I drop my sword and cling to one of the wooden bar chairs as I catch my breath hard. Erin runs into the bar and places her hands on my back.

"You okay, Ren?"

I breathe heavily but manage to get out the words, "I'm okay."

I happen to look around the bar one more time and notice the ice is melting while the smoke is being cleared out. I look at Hagen's body and then back up at Erin.

"Did I do the right thing?"

I try to push myself to my feet, but to no avail, I just plop back onto the floor and catch my breath hard.

"I think you did what needed to be done."

She gave me a reassuring smile, but I know all too well what comes next.

Erin helps me to my feet as she walks with me slowly outside the bar. She brings me over to a barrel where I sit down and stare at the sky.

"It's a quiet night, but it's gonna be a rough morning. A village just lost its leader."

Erin puts her hand on her side.

"Well, you did what you had to do. I mean, why stress over what comes next?"

I look at her and nod, but I still challenge her to some extent.

"I mean, some bandits will be happy and some will want my neck, but I want to rebuild Compound City."

Erin looks around at the town, and even she realizes it will be a lot of work.

"Broken buildings and poverty run high in this town."

I place my fingers on my temple.

"Yeah, I know. It's why I wanna make Compound City a trade city."

Erin laughs kind of nervously.

"You think it's possible?"

I stare off in a single direction.

"Possible? Yeah. But a lot of time and energy will need to be spent, and I need to make sure I don't have a bounty on my head in my own town now."

Erin nods as she walks back into the bar. She picks up my sword and takes Hagen's armor off, then brings it over to me.

"Here. I figured you'll need your sword and maybe want to take the chest plate."

I look down at the ground and pick up my sword, placing it around my back.

"I do want the armor. I mean, the ring told me it's going to be important, so I may as well keep it."

I stare into the sky again as I notice the sun is finally rising.

"Well, after a long fought battle, the morning after is never easy."

I laugh, but deep down even I know all hell is going to break loose.

I stand up and stretch my legs since I can feel my body cooling down after the fight. I start looking around for Robert's body.

Erin takes my hand in hers.

"Follow me."

She starts walking me past the bar into the field of graves. I see two shovels on the floor, and there was Robert's body.

I run over and crouch down next to him.

"I did it, Robert. I beat Hagen. I saved this town."

Actually, I stop to think.

"We did it, buddy. We saved the town and took down Hagen."

I smile, but I can't help feeling pain in my chest.

I stare at the shovel and start digging.

"I'm sorry for not saving you. I will do everything in my power to watch over your daughter. I will not let a single person harm her."

I clench the shovel tightly.

"You know, I don't know if you can hear me, but I wanna rebuild this city and make it shine in a way you would've enjoyed. One where your daughter and your wife could've been themselves and not had to live in fear. I just hope you're up there with your wife finally. I'm sure she has been lonely."

Erin drops her shovel and hugs me.

"You're a good person, Ren. I don't think anyone would be able to keep a straight face with all this sadness."

She hides the fact that a tear rolled down her face.

I start digging his grave, keeping to myself. I look up every now and then to make sure Erin is okay.

As I stop and turn, I notice a lot of people behind us. An old lady walks up to me.

"Excuse me, boy, but who are you burying?"

I look at Robert's grave before looking back at the old lady.

"His name was Robert, and he died when Hagen shot him."

The old lady steps back before bowing her head.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Uh, hey Erin."

I look up at her.

"Maybe you should grab Robin?"

Erin looks at me with a puzzled look.

"Ren, are you sure? She is just a child."

I sigh as I look at the ground.

"Look, I want her to make peace with herself and her father not coming home. I don't want her to be like me, who still regrets losing my sister all these years later."

Erin looks at me, then sighs.

"I'll bring her, but I don't know. It just seems morbid for your own daughter to see you getting buried."

I place the shovel down as I lean on one of the big trees.

"Yeah, I get that. Even I don't like the idea. I mean, forcing a child to see that... she might hate me after."

Erin nods.

"I'll bring her."

As Erin dashes toward Robert's house, I stay leaned against the tree. I can hear people whispering in the bigger crowd that formed. I heard an old ragged voice say I'm the one who killed Hagen, and some bandits want me dead while some will protect me.

Hearing that in the crowd made me want to fight that old man, but now isn't the time nor the place.

I see Erin and Robin rushing over.

I think to myself, Okay, this is going to be the hardest part of her life, and she will either hate me after or want me to be around. I'll respect any decision she makes.

I can't help but tap my feet against the tree as I feel my heartbeat in my damn ears.

I look at Erin and Robin, who are now in front of me.

Robin looks around at the graves, then back at me.

"Where is Daddy?"

I turn my head to look away, but I stop midway and think to myself.

No, Ren. You need to be strong. This child needs your support. You cannot hightail it out every time something goes wrong.

I look at Robin and open my mouth to speak, but I couldn't form a sentence or a word to save my life.

Robin asks again, looking right at me.

"Ren, where is Daddy?"

My heart shatters into a million pieces.

"Robin..."

I kneel down next to her.

"He fought a hard fight."

I place my hands on her back, pulling her into a hug. I could feel my words breaking. I look up at Erin as I feel a tear roll down my face.

"He fought to protect you and this town."

Robin breaks away from the hug as she falls backward.

"No!"

She yells as she falls.

"Daddy said he would come home."

She stands up on her own and stares at her father's grave, staying silent but giving a prayer. You could see her mimic the hand gestures most people do.

I stand there and watch as I feel Erin come up behind me and hug me.

"You did good today, Ren."

I nod, watching how Robin is taking it all in.

She turns to me and tells me to sit next to her.

I walk over to where she was and sit down.

"So Daddy won't be coming home?"

I look at the grave and then back at Robin.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. I wish I could tell you yes, but he won't be coming back home."

Robin nods as tears form in her eyes.

I look at Robert's grave.

"Well, your father told me if anything happened to him, to look after you. Now, if you don't hate me—and I really don't blame you if you do—but I'd like to follow the wishes of Robert, my dear friend."

Robin looks at me.

"So I can still talk to him?"

I nod.

"I believe when someone you care about is gone, you can talk to them when you visit their grave."

The villagers all stare over at the grave, many of them bowing their heads.

They all shout in unison.

"Rest in peace."

Erin takes Robin back a little bit as we start covering Robert with dirt so we can close his grave.

"Goodbye, Daddy. I'll miss you, and I hope I can see you very soon again."

I stare at the fresh mound of dirt.

"Rest in peace, buddy. I'll be joining you sooner or later."

I turn around and look at Erin.

"We need to bury Hagen."

She sighs.

"You really want to do that?"

"Just because Hagen was a monster shouldn't mean he doesn't get a proper rest."

I flash step to the bar and lift Hagen's body. The weight of him felt different now, no longer an enemy, just another life that had ended.

I carry him back to the cemetery.

The bandits watch to make sure I don't harm their leader.

"Boo, you're a killer," one said to me.

"Hagen had it coming. That man tore families apart. If you're fine with that, then maybe you should join him," another bandit with a scar over his eye said.

I start digging Hagen's grave.

"You know, in a world where I knew a lot of things, then getting sent to another where I knew nothing... one thing I can say is I'm glad I met people who allowed me to become stronger."

I slowly lower Hagen's body into the earth.

"Well, Hagen, you ruled this town with an iron fist and fear. I'm going to rule this town with hope."

I place the final patch of dirt over Hagen.

I hadn't noticed, but the bandits had left after saying their prayers, and Erin had taken Robin back to the house.

I stand in front of the two graves and look down.

"One was a man caught in a war, and one was the monster who caused the war."

I feel a hand on my back before I hear Erin's voice.

"You okay?"

I stare at her before looking beyond the trees.

"Honestly, I have no clue. I'm cold and tired from the fighting. I'm exhausted mentally from having to bury a man and a monster, and now you and I are basically going to have to play parents to a kid that will probably hate us in the future."

I laugh.

"So yeah, I'd say I'm definitely doing better than some people, but life definitely threw me some fucking bricks. But how are you?"

Erin stops and pauses to look at the graves.

"Well, I mean, it's definitely a change of pace in our lives. I never expected in a million years someone would take down Hagen, yet here we are. And now you have plans to rebuild this city. It's going to be interesting to see how the politics of this city play out. I just hope you can manage and not get caught in the crossfire again."

She smiles while rubbing my back.

I take her hands in mine and look at Compound City, taking it all in.

"Well... now comes the harder part.

Rebuilding this city."