"During his absence, Lord Marcos Zárate took on the burden of leading the human army, while Lord Lǎo Fēng devoted himself to tending to the wounded."
***
"With Lord Marcos Zárate leading the army, humanity reclaimed various small kingdoms, reaching as far as Otrar in the North and the coastal region of Makran in the west. Many expeditions were launched to scout the lands and rescue any survivors," the host continued, as the audience leaned forward, eager to hear what unfolded next.
Meanwhile, a guard approached Hi'um and whispered into his ear. Hi'um, who had been immersed in the play, turned his attention to the guard, his expression shifting. His face darkened, devoid of emotion. A bead of sweat slid down his temple as his body tensed.
"Are you certain?" he asked quietly, his voice low but heavy.
"Yes, my lord," the guard replied with certainty.
Hi'um paused. After a moment, he nodded. "Very well. Return to the inn and make preparations for our departure. I will join you shortly."
The guard bowed and left without another word. Hi'um stood motionless for a few moments, his eyes fixed on the stage but no longer watching it.
Chandra noticed the change in his uncle's demeanour.
"Did something happen?" he asked as his concern grew.
Hi'um, who had been lost in his thoughts, came back to senses as Chandra asked. "Umm—some work has come up back at the castle," he said, looking at Chandra.
"But I want to watch it," Aniket said, his voice filled with disappointment, his gaze still glued to the stage.
"I am sorry, but it's something important so we will have to leave right away," Hi'um explained, his voice having a hint of desperation.
"Are we going back home?" Chandra asked.
"Of course," Hi'um replied. "It will take longer since we must climb the mountain. If we leave now, we should reach the castle by tomorrow evening, just before sunset."
"But still—," Aniket muttered, reluctantly. "Can't we stay just a little longer?"
Hi'um sighed, searching for a way to convince the boy. "How about this? I'll tell you the rest of the story myself."
"You know the story?" Aniket asked with doubt.
"Of course!" Hi'um instantly replied, finding a way of convincing the little boy.
Meanwhile, Ipsha stayed quiet, her eyes shifting between the stage and the others.
The group returned to the inn, where the guard had already prepared a carriage for their journey. Chandra, Aniket, and Ipsha went to their rooms to pick their belongings. Once everyone was ready, they departed, the carriage rolling forward as the sky started to get darker.
"Did something bad happen?" Chandra asked, noticing how hurried Hi'um seemed.
Hi'um met Chandra's gaze silently for a moment before sighing. "No," he said, a small smile forming on his face. "It's just that Sir Dhritiman needs my presence back at the castle."
"Don't worry I will take care of it," he added, patting Chandra's head with a chuckle. "I will take care of everything," he murmured, his voice firm, as if reassuring himself.
Chandra continued glaring at his uncle, uneasy as Hi'um's gaze lingered on the darkening road ahead.
As the wheels of the carriage creaked, moving towards their destination, the silence was pierced by the sound.
"So, what happened next?" Aniket said breaking the silence. "What happened after Lord Archin left?"
Listening to Aniket's words, Hi'um stayed silent, trying to grasp what he meant, before saying, "After Lord Archin isolated himself and went into seclusion," As Hi'um began the story, Ipsha who was sitting a bit away came closer.
"Humanity fought against the demons with Lord Marcos Zárate leading them. They reclaimed many kingdoms, but in the process, they lost even more skilled warriors," Hi'um continued. "This cycle of victory and loss lasted for three months before Lord Archin came out of seclusion. Along with him, returned humanity's lost hope of survival."
"But, Lord Archin returned a shadow of his former calm and collected self, as soon as he came back he took the lead of army and decided to attack the demons. Whilst many agreed with the Hero's anger for losing the person he was betrothed to and the desire of revenge, others were sceptical of the changes that one man, even if he is a 'mere' Hero could make against the bloodthirsty demons." He paused for a while, glancing at the kids' faces. Ipsha had moved a bit closer to Hi'um, scared that a hand might pull her leg.
"Are there still demons in the world?" Aniket asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Hi'um turned to Aniket and looked into his eyes. "No," he replied firmly. "If demons still roamed the earth, humanity would have perished long ago."
"Were—" Before Aniket could finish his question, Hi'um interjected, his voice suddenly low and heavy with an unknown burden.
"there are still 'demons' roaming around. Demons in human skin, hungry for a handful of metal, give it to them and they would do the worst of things. People die because of them," he said, his jaw tightening. "Leaving their children orphaned in this accursed world." He swallowed hard, his face darkening.
As Hi'um stopped, only the sound of the carriage moving forward echoed through the darkness.
A few moments later,
Hi'um took a deep breath, clearing his mind before speaking. "Even though many doubted Lord Archin, he still led the army to the region of Makran in the west. That day, humans witnessed a legend—one that every warrior had heard of at least once."
As Hi'um spoke, Aniket and Chandra's eyes brimmed with curiosity, while Ipsha sat silently close to him, listening intently
"When Lord Archin conquered his inner demons, he attained the
"Just like big brother?" Ipsha asked excitedly, pride evident in her voice.
"Just like your brother," Hi'um chuckled. "But it's different. While Sir Aabir is a Swordmaster, it is solely because of his swordsmanship and battle prowess. On the other hand, Lord Archin was a true Swordmaster. Even if Sir Aabir can use Prana efficiently, he still wouldn't be able to defeat Lord Archin," he added.
At Hi'um's words, Ipsha's face fell, and she lowered her head.
"Don't be sad," Hi'um said, noticing her long face. "Sir Aabir is still one of the strongest humans on earth. There are fewer than ten people who can defeat him—perhaps even fewer," he reassured her, patting her head, making her smile.
As the four of them continued on their way to the castle, Hi'um told the kids story of the Heroes who liberated humanity.
Around midnight, as the moon peeked from behind the canopy of the forest.
"—with the Demon General
"It's gotten too late. You both should sleep now," he told them.
"But you haven't finished the story yet," Aniket said, rubbing his eye as he yawned.
"I will finish it next time." "For now, you should rest," Hi'um explained calmly as he looked at Chandra.
"What happened after the winter? Did they win?" Chandra asked.
Hi'um hesitated for a moment, then chuckled and replied," Of course."
Chandra and Aniket moved away to sleep, while Hi'um carefully moved Ipsha aside, making sure not to wake her, before sitting near the open window.
"Hey!" Aniket whispered to Chandra.
"What?"
"Do you think their descendants are still alive?"
"I don't know. But if they are, they must be really strong."
"Yeah. I wanna meet them and ask them to make me strong"
Hi'um, who was listening to the kids, looked outside the window, and a cold gust struck against his face.
"As winter approached its end,
the final war for survival began.
They rose with the sun, chasing the night,
Yet in its glow, blurred wrong and right.
As the dust settled, a question remained—
Who was foe, and who was friend?"
He recited a poem he had read in childhood, gazing at the falling leaves.
After a while, both Aniket and Chandra fell asleep, and the only thing accompanying Hi'um was the creaking sound of the carriage as it moved forward in the moonlight—and the unknown burden pressing deep into his heart.