El aire alrededor de la Torre de los Ecos era pesado, como si la propia atmósfera se resistiera a soltarlo. El viento había dejado de soplar y un silencio espeluznante envolvía la base de la torre. Solo quedaba Kazuo, su oscura figura contrastaba con el tenue resplandor de la estructura cuando comenzó a desmoronarse después de su victoria contra el jefe.
Kazuo avanzó con pasos lentos y calculados hacia la salida, llevando a Aiko en sus brazos. El peso de la muchacha no era un obstáculo, pero su condición —su aura rota, su mirada vacía— le resultaba familiar de una manera que lo incomodaba. Había visto el colapso físico muchas veces. Sin embargo, esto no fue solo físico.
En sus brazos, Aiko parecía tan frágil como una llama a punto de extinguirse. Aunque su cuerpo estaba libre de heridas gracias a la poción especial que le había administrado, algo en su mirada le decía que las cicatrices internas seguían siendo profundas.
Kazuo no estaba seguro de por qué no la había dejado allí, inconsciente en el suelo del salón principal de la torre. Podría haberlo hecho. Debería haberlo hecho. Sin embargo, sus instintos lo habían obligado a sacarla de ese lugar. Tal vez era el eco de otra voz, una que no quería recordar.
La puerta de la torre estaba cerrada, un arco oscuro marcaba el límite entre el opresivo interior y el aire fresco del exterior. Al cruzarla, la luz del sol, que comenzaba a abrirse paso entre las nubes, le golpeó la cara. Detrás de él, la Torre de Caiya comenzó a derrumbarse, sus cimientos se desmoronaron en un espectáculo de polvo y escombros. El jefe había caído, y con él, la torre.
Kazuo dio unos pasos más hacia adelante hasta que se detuvo. No fue el único.
Frente a la torre, un grupo esperaba en silencio. Llevaban uniformes similares, con un sello dorado bordado en sus corazas que indicaba su afiliación a un reino. Sus rostros reflejaban sorpresa al ver a Kazuo emerger con Aiko en sus brazos, y había algo más en sus posturas: incredulidad.
—¡Otros supervivientes! —exclamó uno de los soldados, con su voz profunda resonando en el aire pesado—.
Entre ellos, un joven sin armadura corrió hacia Kazuo, sus pasos resonando en el suelo rocoso. Al ver el cabello rojo de Aiko, su rostro se iluminó con una mezcla de esperanza y angustia. —¡Aiko!
Kazuo no respondió. Con movimientos calculados, colocó cuidadosamente a la niña en el suelo frente al grupo, asegurándose de que no se inclinara hacia adelante. Aiko permaneció inmóvil, con la mirada fija en el vacío, el pelo cayendo sobre su rostro. La quietud de la escena pareció inquietar aún más al grupo.
The young man fell to his knees beside her, his hands trembling as he called her name. 'Aiko... it's me. Please, look at me. You're safe now...'
But Aiko did not react. She was trapped in an abyss from which she could not escape.
'Who are you?' asked a burly man among the soldiers, turning his attention to Kazuo. His tone was sharp, as if trying to defy the weight of his presence. His eyes scanned him from head to toe, lingering on his impeccable clothes. 'How did you get out of there... without a scratch?'
Kazuo's silence was more intimidating than any threat. His eyes, cold as a moonless night, rested on the man, who instinctively took a step back.
Another soldier, more impatient, stepped forward. 'Answer!' he insisted, with obvious annoyance in his tone. 'Are you mute, or just arrogant?'
Before tensions could rise any further, a girl stepped forward from the formation. She wasn't tall, but there was an unusual strength in her gaze. Her brown hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, and her calm demeanour contrasted with the agitation of the others.
'Stop,' she ordered, her voice calm but authoritative. 'This will get us nowhere.'
The group fell silent, stepping back with some discomfort. The girl stopped in front of Kazuo, studying him closely. There was something in her face that seemed to be studying him, as if she were trying to unravel secrets he had no intention of revealing.
Kazuo fixed his eyes on her. Although his expression did not change, something in his jaw tightened slightly. There was something about her face that irritated him deeply. Something he didn't want to face.
Finally, he broke the silence, his voice as sharp as a knife. "The girl is healed. I used an enhanced potion. But her mental state is shattered. She saw all her companions fall.
Kazuo's words hit the group like a hammer. The young man next to Aiko lowered his head as he clenched his fists, his shoulders shaking with contained emotion. The soldiers looked at Kazuo, but no one dared to respond.
The brown-haired girl looked away at Aiko, who remained motionless on the ground. Then her eyes returned to Kazuo, and a question formed in her mind: 'How?'
Behind them, the tower continued to collapse, sending clouds of dust into the sky. Aiko was breathing heavily, but Kazuo stood as if nothing had happened. His clothes were spotless, and he didn't even look tired. For someone who had defeated the tower's boss, his condition was... impossible.
'How could he defeat the boss without getting a single scratch?' she thought. She had seen warriors return from the towers; they always arrived wounded or exhausted. But this man was beyond all that. Something didn't add up.
Kazuo didn't wait any longer. He turned and began walking towards the horizon. His dark, solemn figure slowly disappeared into the shadows of the trees. But just as he was about to disappear, a slight movement from Aiko stopped him.
The girl raised her head just a few inches, searching for something in the distance. Her eyes met Kazuo's, and for a moment, something in her empty gaze began to fill. She said nothing, but it was clear that she recognised him. She knew who had saved her.
Kazuo continued on his way, without stopping. Meanwhile, the group began to prepare their mounts. Aiko was carefully placed on one of them, but her gaze remained fixed in the direction Kazuo had disappeared.
The brown-haired girl watched him ride away, the question still alive in her mind: 'Who are you really?'
And so, as the tower crumbled and the group rode away, the silence Kazuo left behind seemed to echo louder than any words.