I was still on my knees when Niles came to stand beside me.
He didn't speak.
He just stood there.
Guarding.
Across the camp, several members of Bull Charge were pointing at me.
Some were laughing.
I couldn't hear the words.
But I knew the meaning.
My stomach twisted again.
I had killed a human.
Not a beast.
Not a monster.
A man.
Someone's father.
Someone's brother.
Someone's son.
My whole body was shaking.
My breathing grew heavy and uneven.
My heart pounded violently against my ribs.
When I looked at my blood-covered hands, my vision blurred red.
"Niles!" someone shouted.
Paul rushed over.
"He needs a Relax spell."
Paul placed a hand near my shoulder and began chanting. A faint warmth spread through my body.
The shaking lessened—
But it didn't stop.
It wasn't fear anymore.
It was something deeper.
Footsteps approached.
Saul.
Niles stepped forward to block him, but Saul brushed him aside easily. The two began arguing.
Their voices sounded distant.
Muffled.
Like I was underwater again.
My mind went blank.
Then—
A sharp strike hit the back of my head.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Morning.
For a moment, I thought it had been a dream.
Then the smell reached me.
Smoke.
Blood.
Reality returned.
I was lying inside a large tent.
Not mine.
Rany sat nearby, eating an apple. He bit into it whole, watching me calmly.
When he noticed I was awake, he spoke.
"See? This is why brats should gain experience in one place before traveling."
I tried to sit up.
He adjusted the pillow behind my head.
"You're in Bull Charge's guild tent."
My weapons were neatly placed beside me.
I looked around for Rusty.
"He's fine," Rany said. "Calm down."
I stayed silent.
Rany tossed the apple core aside and picked up another.
"Don't misunderstand. Just because Rahuan acted like an idiot doesn't mean all of us are fools. That kid's heart is too soft. The deputy leader spoils him."
He took another bite.
"You fought well. Even your first human kill. Collapsing afterward? That's normal."
I touched the back of my head.
"Saul knocked you out," he said. "You were spiraling. One night's sleep wasn't enough."
He studied me for a moment.
"Are you in a guild? A knight order?"
"No."
"Mentors?"
I told him their names.
He laughed softly.
"No wonder you fought well. Some of those names carry weight."
He leaned back.
"Planning to join a guild?"
"No."
A small smirk appeared on his face.
"Good. A man should answer straight."
He stood.
"If you change your mind, you know where to find us."
Then he left.
I rested a few more minutes before stepping outside.
Morning light revealed what night had hidden.
Blood splattered across dirt.
Broken bodies.
Severed hands.
Burned remains of what they couldn't bury.
Some corpses were already being burned.
The smell was thick.
My steps felt heavy.
Unsteady.
Rusty sat nearby.
When he saw me, he lowered his head against my cheek.
I rested my forehead against him.
Just breathing.
Trying to steady myself.
Niles approached.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
I wasn't.
The shaking had lessened—but it was still there.
"This is normal," Niles said quietly. "First time is always like this. It becomes easier."
That didn't comfort me.
"It shouldn't become easy," I muttered.
He didn't answer.
Before leaving, I asked, "What about the man we captured?"
"Interrogation started. Saul and Ron are handling it."
"I want to see."
Niles turned sharply.
"You're still a kid. Be one while you can."
His voice wasn't angry.
Just firm.
"Don't rush into adult waters. You'll drown faster than you think."
His words stayed with me.
After he left, I practiced controlled breathing.
Slow.
Measured.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Over and over until the tremor steadied.
Later, Niles called me to his tent.
Inside were representatives from every group:
Vipers.
Bull Charge.
Winged Sword.
Maria finished chanting a privacy spell before Ron began speaking.
"We have a problem."
Silence filled the tent.
"One of the merchants in this caravan informed the bandits about our route."
The words settled heavily in the air.
"They knew where we would pass. They planned the ambush accordingly."
Faces hardened.
Tension thickened.
This hadn't been random.
It had been arranged.