CHAPTER 98 — STAYING HUMAN

The campfire was beginning to shrink.

Six people sat around it.

Belar lay a little farther away.

Her head rested between her front paws.

No one kept staring at her anymore.

But no one was completely used to her either.

Arthur tried to tell them something.

Stopped himself halfway through the sentence.

Charlotte tried to smile.

The smile vanished before it formed.

Percy tossed a small branch into the fire.

Clara had drawn her knees up.

Marcus watched the darkness.

William had clasped his hands together.

There were six of them.

Today...

They had seen six other mages.

They didn't even know their names.

Now all six were dead.

No one spoke for a long time.

Finally, William raised his head.

“Their bodies were cold.”

No one looked at him.

William continued.

“And they were gone.”

Charlotte's expression changed.

She looked at the fire.

Then asked very quietly.

“Could we end up like that too?”

Silence.

Arthur's jaw tightened.

Marcus took his eyes off the darkness.

Clara slowly looked at Percy.

So did William.

Percy didn't answer immediately.

Because there was an easy lie he could tell.

No.

Not us.

We're different.

Percy didn't tell that lie.

“No one can say we won't.”

Charlotte's eyes filled slightly.

Percy continued.

“But we can't say there's no difference either.”

This time, everyone looked at him.

Marcus frowned slightly.

“What do you mean, Pathfinder?”

Clara straightened a little.

Percy was about to answer.

But Clara spoke before him.

“What Percy means is this.”

Percy looked at her.

Clara turned toward the fire.

“You saw them.”

“They were older than us.”

“Twenty-five...”

“Maybe somewhere up to thirty-five.”

William nodded quietly.

Clara continued.

“Their magic had developed.”

“They had experience too.”

Arthur looked at the wood in the fire.

Clara's voice stayed calm.

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“But where they died...”

“There were twenty-nine wolves in total.”

“They came as a pack.”

Marcus's expression hardened.

Clara continued.

“They lived to that age.”

“Went on missions.”

“Fought.”

“Grew stronger.”

“But at some point...”

“Their experience and their development stopped keeping pace.”

Clara thought briefly.

“Or...”

“They couldn't keep doing better.”

Percy nodded.

“Yes, but—”

Clara cut him off.

“We're not like that.”

Percy fell silent.

Clara looked at her friends.

“We can improve.”

“We can move forward.”

“The mistake we made today...”

“Doesn't have to be the one we make tomorrow.”

Arthur's gaze rose.

Clara continued.

“Our name is First Spark of Hope.”

“Not Fastest Spark to Go Out.”

Percy laughed despite himself.

Clara looked at him.

Percy turned to the fire.

“Every spark is destined to go out.”

Everyone fell silent.

Percy continued.

“But how long it burns...”

“...is up to the team.”

Clara looked at him.

A small smile formed on her face.

Percy noticed too.

But this time, he didn't joke.

“Their deaths hurt.”

Percy's voice grew heavy again.

The smile left Arthur's face.

Percy continued.

“Yes.”

“We'll see more.”

Charlotte closed her eyes.

Percy watched the fire.

“My grandpa...”

“When he gave me my first mission...”

“I was still a kid.”

William looked at him.

Percy laughed softly.

“I mean, I'm still a kid now.”

Arthur:

“A little.”

Percy looked at him.

“Cut it out.”

Arthur's lips curved.

Percy continued.

“My grandpa took me with him.”

“Took me to the first Emperor Monster he knew of.”

Clara's gaze changed.

“Emperor?”

Percy nodded.

“I saw it from a distance.”

“I didn't know its name then.”

“I learned later.”

William leaned forward.

“What was its name?”

Percy was quiet for a few seconds.

“Lucifer.”

The fire crackled softly.

Charlotte's expression changed.

“Lucifer?”

“The name it was given.”

Percy nodded.

“I don't know if that's its real name.”

“But apparently it's like a devil.”

He pushed a branch into the fire.

“And it feeds on King Monsters.”

He paused.

“At least...”

“From what I learned in defense class.”

William looked at him.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

“Chasing an A+ there too, I take it.”

Percy paused for a second.

Then laughed.

“Habit.”

Arthur laughed softly too.

This time, their laughter was a little more real.

But William's expression turned serious again.

“Percy.”

“Hm?”

“That battle earlier.”

Percy turned to him.

William frowned.

“Weren't all twelve dead?”

Arthur looked at him too.

William continued.

“Why did one attack Arthur?”

Silence.

Percy's gaze turned to Marcus.

Marcus noticed.

Percy asked calmly.

“Why didn't you confirm?”

Marcus didn't answer for a moment.

Then looked down.

“I thought it was dead.”

Percy nodded slightly.

“There.”

Marcus looked at him again.

Percy leaned toward the fire.

“What did I show you at camp?”

No one answered.

Percy continued.

“A moment of letting our guard down...”

“What does it do to us?”

William's expression changed.

Percy studied them one by one.

“Look.”

“You forgot camp quickly.”

Arthur's eyes dropped to the fire.

Percy continued.

“How much did you suffer?”

“Your feet were torn apart.”

“You didn't sleep.”

“You were afraid.”

“You were crushed under the pressure.”

“You fell.”

“Got back up.”

Charlotte looked at her hands.

Percy's voice lowered.

“Those things made you who you are.”

“But you forgot those days.”

Marcus listened silently.

Percy looked at him.

“The body adapts.”

He paused.

“But if the mind doesn't...”

“...mistakes happen.”

The fire crackled again.

Then Clara spoke.

“We know that, Perc.”

Percy's gaze turned to her.

A moment of silence.

Clara realized what she'd said too.

Percy's eyebrow rose slightly.

“Perc?”

Clara looked at him for a moment.

A faint color rose in her cheeks.

But she didn't look away.

“Yes.”

Percy's lip curved slightly.

For the first time.

Not Perc. Percy.

But Percy waited for her to continue.

And Clara did.

“Knowing that...”

“Doesn't stop us from hurting.”

“Or grieving.”

Percy's smile disappeared.

Clara looked at Belar.

Belar flicked one ear.

Clara continued.

“You brought this wolf here.”

“Told us her story.”

“You saw her pups.”

“Fed them.”

“I understand.”

Percy listened quietly.

Clara turned back to him.

“But she...”

“To protect her pups...”

“...could kill you.”

Percy looked at Belar.

Belar raised her head.

Then laid it down again.

Percy turned to Clara.

“Wouldn't you...”

“To protect...”

“...kill people who might attack you?”

Clara didn't answer immediately.

She thought for a while.

Then shook her head.

“I'd hurt them.”

“Not kill them.”

Percy nodded.

“I'm like you.”

Clara raised an eyebrow.

Percy continued.

“But I'm a little different.”

“How?”

Percy rested his hands on his knees.

“I want to protect life.”

No one spoke.

“I came here to kill.”

“Yes.”

Percy looked beyond the fire.

“But those who didn't attack me...”

“...I didn't attack.”

“Or those who didn't attack you.”

William frowned.

Percy looked at him.

“All of you, think carefully.”

“Think of a single monster...”

“...we've encountered so far.”

Percy waited.

“Did even one...”

“...choose not to attack us?”

Arthur thought.

The first wolf.

The second.

The Nevr.

The packs.

William lowered his eyes.

Marcus nodded slightly.

So did Charlotte.

Clara looked at Percy.

Arthur said it first.

“No.”

William:

“No.”

Marcus:

“No.”

Charlotte:

“No.”

Clara answered last.

“No.”

Percy nodded.

“I didn't set out on this path...”

“...to kill.”

His voice wasn't loud.

But no one moved.

“I'm not a murderer.”

“I'm not bloodthirsty.”

Percy looked at his friends.

“I don't want you to be either.”

Arthur's hand relaxed.

Percy continued.

“Protect life.”

“As much as you can.”

“But while you do...”

“...put your people first.”

Charlotte's gaze rose.

Percy touched his chest.

“Have the right motivation.”

“Don't fight to kill.”

“Fight to keep others alive.”

William listened quietly.

“Whether we like it or not...”

“We're a species.”

“And our priority...”

“...has to be our own.”

Percy fell silent briefly.

Then looked around.

Five heads were still lowered.

Percy's voice hardened.

“Lift your heads.”

No one moved.

Percy spoke again.

“And look at me.”

Arthur raised his head first.

Then Charlotte.

William.

Marcus.

Clara last.

Percy looked at all of them.

For a long time.

Then spoke.

“You...”

“Aren't maniacs programmed to kill.”

Arthur's eyes filled with tears.

Percy looked at William.

“You're my friends.”

Turned to Marcus.

“My team.”

Looked at Charlotte.

“My loved ones.”

Percy's voice caught for a moment.

Then he looked at Clara.

Clara was already looking at him.

Percy's eyes softened.

“And my hope is that...”

He took a breath.

“My first spark...”

Clara's eyes filled slightly.

Percy turned his gaze to the others.

“...you'll spread it to the world with me.”

Silence.

Not heavy this time.

The small fire burned.

Belar raised her head.

Percy spoke one last time.

“Don't forget that.”

CHAPTER 98 — STAYING HUMAN

END