the source of the voice. But as his gaze swept the empty landscape, hope turned to bitter disappointment. There was no one.
He stood frozen in place, the silence of the aftermath broken only by the rumble of his stomach. The swordsman stood motionless, his muscles tense, as a sudden pain of hunger began to chew at his insides. The last time he had eaten seemed like a faint memory to him, and yet the infant in his arms, oblivious to the carnage that had unfolded, slept soundly.
He gently touched the child's head, marveling at the innocence and fragility that lay before him. A determined glint entered his eyes as he spoke softly but with a force of command. '' I must get to the nearest village. We cannot stay here.''
The swordsman set out on his journey, his steps heavy with exhaustion, his mind fogged by hunger. The world around him seemed blurred and distorted as if he was walking through a mist of smoke.
Nevertheless, he carefully carried the infant, its tiny body wrapped in the ragged cloth he was once wearing, the infant stirred softly in his arms, a reminder of the precious life that depended on him.
He trudged on, his steps growing slower and more with each passing minute. His stomach churned, arching for sustenance, but he pushed onwards, the image of the nearest village a distance away restored hope in his mind.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, the man broke into a run, the infant's cries cry of the infant causing him to move faster than he was moving moments ago. his heart hammered in his chest, his tired muscles screaming in protest as he forced them to move faster.
The infant's mournful wails echoed through the silent landscape, a mournful sound of hunger and fatigue.
The man's breath came in a twisted grasp, his legs burning with the effort of carrying both himself and the infant across the barren terrain as they approached the village that seemed to be appearing closer than before. But he would not give up, he would not let either of them to fall to them fall to the merciless hand of exhaustion or starvation.
As the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, the man stumbled into the village, his legs barely able to carry him any further. He swept his gaze over the broken-down crumbling dwellings that surrounded him, his desperate eyes searching for any sign of life.
He limped forward, the infant's cries piercing the dawn-lit air, and approached the first house he came across. with his voice sounding rough and harsh showing the desperation in his heart, he called out, '' Please, anyone! I need help. A woman, a mother, anyone who can help me feed this child!''
A hush fell over the village as if time itself had stopped. The man's plea hung in the air like a desperate prayer, and for a long moment, it seemed as if no one would answer.
But then, from within a house three blocks away from where he was, a woman's voice called out, soft and hesitant,'' Is someone out there?'' she asked, the curiosity in her tone outweighing fear.
The swordsman rushed to the door, his heart pounding with hope. '' please,'', he begged his voice trembling with desperation '' This child needs food. Can you help us?''
The door creaked open, revealing a young woman, her face a mixture of confusion and empathy. '' of course, I'll help you'', she said, her voice tingled the concern. '' Bring the child inside, quickly''.
The man obeyed, his arms shaking with relief as he handed the infant to the woman. The baby whimpered at first, but as the woman began to soothe it, its cries softened, replaced by tiny coos and hiccups.
'' what's his name? the woman asked, her gaze softening as she held the child softly in her arms. The man hesitated, his mind still wrestling with the horrors of the past few days. Finally, he sighed, '' I don't know his name. I found him on the battlefield, amidst the chaos. His mother...… I also don't know who she is I only him all alone about to be devoured by a beast.
The woman nodded, her eyes filling with sorrow. '' poor child,'' she murmured, rocking the baby gently in her arms. '' Then we'll name him ourselves, yes? A name to remember his courage and the life that fate has put him through.''
The man nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the infant. '' A fitting name,'' he said quietly. '' what name do you suggest?'' asked the woman. The man smiled, a smile that seemed to light up the dark corners of the world, he became silent for a while. '' Hiro'' he said,
'' Hiro?'' asked the woman, and he nodded to signify that that was fact what she heard, '' Why Hiro?'' she asked '' For fate has put him through rough situations at a young age a very sad fate for a child and the name Hiro carries this meaning for him''. The woman let a sigh before agreeing with the man.
As the woman continued to coo and soothe the baby, her gaze once again advertently drifted to the man's body, which was crisscrossed with scratches and bruises. her smile faltered, replaced by a look of concern.
'' What happened to you?'' she asked, her voice wavering slightly. '' Those wounds look fresh, and not something you could only get from just rescuing a child. were you in a battle?''
The swordsman hesitated, his gaze focused on the ground, '' Yes I was, '' he replied, his voice low, the smile on his face suddenly disappeared and was replaced by that of disappointment, anger, and regret.
(Author's thoughts: enjoy the book and comment your thought thank you.