Back in the prison, the old man silently listened to the young boy's story.
A criminal… or was he? Despite everything, he could still see the empathy in this boy.
Then he noticed the boy's build — firm and toned, like a warrior. A question crossed his mind.
"Boy. Can I ask you something?" the old man asked, curiosity softening his voice.
"Yeah?" Lucas stopped mid-story and turned to him.
"If you trained yourself… aren't you strong enough to defeat those knights?"
"Yeah… I could. But I don't want to… I'm not supposed to."
"Not supposed to? What do you mean? Are you saying you can, but choose not to? Why?"
Lucas looked away, frowning. Something heavy weighed on his mind.
"I…" He hesitated, his words trapped behind invisible walls.
The old man gave him a gentle, reassuring smile."Don't worry… Whatever you've seen or know, I'll keep it until my last breath. Though I'm an old man just waiting for death anyway. HAHA!"
The laugh eased Lucas, loosening the tension in his chest.
"I saw a spirit," Lucas said, finally letting the words out.
The old man's expression shifted instantly.
"A ghoul?" he repeated, squinting to make sure he'd heard correctly.
Lucas nodded, his gaze meeting the old man's with sincerity and innocence.
The old man sighed heavily, as if he already knew something terrible was coming. He leaned closer, voice now stern."Continue your story. Quickly."
"That time… we were taking a break from training, when suddenly those things appeared."
Lucas's fingers tightened slightly as the memory dragged him back — to a time when the village was still peaceful, and he was slowly learning how to let people into his life.
Back in the unnamed village, Lucas had just started opening up to the villagers. After nearly half a year of secretly training on his own, he was discovered. He agreed to join the training sessions — but only on one condition: he would train to grow stronger, not to become a knight.
Training with the others helped him learn new techniques and, little by little, spend time with kids his age. Even so, he often felt more mature than the rest.
One afternoon, a training session had just ended. The kids around Lucas's age gathered in a small group, chatting while waiting for the next round. Lucas sat nearby, quiet as usual.
Not because he was unfriendly.He just never knew what to say.
"Hey, Lucas!"
A boy jogged over, grinning. It was Eric — the village head's grandson. His parents had taken Lucas in when he was younger. In many ways, they had grown up like brothers… even if Lucas now preferred to live on his own.
Lucas turned, gulping down water. "What?"
The other kids froze.
"He talked!" one whispered.
"See? I told you he's just chilling! You guys are the scared ones!" Eric laughed, draping an arm around Lucas's shoulders.
Lucas blinked, confused. "Scared of what?"
Eric laughed harder. "You! Always sitting there so serious, like some silent warrior or something."
Lucas frowned. "I'm just resting…"
"Even worse!" Eric cackled.
Lucas's cheeks colored faintly."Huh? What are you laughing about, brother?"
Eric paused, then grinned wide."Brother, huh? How long have we been calling each other that, big bro?"
Lucas didn't answer, but he didn't deny it either.
Eric is one year younger than Lucas. Before Eric was born, Lucas lived with Eric's parents and grew up in their house until he turned five. After that, Lucas chose to leave and moved into the old house where he lives now.
When Eric later found out that Lucas had left, he blamed himself, thinking he had taken his brother's place in the family — even though it had been Lucas's own decision to go.
Since then, Eric's parents only visited Lucas occasionally, bringing him food supplies and sharing some of their harvest.
Eric bumped his shoulder lightly."So, how's life lately? Anything interesting happen?"
Lucas stared at his bottle for a moment."…My crops are growing better," he said quietly.
Silence fell. Then Eric covered his mouth to hide a laugh. The other kids looked away, shoulders shaking.
Lucas noticed. "…What?"
Eric lost the battle and burst out laughing."That's the highlight of your life right now?!"
Lucas's face reddened. "What? That's important!"
The laughter only grew. Lucas looked away, flustered."…Geez. Just laugh if you want."
Eric wiped tears from his eyes, still smiling."Sorry, sorry. We're not laughing at you. You're just… seriously the most hardworking person our age."
Lucas blinked. "That's… normal."
Eric grinned. "Yeah. Normal for you, maybe."
Lucas didn't reply, but he didn't move away either. For once, he stayed with them, listening to the chatter. The sound of their laughter felt warm in his chest.
The prison walls came back into focus.
"Seems like you had a great life, kid," the old man said.
Lucas kept his gaze on the floor, just nodding.
"Then…? What happened?"
Lucas finally looked up."Then… 'those' things appeared."
As he spoke, his mind drifted back to the village — the sun on the fields, the laughter of children… the life he had known before everything changed.
Suddenly, a shockwave rippled across the training ground. A rift tore through the sky, black void stretching across the land. From it descended a Ghoul, crowned with blue-white flame. Ghostly soldiers followed.
Panic erupted. The village was under attack.
While others ran, one boy stayed — trembling, sword in hand — and helped those in danger. Lucas Hayden.
Eric shouted, "Lucas! That stupid! LUCAS!"
Lucas was too busy saving others to hear. Eric froze, unsure what to do amid the chaos.
"You always do this! Helping everyone else but never thinking about yourself!" Eric yelled, then ran toward his brother.
"Eric…?"
"Stupid brother! If you die, Mom will be mad at me!"
"Eric… I—"
Eric held up a hand to stop him."Stop. Whatever happened back there, I don't care. Right now, we need to get home — together. Got it?"
Lucas smiled faintly and took Eric's hand."Alright, brother. Hayden Brothers?"
"Hayden Brothers!"
As they rose, ghostly soldiers surrounded them.
"Brother, I think I know how to deal with them. I read something about them in a book!" Eric said, drawing his sword.
"Heh? Still a nerd, huh?" Lucas grinned.
"SHUT UP! Anyways, their weakness is probably silver!"
"Probably??"
"Just do it, bro!"
Side by side, the Hayden Brothers struck. Their swords gleamed against the ghostly army — silver proving deadly, their teamwork flawless.
By the end, they had escaped. Beside Lucas, Eric was the only one matching his level of skill. While Lucas had worked tirelessly to earn his strength, Eric was a natural prodigy. Together, they survived. Together, they would continue.