We had come to a house on a high plain near the hill, just beyond the village. The house belonged to Karina and although it was not very big, it was enough for one person. We were here to move to a more favorable environment for talking.

It wasn't that cold, although the winds were blowing around. I never thought she would live in a place like this. When we entered the house, I took a brief look around. When I finished my observations, I asked her a question.

"I thought you stayed above the clouds with your descendants."

"I was living up there, but we decided to come down after you."

I was sure it was her grandfather because Karina didn't know anyone other than him. Even though she grew up without anyone like me, she still didn't know many people.

"Why did you do that?"

"I wanted to come down to help more people. She came with me."

"Where is he?"

"He went to the fourth kingdom to make weapons."

"Halla works for the kingdom?"

"No, he no longer works for the fourth king after the atrocities he committed against his people. He makes weapons for the rebels now."

"While I was silent, your wife brought up a subject she was curious about. She said, 'Forget about us, talk about yourself. 'Your picture is all over the kingdom and you are wanted with a group of people. You'll be executed as soon as you're caught.'

I replied, 'Someone used the king's name to make a false report about us. It must be stopped at once.'

She asked, 'Who are those people, the ones who are wanted with you?'

I said, 'They're nobody.'

She said, 'I know you, Shou. You're a strong man and a good man, but never one for one-sided favors. I hope you're not using these people for your revenge.'

I replied, 'I'm not using anyone. Their goal is to bring peace to the world by defeating the epics and elite soldiers. I'm just helping them, that's all.'

She asked, 'So why are you here? Are you looking for more people for your group?'

I said, 'I came to warn you about Miron. The young man at the head of the our group, a wolf, wants to hunt him.'

She asked, 'So what if he does?'

I replied, 'The youth is not so weak, but he can't defeat Miron. So Miron will call on the death lineage to secure his job.'

She asked, 'Why would Miron do that if he knew he couldn't lose?'

I said, 'Because he wants to secure his job. I've seen the boy; there's more to him than meets the eye. And if Miron kills the boy and merges his soul with the lost souls, he'll control him.'

She said, 'If he does that…'

I replied, 'He'll attack your bloodline first.'

She asked, 'Where is he now?'

I said, 'He's on his way here from the second kingdom.'

She asked, 'What about your friends?'

I replied, 'We agreed to meet at the tournament in a fortnight. We had that conversation not long ago.'

She said, 'This is not good. Grandfather informs me that Yoresin's son plans to attack the king's palace in a fortnight.

I said, 'That's the day of the tournament.'

She replied, 'You must warn your friends at once or you'll be fighting a war you can't win.'

I said, 'I'll try to find them before the tournament.'"

Karina spoke to me in a rush, "Good, I'll warn my kin."

I told her what to do. "It's the safest place for now. Stay there until the day of the tournament."

Karina asked me, "If you find them, where will you take them?"

I replied, "If I find them, can you get us into the land of your descendants?"

"I'll speak to my lineage," she said. "I'm sure they'll understand."

As I put my hand on the doorknob to leave, Karina called out to me from behind in an excited voice. It was as if she had something important to tell me.

"Wait," she said. "I have something for you."

I waited as she went to her locker and brought out a box. She opened it to reveal a sword hilt and a few kunai. I didn't understand what they were for at first glance, but they looked different from ordinary sword hilts and kunai. The sword hilt was exactly the size of my sword.

Karina gestured with her hand for me to turn around. "I made this sword hilt together with my grandfather," she explained. "But it's not an ordinary hilt. It can absorb energy from the sun and armor and release it. So every time you take your sword out of the hilt, it will shoot lightning. The more you swing it, the more powerful the lightning will become."

I asked her, "So what do these kunai do?"

"My grandfather made them specially for you," she said. "They can explode when thrown and make contact with a body."

As I took the equipment she had given me, I took one last look at Karina's face. "Thanks for everything, Karina," I said.

Tears welled up in her eyes. It seemed like she had so much she wanted to say but couldn't find the words. She looked at me intently, as if asking me one question she desperately wanted to know the answer to.

"Tell me the truth, Shou," she said. "Are you doing all this to help me or to get revenge?"

I replied softly, "Take care of yourself, Karina. See you later."

With those words, I left the house and went in search of the others. I had to find them before the tournament; otherwise, as Karina had warned me, we would not be able to escape this war.

I hadn't said anything to Karina before ı went out, but she still knew me very well, despite the years that had passed.

Even after all these years, the fire of revenge hadn't been extinguished. I wanted revenge on the man I once considered my brother.