Juno clenched his fists at his sides.

"Master…"

He hesitated.

But seeing Vince like this broken, barely breathing, yet still thinking of his students

Juno couldn't hold it back.

"What happened out there? Lucere, he destroyed you like"

Vince's gaze sharpened despite the haze in his eyes.

"Juno."

His voice, even weak, carried the tone of a master giving a command.

"You will NOT seek revenge. Not now."

Juno's heart thrashed.

"I, Master, I didn't say…"

"You didn't need to," Vince whispered.

"I know that look. I trained that look."

Juno froze.

Master Vince breathed deeply, carefully.

The oxygen mask fogged slightly with each exhale.

"Lucere isn't someone you fight. He's someone you survive."

Juno's hands trembled.

"But he took Khael's shard. If we don't do something"

Vince closed his eyes for a moment, breath unsteady.

"Juno… listen to me."

The machines beeped softly.

A healer outside whispered instructions to another.

Vince continued

"Power like Lucere's… it isn't something you punch. It isn't something you outrun. That man… he's the kind of danger that changes entire continents."

Juno felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Master Vince coughed again, blood touching the edge of the mask.

Juno panicked.

"Master!!"

But Vince raised his remaining hand again.

"I'm… alright. Don't make that face."

Juno gritted his teeth.

"Master, your arm, your chest, your Shinrei, he almost killed you!"

"He did," Vince said quietly.

Juno stopped breathing.

"He wasn't trying to defeat me… he was preparing to erase me."

Vince's eyes flickered with something Juno had never seen in him before

fear.

"And if I hadn't opened the Taishin Gate in time… I'd be gone."

Gone.

Not knocked out.

Not injured.

Gone.

Juno felt sick.

He stared at the missing arm.

At the burns.

At the trembling breaths.

This wasn't just a loss.

This was a near execution.

Vince looked at him gently.

"Juno… don't let this scare you away… but don't let it blind you either."

Juno bit his lip, fighting tears.

"Master… I should've been there. I should've.."

"No."

Vince's voice cracked sharply despite his weakness.

"You would've died."

Juno froze.

"You are strong," Vince said, softer.

"Someday… you may become a Taishin master greater than me."

Juno's breath caught.

"But right now… you'd have lasted one heartbeat."

Juno clenched his jaw, tears burning behind his eyes.

"Then what do we do…?"

Vince looked toward the window, where a faint sliver of morning sunlight crept through.

"…We heal."

"…We wait."

"…We grow stronger."

He looked back at Juno.

"And we trust Khael."

Juno blinked, stunned.

"Khael…?"

His voice trembled.

"But Master… he lost the shard. He almost died. He…"

"He awakened something else," Vince whispered.

"Something older. Something… dangerous."

Juno felt his breath catch.

"What do you mean?"

Vince's eyes softened with memory and fear.

"When he opened his eyes… I felt it.

That wasn't the boy I trained."

His voice lowered.

"That was something ancient looking through him."

Juno swallowed hard.

Vince continued, whisper-thin:

"Khael isn't the same anymore."

The oxygen mask fogged again.

"Protect him, Juno. Watch him. Keep him grounded."

Juno nodded slowly, firmly, deeply.

"I will, Master."

Vince closed his eyes, exhausted.

"And Juno…"

Juno leaned in.

"Yes, Master?"

Vince's voice was a frail thread:

"…don't let him walk that path alone."

Juno bowed his head.

"As you command."

Vince whispered:

"Good… boy…"

And drifted into sleep.

Juno stood there for a long moment, staring at the man who had raised him as a fighter, saved his life twice, and taught him everything.

His master.

His mentor.

His second father.

Juno clenched his fists, tears falling silently.

"Master… I won't fail you."

He bowed deeply.

Then he stepped out of the room, the door closing behind him with a quiet click

leaving Vince to sleep…

And Juno with a vow burning in his chest.

The door slid open with a faint hiss.

Khael, Ceyla, Matthew, and Andromeda all turned at the same time.

Juno stood there.

His cloak was still dusted with dried earth from the battlefield, his hair messier than usual, and his eyes… different. Softer, but tight with something unspoken.

Ceyla was the first to move.

"Juno! Took you long enough"

Then she froze. "Wait… what's with that face?"

Andromeda squinted.

"Oh no. That's the brooding hero after a traumatic scene expression. I know that one."

Matthew leaned forward from his bed, Echo Spirit ribbons faintly swaying.

"Did something happen?"

Juno inhaled, then exhaled slowly, stepping fully inside the ward.

"I came from… Master Vince."

Khael stiffened at the mention. The golden haze in his eyes faded.

Juno continued, trying to keep his voice steady.

"He's alive. But… his injuries were severe. He lost his arm."

The room fell silent.

Even JunJun, Andromeda's echo pet, stopped nibbling on the blanket.

Khael opened his mouth, but no words came out. His throat tightened.

Ceyla glanced at him, her expression softening. The earlier teasing mood dissolved instantly.

Juno stepped closer to them, forcing a small smile.

"But he asked about all of you. First thing he said was: 'How are they?' He was worried before anything else."

Matthew lowered his head, whispering,

"That sounds like him."

Andromeda rubbed the back of his neck.

"Damn… even half-dead he's still thinking about us instead of himself."

Khael took a breath, voice quiet but firm.

"…I'll visit him once I'm allowed to walk properly."

Juno nodded.

"He'll want that."

For a moment, the weight hung in the air heavy, real, unavoidable.

Then Andromeda clapped his hands loudly.

"Alright! Enough gloom. We're all alive. He's alive. And I STILL haven't forgiven Ceyla for accusing me of crying earlier."

Ceyla smirked.

"I didn't accuse you. I just said someone cried."

"That's the same thing!"

"No it's not."

Matthew chuckled lightly.

"Technically, Andromeda… you reacted as if you were the someone."

"DON'T PUT LOGIC INTO THIS."

Even Juno let out a small laugh one he clearly needed.

Andromeda pointed dramatically at JunJun.

"See? Even my spiritual son agrees, Look at his face! LOOK!"

JunJun blinked.

Slowly.

Expressionless.

The entire group burst out laughing.

Ceyla almost fell off her chair.

"Not the 'emotionless judgment baby' face!"

Juno shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Gods, I missed this."

Khael looked up at him.

"You staying with us this time?"

Juno gave a soft nod, then unexpectedly stepped forward and ruffled Khael's hair.

"Yeah. I'm not going anywhere."

Khael let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

For the first time since the battle, his shoulders loosened.

Ceyla leaned back with a grin.

"Good. Our squad is useless without the resident calm adult."

Juno raised an eyebrow.

"Adult?"

She corrected herself.

"Fine. Calm taller sibling."

"Still wrong."

"Calm responsible one?"

Juno smirked.

"Now you're getting closer."

Andromeda dramatically sighed.

"Look at that. Juno leaves for five minutes and comes back sounding like everyone's dad."

Matthew smiled.

"Well, someone has to balance you out. And definitely Andromeda."

"HEY—!"

Another round of laughter.

The heaviness didn't disappear…

But it blended with warmth.

With safety.

With the quiet, fragile knowledge that for now just for now

They were all still together.

And that was enough.

To be continue