The training hall was still buzzing with the aftermath of the battle, but as the dust began to settle, something caught the attention of a nearby maid. She glanced over to where Sam had been standing just moments before, only to find the plate of noodles on the ground—intact except for the missing fork. Sam was gone.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Sam had moved with such incredible speed that he seemed to vanish into thin air. In a split second, he had appeared beside the girl who had been in danger, gently pulling her to safety. With the same swift motion, he had blinded the monster in one eye using the fork he had taken from his noodles. The monster let out a roar of pain, thrashing about blindly.
The girl, her name Mira, looked up at Sam, her heart pounding in her chest. Sam knelt beside her, his voice soft and comforting as he asked, "Are you alright?"
Mira's breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. Sam's face was close to hers, and in the dim light of the training hall, she could see the sharp angles of his jawline, the intensity in his eyes. He was undeniably handsome, and the concern in his voice only made her heart flutter more.
"I… I'm alright," Mira stammered, her cheeks flushing a deep red. She quickly looked away, embarrassed by the sudden rush of emotions she was feeling.
The monster, still blinded and enraged, lunged in their direction, driven by pure instinct. But before it could get close, Alex, the leader of the Imperial Students, charged forward with a powerful strike. His weapon connected with the creature's head in a massive blow, finally putting it down for good. The monster collapsed with a heavy thud, its body lying still.
Alex stood over the fallen creature, his chest heaving from exertion. He looked at the remains of the monster and then turned to Eren, who had been watching the entire scene unfold. "I'm sorry," Alex said, bowing slightly. "I had no choice but to kill it."
But Eren didn't seem to hear him. He was staring at Sam, his eyes wide with shock and something akin to disbelief. It took Alex repeating himself for Eren to snap out of his thoughts.
"What happened?" Alex asked, concern in his voice.
Eren blinked, quickly masking his surprise with a reassuring smile. "Nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "Don't worry about the monster."
Alex nodded, though he couldn't help but notice Eren's lingering gaze on Sam. There was something unsettling about the way Eren looked at him, but Alex chose not to press further.
The students and soldiers began to file out of the hall, their adrenaline slowly wearing off. As the group dispersed, Eren remained behind, deep in thought. He couldn't shake the image of Sam blinding the monster with a single strike. The creature he had brought for training was a "Firen," a rare breed known for the impenetrable toughness of their eyes—said to be the strongest part of their entire body.
And yet, Eren thought, his mind racing, he broke it with a single blow… using a fork?
The night grew darker, and while the palace began to settle into a calm quiet, Eren sat in his chamber, unable to rest. His mind replayed the events of the day over and over, each time landing on Sam's extraordinary display of power. There was something more to that boy, something that defied explanation.
Meanwhile, Sam found himself once again on the balcony, the cool night air soothing his frayed nerves. He looked out over the city, the lights twinkling like stars in the distance, but his thoughts were far from peaceful. The nightmare he'd had earlier still weighed heavily on his mind, and the events of the day had only added to the unease that gnawed at him.
As he stood there, lost in thought, he heard the soft sound of footsteps behind him. He turned to see Sara approaching, this time with Masha by her side. The two sisters exchanged a glance before Masha spoke.
"Sam, we need to talk," Masha said, her tone more serious than usual.
Sam raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the shift in her demeanor. "What's going on?"
Masha glanced at Sara, who nodded, giving her silent permission to continue. "Sara… she knows everything."
Sam's heart skipped a beat. He kept his expression neutral, but his mind was already racing. "What do you mean, everything?"
Masha took a deep breath. "She knows that you're the Ghost."
Sam blinked, trying to process what she had just said. "Wait, what? How—?"
Sara stepped forward, her gaze locked on Sam's, as if searching for something deep within him. "I figured it out when you were saving Mira," she said quietly. "Your speed, your power… and the way you move. It's you, isn't it?"
For a moment, Sam considered denying it, but the look in Sara's eyes told him it would be futile. She had already pieced it together, and there was no point in hiding it anymore.
"Yeah," Sam admitted, his voice low. "I'm the Ghost. But how did you—?"
Before he could finish his question, Sara's thoughts began to drift, her mind wandering back to another time, another life. Sam… you may not be the same person, but your face is still the same, she thought to herself. I can see it just by looking into your eyes. And that black hoodie style… I'd recognize it anywhere. You haven't changed at all.
But she didn't voice these thoughts aloud. Instead, she kept them to herself, guarding the secret that she, too, had been reincarnated. She wasn't ready to reveal that part of her past—at least, not yet.
Masha, unaware of the deeper connection between Sara and Sam, looked between the two of them with curiosity. "Sara, how did you figure it out?"
Sara smiled faintly, shaking her head. "Let's just say I'm good at reading people."
Sam chuckled softly, though the unease from his nightmare still lingered at the back of his mind. "You really got me there. But what now? What are you going to do with that information?"
Sara shrugged. "Nothing. It's not my secret to tell. Besides, I think there's more to you than just being the Ghost."
Sam felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Thanks, Sara. That means a lot."
They stood there for a moment, the three of them sharing a quiet understanding. The night air was cool, the stars above twinkling faintly, and for the first time in a while, Sam felt a sense of calm.
But deep down, he knew that the peace wouldn't last. The nightmare, the monster he had seen in his dream—it was a reminder that there were still shadows lurking in the corners of his mind, waiting to be unleashed.
And somewhere, in the depths of the palace, Eren Waldivor was still thinking about Sam, wondering what kind of power lay hidden beneath the surface of the boy who could break a Firen's eye with a mere fork.