The forest was alive with whispers. The rustle of leaves overhead , the snap pf twigs beneath hurried footsteps, the distant trill of an unseen bird - all sounds Jianyu barely registered. His legs ached, his breath came in shallow gasps, but he pressed on. Tian´s broad figure moved ahead of him, steady and unyielding , as though nothing could break his stride.
Jianyu´s mind churned with fragments of the past night: the roar of flames, the gleam of the swords in the firelight´s final, unspoken message. A part of him wanted stop , to collapse in the dirt and let the grief swallow him whole. But another part - the part that saw Tian´s unwavering resolve - kept his feet moving.
"Just a little farther," Tian murmured without looking back, his voice low but certain.
Jianyu´s lip parted to responde , vut a lump in his throat chocked the words. He swallowed hard and kept walking.
The dense forest began to thin, sunlight piercing through the canopy in broken patches. Tian slowed , raising a hand to signal a halt. Jianyu stopped, his knees nearly buckling as he leaned against a tree for support. The air eas heavy with the scent of moss and damp earth.
"Rest for a moment," Tian said , his voice softer now. He scanned their surroundings, his keen eyes catching movements Jianyu couldn´t see. His hand rested on the hilt of his dagger , always ready.
Jianyu sank to the ground, drawing kness to his chest . The ache in his muscles was nothing compared to the weight crushing his chest. He stared at the forest floor, at the gnarled roots tangled with fallen leaves and tried to catch his breath.
"They´re gone, " he whispered, his voice so faint it barely carried past his lips.
Tian crouched beside him, his mivements deliberate, careful. "Yes, young master," There was no softness in his tone, but neither was there cruelty. "They ´re gone."
"Why?" Jianyu´s voice cracked , raw and desperate. "Why did no one help? Where were they? My father trusted them. All of them."
Tian was silent for a long moment. The forest filled the space between them with its quiet hum. Then he spoke, his words measured and low. "Men are loyal until it costs them. Your father´s friends were powerful, yes , but power often bends before greater power."
"It is not fair," he said barely more than a whisper.
"No," Tian agreed. "Its not."
The sound of voices snapped Jianyu out of his thoughts. Tian stiffened his hand tightening on his dagger. He motioned for Jianyu to stay low. The boy obeyed, pressed himself against teh base of a tree as Tian moved silently toward the source of the noise.
A moment later, the figures emerged from the underbush- three men, their rough tunics and unkempt hair marking them as bandits. Jianyu´s heart pounded as he watched them. They moved with the casual arrogance of men who had long gone unchallenged, their swords hanging loosely at their sides.
"Well, what do we have here?" the tallest of them said, his eyes narrowing as they landed on Tian. "A lone traveler, and judging by that blade on your belt, not a common one."
Tian straightened, his face unreadable. "I have no quarrel with you. Let us pass, and there will be no trouble."
The bandits exchanged a galnce before laughing. "No trouble, he says!" one of them stepping closer. "You´re carrying supplies. We´re in need of supplies. Why don´t you hand them over, and we´ll see about letting you go?"
Jianyu´s fingers dug into the earth as he watched. his chest felt tight, his breaths shallow. He wanted to do something , but his limbs felt forzen , useless.
TIan sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I gave you a choice.
The bandits lunged.
It happened faster than Jianyu could process. Tian moved liek water, his dagger flashing the dappled sunlight. HE sidestepped the first attack, driving the hilt of his weapon into the man´s temple. The bandit crumpled, unconscious before he hit the ground. The second swung wildly, his blade catching only air as Tian twisted, slashing his dagger accross the man´s thigh. He screamed , collapsing to his knees.
The third one hesitated, hsi eyes darting between Tian and his fallen comrades. Tian didn´t give him time to act. With a single , fluid motion, he grabbed the man´s wrist, twisting it until the sword clattered to the ground. He shoved the bandit back , sending him stumbling into a tree.
"Go," Tian said , his voice low and steady. "Before you meet their fate."
The man didn´t need to be told twice. He turned and bolted. His injured friends limping after him. Tian watched them disappear into the forest before turning back to Jianyu.
Jianyu shook his head, his eyes wide. "You... you didn´t kill them."
Tian studied him for a moment , his expression unreadable. "Killing is easy," He said. "It´s living with it , that´s hard."
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon , they reached a clearing. A small, weathered cabin stood nestled among the trees, its walls covered in creeping vines. Tian motioned for Jianyu to follow as he approached the door.
The cabin belonged to an old acquaintance of Tian´s , a retired soldier named Shen. The man greeted them with wary eyes but offered them shelter nonetheless. Jianyu barely spoke as Shen and Tian exchanged words in low tones. His mind still lingered on the ambush, on the bandits faces and on Tian´s words.
Later , as the fire cracked in the hearth and the cabin filled with the scent of roasting fish, Jianyu sat in silence. He stared into the flames, his thoughts a storm of grief, anger and something else --- something sharper, harder.
Tian sat beside him, his gaze thoughtful. "You´re thinking about what comes next," he siad , not a question but a statement.
Jianyu nodded, his jaw tight. "I don´t want to feel like this again. Helpless."
Tian leaned back , his eyes glinting in the firelight. "Then don´t."
The boy turned to him, confused.
"if you want to change how his story ends," Tian said, "You´ll need to learn. To fight. To survive. To think like them, but act better. I can teach you , but it won´t be easy."
Jianyu´s fist clenched in his lap. "I´ll do it", he said , his voice steady despite the tears still drying on his cheeks. "I´ll do whatever it takes."
Tian nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "good"
As Jianyu drifted to sleep that night, the memory of his family´s screams burned in his mind. But foor the first time, they didn´t paralyze him. They fueled him.