Sky shared the room with Comaco Fasten from the very beginning.

Only after a few days of training, however, did he start to truly understand what kind of person he was.

Comaco came from a small village called Almora, in the central region.

He was a strange guy, incapable of staying silent. He talked constantly, jumping from one topic to another with no apparent logic. Most of the time, Sky didn’t understand half of what he was saying—and didn’t even listen to the other half.

Yet, he found him amusing. That restless energy made him laugh, and in a grim place like Castle Rock, it was exactly what he needed.

Fasten possessed a peculiar ability: superhuman speed. When he ran, he looked like a flash of lightning.

Within the Empire, those with such talents were used as messengers during wars. A timely message could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

In one of the rare moments of silence, Sky looked around.

The room was small and bare. The stone walls seeped with moisture, and a stale smell of sweat and dust filled the air. The only source of light was a flickering candle resting on a crooked little table.

Fasten filled the room with his constant pacing, unable to stay still. He spoke in rapid bursts, words tumbling over each other without pause.

“In Almora nothing ever happens, you know? Apple fields as far as the eye can see, people waking up at dawn, dirt under their nails, and silence everywhere. No chaos. No war…”

Sky sat on the bed, watching him in silence. His back hunched, elbows resting on his knees. Behind his dark glasses, his eyes remained hidden. Untouchable.

Fasten kept talking, unaware of being observed.

“Every year there’s the apple festival, stalls everywhere, everyone smiling… and instead I end up in an Imperial training base. Tell me that’s normal.”

Sky stayed silent for a moment.

“Fasten. Let’s escape together.”

Fasten stopped dead, as if an invisible brake had been pulled.

“W-what?!”

In an instant, he was in front of Sky, eyes wide.

“Wait… escape where, exactly?!”

“Far from this castle. Anywhere. As long as it’s away from here.”

Fasten ran a hand through his hair, agitated.

“Hold on! Why would we escape? We’re soldiers. This is our place!”

Sky slowly lifted his gaze. A bitter smile curved his lips.

“Soldiers? No, Fasten. We’re just servants with a different name.”

He rose from the bed and took a step toward him, his voice gaining intensity.

“Since we arrived, what have we done? Cleaning. Punishments. Meaningless orders.”

He raised a hand, mimicking a commanding gesture.

“Clean here. Polish there. Run a hundred laps around the castle.”

Fasten forced a hesitant smile.

“Well… I guess it’s part of the training.”

“Training?”

The word came out sharp, like a blow.

“Training is learning how to fight, not polishing floors.”

He turned toward the window, clenching his fists.

“I won’t stay here wasting my life.”

Fasten took a step back. His voice trembled.

“So… you want to desert. Sky, that’s a crime. If they catch you, they’ll execute you. And out there… out there it’s full of bandits, monsters, and worse things.”

He lowered his gaze.

“At least here we’re safe.”

Sky laughed, but there was no joy in it.

“Safe?”

He let the word hang in the air.

“The day they need cannon fodder, they’ll send us to the front line without a second thought.”

He moved closer to the window, staring at the moon floating over the sea. His voice dropped, but grew more intense.

“Out there, we can truly live. We can build something of our own.”

He slowly turned back to Fasten.

“A clan.”

Fasten was left breathless, as if the word had struck him.

.

“A clan?! Sky, you don’t just create a clan out of nowhere. You need strong companions, allies, money…”

He stopped, unable to go on.

Sky nodded slowly.

“We’ll find everything along the way. We’ll meet companions during our journey. Allies will join us when they see our strength. And money… we’ll earn it as we go.”

Fasten rubbed his face, frustrated. He didn’t even know where to begin.

“I’m sorry, Sky. Truly. But I can’t. It’s too dangerous. And escaping from here isn’t easy.”

Sky remained impassive, as if he had expected that answer.

“At the harbor, there are small boats the soldiers use for fishing. If we create a diversion, we can take one and leave quietly.”

Fasten burst out laughing, but it was nervous.

“With a little boat? The moment they notice we’re gone, the alarm will sound. They’ll chase you with warships, and within an hour, you’d be dead.”

Silence fell over the room.

The wind slipped in through the window, lightly stirring Sky’s hair.

“Maybe you’re right.”

His voice was calm, almost cold.

“But if I stay here, I already know how it ends.”

“I’ll die like a dog for the Empire… or rot in this cage.”

Fasten stared at him, unable to reply.

Sky didn’t look away.

The candle flame trembled—then went out.

“If I have to risk everything… I’ll do it for my freedom.”

—

Next Episode — The Unspoken Vow