Their gazes locked, and a fiery determination flared within him. Fine, he thought, if it must come to this, let’s fight.

His mind flashed to his own struggles. Cursed since birth, he had endured by consuming spoiled food and surviving in a colorless world devoid of smell or pain. Clenching his teeth and tightening his fists, he steeled himself, holding onto one unwavering belief.Despite everything bad, I firmly believe that I still have the right to live.

Swoosh! The blade moved, causing the air to cry out.

As the blade approached, he said. “Eyes of seeking truth, The Verity Eye.” A vibrant voice resonating with the rain. In his gray scale world, a faint blue line appeared, the trace of mana. He could see through it. The blade was about to swing towards his head. He ducked.

Swish! The blade swept past the tip of his hair, leaving half of the grass field shaped into a cone.

Saint’s eyes widened in surprise, yet she regained her composure. She turned her hand and slashed the blade in a vertical line.

Prisoner deftly shifted on his toes, avoiding the blow and suffering only a small tear in his shirt.

Swoosh! Swink! Her blade continued to slash back and forth, causing the grassy field to become a chaotic mess. Yet, his body only suffered minor injuries.

Kneeling, she spun her body and aimed the blade at his lower knee. The grassy field was shaped like a circle, like a moon.

He jumped back, evading the blade.

She lunged forward, raising her sword and splitting the rain into two separate streams.

He tilted his head, seamlessly blending his body with the movement of the blade, narrowly evading a cut that could have grazed his forehead.

His shimmering blue eyes were momentarily visible.

He fell to the ground, rolled, and swiftly dashed left.

She hastened her steps, following his movement. Gripping her sword handle tightly, water covered the blade, vibrating with a blue hue. Then, with full force, she lunged her sword forward, creating a tunnel of water.

Swoosh! A rock flicked from his hand and flew through the air, Twink! grazing the blade. “Whisperer, you’re breaking the law! You’re not following the holy book, and you’re harming innocent people!” Sound echoed in the rain.

The blade stopped inches away from his forehead, cut his bang hair as the wind gently brushed his hair back. In that fleeting moment, a translucent force field materialized, shielding them from the rain. With unwavering focus, his piercing blue eyes looked into hers, shimmering with a water reflection.

“How do you know our law?” She questioned, giving him an icy stare.

Drip! drop, patter, patter, patter, the sound of rain filled back to the area. Their eyes remained locked on each other, a silence stretching between them.

Prisoner had no answer.

Patter, patter, as the rain continued its steady song, and the mind of aria whispered about his life.

His eyes held a rare blue hue, a shade scarcely seen in the western lands. It was a unique trait, one native to the east coast, just like me, just like my family and my country. That were all gone, perished beneath the castle’s shadow.

Her sword lowered down.

The fear was unmistakable in his eyes, a clear reflection of his inner mind. She observed the small, fragile body in front of her. Nothing can describe how alone he seemed, like someone who had lost all hope and could see no future ahead.

Raindrops softly touched her hand. They were as cold as her blade. But gentle compared to his eyes.

She couldn’t help but wonder where he was coming from and in what condition he might be. The sword in her hand trembled, a reflection of her confusion. I pray for the river mother. I really want to know this.

“Who are you?” she said with a clear voice, hoping for answers that could dispel her doubts.

However, before receiving a response, the prisoner ran away again. “I already told you. I’m just someone who has lost the way. Just let me go!”

“Running again?” She furiously slashed through the tall grass, venting her rage. I need to control myself, Took a deep breath, signed. She then ran after him.

The child dashed ahead, his small body struggling to climb the large rock. His tiny fingers grasped at the rocks, causing blood to seep from his wounds. “Please, let me go,” he pleaded with a trembling voice.

Are you dimwit? If you said that, no one will not let you go. They will only pursue you further, trying to uncover what you’re hiding under your tattered dress and that dark blue eyes hidden in your messy black hair.

She touched the rock with her hand and jumped, following him. “How do you know about our laws, about the saint’s law? Tell me.”

“I don’t know! I just want to go home.”

“You were born in jail, that is your home…” she said. She quickly bit her lip. Regretting her words. What have I just said? I’m such a fool.

The child at the front, He groaned in pain as his foot stepped on a sharp rock. The red blood on his black nails blended into his trail, turning the dark brown into a black crimson. Even on this rainy day, she could see it. His breath grew shallower, slower, as the air in his lungs began to wane, fading with each passing moment.

Not long…

“You have to stop—” she said.

“No! I don’t want to go back,” he refused, continuing to run for his life without even glancing back at her. Sorry, He wasn’t aware that she already remembered his scent. Blood and fear.

As he ran, his left leg lost balance, causing his body to tilt. Bruises covered him, the red of his blood lost its vibrant color. Now it’s even clearer than a raindrop. The cold temperature bit at him within, exuding a scent of fear and approaching death, as if it comes from the last air of people’s lives.

Not long, he will stop soon…

Both of them sprinted and chased each other through the grassy field, their movements twisting and turning aimlessly.

In the dark night, the only audible sounds were the rumbling clouds, the patter of rain, and the footsteps of the two souls. One soul shone brightly like a star, while the other welcomed death with open arms.

Saint had no words, only running in pursuit.

No star adorned the night sky.

No guiding light to be found on both. Only our shadows intertwined within the dark world.

Relentless rain poured down, seemingly mocking his life. Yet, in his little dark blue eyes and in his young mind, he remained still, watching and holding onto hope from a distance.

How far does she want to follow me? My lungs and feet were reaching their limits. Knocking on his legs as he ran, he silently urged his body to hold on just a little longer. Ahead, the grass field seemed to end, and he hoped he might find something useful there.

But as he reached the endpoint, frustration washed over him. Damn! Again and again, why do these things always happen to me?

Ahead of him, a cliff loomed, offering no escape. He stepped toward the edge and peered down, gritting his teeth in frustration. The only thing that awaited him was death, a path leading straight to the hell that lay at the bottom of that dark, eerie pit.

He turned his head back to the grass field and saw Whisperer walking slowly, like death, approaching him. Her hand gripped a sword. Blue mana waved like a surf.

Ta-thump! Ta-thump! His heart raced, but his body grew colder.

Is this my end line? Should I jump or fight until the end? I am so miserable. Either way, death awaits. Curse me!

“A cliff, huh?… no more running?” she said with a clear voice. Raindrops were hanging there and slowly turned into water spheres.

What had happened? Why had her tone suddenly shifted? It felt different, filled with concerns.

“You shouldn’t run anymore. You’re only making things more difficult for yourself… Death, It’s calling you.”

Ah… She pities me. He gazed at her intently, as if attempting to capture every detail, realizing that she might be the last person he encountered in this miserable life.

At least, I want to see you for the last time.

Then, he softly uttered, “Eyes of Verity,” Glowing mana emanating from her.

As she walked towards him in the monochrome world, traces of mana connected and formed letters, flowing out one by one to weave together above her head.

The words Vow of Temperance. shone brightly over her head.

Suddenly, triggered a rush of information in his brain. A picture of a blurred priest appeared, saying, ‘The Last, they believed in The Vow, never breaking it, even if their lives were on the line, because they were the spoken of Holy Tower.’

Vow! Vow! I remember now, his inner insight rang.

He glared at her in his tranquil state.

She approached and stopped five steps away before saying, “Let’s talk—“

His eyes glowed, his body stopped trembling. He sat with one knee up and both hands resting on it. “I, Rain, the cursed child, will make a vow!” His voice echoed into the sky.

She was taken aback, shocked.

The rain stopped as if responding to its own name, ‘Rain,’ as if a master had called it back.