*A FEW YEARS EARLIER*
In the majestic hall adorned with luxurious tapestries and illuminated by glittering chandeliers, Rero feels like a shadow.
Sitting in a remote corner, her small hands clutching the edges of the chair, her green eyes fix on the polished marble floor, trying to blend in with the environment. Laughter and conversations echo like a distant rumble, yet they do not reach her.
She is alone, isolated amidst a party where she seems to belong nowhere.
“Oh no, Zero is here! Let’s go somewhere else,” Sierra, her older sister, says with a tone of disgust that stabs Rero’s heart.
The nickname “Zero” torments her, embarrasses her. She wishes she could just disappear.
But what hurts her even more is being shunned by her own sisters.
Sierra and Felicia quickly move away from her, not wanting to be 'tainted' by her mediocrity.
The Sansanti family, a pillar of Hallemagner society, is renowned for high-ranking ventures and their prowess in martial arts and magic.
Every Sansanti has experienced the awakening, but Rero was the one who received it the latest of all.
Despite her lineage, Rero is just a C-rank Venture with, at best, mediocre statistics. She is the only Sansanti with such a low rank.
This reality makes her feel like a stain on an otherwise impeccable fabric, a sign of shame her family must endure.
Her parents often look at her with an unspoken disappointment in their eyes.
Their sad expressions convey all their disapproval, as if her very existence is a constant reminder of an irreparable mistake.
She has trained tirelessly to compensate for her low rank with technique. But maybe she also lacks talent.
Why have the Gods condemned her to be born so weak?
"Rero, why can’t you be like your brother Fierro?" her mother once whispered to her, her voice trembling on the border between reproach and despair. Being despised by her mother is still better than the treatment she receives from her father.
For her father, Rero does not exist. He completely ignores her.
The question her mother asked is one that Rero also ponders as she watches her beloved older brother, the center of this party at the Sansanti villa.
Fierro, her cherished older brother, is Rero’s antithesis.
A Rank A Venture, his name is synonymous with excellence and respect. Abundantly talented and a master in the art of swordsmanship despite his young age, he is the pride of the Sansanti family, their hero. Always surrounded by people who admire him, Fierro walks on a golden path that inevitably leads to success.
As much as she envies him, Rero cannot hate Fierro.
In this household, he is the only one who treats her like a human being and not like trash.
Fierro doesn’t see Rero as a failure.
He treats her with genuine affection, with a kindness that seems boundless.
He taught her to never give up, to always work hard despite difficulties and adverse fate.
Regardless of everything, Rero is a Sansanti; she must compensate for her lack of talent with hard work.
Fierro always dedicates time to help her. He's the only one she has left.
Even her only friend Luysia Camclair has become an emblem of how inadequate Rero feels.
Her friend has surpassed her in everything. The blonde has been chosen by the Church to become a paladin. There is no greater honor.
Rero is surrounded by stars too bright. Rero feels alone.
Unable to bear the heavy atmosphere any longer, Rero flees the hall. She needs to be alone.
She feels excluded, and the blooming garden seems the only way out.
Tears silently streak her face. Her escape, however, does not go unnoticed.
The man, his hair waving in the night breeze, reaches her.
Fierro sits next to her, taps her on the head, and says: "Why are you crying, Lil’ Silly?"
“I can't do it, Fierro. Despite all my efforts... I’m insignificant,” Rero vents to the only one who listens to her and deems her worthy of consideration.
“You’re such a silly little thing. You emit a light of your own. When you smile, you light up the room. You’re not a slimy snake like the other members of this family.”
“You think so?” Rero asks incredulously, looking into her brother's green eyes.
“Of course, Lil’ Silly. You’re the only one who tries so hard. Our sisters rest on their laurels.”
Rero is doubtful.
“It doesn’t matter what your rank is, Rero. You’re my sister, and to me, you’re perfect just the way you are."
At that moment, Rero feels understood and accepted.
Fierro taught her swordsmanship, encouraged her, and spurred her to overcome her limits.
He taught her the philosophy of the Sword, through which she could express her feelings.
His words were like balm to her wounded heart. In his presence, the outside world, with its harsh expectations and cruel disappointments, seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them, brother and sister, bound by an indestructible affection.
He was what allowed her to stay afloat in that ocean of loneliness.
But that ended on that sad winter day.
The stone grave in front of her bears the symbol of Chand.
Rero stands before that grave.
Her brother did not return from the dungeon.
The expedition of the Sun Land guild was annihilated.
The few survivors are traumatized by what they experienced.
Her brother did not return. Now she is truly alone.
Her warm tears, in contrast to the cold wind.
The same tears now run down the brunette's face.
*PRESENT TIME*
"You're supposed to be dead!" she yells, as if that scream could free her from the grip of emotions she is feeling at this moment.
The uncontrollable urge to embrace her brother.
Her body doesn't move. Fierro has not abandoned his defensive position.
They are fighting a deadly duel. The philosophy of the sword speaks clearly.
Every blow struck by her brother against her was intended to kill. The murderous aura is evident.
In this game, only one of the two will survive in the end.
Despite everything, there is no good ending.
"I thought so too," says the man with a veil of sadness in his eyes.
"I knew I would meet you again. You've become a beautiful woman, Lil' Silly."
