"Samuel."
Ugh. It hurts. My head.
"Samuel."
Who's calling out to me? Why can't I wake up?
"Samuel."
I hear you... Enough. I can't wake up. My whole body feels hot.
"Samuel."
Blepharo?
"The instructor is gone."
Instructor? What instructor?
"I killed him. We have to relocate our shelter."
As he gradually opened his eyelids, the blinding sun left him squinting.
Morning?
"Yes. It is morning. You slept for the entire night." Samuel didn't question how Blepharo knew his thoughts, only nodding in response.
His soiled knuckles slowly rubbed his eyes. "You really killed him?" All that he remembered was Blepharo calling out his name.
Blepharo, however, did not respond. Instead, he flicked his thin wrist. The air surrounding twisted and formed a claymore. "Let us move on,"
Struggling to get up, Samuel uttered, "Right."
It took a couple of minutes for Samuel to reach Blepharo's side. Noticing his partner's presence, Blepharo spoke monotonously, "The coming days shall prove crucial for our survival."
Used to Blepharo's foresight, Samuel nodded and gripped his wooden weapon, waiting for the stoic fighter to continue
"Disregard my previous command of not including yourself in the fights. We will be facing multiple enemies, and I will need your help."
Samuel, who originally wanted to fight, didn't know how to take this message. He managed a wry smile and kept affirming, "A-Alright, I'll do my best."
Noticing his partner's worried expression, Blepharo offered some advice. "When fighting, never let there be distance between you and your opponent. Your weapon of choice is a sword, which, in your circumstance, is unideal for distance battles. I will also try to help you the best I can."
The once apathetic and deadpan Blepharo was offering some heartwarming help. Samuel couldn't help but chuckle. He's... nicer than I thought.
As the two walked in silence for a while, they could hear trees rustling as the ground crunched under their feet. The Desby Forest was the largest mass of trees in the Western Cradle; yet no country dared to ever enter.
The grip on Samuel's sword tightened as he choked out, "Blepharo..."
"Yes?" An unperturbed response came out from the stoic boy.
Stammering on his words, Samuel inquired, "Are you part of the Transcended?"
It was always a question he had wanted to ask. Ever since the start of the exam, where Blepharo singlehandedly killed the group of eight, Samuel had speculations.
"No." A calm and firm reply.
"..." Not seeing Blepharo expand, Samuel couldn't help but sigh.
After a few more minutes of maneuvering through the forest, Blepharo began, "While I am not part of the Transcended, I do come from a lineage of power."
A gleam sparked in Samuel's eyes. He didn't want to be too upfront, so he patiently asked one at a time, "Lineage?"
Blepharo continued, "Yes. Despite not being too adept in my family's heritage, I know that we came from a man who wielded supernatural abilities."
A man with supernatural abilities?
"Do you know how far back?" While they weren't common, one wouldn't be surprised to hear about a person with powers.
"Circa 1200 years ago."
1200 years ago... How old is this world?
"The age of this world is unclear, but many historians believe it to be around 2500 years old," Blepharo answered Samuel's inner thoughts like usual.
"I see... So, what are your powers?" Throughout the battles he witnessed, Samuel would only see Blepharo summon a large claymore out of the mist.
"That I do not know." Replying monotonously, he subtly let Samuel know the conversation was over.
After clearing a fallen tree, the pair were met with what looked to be a hut. It was made with sticks and mud and had a pair of worn-out shoes placed outside of the makeshift door.
Samuel remembered Nadia's warning: kill first or die. Blepharo nodded ever so slightly at his partner, signaling that he was okay with both of them fighting.
They both went into ready stances, spreading their knees apart and fixing their backs up.
No communication was needed for the formulation of their plan; it was simple. Splitting up and targeting each side of the hut, they would rush it and pounce on the victims simultaneously.
At Blepharo's nod, the two sprinted to either side of the hut.
Raising his leg, Samuel bent it sideways and unleashed a powerful kick to the wall of the hut. It reverberated back and shook violently.
As his eyes constricted, he spun, and with a roundhouse kick, he thrashed the wall once more, finally knocking it down. His gaze fixed on the other side, which had already been taken down.
Looking towards the open view, he saw Blepharo, who was staring inside.
Samuel followed suit and peered to the inside of the hut. The confined hut had a couple of wooden beds in the corners as well as a small fireplace.
Next to the fireplace and on those beds were two frail and sickly-looking boys. Their emaciated skin sunk on and revealed their bones.
Despite both walls of their hut being blown down, the two didn't wake up.
Samuel's pupils dilated as he struggled for air. The scene he witnessed resurfaced horrid memories of Heart's terrible condition.
"...We have to help them!" Subconsciously associating their current condition with his memories of Heart, Samuel felt obligated to help them.
"Stay rational." Blepharo's calm and deadpan voice interrupted Samuel's panic. "In this examination, it is kill or be killed."
"They're sick; we have to help them!" He scrambled while protesting. It was as if Samuel had forgotten the blood already on their hands.
"Lower the tone of your voice." His calm order silenced Samuel.
Stepping over the ashy, burnt wood, Blepharo held his sword high. He was preparing to kill them both.
It wasn't until a pale hand was stuck in front of him. Trying not to sigh, Blepharo warned, "You are not in your right state of mind. Move your hand."
He was right. At that moment, Samuel wasn't thinking straight. The sight of them ripped open a wound he thought had healed.
However, the hand remained in its spot, twitching.
When Samuel looked at the boys, he could only see Heart Juladee's face, her pale, exhausted face. He could hear her soft cries, wishing for the pain to be over. He could feel her delicate yet frail hand softly holding onto his fingers.
"Samuel." A short interruption of his sorrowful reminiscence.
Samuel fell to the ground, his hands covering his tearful eyes. As his rear hit the ground, he began to sob. The sides of his face wrinkled as he rubbed his nose and eyes.
Blepharo waited in silence for Samuel to stop. His eyes fell low as he surveyed the emotional 13-year-old.
Even though Samuel wanted to act mature, especially in front of his family, he would often find himself woeful at night. It was difficult for him to keep his composure, especially at 13 years old.
After what felt like the final tear had fallen, Samuel sat there silently, spent. Blepharo continued to survey him quietly.
It wasn't until a meek voice broke the silence, "I'm sorry."
"Get up." Despite not expecting reassurance, Blepharo's harsh reply stung Samuel.
Slowly getting up, Samuel reluctantly made way for Blepharo to deliver the final blow. However, Blepharo did not raise his weapon. Instead, he quickly exited the hut from the fallen wall he damaged earlier.
"B-Blepharo…?" Samuel's tone was filled with unease and tentativeness.
No response.
Moving his once-frozen body, Samuel struggled to catch up to his fast-paced partner.
"Blepharo!" Calling out to the stoic and mysterious fighter, Samuel couldn't help but wonder why he didn't kill them.
Alas, he caught up. Panting heavily, he questioned, "Why?"
A single word hung in the air that was deep and sorrowful.
"We must find new shelter; night will befall us." Ignorance fell upon the question Samuel asked.
Unlike usual, Samuel was firm on his question. "Why?"
Eyeing Samuel from the side, Blepharo exhaled. "The sickness that once ailed them had taken away their life."
Taken aback, he reiterated, "You mean they were already dead?"
Blepharo gave a wordless confirmation.
Taking everything he had not to erupt in anger, Samuel roared, "Why did you raise your sword? Why were you about to kill them?!"
"The most important actions done are ones that we often question why they even occurred," Blepharo answered, expressionless.
The calm but nonsensical reply left Samuel's voice failing him.
For the rest of their trek, the two stayed silent.