Only after a few days of training did Sky finally learn who his roommate was: Comaco Fasten, a boy from a small village called Metis, in the central region.

  Comaco was a strange type, incapable of staying quiet. 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 said and didn’t listen to the other half at all. And yet, he found Fasten amusing. That energy made him laugh, and in a grim place like Castle Rock, it was exactly what he needed.

  Comaco possessed a particular ability: superhuman speed. When he ran, he looked like a flash of lightning. That was why the Empire used speedsters as messengers during wars. The speed of communication could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

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

  Comaco Fasten paced back and forth like a spinning top, unable to stay still. He spoke in rapid bursts, words pouring out all at once without stopping to breathe.

  “In Metis, 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. There’s no chaos, no war…”

  Sky sat on the bed, watching him in silence. His back straight, elbows resting on his knees. Behind the dark glasses, his eyes were hidden. Unreachable.

  Fasten kept talking, unaware of his gaze.

  “Every year there’s the apple festival, stalls everywhere, everyone smiling… and instead, here I am, stuck in an imperial training base. Tell me if that’s normal.”

  Sky: “Fasten. Let’s escape together.”

  Fasten stopped abruptly, as if someone had pulled an invisible brake.

  Fasten: “W-what?!”

  He rushed toward Sky, eyes wide.

  “Wait… escape where, exactly?!”

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

  Fasten ran a hand through his hair, agitated.

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

  Sky slowly raised his head. A bitter smile curled his lips.

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

  He stepped closer, his voice growing more intense.

  Sky: “Since we arrived, what have we done? Cleaning. Punishments. Senseless orders.”

  He raised a hand, mimicking a commanding gesture.

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

  Fasten tried to lighten the mood with a grimace.

  Fasten: “Well… I guess that’s part of the training.”

  Sky: “Training?”

  The word came out sharp, like a strike.

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

  He turned away, clenching his fists.

  “I won’t stay here wasting my life.”

  Fasten took a step back. His voice trembled.

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

  He lowered his gaze.

  “At least here we’re safe.”

  Sky laughed, but it was a bitter laugh, devoid of joy.

  Sky: “Safe?”

  He paused, letting 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 toward the window, staring at the moon floating above the ocean. His voice grew lower, but more intense.

  Sky: “Out there, we can really live. We can create something of our own.”

  He slowly turned back to Fasten.

  “A clan.”

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

  Fasten: “A clan?! Sky, you don’t just create a clan out of nothing! You need strong companions, allies, money…”

  He stopped, unable to go on.

  Sky nodded slowly.

  Sky: “We’ll find everything along the way. Companions—we’ll meet them on our journey. Allies will join us when they see our strength. And money… well, we’ll earn it however we can.”

  Fasten rubbed his face, frustrated. Sky’s plan sounded insane.

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

  Sky remained impassive.

  Sky: “At the harbor, there are 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 a nervous laugh.

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

  Silence.

  The wind slipped through the window, barely moving Sky’s hair.

  Sky: “Maybe you’re right.”

  His voice was calm, almost cold.

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

  He paused, letting the words carry weight.

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

  Fasten stared at him, unable to reply.

  Sky did not look away.

  The candle flame flickered, then went out.

  In the darkness, Sky’s vo

  ice echoed like a promise.

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

  —

  Next Episode — The Broken Oath