The ceremony had finally ended, leaving Kayn with the bitter taste of failure. Lyra said her goodbyes with a warm, albeit brief, hug before rejoining her parents. Burst gave Kayn a friendly elbow, trying to lift his spirits, but Kayn barely reacted.
They walked toward where Thalia and Galen were waiting. His mother looked at him with eyes full of tenderness, though a shadow of worry lingered in her gaze. She wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. Galen, on the other hand, maintained a neutral expression.
"Congratulations, Burst. Darkness is an impressive attribute," Galen remarked, crossing his arms. "I'm curious to see what you'll be able to do with it."
Still processing everything that had happened, Burst could only nod slowly. Beside him, Gork, his guardian, approached Pong and let out a low growl. Pong narrowed his eyes, evaluating the younger guardian before responding with a similar growl. Gork seemed to hold some admiration for Galen's guardian.
Kayn stayed off to the side, his gaze lost somewhere on the ground. Noticing this, Galen stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Sometimes things don't go as planned," he said gently.
Kayn didn't respond. Instead, his father tousled his hair in a comforting gesture, but this only irritated the young man further.
"Well, don't worry. Since you won't be a binder, I'll make sure you become an excellent swordsman. Starting with some intensive training today."
"Not today. I'm not in the mood—maybe tomorrow," Kayn said, stepping back to shrug off his father's hand. This unexpected reaction surprised Galen. Without looking at him, Kayn pulled up his hood and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"I'm going for a walk."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and began walking down the cobblestone streets, away from the bustle of the plaza. Burst watched him leave and decided to follow, but not before bidding farewell to Kayn's parents with a slight bow.
Thalia watched Kayn walk away, sadness etched across her face. After seeing how excited he had been, she could only imagine how crushed he felt at that moment. Sensing his wife's concern, Galen moved closer, placing a hand on her waist to draw her near.
"Don't worry about him. He'll be alright."
"Are you sure?" Thalia asked, her eyes still following Kayn's retreating figure. "He seemed… so dejected."
"It's natural. He's spent so long wanting to become a binder. I understand why he's upset, but if he gives up on becoming strong just because of this, then his dream wasn't as strong as he thought."
"I never expected to hear something like that coming from you," said a mysterious voice behind them.
Both Galen and Thalia turned to see Rolland, stroking his beard as he observed them.
"Professor Rolland!" Galen exclaimed, bowing. "It's been a long time. How have you been? Oh, forgive me—Director Rolland now, isn't it?"
Thalia chuckled at her husband's nervousness, while Rolland responded with a hearty laugh.
"You're no longer my student, Galen. Just call me Rolland," the elder replied. "Besides, if anyone owes respect here, it's me. I heard you became captain of the royal guard."
"Yes, but… that was years ago," Galen replied, slightly flustered. "I'm retired now."
Rolland's sly smile made Galen a little uneasy.
"For the record, I haven't stopped training. My anima is still in good shape."
Pong approached the elder, nudging him gently with his snout. Rolland patted the guardian's head, prompting the creature to close his eyes in satisfaction.
"I can see that. Your guardian looks well."
Galen thanked him, noticing Thalia's laughter beside him and realizing he hadn't introduced her yet.
"Oh, right. Professor, this is my wife, Thalia. She was also there during my binding ceremony."
"It's a pleasure," Thalia said, bowing slightly.
"Yes, I remember her. How could I forget? You both made quite a spectacle when she dragged you in, and you were still in your underwear," Rolland said with a laugh, causing Thalia to blush slightly. She had preferred to leave out that part of the story when recounting it to Kayn.
"I'm surprised to see you here, Professor," Galen said, trying to steer the conversation away from the awkward topic. "Was there a particular reason for your visit to Brumavilla?"
"You're as observant as ever, noticing the small things. Too bad you weren't this sharp with your studies," Rolland teased, earning a faintly irritated look from Galen. "But you're right. I usually pick a random village for the ceremony. However, when I reviewed the list of participants, one name caught my attention—specifically, the surname Ashborne."
"I thought you seemed to be watching Kayn closely."
"Even if I hadn't seen his name, I probably would've figured out he was your son. You both have that same look of constantly getting into trouble."
Rolland's comment hit Galen like a splash of cold water. He had hoped for praise, but he knew better than to expect that from his old professor.
"Well, you're not wrong," Galen admitted.
Rolland glanced toward where Kayn had disappeared, his expression tinged with regret.
"It's a shame he couldn't form a bond. I've never seen anyone as affected by failure as he was."
"He's been looking forward to this day for a long time," Galen replied with equal sadness. "It would've been strange if he hadn't been so disheartened. His dream was to become a binder."
"You know as well as I do that he could still become one," Rolland said.
Galen fell silent for a moment, processing his former professor's words. Thalia, on the other hand, didn't understand what they were talking about.
"Isn't that too dangerous? No one's succeeded in bonding with one of those in ten years."
"If that boy is your son, I doubt he even understands what danger is," Rolland replied with a determined look. "I'm not suggesting he go right now, but I think it's worth considering."
"I'll think about it. Thanks for the advice."
Meanwhile, Kayn wandered through the village streets, listening to the murmurs and laughter of families returning home. He watched the young people with their guardians, celebrating their success. Others, like him, bore the bitter taste of failure. Yet, somehow, he felt he was the most affected.
"How are you holding up?"
Burst's voice startled him. Kayn hadn't even noticed his presence until now; he'd been too lost in thought.
"What do you think?" Kayn replied harshly, though he hadn't meant to. Burst seemed to realize he shouldn't have asked. "I've waited my whole life for this moment, and now… Forget it. What's the point of dwelling on it now?"
"Yeah, I get that it's hard…"
"Hard?" Kayn interrupted, turning to face him. "There's no way you can understand. You got your guardian. I have nothing."
An awkward silence fell between them. Kayn's words were sharp, but Burst knew it was only because he was upset.
"You weren't like this when Lyra asked you," Burst said.
Kayn bristled at the comment, feeling like his friend was mocking him.
"What did you expect me to do?" Kayn snapped, glaring at him. "She got her guardian. The last thing I wanted was to ruin her moment. Would you have preferred I broke down crying right there and said, 'Yes, I'm terrible. You've got guardians, and I don't. Now I'll have to stay alone in Brumavilla'?"
"I think what you told her only made her worry more."
Kayn clicked his tongue and resumed walking. The sound of Burst's footsteps behind him made him stop again, though he didn't turn around.
"Why are you following me? Shouldn't you be preparing to leave for the academy? You're leaving tonight, aren't you?"
Burst also stopped, surprising Kayn.
"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that," he murmured, lowering his gaze and clenching his fists. Kayn didn't understand what his friend was getting at. He turned toward him, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"I'm not going to the academy."
Kayn stood silent for a few seconds, trying to process what he had just heard. Had he heard correctly?
"What did you just say?"
"You heard me," Burst replied. "I'm not going to the Binder Academy. I'm staying here in Brumavilla—with you."
"Burst…" Kayn whispered incredulously. "Why are you saying this? You formed a bond with a guardian. A strong one at that. You have to become a binder. Tell me—why would you do something like this?"
"Being a binder has been our dream since we were kids. And if you can't do it, then I don't want to either."
The silence that followed was deafening. Kayn didn't know what to say. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He couldn't let Burst sacrifice his future because of him.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Kayn shouted, his voice breaking. A few people turned to look, and the murmurs around them ceased. Even Gork clung nervously to Burst's shoulder.
"Like it or not, this is reality. You've bonded with a guardian, and I haven't! You have to go to the academy! Don't give me this 'I'm not going because you're not going' nonsense. All you'd be doing is throwing away your future."
Despite Kayn's outburst, Burst didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"I don't care what you say. I've made my decision."
"Fine, then do whatever you want," Kayn replied, turning his back on him. "But if you stay in Brumavilla, don't even think about speaking to me again."
Without another word, Kayn ran off, leaving Burst alone in the middle of the path. The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever.