Evening sank into the crimson skies of Sunlight Rage Academy. The training grounds echoed with the rhythmic clash of blades, yet Jin Hoshin stood at the edge, distracted. His fingers toyed with the silver feather tied to his wrist—a keepsake from his mother.
"Hey Bo," Jin muttered, "you ever wonder why the moon always watches us like it knows something?"
Bo, sprawled on the grass chewing a candied root, raised an eyebrow. "Bro, that's deep. You okay? Or did someone spike your tea with poetry?"
Jin chuckled but quickly turned serious, gaze fixed on the sunset. "I've been digging around…about my father."
Bo sat up, eyes narrowing. "Your real dad? The divine one?"
Jin nodded. "I found an old scroll fragment in the restricted archives. It had a symbol matching the Laughing Blade's core. It mentioned a 'Trickster Flame'—a deity exiled for disobeying fate."
Before Bo could reply, a voice cut through the air.
"You're missing the match again, idiot." Yooha stood with crossed arms, her Silent Veil blade slung behind her back. Her cold eyes betrayed a hint of concern.
"I was just—" Jin started, but Bo interrupted, "He was writing poems about the moon again."
"Unbelievable," Yooha sighed, walking past them. But as she did, Jin caught a fleeting glance. Her eyes… they looked exhausted. Burdened.
"Yooha," Jin called gently.
She paused.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
She didn't respond, but the wind whispered something soft—like her silence had meaning.
Later that night, Jin returned to his dorm and opened his journal. The moonlight lit up the page as he wrote:
"They're all stronger than me in some way. Smarter. Sharper. But I'll be the one who finds the truth. About my father. About Yooha. About why this blade laughs when the world cries."
Just then, Bo barged in.
"You done crying in your book? Because I'm starving and you promised noodles, bro."
"Bo, you ruin every dramatic moment," Jin groaned.
"Exactly why you keep me around, Mr. Moon Poet."
They laughed, and outside, the wind carried a scent—of fire, fate, and the storm yet to come.
End of Episode 29( continue)