Every part of Kain hurt. He could not tell where the pain of one injury ended and where another began, all blending seamlessly into a unique agony. Kain had suffered injuries and wounds before; breaking his legs at Mount Ordeals being especially painful, but it all paled in comparison to this.
It was not just his body that ached, but his mind that felt raw from its encounter with Golbez. The penetrating darkness had poked around the intimate corners of Kain's mind, but Kain was not ready to acknowledge the violation or how it had changed him. Instead, he ignored it, resolutely determined not to think about what Golbez had done to him or what that meant.
As Kain made slow progress through the castle halls, the many guards he encountered made no comment on his battered and bloody appearance. A few servants gasped in shock and recoiled. None approached him or offered help, leaving Kain to wonder how much had changed in Baron since he was last here.
One dragoon, a freckle-faced fresh recruit named Finn Farsong spotted Kain, immediately recognizing his Commander despite the blood painting Kain's face, hair and clothing. Finn started toward Kain, anger flushing his face dark. "Who did this, Commander?!" he asked, outraged. "I'll call the guard, we'll find the culprit and—"
But Kain held a hand up to stop the young dragoon's words, and mutely shook his head. Finn hesitated, unsure, his expression softening into concern.
"It doesn't matter," Kain croaked, the words painful in his bruised and tender mouth. He started to take another step, but his balance was off, and he stumbled. Finn rushed forward to catch him, looping an arm around Kain's back, steadying Kain as Finn braced to take most of Kain's weight. "I'm sorry," Kain muttered, feeling so small and low, so unworthy of the help but desperately needing it.
"It's okay, Commander," Finn said in a gentle voice, still holding Kain up. Finn looked around carefully, becoming acutely aware that the nearby guards were watching them, perhaps a bit too intently. "Let's get you to the infirmary," he suggested, trying to sound casual and light despite the circumstances.
Kain didn't reply, only leaned into Finn, letting Finn shoulder more of his weight. Together, they made their way to the infirmary through the castle's winding hallways. Finn did not acknowledge the whispers around them as they passed others, only offered encouraging words to Kain to keep him moving along.
As they arrived at the doors of the infirmary, Finn pushed open the door and called out. "I need a healer!" and despite his ongoing calmness, could not keep the alarm out of his voice. His tone alerted the white mages inside, several of whom came forward, all blurry white shapes warped by Kain's dim vision.
"Kain!" one cried out, and he knew it was Rosa. Her familiar hands were on him, touching his face, brushing back his hair, tipping his head upward. "What happened? Who did this?"
"I don't know," answered Finn, faster than Kain could, his brain and tongue too sluggish to promptly respond, unsure of what he would say anyway. "I found him wandering the halls like this, but I don't know where he came from or who is responsible," Finn said, gripping Kain tight, holding him up, even as Kain began to sag.
"Kain," Rosa said, commanding his attention, and he squinted to peer up at her, trying to bring her face into focus. "You're safe, Kain, you're here with me and you're okay," Rosa murmured, voice soft and reassuring. Kain's heart soared at her words and tone, relishing it, finally possessing the deep kindness she had always saved for Cecil's wounds and pain. Kain had it himself and he had Golbez to thank for making it happen.
It was the first of many things he would take from Cecil, Kain decided.
"Stay with me, Kain," Rosa begged, her voice faint and distant; she seemed suddenly so far away.
Kain reached for her, his hands groping blindly forward. His whole world tipped violently forward, and as he fell, darkness swallowed his vision.
Kain slept, but fitfully. He did not truly dream, but saw an endless stream of memories, like someone was rifling through his mind, trying to find which ones were important or not. But there was something strange about these memories, starting so familiar, but their endings strange and not recognizable.
Cecil, dangling by his straining fingers, struggled to maintain a grip on the roof's edge. "Kain!" he called out. Kain leaned down and grabbed Cecil by the wrist. But he did not follow the memory's script this time, instead smirking, then letting go…
Cecil, caught in the wild tide of the river, disappeared under the crashing waves. Rosa pointed and shrieked from the bank, shouting at Kain to go in after him. This time, however, Kain did not go running in after Cecil, only crossed his arms and watched with smug satisfaction as Cecil struggled but failed to break the surface…
Cecil, standing beside Kain on the deck of the airship, hugging Kain, whispered "Good luck" into his ear. Cecil tried to disengage the embrace, but Kain held on tight, not letting him go. Cecil laughed, but this time, the amusement was cut short as Kain pushed against Cecil hard, sending him stumbling back, then over the airship railing. Kain laughed at the role reversal as Cecil was swallowed up by the air….
Cecil, his slit wrist spurting blood, his eyes wide with fear and alarm. Rosa tried to push past Kain, to get to Cecil, but this time Kain held her back. She fought against him, struggled to break his hold and reach Cecil, but Kain was stronger, and she could not overpower him. She watched, helplessly screaming, as Cecil sank to his knees, the light gradually going from his eyes (like your mother) as he continued to bleed…
Cecil, watching the burning inferno that consumed the Village Mist, horror in his eyes, thick flakes of ash hidden in his gray hair. He fell to his knees, demanding answers with a hoarse cry to no one. Cecil did not see Kain behind him, his lance drawn, ready to strike…
Kain turned away from these not-right memories, their new endings filling him with a guilty pleasure he tried to deny but could no longer.
"Kain, come back to me," beckoned Rosa, somewhere far away, trying to pierce through the darkness to reach him. Kain struggled to move toward the sound but found the darkness too thick. He reached blindly for it but found nothing.
Please, he begged, of the darkness within him and the alien entity that harbored it. Let me go.
Go, it conceded, loosening the barbs that had dug so deeply into Kain's mind, weeping darkness in their wake. I have all I need now.
Filled with gratitude, Kain fell toward waking.
Kain became aware of himself again. He found himself in a soft bed, pillows propped up under his back and arms. There was no longer the demanding presence of the wild pain from his whole body, but instead a dull ache, a familiar side effect after significant healing.
"When will he wake?" asked a voice, speaking barely above a whisper.
Kain kept his eyes closed, not wanting to move and announce his wakefulness yet.
"I don't know." It was Rosa who answered, her beautiful voice recognizable at any volume. "He was beaten badly, but there was more than just that. Some kind of… dark magic I've never seen before."
"This is chaos," said the first, now louder, and now Kain knew it as Finn. "Baron attacks Mysidian and Mist, declares martial law on its citizens and now assaults officers who speak against them? There's talk of attacking Damcyan and taking their Crystal! Where does this end?"
"Hush!" Rosa whispered with a chastising hiss. "If anyone hears us, we'll be dangling from a tree before the day is out."
"What do we do?" Finn asked, quietly again, Rosa's suggested imagery striking appropriate fear into him. "Who can help if this is what they do to dissenters?"
"You need to find Albert Hawthorne in the country and bring him back to Baron. He'll know what to do," Rosa said. "Kain and I will find Cecil and warn Damcyan." She was always confident when there was a plan to follow, and it inspired Kain to hear it now, despite how wrong she was. "I'll prepare supplies for three to travel. If we're lucky, Kain will be recovered enough to travel tonight."
Finn hesitated, then asked, full of uncertainty. "Are we really doing this? Defying a king with an unrivaled military force?"
"Who else?" Rosa answered with her own question, sounding solemn. "If Albert and Cecil are with us, we might convince others to defect, crippling Baron's power structure. The Engineers might join us; I don't think they'll tolerate another unprovoked attack using their ships."
"If King Odin lets them leave," Finn countered bitterly. "If Baron will let them go."
"Which is why time is critical," Rosa said urgently. "We must get word to the outside world before Baron strikes again. Go, and make quiet preparations to leave. I'll meet you at the Weapons Shop tonight and we'll leave when the night is darkest."
Kain's eyes were open now, no longer swollen shut, though blurry and sore. He looked around, realizing he was in one of the infirmary's private rooms; he wondered if it was the same one he and Joanna had bargained for Rosa's future in, so many years before.
Kain saw Finn turn to go, but Rosa caught him by the arm, stopping him. "If something happens to Kain or me," she said, her blue eyes wide with her unvoiced fear. "Then you need to leave anyway. If we can't warn Damcyan in time, then we need to tell all the other nations who possess a Crystal, because they're at risk too. You need to find Albert and convince him to defy a tyrant to save Baron," she paused a moment, then added, "And to save Kain."
Finn didn't say anything, only held Rosa's gaze for a tense moment, then gave a single nod of understanding. He left without a word, and Rosa did not try to stop him again. Instead, she circled the around the bed to its side. The bed shifted under her weight as she sat on its edge. Kain closed his eyes and laid as still as he could, willing his breathing to be even and deep. Rosa took his hand, her slim fingers circling around his. "Come back to me," Rosa murmured, the same refrain from his dream.
Kain stirred, opening his eyes again, and was promptly rewarded with Rosa's bright, dazzling smile. She threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug, holding him close. "Oh, Kain!" she sobbed with relief. "What happened to you?" she asked, her breath hitching in her chest.
"It doesn't matter," Kain said, his fingers in her hair, threading through the strands. "I survived and am stronger for it now."
Rosa stiffened, then pulled away from Kain, her gaze critical despite her fresh tears. "What happened to you, Kain?" she asked again, less gentle this time.
Kain said nothing, his jaw clenched but still aching from remembered pain.
Some realization dawned on Rosa, making her eyes widen, then darken with sadness. She looked away, her shoulders sinking dejectedly, making her look smaller. It was the same look she wore when Cecil turned her aside, unable to bear telling her the depths of his pain, or how far the darkness had pushed him. Kain had witnessed Cecil's rejection of her countless times, watching her learn to endure it with grace over the years, unendingly patient, meeting Cecil with kindness and compassion when he was finally ready. Now Kain saw hurt fresh in her again, only now it was because Kain did not trust her with this new pain. But how could he when he did not trust himself?
"It doesn't matter," Rosa said, Kain's words sounding dismissive from her tongue. "You must rest; you need to recover your strength. Tonight, we'll leave for Kaipo."
"Why?" Kain asked, before he could stop himself.
"Why?" Rosa echoed, incredulously. "Because we need to find Cecil. He could be hurt, he could need help, he could be gathering soldiers already." Rosa looked off, eyes distant. "Why?" she repeated, then quietly answered herself, "Because he needs us and because we need to be together. That's why."
"What if Cecil is better off gone?" Kain blurted out, also unintentionally, pretending not to know where the words came from.
"What do you mean?" Rosa demanded, her voice going high in sudden alarm.
"I don't know," Kain both did and did not lie, leaning forward to hold his head in his hands. These were thoughts he had always had, but never dared voice. Why were they coming tumbling out now? Why couldn't he stop them? "I just…" he started, lifting his head to look at her again. "I just think we shouldn't be hasty in any decisions right now."
"Hasty?" Rosa asked, sounding confused. "Why would we wait? Cecil is in danger and needs us now. We must go to him."
"What if Cecil is really a traitor?" Kain asked, then immediately regretted the question as outrage lit Rosa, her eyes narrowed, brow creased, her mouth in an angry line. Before she could say anything, Kain continued, despite not wanting to, "I know it's impossible. But what if he is? What if King Odin is taking the right path forward and we just don't realize the bigger picture yet?"
"What are you saying, Kain?" Rosa asked, the question short.
"What if Cecil is wrong, and staying here in Baron is being a patriot and a hero?" Kain said, wanting so desperately to be both right and wrong.
Rosa closed her eyes, almost wincing, her anger forgotten. "Then we'll all be traitors together," she said, her voice faint. "Even if it's the wrong choice, we'll be united, as we should be." Rosa looked up at Kain, blinking away fresh tears. "Are you not coming with me?" But you promised, she wordlessly accused him, the hurt in her eyes condemning him.
"What if I said no?" Kain asked, the question feeling dangerous as he said it. "What if you finally had to choose between us, who would win? Would you stay here with me, or go to Cecil?"
"You can't ask that of me," Rosa protested, standing up abruptly, turning away from Kain and the bed. "It's not fair, especially coming from you, who could not choose either."
Kain threw off the blanket that covered him, then swung his legs over the bed, his feet finding the floor. "Fair or not, I'm asking. Will you stay with me in Baron? Be a part of this glorious new kingdom as it unites the world," He stood, standing tall over her. "Before, Cecil has always been better than me and the better choice for you. But now…" Kain advanced and Rosa retreated, but it was a small room and her back already up against the wall. Her hip bumped into a small rolling rack beside the wall, full of potions and wound care supplies, the glass bottles clinking discordantly in protest.
Kain had always liked seeing fear in Rosa's eyes but could never admit it to himself before without a sense of overwhelming shame. Now, in the dim light of the recovery room, he saw it again, and this time delighted in the feeling as it made his heart beat faster. "Dragoons will rule the skies again, and I will lead them," he breathed as he came closer, closing the distance between them. "Now, it's me who could make you a queen."
"Don't," Rosa whimpered, having nowhere else to retreat and Kain looming too close to dart around. He put one hand on her shoulder, the other on her hip, holding her in place. She looked aside, refusing to meet Kain's eyes, her jaw stiff in a tight line of tension. "Let me go," she said, and he knew she meant not just from him and this room, but from Baron itself.
"No," Kain replied, his fingers digging in deep, wondering absently if he'd leave bruises.
"Let me go, Kain," Rosa repeated, her voice harder this time. There was no coy smile or breathless protest, no teasing smile enticing him closer. But that didn't matter, because Kain knew the truth of her and what desire burned deep within her, in defiance of Cecil's persistent affection. It made this game between them all better, Kain realized. It wasn't enough to simply haveRosa but taking her away from Cecil magnified Kain's need to possess her; it was hard to focus on anything else.
"No," Kain said, a smirk at the corner of his mouth, deciding that her feigned protests were an added spice. He moved his hand from her shoulder and touched her chin, tipping her head up to make her look at him; the hand at her hip circled her waist, pulling her body firmly against his. "Haven't you always wanted me to finally choose you? Isn't that why you've kept Cecil at a distance, but welcome me with open legs, isn't that why—"
Rosa's knee, sharp and deep into his groin, halted all other words. With both hands on his shoulder, she pushed him away hard, and Kain fell promptly to the floor, curling in on himself, equally surprised and hurt by the attack. She grabbed the rolling rack of potions and tipped it over, spilling a dozen potions out to the floor. Each glass bottle shattered as it landed, showering Kain in a dangerous spray of broken shards.
Rosa, not hesitating, stepped wide over Kain and made her way to the door. She looked back once, fury in her blue eyes, and declared, "I'm choosing Cecil." Then she disappeared through the door, slamming it closed behind her. Outside, raised voices sounded alarmed, but Kain could not make out the muffled words.
Cursing soundly, Kain slowly stood, letting the glass shards fall off him. He stepped carefully around the shattered bottles, then pulled open the door. Outside, it was much brighter, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust.
Rosa stood surrounded by a dozen other white mages, speaking quickly, color high in her cheeks. "Some sort of dark magic, I'm not sure…" She stopped as Kain emerged, eyes full of fear, then pulled up the hood of her robes, golden hair hidden under the white fabric lined with red triangles.
Around Rosa, the other white mages looked back at Kain as well, their expressions ranging from utter terror to barely contained fury. Camaraderie wasn't unusual amongst the military divisions of Baron, but none stronger than the bonds of healers, who stand witness to so much loss together. Kain saw this in practice as all twelve white mages mimicked Rosa, lifting their hoods to cover their heads. Now anonymous, they rushed out the door in pairs, disappearing into the castle halls in all directions.
Kain ran after them, but immediately lost track of which one was Rosa as he stepped outside the infirmary doors.
"Damn it!" Kain shouted, unsure of where to go or whom to follow. He spotted one who was Rosa's height, moving quickly toward the airship bay doors. Kain broke out in a run after her. He came upon her quickly, his long legs making short work of the distance. "Rosa!" he shouted, yanking back the robe's hood, but disappointed to see brown hair.
"You won't find her," the white mage said, her eyes narrowed into a glare, full of defiance.
"She won't leave this castle!" Kain growled, shoving the mage away from him.
She stumbled as she caught herself, then righted. She grinned as she declared triumphantly, "You can't stop a white mage from going anywhere they wish, all will welcome and aid her. She'll find a way!"
Kain said nothing as he stalked away, back into the castle.
Now in his armor, Kain perched on the castle's roof, watching the gates as people passed through, both coming into the castle and leaving it. He scanned each group and individual, trying to spy someone who might be Rosa in disguise. He knew better than to look for Rosa in white mage robes, having found a set abandoned in a well-trafficked supply closet. A few times, he had Jumped down in pursuit of someone who was heavily cloaked, only to be disappointed it wasn't her. He had spent most of the day this way, his frustration growing more as the sun started to set.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, only the usual merchants coming into the castle full of goods and leaving empty. A few carried loads out, but this was less common. He saw a wagon full of broken furniture, likely on its way for repair; a clothier with a wagon piled high with fabrics, returning after showing off their samples; a bard and puppeteer group rolling their wagon into town, probably to test their latest performance at the local inn; a wagon full of weapons, likely on its way to the Weapons Shop for repair or sharpening. Only…
Meet me at the Weapons Shop, Rosa had told Finn.
Kain perked up, focusing on two men escorting the wagon, now recognizing them as Cid's apprentices, dressed in civilian clothing. Why were they taking weapons, and not the quartermaster or his apprentices? Instead of confronting them directly, Kain Jumped to the ground and followed at a distance, keeping them just in eyesight as they went down to the town below.
Once in town, Kain Jumped to the rooftops again, and followed the wagon more closely as it made its slow progress through the streets of Baron. It passed through the main square, then, as Kain had guessed, pulled up to the Weapons Shop.
Marion was outside, waiting for them, and gestured them around the back. Kain Jumped to the neighboring Armor Shop, and watched there as the wagon circled around, pulling into the small loading bay of the Weapons shop, where they received all the delivery shipments. Marion, coming through the shop, came out the back door. She and the apprentices briefly spoke, but they did not stay to unload the shipment or wait for their wagon, but immediately left.
Before Marion could approach, Kain landed on the ground between her and the wagon.
"Kain!" Marion shouted, startled, and looked briefly scared. She quickly mastered herself, her expression softening into an effortless smile. "What are you doing here?" Then, more coyly, "If you're here to see me, I'll be off work in a few hours."
Kain did not reply, turning to the wagon.
"Kain, wait!" Marion protested, running forward to grab him by the arm, trying to attract his attention. "It's been too long since I've seen you," she said, turning him back to face her. "I could be persuaded to leave early tonight," she added, with a wink. "Meet you in your room?"
Kain hesitated, turning back to consider Marion and her proposal. She had always been forward in her advances, but this seemed oddly inorganic and forced. He watched her closely and she met his gaze squarely, offering a bright, encouraging smile. She betrayed herself when her eyes briefly flickered to the side, focused on something beyond Kain's shoulder. She looked back quickly, pretending it did not happen.
Kain turned in time to see Rosa, dressed in a battle mage suit and flowing cape, jump down from the wagon. She saw him and froze, looking unsure of what to do. It was their childhood game of hide-and-seek, but now with dangerous consequences.
"You're coming with me back to the castle," Kain said, with no kindness in his deep voice.
"No, she's not," said a new voice, from somewhere up high. Kain turned around to see Finn, in his red dragon armor, standing on the roof's edge. "Commander, I'm asking you to stand down and let her go."
Kain scowled at him, then drew his lance from his back. "Will you really try to stop me?"
Finn unsheathed his sword with a metallic hiss, then drew the blade across his body. "I will try," he said, sinking into a Jump stance.
Dragoon duels differed from fighting any other soldier, with most of the combat in the air, usually while falling. As a rule, dragoons do not formally learn how to fight their brethren during their training. As part of the unofficial initiation in the Dragoon ranks, however, new recruits are taught how to fight each other mid-air, away from the Commander's influence. Actual in-fighting did not happen often, but if it escalated beyond what words could resolve, then the two dragoons would take to the sky. Traditionally, the Dragoon Commander turned a blind to their happenings, letting dragoons settle their differences among themselves.
The biggest change from a duel on land to air is that time is a powerful but limiting factor; one only had so long until hitting the ground. If one dragoon could knock another off balance while falling, it could compromise the safety of their landing, with many duels resulting in serious injury or death. A duel might last only one or two Jumps, depending on luck and skill.
"Have you fought another in the air?" Kain asked, his tone mocking, knowing the answer already. "Or are you too green?"
"Does it matter?" Finn countered. "Come get me!" He knelt into a Jump stance, knees flexed. "Or do you only assault unarmed white mages now? Show me more than nepotism made you my Commander, because now I doubt it." With that challenge made, Finn took off, like a winking red bird in the sky.
Kain was Jumping and in the air before he thought about it, the younger dragoon's words making his blood boil. Assault Rosa? He vehemently denied Finn's accusation to himself - Rosa was the one aiding and abetting a known traitor. Kain climbed altitude, pushed along further and faster by Barbariccia's unseen influence, a whirling tornado, full of righteous fury and indignation, as if defeating Finn would prove him wrong. Kain reached the apex of his Jump, then started his descent, aimed for the flashing red armor in the rays of the setting sun.
Kain's first strike sent Finn spinning out of control, confirming Kain's suspicion about Finn's inexperience. Finn tumbled awkwardly, limbs flailing wildly as he tried to right himself. Kain darted in and out of the currents around Finn; every time Finn seemed to gain his bearings and right himself, Kain would strike an arm or shoulder, throwing off Finn's balance. Finn did little to counter Kain, barely drawing his sword just to counter Kain's lance. He was not focused on the fight, but on his fall as the ground drew rapidly closer.
"Finn!" Rosa called out from somewhere on the ground.
Too late, Kain realized it was not Finn's goal to defeat Kain, only delay him long enough for Rosa to leave. She had unhooked the chocobos from their yoke, and now sat astride one, the reigns of the other in her hand. "Finn!" she called out again into the darkening sky, and this time it answered her as Finn landed, armor rattling as he hit the ground.
At the same time, Kain landed, lunging for Finn. But Finn ignored him, dashing past Kain toward Rosa and her waiting chocobo. Rosa threw Finn the other chocobo's reigns; he caught it, then quickly mounted the bird. Rosa kicked her heels into the chocobo's side, spurring it on. Rosa leaned low on the chocobo's neck, hands gripping its feathers in tight fists, her golden hair and white cloak streaming behind her as she rode past Kain, seeming just inches away from his grabbing hands.
Finn followed closely behind her, and despite how Kain ran after them, he could not keep up as they fled down the streets. Kain ran for the town's exit but was slow in his heavy armor. He arrived in time to see the two chocobos speeding away from Baron Village, at first together, then parting; one circling east around the town and castle to head north, toward the desert, the going other west, toward the country.
"Stop them!" Kain shouted to no one specific, as he surprisingly found no guards on duty. Instead, as he looked around, he was surprised to see Golbez in his black armor and Barbariccia standing by the guards' tower. Filled with trepidation, Kain approached them both.
"Rosa Farrell's going to warn Damcyan," Kain breathlessly blurted out, not thinking about the words before saying them, even surprising himself.
"Is she?" Golbez asked dryly, looking up to the outstretched road before them. Rosa on her chocobo could be faintly seen in the dim light of the setting sun, riding further away from Baron every second.
"I tried to stop her," Kain said, suddenly afraid of the consequences of letting Rosa escape. Would Golbez beat him again? Or worse, would he crack Kain's head open and rummage through his secrets again? An involuntary shudder ran through Kain.
Golbez did not reply, his head lowered into his hands, murmuring something into his palms. Was it a spell? Kain could not guess.
"Don't fret," Barbariccia said, not moving from her post beside Golbez, but still grinning Kain's way.
Golbez stretched out his hands, the spell reaching its conclusion, sickly green bubbles materializing within his palms. Barbariccia stepped forward, leaning over Golbez's open hands, her lips pursued. Delicately, she blew a long breath, and it carried off the green bubbles, whisking them northbound into the wind.
Toward Rosa, Kain realized with a new dread. He watched as her chocobo briefly slowed, Rosa swaying uncertainly in the saddle. Then, she straightened, shrugging aside whatever had hit her, and the chocobo sprinted ahead, running with renewed vigor.
"It didn't work," Kain said, feeling both disappointed and relieved. "And besides, Rosa knows Esuna."
"It did work," Golbez corrected him with a dismissive gesture, then turned away from the road and the guard post. "It is a low-level Bio spell, mild enough she won't even know she has it, with no other symptoms than a weakened immune system. She won't think to use Esuna until it's too late."
"But if she's crossing the desert," Kain protested, remembering Rosa's lecture about the dangers of desert travel, "then she'll catch Sand Fever."
"Exactly," Golbez said. "She won't survive the trip to Kaipo, much less Damcyan." Golbez sounded insufferably pleased with himself. He vaguely motioned at both Kain and Barbariccia for them to follow. "Come along, there's work to be done."
Kain didn't move despite Golbez's order. He still watched Rosa, now a distant yellow dot on the horizon.
Barbariccia touched Kain on the shoulder, her touch whisper gentle. "Forget about her, Kain. There's so much more waiting for you now."
I'm choosing Cecil, Rosa had told him, without hesitation or regret, and left Kain behind. How could she?
Kain turned away, following Golbez back to the castle, trying not to look back.