The girl born from hope

Rest now

As the last echoes of the battle faded, Master Rei appeared once again, his presence commanding the attention of the six men. His dark eyes, cold and calculating, surveyed them with a stoic face. He clapped slowly, the sound reverberating through the now quiet training hall.

"Well done," Master Rei said, his voice smooth, deep and deceptively calm. "You've proven yourselves worthy once again. Rest now—you've earned it." With that, he turned on his heel, his long dark hair swaying with the movement, and left the training hall without another word.

The arena, once a vast and deadly battleground, began to dissolve around them. The jagged rocks, the oozing black creatures, and the oppressive darkness all faded away, replaced by the familiar sight of the training hall. The oppressive tension lifted, leaving behind a heavy silence. The six men looked at each other, the relief of surviving another ordeal evident on their faces.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Ren asked eagerly, his youthful energy barely contained. His bright eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as if the harrowing battle they'd just survived hadn't taken a toll on him, "Let's go to the nearby town which Nicholai recommended".

Kaz frowned at him, his expression stern but not unkind. "Have you lost your senses, Ren? Our territory stretches as far as the desert and the mountains. There's no nearby town."

Ren grinned, undeterred. "I heard they're having a spring festival in Irah."

At the mention of the town, Darr's brow furrowed. He had always been protective of Ren, ever since he had been placed under Kaz's care. Despite his quiet demeanor, Darr had a deep-seated concern for the youngest among them.

"The town of Irah is in the House of Love's territory," Darr reminded them. His voice was calm but firm, as he looked down at Ren. "It's not our place to be there and anyway last I heard Nicholai and his gang set their local tavern on fire leading to a tense relationship between our houses ."

Ren's eager expression faltered slightly at Darr's words. He knew Darr was right, but the thought of leaving the oppressive atmosphere of their territory, even for a brief moment, was tempting.

Kaz's gaze softened as he looked at Ren. He understood the younger man's desire to escape, even if just for a while. Ren had endured more loss in his short life than many of them had in centuries. The curse of psychosomatic death had taken Ren's mother when he was just a child, and the dark mage Zamarain had taken his father during the last raid against the House of Hope.

Zamarain's name was one that sent a chill down the spine of every warrior in Kazarin. The dark mage had allied with the Demon King, leading a brutal assault on the House of Hope. The once flourishing house, known for its strength and resilience, had been reduced to ashes. Its warriors were slaughtered, its lands devastated, and the sacred Flower of Hope—the source of its power—had been corrupted to create stronger, more intelligent demons and the curse that now plagued Kazarin.

 The fall of the House of Hope was a tragedy that none of them could forget. It was said that the other houses, consumed by their own pursuits of power and authority, had turned a blind eye to the massacre that unfolded. This neglect allowed Zamarain to gather the negative energies and the corrupted spark of hope, which he then used to create the curse of psychosomatic death.

Ren had only been four years old when his mother succumbed to the curse and nine when his father fell in battle. After the massacre, he had been placed in Kaz's care. Like all those born of the flowers, Ren aged slowly, but the pain of his losses had left deep scars on his young soul. Now, at 85, he was still considered a teen among the hunters, struggling to find his place in a world that had taken so much from him.

Darr placed a hand on Ren's shoulder, his touch gentle but firm. "I know you want to go, but we can't. It's too dangerous, and we're not welcome there."

Ren sighed, the weight of Darr's words sinking in. He knew they were right. The houses were territorial and fiercely protective of their lands. Wandering into another house's territory, especially one like the House of Love, could spark tensions they couldn't afford.

Despite Kaz's and Darr's warnings, Ren's resolve didn't waver. "I know it's dangerous," he said, his voice firm, "but we can't stay locked up in this place forever. We need to see the world outside, even if just for a little while. And the festival... it might be the only chance we get to feel something other than pain and battle."

Kaz sighed, seeing the stubborn determination in Ren's eyes. He knew how much the young warrior had suffered, and part of him wanted to shield Ren from any more pain. But he also knew that Ren needed this, needed to feel alive and connected to the world outside the war and death they were surrounded by.

Leondray, always the strategist, weighed the risks and rewards before speaking. "If we go, we'll need to be careful. We can't draw attention to ourselves, and we'll need to be ready to leave at a moment's notice."

The others, though hesitant, nodded in agreement. They understood Ren's need for this, and they weren't going to let him go alone. They were a team, bound by their shared experiences and loyalty to one another.