We ran. Through the rain, through the mud, through the chaos that consumed the kingdom we once called home. The flames of the castle were distant now, barely visible through the downpour, but their heat still seemed to burn at my back. The forest was dense, its trees looming like dark sentinels, offering no shelter from the torrent of rain that drenched us.

I could feel the weight of it all pressing down on me—the mud caking my boots, the cold seeping through my soaked clothes, and the heavy burden of guilt that gnawed at my mind. Asuna, Leafa, and I didn't speak. We just ran. I didn't even know where we were headed anymore; I just knew we had to keep moving.

Eventually, our bodies couldn't take it anymore. We stumbled to a stop in a small clearing, breathless and covered in grime. The rain hadn't let up, the relentless downpour beating down on us, turning the ground beneath our feet into thick, sucking mud. My lungs burned, and I could hear the ragged breaths of both Asuna and Leafa behind me.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the rain. No monsters, no screams, no flames—just the rain and our heavy breathing.

And then, suddenly, Asuna whirled on me, her eyes blazing with fury. "Kirito!" she shouted, her voice cracking as she stepped toward me, fists clenched. "We could have saved him!"

Before I could respond, her hand came down hard against my face. The slap echoed through the clearing, stinging sharply against my skin. I barely had time to register the blow before her fist followed, striking my chest with a force that knocked the wind out of me.

"We could have saved him!" she screamed again, her voice breaking as her fists pounded against my chest, over and over. "Why did you run?! Why didn't you help him?!"

I didn't fight back. I didn't even defend myself. I just stood there and let her hit me, each blow sinking deeper into the guilt that already weighed on me. She was right. I had run. I had left King Aldrich to die. I had followed orders, but deep down, I knew it was my decision. It was my fault.

Leafa stood off to the side, her eyes wide with shock, too stunned to intervene. I could feel her gaze on me, but I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Not after what had happened to our father.

Asuna's punches slowed, her fists growing weaker with each strike until she was no longer hitting me, just gripping the front of my tunic, sobbing into my chest. "We could've saved him..." she whispered, her voice breaking with anguish.

I stood there, frozen, my hands hanging limp at my sides. The rain poured down on us, cold and unforgiving, mixing with the dirt and mud that covered us. I let her cry, let her release her anger and pain. I deserved it. Every bit of it.

When she finally pulled away, her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her face streaked with rain and tears. She turned her back on me, her shoulders shaking as she tried to compose herself.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't offer any words of comfort, because none of it would change what had happened. None of it would bring the King back.

After a moment, Leafa broke the silence. "We should set up camp," she said quietly, her voice barely audible over the rain. "We're all exhausted."

I nodded numbly, though I couldn't bring myself to move. It was as if my body was locked in place, weighed down by the Night Sky Sword at my side and the crushing weight of everything that had just happened.

Eventually, we found a small patch of ground beneath a cluster of trees, offering at least a little shelter from the rain. We set up a makeshift camp, using what little we had, and huddled together under the sparse cover of the trees.

I sat apart from the others, staring at the Night Sky Sword in my lap. Its blade seemed to glow faintly, even in the dim light of the storm, a reminder of the power it held—and the responsibility that now rested on my shoulders.

The legends spoke of this sword, of the hero destined to wield it. But as I sat there, soaked in rain and caked in mud, I didn't feel like a hero. I felt like a coward. Like I had failed everyone who had put their trust in me.

The rain continued to fall, heavy and relentless, but I barely noticed it anymore. All I could see was the sword. All I could hear was the sound of my father's voice, telling me to protect the kingdom. Telling me to defend it with my life.

But how could I do that now?

Eventually, exhaustion overtook me. My body, worn from battle, grief, and guilt, had nothing left to give. I leaned back against the trunk of a tree, my grip on the Night Sky Sword loosening as my eyes drifted closed.

And despite the rain, despite the cold, I slept.