FALLEN HEAVEN

The sky slowly turned purple, leaving streaks of orange on the horizon. Canis and Easton sat side by side atop the wreckage of a large ship, half-buried in the sand. Rotting wood and rusted metal stood silent, witnessing a conversation about to unfold, while waves rolled endlessly beneath their feet.

"What brings you here, my friend?" Easton asked softly, his eyes fixed on the endless line of the sea.

Canis was silent for a moment. The sea breeze blew his black cloak back, revealing the sword sheath hanging on his left hip.

"I need your help."

Easton raised an eyebrow—not entirely surprised, but intrigued by the directness. "What kind of help?"

Canis didn't answer immediately. He drew a deep breath, as if weighing each word before it left his lips. Then, slowly, he began to speak.

"The Bloodminers have resurfaced. They're no longer hiding in the shadows like before. This time... they're targeting me. My name was mentioned. And that means the game has changed."

Easton frowned. "Them? Targeting you? But haven't they avoided you all these years? You've lived quietly for so long—they never even came close."

A quiet, bitter laugh came from behind them.

"Maybe because they never saw him as a threat before," said Aron, standing a few meters away, leaning against a half-collapsed mast. "But during our last expedition, a Ravager appeared. Not just any Ravager. It... spoke. It strategized. Intelligent. Too intelligent for an ordinary creature."

Easton turned, laying eyes on Aron for the first time since their arrival.

"Who's the kid?" he whispered to Canis.

"Aron Telsa. My student."

"Ah," Easton murmured, nodding, then returning his attention to Aron's words. "You said the Ravager… spoke?"

Aron nodded seriously. "And when everyone saw Master Canis' strength… they started asking questions. Including Miss Shina. She even accused Master of being part of the Bloodminers."

The name made Easton freeze.

"Shina?" he repeated quietly, almost in disbelief. "Shina Mariposa? From the Imperial Armed Forces?"

Canis gave a single nod. Brief. Cold. But something in the motion made Easton stare a little longer.

"So it's her," Easton muttered, squinting. "Do you know her?"

"No," Canis answered quickly. Too quickly.

Easton gave a small smirk. "Oh… sure. Very convincing answer, Canis."

"I said I don't know her."

"Of course."

Canis exhaled, his eyes still locked on the sea. But Easton knew. He knew his old friend too well not to notice the silent signals.

"She's suspicious of me," Canis said simply, ignoring the question.

The words hung in the air like salt mist, drifting in and out with the wind. Aron lowered his head, pretending to brush sand off his boots. Easton just stared at Canis, then turned his gaze to the sky that was darkening fast.

"I'll help you, Canis. You know that. But we won't just need trackers or fighters... we need the truth. And I'm not sure that'll come from enemy blood."

Canis didn't respond. But for the first time since arriving, his eyes softened. Just a little.

And the wind kept bringing waves to the shore, one after another.

---

The campfire crackled softly, flames licking the dry wood Aron had just thrown in. The orange light illuminated their faces, casting shadows that danced gently under the moon that hung still above the sea.

Night cloaked the beach in a calm, salty breeze. The sea wind played with their hair as they sat around the fire, enjoying a simple meal—hard bread, dried meat, and hot water steeped with local herbs.

Easton chewed slowly before breaking the silence.

"You didn't really have to come all the way here, Canis. If you needed help tracking energy movements, why not just ask Shina Mariposa directly?" he said, half-teasing, half-serious. "Her reputation in the Empire is unmatched. She's known as the most accurate energy detector in the armed forces."

Canis looked at him over the rim of a metal cup. "That's… not an option," he said quietly.

Easton smirked. "Why? Did you two have a quarrel?"

Canis immediately straightened up, his gaze sharpening slightly.

"We're not close enough to quarreling."

"Oh?" Easton raised an eyebrow. "Usually people who are 'nobodies' would give a more neutral answer."

"We've only known each other for a month. And even then, our interactions weren't exactly… friendly."

Aron looked up from his meal, noticing the subtle lines on Canis' face as he spoke. He'd been with his mentor long enough to recognize that tone: flat, but holding something far deeper.

"If I'm not careful," Canis continued, his voice lower now, "that ice woman might stab me in the back."

Easton chuckled. "Ice woman, huh? I can imagine. But I think only someone who's touched her warm side would call her that."

"I have no interest in touching any side of her," Canis replied quickly.

"That's not what I meant," Easton said calmly. He turned toward the fire, his voice softening. "I just think... sometimes the ones most eager to bring you down are the ones who want to see if you'll really fall."

Canis fell silent.

Aron looked toward the beach, where the waves came and went, like the breath of something far greater than them all.

Easton watched his old friend for a moment, then simply nodded once. He understood. When Canis had made up his mind, nothing could shake him.

Then, in the quiet that remained—filled only by fire and the sea—they finished their meal in silence. There was nothing more to say that night. But they all knew that starting tomorrow, their steps would carry them into a storm deeper than just Ravagers or Bloodminers.

Because sometimes, the true enemy isn't the creature out there—it's the truth we've been avoiding all along.

{Chapter 14 end}