Yamile and Zhao wept as they read the letter. Their chests felt tight, as if about to explode. Their eyes brimmed with tears that kept falling, wetting their cheeks. It was a truth so difficult to accept!
Tora and Marco also felt deep sorrow witnessing the tears streaming from the siblings. Their hearts ached seeing the suffering they could not ease. Silence enveloped the atmosphere, as if the whole world mourned along with those painful tears.
Then Marco wrote again on a scrap of paper. When finished, he handed it to Yamile.
"And one more thing, your father didn't die on duty in the battlefield; he was killed by Mugan. Your father did have the power of the Niroki demon, but he couldn't use it because that power can only be wielded by women.
That's why your father recklessly sought revenge against Mugan alone. It was a fatal mistake because your enemy was a user of demonic powers.
Tora, Yamile, and Zhao, now you are siblings. Stop the terror that Mugan has unleashed on this earth."
The air around them seemed to freeze. Silence. Only the soft sobs of Yamile and Zhao could be heard among the ICU's faint breeze. The paper with Marco's handwriting was still tightly gripped in Yamile's hand, partially wet from her tears. Tora bowed his head, his eyes also moist. Marco, now lying weakly on the bed, only gave a faint smile, as if relieved to have shared the final truth before his time ran out.
"My father… didn't die because of duty, but because of Mugan…" Zhao whispered with a trembling voice.
Yamile clenched her fists. "Mother died because of him too, damn you, Mugan," she murmured.
Then Marco coughed harshly again. Fresh blood came out from the corner of his lips. His body was truly on the brink of the end.
Tora stepped forward and held Marco's hand. "Hold on! Don't go yet. We still need you."
Marco shook his head slowly. His breath grew shallow. The veins on his neck tightened, and his vision began to blur. But through the haze of pain, he still looked at Tora, Yamile, and Zhao, as if trying to deliver an unspoken last message.
"Tora, Yamile, Zhao… You are humanity's last hope. Mugan will not stop until the earth bows under his darkness. But you… can stop him. Unite… and don't leave each other…"
"Uncle…!" Yamile cried, clutching the weakening man.
"I can't lose anyone else!" Zhao shouted, his voice breaking with tears.
Marco gave a faint smile. And in that moment, the sound of the heart monitor changed to a flatline. A long beep shattered the silence, plunging everyone in the room into deep grief.
Tora bowed his head, fists clenched at the side of the bed. Yamile hugged Marco's body tightly, now lifeless. Zhao stared at the ceiling, tears uncontrollable.
Several hours later…
The night grew colder. In the quiet hospital backyard, three figures stood facing a simple, newly made grave. There was no grand ceremony. There were only silent prayers and promises spoken from the heart.
"Father, we will fulfill your last mission," Tora said softly. "We will fight Mugan. We will stop him."
Yamile gazed at the tombstone for a long time. "Your death won't be in vain, Uncle. The truth you carried will be our torch. For father… for mother… for all the victims… we will fight."
Zhao gripped his black sword tightly. "I will never forget all the training you taught me, Uncle."
---
Deep grief overwhelmed Tora, Yamile, and Zhao. Even though Yamile and Zhao had only met for a few days, they considered Marco their own father. Marco consistently provided them with patient and loving guidance.
Finally, the three decided to rest at Yamile and Zhao's base. The underground base was now the safest and most comfortable place for them.
Yamile lay on the sofa, Zhao sat in his chair with his feet on the table, and Tora occupied another chair.
"You are not alone," Tora suddenly said amid the silence that surrounded their hearts.
"What do you mean?" Zhao asked softly.
"My father gained the power of the Amonan demon because of my mother's sacrifice. Just like your mother, mine was also poisoned and eventually chose to sacrifice herself for the demonic power," Tora said quietly.
This fact shocked Zhao and Yamile. They immediately adjusted their sitting positions, looking at Tora with disbelief.
Tora looked at Zhao and Yamile alternately. "That's the truth!" he said.
"The powers of Niroki and Amonan were passed down to us so that we can stop Mugan. Our parents predicted that a demon terror would come in the future, and we are the ones trusted to stop it," Tora explained further.
Yamile leaned back, her gaze blankly staring at the ceiling of the underground base, slightly damp from the cold air. Tora's words still echoed in her ears. The facts revealed in one day felt like a storm that mercilessly struck their souls. Their hearts were torn, but the fire of revenge quietly began to burn within.
"Our father… our mother… they all knew this day would come," Yamile murmured hoarsely.
Zhao clenched his teeth. He stood up from his chair and walked slowly toward the wall where a large world map was pinned, marked with several bright red dots.
"The eastern city has been freed from the demon terror, which means the middle and western cities remain. There are still many strong enemies we must defeat," Zhao said.
"And we don't know where Mugan is," added Tora.
Yamile stood up slowly and approached Zhao, who was staring at the map with eyes full of hatred. She stood beside her brother, their shoulders touching. The three now looked in the same direction — toward the next battlefield.
"I have a feeling," Yamile said softly. "Mugan won't hide for long. He must know we have the truth. And he knows… we're coming."
Tora crossed his arms, his face calm but his eyes sharp. "That means he will prepare everything. His troops, his weapons, maybe even traps. But that's exactly where our chance lies. When the enemy is overconfident, he leaves an opening."
Zhao turned quickly. "You have a plan?"
Tora nodded. "If we want to end this, we must go there."
"Where do you mean by 'there'?" Zhao asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
Tora pointed to the center of the map. "We start our movement in the central city, then move to the western city. We free all those cities, and surely Mugan will show himself."
"I agree!" Yamile added to Tora's words.
"All right!" Zhao responded.
"We'll leave tomorrow. The sooner we get there, the sooner we take down Mugan," Yamile said with full fury.
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