Fafnir touched the bleeding wound on his chest, casting a fleeting glance at Galen, who could feel his strength waning. Still, he knew he couldn’t afford to retreat now.  

Without giving Fafnir a chance to recover, Galen charged at him, his sword glowing with a golden aura. But just as he was about to strike, a sharp pain shot through his leg, paralyzing him. Before he could react, Fafnir counterattacked with brutal precision. Galen raised his sword to block, but the sheer force of the impact sent him sprawling to the ground, gasping for breath.  

From his hiding place, Kayn watched the scene unfold, his eyes wide with terror. His father—his invincible father—had been defeated by a draconid. He wanted to run to him, to help in any way he could, but his legs refused to move. Fear rooted him in place, like a statue.  

“If only I had a guardian,” he thought, digging his nails into his palms until blood seeped out. He watched as Fafnir pinned Galen to the ground with his foot. His father struggled to break free, but his strength was almost gone. “No… if that were the case, I’d already be dead in the cart. So what am I supposed to do?”  

“What’s wrong, Galen? Is that all a former captain of the royal guard can do?” Fafnir mocked, as Galen panted in silence. “You humans are no match for the Claws.”  

Gripping Galen’s head with one hand, Fafnir slammed it into the ground, creating a deep fissure in the earth. The impact echoed in Kayn’s ears like an endless drumbeat. Pong lay nearby, exhausted and injured, unable to fight any longer.  

Kayn clenched his teeth until they felt like they might crack. He couldn’t stay hidden like a coward while watching his father be humiliated. But his muscles refused to respond; fear kept him frozen in place, as if petrified.  

“Kayn!”  

His mother’s voice snapped him out of his trance. He looked around and saw Thalia running through the debris. Her dress was torn, and her face was streaked with soot. Her eyes, filled with tears, searched desperately for him. She must have returned home only to find it empty and then gone out looking for him.  

Kayn shuddered. At last, his legs obeyed him. He ran to her and clung tightly, burying his face in her chest like a frightened child. He closed his eyes, wishing for it all to end. As much as he tried to deny it, it was impossible. He was terrified.  

Thalia began stroking his hair gently.  

“Don’t worry, everything will…” she started, but her words were cut off.  

Kayn felt something warm and wet soak through his shirt. Opening his eyes, he saw his hands were stained with blood. Time seemed to stop. He looked up to see his mother’s eyes clouding over as life drained from them. Behind her stood Fafnir, towering like a sinister shadow. A cruel smile curled on his lips, his claws still dripping fresh blood.  

Thalia collapsed slowly. Her fingers slipped from Kayn’s shoulders as her body fell to the ground with a dull thud.  

“Mom…” Kayn whispered, staring at her motionless form.  

A guttural roar erupted from deep within him, a cry of pain and fury that echoed throughout the village. Without thinking, feeling only rage, he bent down and grabbed a fallen sword at his feet. The cold metal sent a shiver through his arm.  

“I’ll kill you!” he screamed, charging at Fafnir, wielding the sword with all the strength he could muster. Tears streamed from his eyes, but he had never felt such rage before.  

His attack was brave but naive. Fafnir easily deflected him, then countered ferociously, tearing through his shirt and sinking his sharp claws into his chest.  

“How weak,” Fafnir muttered, withdrawing his bloodied claws, leaving Kayn’s chest gushing blood.  

Pain consumed him. He collapsed to his knees, gasping as the hot blood soaked his clothes. He tried to scream but could only manage a ragged, guttural sound that was lost amid the flames. The sword slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ground.  

“Damn it! It hurts so much!” he thought, writhing in agony. He had never felt anything like it before. The pain tore through him as if he were being burned alive. “Damn it… If this keeps up… I’m going to… I’m going to…”  

Fafnir raised his bloodied claw, ready to deliver the final blow.  

“Goodbye, brat.”  

Kayn barely had time to react before the draconid’s claw came down. He closed his eyes, accepting that this was the end. But the blow never came.  

“You again?” Fafnir growled. “I thought I’d already finished with you.”  

"As long as I'm standing, you will not touch my son."

Kayn opened his eyes just enough to see his father's back. His clothes were in tatters, and his body was covered in numerous wounds. Yet, he stood firm, katana in hand.

Kayn tried to get up, but the sharp pain in his chest stopped him. Galen didn’t turn around; his eyes remained fixed on his enemy. Without further warning, he thrust his blade, striking Fafnir in the face and leaving a deep scar across his cheek.

Kayn used the strength he had left to fight alongside his father. He couldn’t let him face this alone. Writhing in pain, he managed to grab the sword lying on the ground, gasping from the effort.

With heavy steps, he began to approach his father.

“Dad… I can fight too…”

Galen looked at him for a moment with a cold stare. Then, he placed a firm hand on Kayn’s shoulder.

“Kayn, get out of here…”

Before Kayn could respond, an overwhelming force sent him flying backward. He soared through the air before landing gently on the grass several meters away.

Kayn tried to get up, watching as more draconids swarmed his father, giving him no respite. Then, his father fell to his knees. His strength was nearly gone. Even his bond with Pong had dissolved, and now the guardian stood by his side, completely exhausted but helping as much as he could.

“Dad!” Kayn shouted.

His heart pounded fiercely, but fear kept him rooted in place. He wanted to help, to run to his father, to do something. When he finally mustered the courage, something stopped him. A sword fell right in front of his foot.

“You idiot! I told you to run,” Galen’s voice rang out with authority. He had thrown his sword and now had nothing left to fight with. “Didn’t you want to become a binder? Explain to me how you plan to achieve that if you die here.”

The echo of his father’s words sank into Kayn’s mind. He lowered his gaze to the dark blade embedded in the ground. That sword, which had belonged to his grandfather and was now wielded by his father, lay before his eyes. He had always dreamed of inheriting it, but not like this.

“Consider it your birthday present.”

“I’m a coward,” Kayn thought, his fingers trembling as they wrapped around the hilt of the sword. He clenched his jaw, regret heavy in his chest. With a swift motion, he pulled the blade from the ground and turned around, running as fast as his legs would carry him. With each step, he drew closer to the forest, where he hoped to lose the draconids.

Galen watched him retreat, his lips forming a tense yet satisfied line. He turned back to the armed enemies surrounding him. He had no chance; he knew that all too well. But even so, he refused to back down. His gaze sought out his guardian.

“Well, Pong…” he murmured as he picked up a sword lying on the ground, likely belonging to a fallen binder. “It looks like this will be our final battle.”

The small panda could barely stand, but the same determination that burned in Galen’s eyes shone in his own. Neither wanted to retreat. If this was to be their end, they would give it their all.

“Let’s do this, partner.”

The creatures roared, and Galen, sword in hand, charged at them with Pong by his side. They didn’t even have enough energy left to bond again. All they could do now was stall the enemy’s advance, even if only for a few more seconds, to give Kayn the time he needed.

Meanwhile, Kayn ran tirelessly. Branches scraped against his face and arms, leaving small cuts he barely felt. The forest closed in around him, dark and silent, as if the entire world was holding its breath. Each breath burned his lungs, but he couldn’t stop.

The draconids’ roars mixed with the clash of metal, the whistling wind through the trees, and the deafening thump of his heartbeat in his ears. But suddenly, the noise began to fade. The screams, the chaos… everything disappeared.

Until only silence remained.