The night passed without further trouble, and most of the group managed to get some rest. Now, it was nearly time to push deeper into the Forsakened Vale.

  They had already lost a quarter of their forces in st night's battle—a devastating blow, especially with the expedition only on its second day in the forest.

  As Rain checked over his equipment, preparing for the journey ahead, Diego approached him with a searching look.

  Their eyes met, and Diego spoke. "You—what's your name?"

  Rain hesitated for a moment before replying, "It's Rain, sir."

  Diego studied him, his expression sharp and assessing. "Rain, I want you at the front with me. You proved yourself reliable st night."

  Rain held Diego’s gaze for a moment before nodding. "If that’s where you need me, I’ll be there. Guess reliability has its perks."

  Rain clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay still. 'The front. Great.'

  Of course, Diego had to pick him. Not like he had a choice. Bryan made it clear—Diego had permission to deal with anyone who stepped out of line.

  Rain let out a quiet breath, keeping his expression neutral. 'Whether he actually would or not… I don’t want to be the one to find out.'

  He had seen how the others looked at Diego, the way they hesitated before speaking. Even if Diego hadn’t cut anyone down yet, the possibility was there.

  'No compints. No hesitation. Just nod and follow orders.'

  He’d py the part. Let them think he was just another obedient soldier. If reliability put him in the front, so be it.

  'Fine. I’ll py along. But I’m not some mindless grunt.'

  Adjusting his gear, he gnced toward the dark path ahead. He knew what y deeper in the Forsakened Vale—more danger, more death.

  'I’ll do what I have to… until I don’t have to anymore.'

  Rain adjusted his gear and stepped forward, weaving through the weary soldiers until he reached the front. Each step felt heavier than the st, but he kept his expression neutral, unreadable. No point in letting Diego or anyone else see his frustration.

  'The front. The worst pce to be.'

  Being here meant he’d be the first to step into the unknown. The first to trigger an ambush. The first to die if something shed out from the darkness. The middle—that was the safest spot. Surrounded. Shielded. Others took the risks before you, and if something struck from behind, you had time to react.

  In here, there was no buffer. If something was lurking just beyond their torchlight, waiting, watching… it’d be Rain who found out the hard way.

  'And if something does come, Diego expects me to handle it.'

  He exhaled slowly, steadying himself as the trees ahead loomed like silent watchers, their twisted forms vanishing into the Vale’s endless darkness.

  'The front. Great. Let’s see how long I survive this.'

  Rain kept his gaze ahead, stepping carefully over the uneven forest floor. Every shadow between the twisted trees felt like it could hide something watching, waiting. The front was the worst pce to be, but at least it kept him moving.

  Footsteps approached from his side—steady, deliberate. Diego.

  Without breaking stride, Diego gnced at him. “Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

  Rain didn’t look at him. “Like what, sir?”

  Diego scoffed. “Don’t py dumb. You handled yourself well st night. Most would’ve panicked, but you fought like someone who’s done it before.”

  Rain hesitated for only a moment before answering, keeping his tone even. “Picked up a few things here and there. When you have to survive, you learn fast.”

  Diego was silent for a moment, then said, “It looked familiar.”

  That made Rain gnce at him, just for a second. Diego wasn’t just making conversation—he was searching for something.

  Rain forced a shrug. “Can’t say why. Maybe fighting just looks the same after a while.”

  Diego didn’t respond immediately, but Rain could feel his gaze lingering before he finally looked ahead again. “Maybe.”

  'Familiar, huh?'

  Rain kept his expression neutral, but inside, his mind was already racing. Diego wasn’t just making small talk—he was searching for something.

  'Of course it looked familiar. My father taught me, he was an Essence Whisperer as well. They probably met before maybe even fought together.'

  His grip on his weapon tightened slightly. The way he moved, the way he fought—it all came from his father. The man drilled it into him, day after day, until every strike, every parry, every movement became second nature.

  'Not that it helped him in the end.'

  The thought crept in before he could stop it. His father hadn’t just disappeared—he had died. And no amount of skill had saved him.

  Rain forced himself to keep marching, to stay focused. He couldn’t let Diego see any hesitation, any slip that might give away more than he intended.

  'Does he actually recognize it? Or is he just fishing for answers?'

  Either way, Rain wasn’t about to reveal more about himself for free.

  Diego suddenly raised a hand, signaling the group to shift course. "We’re changing direction. Head right," he ordered, his voice firm but calm.

  Rain adjusted his footing as the formation subtly shifted, the weary soldiers falling in line without question.

  'Right? Why?'

  Then it clicked. They were going to meet up with the main group—Group One. That meant Bryan.

  Rain kept his face neutral, but the thought sat heavy in his mind.

  'Back to Bryan already… Wonder what he’ll have to say about st night.'

  As Rain marched, he gnced at Diego, studying his expression. At first gnce, he looked composed—calm, controlled, just like always. But Rain knew better.

  There was something in the way Diego’s jaw was set, the way his eyes flicked ahead, sharp and focused. Like he wanted to move faster. Like he was holding himself back.

  'He’s uneasy.'

  Diego wasn’t the type to show fear, which meant something was pushing him to get to Bryan quickly. And yet, he forced himself to keep a steady pace, to act like nothing was wrong.

  'He doesn’t want anyone to panic.'

  That only made Rain more uneasy.