Paul's POV
The night was dark, the air thick with the smell of blood, ash, and fear. Torches flickered weakly in the hands of the villagers, their flames barely cutting through the thick fog of smoke that clung to the village. The battle had ended, but the weight of its aftermath still hung heavy on everyone's hearts.
Paul stood near the center of the village, his sword resting against the ground, the blade still stained with the dark blood of orcs and goblins. Around him, adventurers leaned on their weapons, their shoulders slumped in exhaustion, faces smudged with dirt and sweat. The flickering firelight cast long shadows over their worn expressions.
An adventurer beside Paul, wiping the grime from his brow, let out a low whistle. "Paul, you're a beast," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You took down more than half the army yourself. I've never seen anything like it."
Paul gave a tired nod, his chest still heaving with the strain of battle. "It wasn't just me," he said quietly, his voice rough from shouting commands. "Everyone did their part. That's how we survived."
Another adventurer, still catching his breath, gestured toward Alice. "And her. We owe Alice just as much credit. If she hadn't stopped those monsters from spreading deeper into the village, we'd have been overrun."
Paul's gaze shifted toward Alice, who was standing a little ways off, giving quiet instructions to some of the villagers. Her robes were torn in places, her face streaked with soot, but she carried herself with calm dignity, still focused on helping the wounded.
One of the villagers approached Alice, a woman clutching her child close to her chest. Her voice trembled with emotion. "Thank you," she said, her voice thick with gratitude. "If you hadn't stopped those goblins from reaching the southern side, we would've lost everything."
Alice gave a soft, tired smile. "I'm just glad we could protect what we could."
Paul's eyes swept over the village. It was scarred, but it was standing. Small fires burned in the distance where homes had been damaged. Some villagers were already working to extinguish the flames, while others tended to the wounded. The relief in the air was palpable, but it was underscored by exhaustion and grief for what had been lost.
"It's fine now," Paul called out to the gathered crowd, his deep voice rising above the soft murmurs. "We've defeated the monsters. You're all safe."
There was a collective sigh of relief from the villagers, some falling to their knees in gratitude, others weeping softly as they hugged their loved ones. Paul could see the weight lifting from their shoulders, but his own heart was heavy with worry. Through the chaos of battle, one thought had been gnawing at him—his son. Was Kai safe? Had he fought? Had he been hurt? He hadn't seen him since the monsters had attacked.
Before he could voice his concern, a woman's desperate scream cut through the night.
"My child! Where is my child?!" The woman's voice was shrill, filled with a mother's terror. She stumbled through the square, her eyes wild as she searched for her daughter.
Paul's heart tightened. He immediately stepped forward, his mind racing. If any child had been caught in the attack, the thought was too horrifying to bear. He turned to Alice, who was already moving toward the woman.
"Alice," Paul called out, his voice grim, "we need to find her."
They both hurried through the narrow streets of the village, torches flickering as they cast eerie, shifting shadows along the stone walls. Paul's pulse quickened as he listened for any sign of the girl. He couldn't shake the growing dread in his chest.
Then, through the darkness, he heard the unmistakable sound of metal clashing. His breath caught in his throat, fear shooting through him like ice. That sound—it was coming from nearby. A battle? He quickened his pace, and Alice followed close behind.
As they rounded the corner, Paul froze.
In the dim light of a flickering torch, Kai and Akio stood side by side, surrounded by goblins. The little girl was huddled behind Kai, her tiny hands clutching at the back of his tunic. Paul's heart lurched in his chest. His son—fighting?
Kai and Akio were locked in combat with the goblins, but it wasn't the magic Paul expected. They had been casting spells at first—Akio's hands still glowed faintly with the remnants of a fire spell—but they were now armed with makeshift weapons. Each boy had picked up a goblin's crude knife from the ground, using them to fend off their attackers.
Kai slashed at a goblin's arm, his face set in fierce concentration, sweat beading on his brow. Akio, breathing hard, cast a wind spell, its force knocking one of the goblins off balance before he thrust his knife into the creature's side. The goblins snarled and snapped, their dark, beady eyes gleaming in the torchlight.
Paul's stomach clenched as he watched the scene unfold. His son, wielding a knife, fighting for his life. It took everything in him not to rush in and pull Kai away from the danger, to protect him. But then something stopped him.
Alice, who had started to step forward to help, hesitated when she felt Paul's hand on her arm.
"Paul?" she whispered, her voice tense. "We have to—"
"No," Paul said quietly, his voice firm but filled with something else. His eyes were fixed on Kai, who had just parried a goblin's strike and was now standing between the little girl and the remaining monsters. "They can handle it."
Alice looked at him, confused, but then she saw the expression on Paul's face. It wasn't fear. It was pride.
Kai, despite his small stature, stood his ground. His face was streaked with dirt and sweat, but there was a fire in his eyes—a determination that Paul had never seen before. His son wasn't running. He wasn't afraid.
Akio, too, fought with everything he had. His wind magic, though still rough, was growing stronger with each spell, and his movements with the knife were sharp and decisive. Together, they fought as if they had trained for this moment their entire lives.
Kai sidestepped a goblin's wild swing, then drove his knife into its chest. The creature let out a guttural snarl before collapsing to the ground. Akio, breathing hard, finished off the last goblin with a burst of magic, sending the creature flying into the nearby wall with a sickening thud.
The battle was over.
Kai and Akio, their bodies trembling with exhaustion, stood in the aftermath, panting and bruised but victorious. The little girl, still clutching Kai's tunic, sobbed softly, but she was unharmed.
Paul's heart swelled with pride as he approached the boys, Alice beside him. He crouched down beside Kai, resting a hand on his shoulder. His son looked up at him, his chest still heaving, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and confusion.
"You did it," Paul said softly, his voice thick with emotion. "Both of you. You fought together."
Kai looked at Akio, who gave him a small nod, the tension between them from before seemingly forgotten in the heat of battle. They had stood together, just as Paul had always hoped they would.
Paul straightened, looking down at the two boys with a proud smile. "It looks like... you're finally together again."
The boys exchanged a glance, their bond renewed in the fires of battle. They had fought for each other—and for the village. For the first time, Paul felt a deep sense of peace wash over him. His son had faced the dangers of the world and stood tall. Kai wasn't just his boy anymore. He was becoming the man Paul had always hoped he would be.
As the night deepened and the village began to rebuild, Paul knew that this was only the beginning of Kai and Akio's journey—but it was a journey they would take together.