Starborn silence

The silence stretched too long to be comfortable.

Sunny's hand hovered near his sword. Not enough to be a threat—but enough to send a message. I'm not here to play.

German Sparow simply… stood there. Perfect posture, white hair gently tousled by the wind, that same unsettling smile painted across his face. A mask of politeness, worn too well for someone his age.

"You seem tense," German said, voice soft. "Did the dream bother you that much?"

Sunny froze.

A chill ran through his spine. He hadn't told anyone about the dream. Not a soul. Not even hints.

"…What did you say?"

German stepped forward. Slowly. Carefully. His shoes barely disturbed the dirt beneath them. "The dream. You watched her die in your arms. You woke up sweating. You whispered a name you don't remember knowing. I imagine it felt… personal."

He was guessing.

He had to be.

Right?

But that glint in German's eyes—clear, sharp, impossibly calm—suggested otherwise.

"Who are you?" Sunny asked, voice low.

"A mirror," German replied. "I show people what they don't want to see."

Sunny narrowed his eyes. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"No." He paused. "But it should make you think."

There it was. The shift. Not intimidation—but control. German wasn't threatening him. He was studying him. Every reaction, every breath. He was already inside Sunny's head, moving pieces on a board Sunny hadn't even seen yet.

"Why Kanah?" Sunny asked, trying to shift the momentum. "What's here?"

German gave a gentle chuckle. "You still think you're the one asking the questions."

Sunny took a step forward. "If you know about the dream… then tell me. What was it? A memory? A vision? A warning?"

German looked up at the sky. "Maybe it was all three. Or maybe it was just a story."

He turned to meet Sunny's gaze again. "But here's the real question, Sunny… why did it feel real to you? What part of you—deep down—believed that the boy in that dream could have been you?"

Sunny's breath caught.

German smiled wider, eyes gleaming. "You're not afraid of me. You're afraid of who you might become."

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.

Then German turned and began walking down the path that led deeper into Kanah Village. No invitation. No farewell. Just a voice drifting over his shoulder.

"You're here because you were meant to be. And I'll be watching."

Sunny stood frozen.

In all his travels, all the battles, all the monsters—nothing had ever unnerved him like that boy's voice.

It wasn't what he said.

It was what he didn't.