The late afternoon covered the Capital of Sorriso in gold. Among the old alleys and lanterns beginning to glow, Lukas walked alone.

  Each step echoed in his chest, a reminder that he didn’t know who he was beyond war.

  He had slipped away without telling anyone. He needed to think—far from laughter, far from applause. Far from the weight of being called Blood Demon.

  When he passed the central fountain, his eyes fixed on a kneeling figure. The young priestess from before—the same one who had offered him sweets—was praying silently. On the stone, a blue ribbon trembled, as if it longed to fly away.

  Lukas stopped a few steps away.

  — You… — he said softly. — I remember you.

  She lifted her face, startled.

  — S-sir Lukas… forgive me. I didn’t mean to bother you.

  — You’re not bothering me, — he replied, sitting on the fountain’s edge. — I just… needed to walk a little.

  For a moment, neither spoke. The sound of running water was their only companion.

  — I… — Lukas drew a deep breath. — I don’t know what comes next.

  She pressed the ribbon against her chest.

  — My name is Hélia. I was a novice of the Bragan?a Temple. — Her voice trembled, but her gaze did not waver. — When the city was attacked… I thought no one would survive. But… it was because of you that I and the others managed to escape.

  Lukas lowered his eyes.

  — It wasn’t enough. I wasn’t strong enough to save who mattered. Not even to protect my father.

  Hélia shook her head firmly.

  — Don’t say that. I… I lost many people. But I’m not mourning all of them because you stayed. Because you fought. — She inhaled deeply. — And because you didn’t give up, when anyone else would have run.

  The weight pressed on his chest again.

  — I always thought of myself as weak. My brothers were prodigies. They had everything: courage, gifts, respect. I… I only had the name. When Sorriso fell, I felt like I was worth nothing.

  — Even so, you stood your ground, — said Hélia. — That… is more strength than many people will ever have.

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  He didn’t answer. He kept staring at the reflection in the water, searching for traces of the boy who once dreamed of being a hero.

  Hélia lowered her head.

  — I just wanted you to know. It’s because of you that I can still pray for those I lost.

  He said nothing. Yet something inside him felt a little less heavy.

  She rose and bowed slightly. Before leaving, she spoke in a timid tone:

  — I hope that one day you’ll be able to see everything you’ve already done for others.

  When Hélia disappeared among the lanterns, Lukas breathed deeply. Perhaps that stranger had left behind more than gratitude—she had left a thread of hope.

  He was about to move on when hurried footsteps approached. Turning, he saw the peasant girl who had thanked him during the audience. She carried a simple bundle in her hands.

  — Sir Lukas… — she said, nearly breathless. — Wait.

  — You again? — He raised an eyebrow.

  She steadied herself.

  — I am Mirna. My family had a farm near the Roraima Mountains. — She clutched the bundle against her chest. — When the barbarians came, we… we would have died. Or worse. But you and your sister… you arrived.

  He accepted the package awkwardly.

  — I… I only did my duty.

  — For us, it was everything, — Mirna said, meeting his eyes for the first time. — I’m not mourning today because you fought.

  Lukas turned his gaze aside, the weight on his chest both heavier and lighter at once.

  — I… I just don’t want to be remembered as the one who couldn’t even protect his own family.

  Mirna shook her head firmly.

  — No one who endured what you endured can ever be called weak. — She drew a steady breath. — I don’t know if you’ll ever believe it. But all of us already do.

  Silence filled the street. For the first time in a long while, Lukas felt he could breathe without drowning in guilt.

  — Thank you, — he said quietly.

  Mirna began to step away, but stopped and turned once more.

  — And… please… don’t carry everything alone. You don’t deserve to live only in guilt.

  Hélia returned from the other side of the street, gathering courage, and stood beside Mirna.

  — Think of us, — she said softly, with a small smile. — As your fans.

  — Fans? — Lukas blinked, unsure if they were serious. — You’re joking, right?

  — Not at all, — Mirna answered simply. — No matter how you see yourself… for us, you were a hero.

  Hélia nodded.

  — Thank you for everything, Sir Lukas.

  The two girls turned and walked away together under the lantern light, speaking quietly.

  When they were gone, Lukas stood there holding the bundle of bread against his chest. He looked up at the sky, where the first stars emerged, and breathed slowly.

  He thought that maybe, just maybe… one day he would believe in all that.

  And deep down, he realized a truth more painful than any wound:

  The boy who once suffered bullying, who missed his father, who only wanted to be accepted… was still there.

  And for today, that was enough.

  End of Chapter 6

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