"So I was sittin’ here with ya n’ the circle, but then ya slipped in the dream world.” Silver expined as he hobbled towards his couch. “‘Bout an hour goes by, n’ there was a loud thud on me door. I rushed out only to find a note stabbed in the door with a dagger. Couldn't catch a glimpse of who’d done it, but I read the letter. It was about me sister Ternavia! Vol had her!"

  Dante's concern deepened. "I thought they were dead?"

  Silver nodded in agreement, troubled by the revetion. “Never did confirm the old bastard was dead though. Anywho, the note demanded that I come alone to the Coliseum. Since ya’ll sleepin’, I made the difficult decision to leave ya here…”

  "Geez, how long were we sleeping?" Dante asked in disbelief.

  "Oh, at least a week. The Coliseum’s pretty far away! Did ya’ll just wake up?" Silver’s ears twitched. “Ah, anyway! As I sayin’. I had to go to the Coliseum to get it all figured out. And that’s when—”

  Suddenly, a thought struck Dante, "Wait, Silver, I have an idea.” He looked at Ezekiel, who was still dazed from his traumatic experiences. “Ezekiel, what was it that you did again? Mind Transference? I wonder…”

  “That is correct, Dante. Mind Transference. The ability to relive another’s memory.”

  “Alright, hold still, Silver, I want to try something. Maybe it will make this story more… immersive. It’ll give you a chance to rest too.”

  “EH?” Silver barked, “Are ya insultin’ me story-tellin’? Why, I’ll have ya know, I be the best storyteller in these parts.”

  Dante raised a brow, “You mean… the only storyteller in these parts…”

  “Eh, details…” Silver decided it was best to agree. "I could use a nice, long nap anyway."

  “Okay, so I just… focus my mind and – Whoa!”

  In the span of a rhythmic beat, Dante was pulled into the wolf’s recollections as if the world itself had unraveled beneath him. Through Silver’s eyes, he raced through a dense, byrinthine forest, the air thick with the scent of earth. The wolf’s muscles burned with relentless energy, driven by a singur obsession. There was no time to question the impossible. His mission was clear: destroy Vol, the ghost of a past that should have stayed buried, and find Ternavia, the sister who was long thought dead. He watched her die; it was impossible.

  The memory shifted to a younger Silver, quite a bit smaller, pying a game with his Ferenzial siblings. It looked very much like soccer. Their goal was a net made of hemp. They were in a forest area, simir to the one that his den was in. Matter of fact, it was the forest his den was in.

  “Ya ain’t gonna beat me, Terny!” Silver ran by, kicking the ball towards the goal.

  “Bael! Why are ya so mean!?” His sister, Ternavia, compined as he sprinted past her.

  He kicked the ball with all his might, watching in disbelief as it soared far above the net. His younger siblings groaned in unison, their voices full of pyful annoyance. "Ya always kick it way too hard!" one of them whined while another pouted. Despite their compints, there was no mistaking the fact that Silver, with his intense focus and determination, seemed to carry himself as the oldest. Yet, to anyone who looked closely, it was clear that all of them were the same age—just a bunch of pups caught up in the chaos of their pyful world.

  “I’ll get it!” Silver scoffed as he chased down the ball’s trajectory. It went deep into the forest. As he chased it down, he heard some strange noises deeper within the forest. So he decided to investigate.

  “Aye! Hahaha! Killed ‘em all, I did! Look at this loot.” A Ferenzial ruffian announced as he poured knick-knacks and coins from a rge burp sack.

  Silver dodged into the nearby brush. Who are these guys?!

  “Eh? Didja hear that?” Another Ferenzial ruffian asked as he investigated near Silver’s hiding spot.

  Silver took off running back home. Unsure if he was being followed; How would he know? He was just a pup.

  “Guys! Guys! We gotta hide!” He said in a panic.

  “What!? What’s wrong!?” Ternavia questioned in concern.

  “There’s a buncha rogues headed this way from the forest!”

  “Mama!” One of the little brothers ran into the hut. The rest of the pups followed.

  “Quickly, barricade the door!” the mother shouted in panic.

  “Where’s daddy!?” Another sibling cried.

  “I don’t know, I wish he was here!” The mother said frantically while moving the minuscule furniture to the door.

  The door was soon pounded several times.

  “C’mon out, little dearies!” One of the ruffians shouted.

  “Yeah, come see what we got in store for ya! Heeehehe!”

  The frightened family continued to barricade the door while the ruffians smmed into it with their bodies. Then they became enraged. Snarling and growling as they ripped the door apart with their fangs.

  “Quick – everyone hide. And be completely still.” The mother said in a hush. ”Everything is gonna be ok!” she tried to comfort one of the crying pups.

  The small den had paltry hiding spots, but Silver did find a pce under a bed. He watched in horror as the door was shredded to pieces by the vicious ruffians.

  And then they were inside.

  Silver could see their daggers glinting in the dim light. His heart was pounding in his little chest. He was shaking profusely. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what was about to happen.

  “Bwahahah, woulda done better to run little dearies!”

  “Ya’ll stink of fear!” the other brute bellowed.

  Silver could hear yipping and gurgling as one of his little brothers was garroted. His lifeless body was tossed aside with a loud thud. Silver covered his mouth to keep from gasping as he saw his brother’s inanimate eyes. But it wasn’t over yet.

  The monstrous Ferenzial howled in pure joy as they began stabbing his mother repeatedly. Silver covered his ears, but it wasn’t enough to muffle the sounds of her dying breaths, gasping for air while being sshed to death.

  One by one, the ruffians found his siblings. A sister was suffocated. Her muffled screams slowly dissipated to silence. They couldn’t run; they could only wait to be murdered. Then he saw another brother; the vicious monsters bit his face, and the pup whimpered and then was silenced as they snapped his neck. Tears ran down Silver’s face. It was only a matter of time before they found him. He had to do something, hiding wasn’t an option anymore.

  He was about to run, but then he saw another brother attempt to flee. They surrounded him, punched him, and in the end slit his throat. They then found another sister. Silver took the opportunity while they were distracted. He witnessed her dangling by her feet and being beaten in the head with a cudgel. He could still hear the crunching as he bolted for the door. He saw his sister Ternavia going for the door as well. He grabbed her paw, and they were able to leave the den. They didn’t get far since they collided with a rge Athros rogue.

  “Haw haw, look what we got here.” He grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and held them high. They dangled helplessly. “Hey, boys! Quit messin’ ‘round in there. Ya ‘bout lost some pups! Boss’d be pretty pissed if ya missed these!” he let out a boisterous bellow.

  “Yeah, see, I knew there was more of ‘em!” One of the ruffians came out, covered in blood. Silver could see inside the den. His mother and other siblings were left for dead in a blood-soaked pile. A pit of despair hit his stomach. Urine dripped down his pants.

  “Ugh! Disgustin’ beast. Got it all over me paws!” The bear grumbled as he shook off his paws.

  “What a buncha poor shmucks.” The other ruffian said as he came out with a measly sack of the family’s stuff. “Hardly worth doin’ ‘em in!”

  “Can it, ya know how well the boss be payin’ us!” the ruffian grumbled.

  “Aye, yeah, let’s just get on wit‘ it.” The big Athros threw Silver to the ground. With Ternavia still in his grip, he pulled out a long dagger. “No hard feelins’, little one, but money’s money.” He slid the dagger across her throat, she gurgled as blood poured down her body. Then she was thrown aside, whimpering to silence.

  The murderous wolves set their eyes on Silver. “What say we have some fun with this st one. Hehe, give him some hope, ya!? Hahahah!”

  “Ya! Sounds like fun. Run, little fel, flee for your life! Hahaha! Can’t hide from us; we’ll just sniff ya out! Bwhahahaha!”

  Silver tried to run, but he was so exhausted from the traumatic event that his legs wouldn’t work. He was caught mere feet from where he was thrown.

  “C’mon, pup, that was too easy!” The ruffian tossed Silver, rolling in the dirt.

  “Bah! What a waste of time. Just stomp his brains so we can get outta here.”

  “Ya got it, boss.” A ruffian approached, exhausted, traumatized Silver, panting face down in the dirt, unable to move. The ruffian lifted his foot, and just as he was about to stomp Silver’s head, a kunai flew through the air and struck the brute through the eye. The ruffian stumbled, yipping in agony, as a dark figure darted out of the woods and sliced through the ruffian with a bck katana. The dark figure bore a strikingly familiar gauntlet and red cloak.

  “What the!?” The other ruffians said in disbelief and attempted to run. “Let’s get outta here!”

  The shadowy figure didn’t allow that as he threw a bos at the escapee’s ankles. They fell to the ground, and the shadowy figure approached menacingly.

  “You dare come… to kill my family… who sent you?!” The dark figure snarled.

  “Aye, like I’d tell ya! It’s what ya get fer crimes ‘ginst the boss! Ah, f–” The immense leader snarled and cursed at his stupidity.

  “Ah… so that’s who…” the dark figure growled—then plunged his katana into the bear man’s face. He then turned to the other rogue that was trying to crawl away and quickly stabbed him to death.

  Silver was slowly losing consciousness. But he saw the figure approach, his face was covered. The dark figure darted into the hut. Silver heard howling of mournful sorrow. And then he could hear growling and snarling, and then things being thrown in rage. The dark figure slowly came out of the den with his face uncovered. He looked devastated, tears streaming from his face. Silver immediately recognized the shadowy Ferenzial.

  He approached Silver, leaned down, and stroked his cheek. “My son… I was too te… I’m so sorry… please forgive me.”

  “Da... ad?” Silver wheezed.

  The father’s eyes widened. “Bael! My boy, you still live!” The father gently picks up his son's battered body and leaves the forest.

  The memory shifts to the father leaving the boy with an older Ferenzial. “Take care of the d, ok, Master Akin?”

  “Of course,” the old wolf-man replied, “but what about you, what are you going to do?”

  “First, bury my family. Then I’m gonna find that bastard Vol and slit his throat!”

  “I see… I would recommend not doing that. This pup here needs his father.”

  “You don’t understand, Master… he killed my family!”

  “And what if you die in the process of enacting your vengeance!? Vol isn’t what he used to be! He’s been training in dark arts… and that bde… You know very well!”

  “Can’t live like this. Not with trash like that killing innocent moms and pups! You don’t get it, Master! Ya just don’t get it!”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry… Yaco, I will take care of Bael; don’t you worry.”

  “Thank you, Master.” The father bowed, stroked Silver's head, gave a sad smile, put on his face mask, and left. The pup wasn’t sure what was going on. But for a long time, he battled survivor's guilt, not only for being the only one left but leading those monsters to his family. Had he just done something differently, they would have had a better chance. Seems he never truly forgave himself for that.

  The memories then shifted to Silver's training under Master Akin. It was years of grueling training. Long miles of running through rugged terrain, from dawn till dusk. He learned to calm the mind, as he still held the anger from when his family was sughtered. No longer did he seem to bme himself, but he vowed some kind of vengeance on those that killed his family.

  Over the years, his father never returned. It furthered his need for vengeance. Or at least to know what happened to his dad.

  “Master… do ya think my dad…”

  “Ah, your father. Quite the extraordinary Ferenzial, he was! Trained him myself, ya know.”

  “Oh, I know, Master! And I ‘preciate ya trainin’ me too.”

  “Least I could do, seein’ as he brought ya to me.”

  Silver hesitated before muttering, “He’s gone… ain’t he?”

  Master Akin lowered his head, a heavy sigh escaping him. “I… don’t know, d. He went after Vol…”

  “Vol?” Silver echoed, ears perking.

  “Aye… a brilliant student of mine, once. But he got himself tangled in some dark business. Yer dad ‘n him found some old dagger, they did—cimed it was magic. Well, in the end, it twisted his heart… and his mind.”

  Silver clenched his fists. “I see…”

  Master Akin’s gaze hardened. “Listen to me, boy. Vengeance ain't the path ya wanna walk. It'll eat ya up, make ya no different from ya father.”

  Silver’s lips curled into a brief, defiant grin. “I am like my dad… through and through.”

  Akin chuckled, “Indeed, boy, indeed! Now come, let us continue yer trainin’! Can’t have ya gettin’ down n’ fbby from all this nonsense talk!”

  "Yes, Master!" Silver raised his fists, his stance solid as he lunged forward.

  Master Akin barely moved, his sharp eyes tracking Silver’s every step. The moment Silver swung, Akin pivoted, weaving just enough for the strike to miss by an inch. With a snap of his wrist, he sent a quick jab toward Silver’s ribs—light, but enough to make a point.

  "Too eager," Akin mused. "Patience, boy."

  Silver grinned, undeterred. He stepped back, bouncing lightly on his feet, then feinted left before darting right, aiming a sharp hook at Akin’s shoulder. This time, Akin blocked with his forearm, the impact reverberating through them.

  "Better."

  Silver didn’t let up. He turned around, unching a quick flurry of strikes, testing Akin’s defense. The old master deflected each one with singur maneuvers, his body barely moving. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Akin retaliated.

  His staff whooshed through the air, forcing Silver to duck. Before he could counter, Akin swept a leg toward his footing. Silver leaped over it, but mid-air, Akin's staff smmed him on the back, putting him to the ground.

  "If I wanted, you'd be dead on the ground, d."

  Silver nded, huffing but exhirated. His tail flicked, ears perked. "Then I'll just have to be faster."

  Akin smirked. "Then quit talkin’ and show me!"

  Silver’s eyes gleamed as he lunged again. This time, he wouldn’t hold back.

  Several hours ter…

  Exhausted, Silver decided to take an evening stroll down to the creek to wash up. The water felt cool and refreshing. In the water, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Soon awoken by an explosion in the distance.

  “What the hell was that!?” He jumped up, startled. He could see in the distance a bright bze, and there was a strong scent of something burning. “Akin!” he barked, running as fast as he could. Hopped over logs, darted from tree to tree – Like a ninja. Finally, he reached the burning hut of Master Akin.

  The old Ferenzial y slumped in the middle of the burning building in a pool of blood. Parts and pieces of the hut fell. The searing fmes made it far too hot to enter. Silver, still damp from the creek, darted inside and hoisted his trainer’s lifeless body. They quickly left the building before it colpsed.

  He id his master down beside a tree. He could see rge stab wounds all over his Master's body.

  “Master? Master!?” He howled.

  But it was too te. His master was gone.

  His body filled with rage. He knew who could do such a thing. “There’s only one person that coulda done this… Vol…” he growled. A faint scent wafted into his nostrils. It smelled vile, like the owner of death. It beckoned him to follow. He knew best not to chased after it, though. He moved stealthily through the forest. Gaining ground on the vicious scent. “I will avenge you… all of you.” He said to himself.

  After miles and miles of following, he eventually stumbled across Vol’s hideout, an old dipidated barracks from an old war that settled on a cliffside. The pce was crawling with Vol’s underlings. Silver, armed only with his hands and feet, decided to take out the loner–silently.

  He rushed in and hopped on top of a crumbling ledge. And hoisted himself up to snap the neck of a Ferenzial archer. He then quickly and silently used the bow to take out the remaining watchers in the towers of the barracks. He then used the pieces of armor of the fallen archer to disguise himself. Slowly, he let himself down to the ground and darted behind a wall as he had heard enemies approaching.

  There were two of them. His heart was pounding, and a lump in his throat. So far, it's been easy catching them off guard. But they seemed to be searching for someone. They must be searching for him. He waited for the attackers to pass by, then, thwip thwip. Arrows pierced through the back of their heads.

  He darted to the next wall and passed through an archway. Standing at the entrance was a building near the center of the courtyard. They were rge guards, overkill for such an ostensibly insignificant room. Still, it didn’t deter him from checking it out. It could have been prisoners or loot; he was a treasure hunter, after all. He stayed still, waiting for the right moment to strike. It was imperative to be quick, or he would soon be discovered and surrounded.

  He then threw a small pebble to distract the guards. As they wandered off to investigate the noise, he jumped out, thwip thwip. Arrows into the back of their heads.

  “Too easy.” He chuckled to himself as he meandered to the room. Once inside, he realized it was a torture chamber. The table was equipped with shackles and covered with dry blood. He then saw a crate. Within was a rge dark gauntlet, a bck katana, a red tattered cloak, and a… gold pipe? He picked up the objects. They still carried the scent of his father, musty and old. Especially the pipe, it still had the scent of pipeweed.

  “Dad’s katana… and gauntlet… and cloak… I didn’t know he smoked… hmm….” Silver studied the gear. “Still good condition…” He realized that his father had come and fallen. He could only imagine the torture he went through. “Don’t worry, dad… I’ll avenge you. Akin, Ternavia, Mother, and all my brothers and sisters. You will all be avenged tonight.” he silently equipped the gear and then darted out of the room.

  Silver moved like a phantom in the dimly lit corridors of the facility, his gear blending into the shadows. Every step was measured, his breathing controlled, his pulse steady. The rogues who served Vol would pay for it in blood as he continued to target them.

  A lone Ferenzial stood at a junction up ahead, his ears twitching, thoroughly unaware of the predator lurking in the dark. Silver nocked an arrow, drawing the string back without a sound. He exhaled slowly and released.

  Thwip!

  The arrow buried itself deep into the rogue’s throat. A wet gurgle escaped his lips as he staggered back, cws grasping at the shaft protruding from his neck. Silver was already moving. He dashed forward, catching the dying wolf before he could colpse and alert the others. With one swift motion, he thrust his bck katana through the rogue’s ribs, piercing his heart. The body went limp in his grasp, and he lowered it silently to the floor.

  Another one down. He sensed there were still more rogues within the barracks.

  Silver wiped the bde clean against the corpse’s fur and pressed on. Another rogue—a burly Athros—stood near a metal doorway, idly tapping his cws against the handle of his axe. Too big for an arrow to kill outright. Silver needed another approach.

  He crept up from behind, his pawsteps silent. In a fsh, he leaped onto the Athros’ broad back, locking an arm around his thick throat. The bear thrashed, letting out a muffled grunt as Silver curled his grip, cutting off his air. His legs kicked, his cws swiped at empty air. Then, with brutal efficiency, Silver stabbed the rogue’s throat repeatedly with an arrow. Warm blood sprayed across the walls as the Athros colpsed, twitching for a few more moments before going still.

  Silver exhaled and moved on. “How many of these damn rogues are there? Yeesh,” he growled under his breath.

  Another Ferenzial patrolled ahead, his eyes scanning for any movement. Silver crouched low, waiting for the right moment. As the rogue turned his head, Silver dashed forward, wrapping his arms around the wolf’s muzzle to stifle any sound. His katana plunged into the rogue’s spine, severing the nerves in an instant. The body convulsed violently before slumping into his grasp. He dragged it into the shadows and disappeared once more.

  A group of two came next, chatting in hushed voices.

  “He must be here somewhere.”

  “Yeah… got so many of ours so far.”

  “He’s like a Vigas.”

  “Come out, little Vigas!” they sneered.

  Silver climbed up onto an overhead pipe, perching like a predator waiting for the perfect moment. As they passed beneath him, he dropped. His katana plunged through the first rogue’s skull before his feet touched the ground. The second turned in arm, but before he could scream, Silver spun and sshed, the bde carving through his throat in a single, clean motion. Blood sprayed across the floor as the body crumpled.

  The facility reeked of blood now, but Silver remained unseen. Unstoppable. He darted around corners through the facility. Checking each nook and cranny for any remaining forces. But it seemed that it was clear.

  “Alright… now for Vol… I hope he’s expectin’ me.” He chuckled to himself softly.

  Silver sped through the halls, his heart pounding as he reached the central courtyard leading to a vast chamber. Inside, standing like an immovable mountain, was a hulking figure gripping a massive fil. The iron ball, lined with jagged spikes, rested heavily on the stone floor, leaving small cracks beneath its weight.

  Silver’s ears fttened. He knew that scent. That posture. That scar running across the brute’s face.

  The Athros chuckled, a deep, rumbling ugh that shook the air. "Hmmph, knew you’d come one day ya little pants pisser.”

  Then it clicked—Silver remembered him – the beast who had killed his sister Ternavia.

  "You…" Silver muttered, his grip tightening on his bck katana.

  The Athros grinned, revealing jagged, yellowed fangs beneath his eye patch. "Oh yeah, still hurts, ya know. That daddy of yours put up a good fight, but he sure squealed real nice when we cut him to pieces! Har har har!"

  Silver flicked his katana, blood from his previous kills spattering onto the floor. He forced his breathing to slow. No rage. No hesitation. He was here to finish this.

  The Athros cracked his thick neck, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off old stiffness. "Heh heh, came to kill us all, huh? Avenge ‘em all? Well, this is where you die, little boy! Hope ya don’t got regrets!"

  With a thunderous roar, the Athros swung his massive fil. Silver ducked just in time as the spiked ball whistled past his head, smming into the wall behind him. The impact shook the chamber, sending stone debris flying as a gaping hole tore through the structure.

  "Hold still, ya lousy mutt!"

  Another swing. This time, Silver flipped backward, the ball missing him by inches as it smashed into another wall, embedding itself deep into the stone.

  The moment Silver saw the fil stuck, he sprang forward like lightning, katana poised for a deadly strike aimed at the Athros’s exposed arm. But the brute was fast.

  Too fast.

  A massive foot came up—boom! Silver barely had time to register the kick before he was unched across the room, his body crashing against a pilr.

  "I ain't gonna go down that easy, ya filthy dog!" the Athros roared, yanking at his fil.

  Silver rolled to his feet, panting. The beast was more powerful than he looked. The moment the Athros freed his weapon, he swung with all his might.

  This time, Silver wasn't fast enough.

  The fil's spiked ball smmed into his gauntlet, sending shockwaves of pain through his arm. A piercing crack echoed through the chamber. Something inside snapped. But Silver didn't cry out. He didn't falter. He endured.

  Before the Athros could pull back for another strike, Silver stabbed his katana into the chain, pinning the weapon to the ground.

  The brute pulled, yanked, and snarled in frustration. "You damn little—"

  Silver didn't wait. He reached into his quiver, drew out an arrow, and in a single brutal motion, drove it into the Athros’s remaining eye.

  The beast let out an earth-shaking howl, clutching at his face as blood gushed down his fur. He staggered, his tremendous form swaying as his knees buckled.

  The bear kneeled, gasping and choking on the blood that poured into his mouth.

  “You. Huff. Fought well… but the boss… You ain’t nothin’. He’ll kill ya twelve times before ya… hit… the…”

  Silver pulled out the arrow, and the bear bellowed in agony. Then, the arrow was driven into the bear’s throat. He choked, massive hands grasping at the wound as his lifeblood poured onto the stone. He colpsed to the ground, gasping, his strength failing.

  Silver stood over him, eyes cold. He didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his katana from the chain and then drove the bde into the Athros’s neck, twisting it for good measure. The wolf concluded the pathetic life with a squelching release of his rynx.

  The big bear didn’t get up again.

  Silver exhaled, shaking the blood from his bde. "Hmmph. Less than what you deserve." He spat on the corpse.

  The hunt wasn’t over yet.

  Just as Silver was about to move on, a slow, deliberate cpping echoed through the chamber. The sound sent a chill down his spine. His stomach dropped—he knew who it had to be.

  He turned.

  A tall Ferenzial stood in the doorway, cloaked in a dark shroud.

  "Heh. Just what I’d expect from Yaco’s boy," the figure mused. "Nicely done putting an end to Brunty. Big, dumb bastard." He spat on the floor.

  Silver’s cws flexed around his katana’s hilt. "Are you Vol?" he growled.

  The figure smirked. "That’s correct. Volus Del Reviro. But you can just call me Vol." His voice carried a rough, mocking edge. "Me and your father? We go way back. Huntin’ treasures. Takin’ names. He was my right-hand mate. Then…" his expression darkened. "He just abandoned us. Right when things were getting interestin’."

  Silver’s fur bristled. "Tell me… why did my family have to die!?"

  Vol’s eyes gleamed red. "Why? Well, that’d be ‘cause your father betrayed me, of course. Why else would they all have to die?" His voice dripped with venom.

  Silver’s cws dug into his palms. "What did he do that was so bad that you had to sughter my entire family?"

  Vol snickered. "Hehe, well, if ya were listenin’, you’d have heard me say he abandoned us. Said he didn’t wanna keep runnin’ with us."

  Silver’s jaw clenched. "So… my family had to die… because he walked away?"

  "Aye. Didn’t expect you to live, though. Course, Brunty failed his mission." Vol shrugged zily, then grinned. "Want somethin’ done right? Just do it yourself, eh? That’s what I told myself when Akin and Yaco turned their backs on me. Thought they could just leave without consequence? Then they had the nerve to try avengin’? Fat lotta good that did ‘em! HA!"

  Silver trembled with fury. "You’re just a monster—that’s all you are! Killing innocents for your own selfishness!"

  Vol let out a slow, eerie chuckle. His red eyes fshed as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a dagger—a wicked-looking bde with an unnatural sheen.

  "Eh, wouldn’t bme it all on myself," he said, twirling the weapon between his fingers. "See this here dagger? This beauty? It’s called Enlongnius."

  Silver’s gaze locked onto it. Something about the bde felt wrong—like it didn’t belong in this world.

  "A cursed thing, me and yer father found. Akin told us to bury it, but… eh, after travelin’ with it for a while, it had a way with me. Started whisperin’. Made things clear." His grin stretched wider. "It wants blood, ya see?"

  Silver’s ears pinned back. "You kill… because a dagger tells you to!?"

  Vol’s smirk never wavered. "Oh, it’s not just any dagger."

  He jerked his wrist, and the bde extended—the steel shifting unnaturally, stretching and spiraling before forming back into pce. There were no hinges, no mechanisms, it was like the bde itself was an illusion. But it was absolutely true-to-life. The eerie glow along its edge pulsed like a living thing.

  Silver tensed. "What… kind of sorcery is this?"

  Vol let out a low chuckle. "This dagger? It ain’t from here. It’s from back then—from the old days when the humans came and tried to wipe us out. Found it right here in these ruins. Figured it’d be a shame to let it rot. And wouldn’t ya know it?" He sneered. "Been winnin’ ever since."

  He took a step forward, the bde humming with a strange energy.

  "But here’s the real kicker, Silver." Vol tapped the ft of the bde against his palm, his grin widening. "This beauty? It’s been speakin’ your name. It wants your blood. So…" He spread his arms wide, ughing. "Whaddya say? Think you’ll be obligin’, pup? HAHAHA!"

  The dagger’s glow flickered in response.

  Silver’s grip tightened on his katana. His mind screamed that this weapon… this thing had no right to exist.

  "Ah… I see ya found Yaco’s katana." Vol’s grin stretched wide, his sharp teeth glinting under the dim light. "Nice little beaut, eh? Another one of them bdes from the olden days, y’know. But it ain’t got power like this little beasty here."

  He twirled Enlongnius between his fingers, and the cursed bde hummed again.

  "Yaco tried and tried to get it to work—ha! Never did him any good. Heheheheh!" Vol let out a jagged, rasping ugh, eyes wild, his mind unraveling before Silver’s very eyes.

  Silver tightened his grip on his katana, but his arm trembled. His other arm hung uselessly at his side—numb, broken. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to run, to retreat…

  But he couldn’t.

  He could finally see what Akin had warned him about.

  This wasn’t just a fight—it was a death sentence.

  And yet… surrender was not an option.

  Silver gritted his teeth, steadying himself, ignoring the searing pain radiating through his body. He was outmatched, underpowered, and barely holding himself together.

  But he would not back down.

  Not now. Not ever.

  “How’s the arm!? Think ya can win!?” he ughed menacingly.

  “Guess I’ll find out!” Silver screamed as he charged towards Vol.

  The moment Silver lunged, Vol was already moving.

  The shrouded Ferenzial snaked away, fluid as smoke, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. Then, with a quick snap of his wrist, Enlongnius shot forward.

  Silver barely had time to react. The cursed bde whistled past his head, its unnatural glow illuminating his fur—before he felt a sharp, searing burn.

  His ear.

  A chunk of it had been sliced clean off.

  He hit the ground, rolling to the side, heart hammering, and bolted behind a pilr.

  For a split second, there was silence.

  Then—CRACK!

  The bckened dagger pierced straight through the stone, narrowly missing his skull. Silver’s breath caught in his throat. The weapon had cut through solid rock as if it were paper.

  It truly wasn't a bde of his world.

  "Give it up, pup!" Vol’s voice boomed across the chamber, dripping with crooked glee. "Ya ain’t gonna win against me and this here beauty!"

  Before Silver could reposition, Vol let loose another flurry of attacks. The dagger became a blur, sshing through everything in its path—stone, wood, metal—each impact exploding in a shower of debris.

  Silver barely stayed ahead, evading was his only option. He darted from cover to cover, but nothing held against Enlongnius. One by one, his safe havens were shredded.

  I can't keep running. It’s too fast. How… how can I avenge you… sisters… brothers… mother… father!? AKIN!?

  With a deep breath, Silver sprinted toward the upper barracks, his feet skidding as he made his way up the old stone steps. His lungs burned. His body ached. But he pushed through.

  Behind him, Vol ughed. "Ahahah! Running again? Yer daddy ran too, y’know. Didn’t save him either!"

  Silver gritted his teeth. He reached the top—the barracks overlooking the vast ravine beyond. The cold wind howled. Below, jagged rocks waited in the darkness like the hungry maws of beasts.

  No escape.

  Vol was already there.

  Standing tall and smiling wide. The dagger hummed in his paw.

  "End of the line, mutt." His voice was low, dark, and confident. "Time to say goodbye."

  Vol lunged.

  Silver moved to dodge—too te.

  SHING!

  Agony exploded across his face. A white-hot ssh tore through his vision. His world tilted. His bance wavered. The torture was unbearable.

  His eye, it was dissected!

  He roared in pain, clutching his face as blood poured through his paws. His vision blurred—half the world swallowed by darkness.

  Vol chuckled, spinning the dagger in his grip. "A shame, boy. Always thought ya had yer daddy’s eyes. Guess ya only got one now!"

  Rage overtook Silver.

  With a furious snarl, he lunged, his body moving on pure instinct.

  Fangs bared.

  Jaws open.

  With a squelching crunch, his teeth sank into Vol’s throat.

  The taste of iron filled his mouth.

  Vol choked, his paws cwing at Silver’s face, his dagger sshing wildly—but it was too te.

  With every ounce of strength left in his battered body, Silver threw himself forward, hurling Vol's thrashing form over the edge.

  For a moment, Silver glimpsed Vol’s wide, shocked eyes as the vilin tumbled backward into the abyss. His cloak fluttered, the dagger gleamed in the moonlight—

  And then he was gone.

  The wind swallowed his body.

  His scream was lost.

  Silver stood at the cliff’s edge, panting, blood dripping from his snout. His vision drifted. His body screamed in pain.

  But he was victorious.

  “It’s… over… hope ya rest in torment ya ugly dog.” He sighed, finally feeling some form of relief in his soul. He staggered away from the barracks and towards a well-known town to get fixed up. He stayed there for a while. The weight of his injuries slowed him. His once-sharp movements dulled with time. He should have felt free, but instead, he drifted.

  It wasn’t until He became a treasure hunter, chasing riches that never satisfied him. Each relic, each artifact—it was never enough. The thrill of battle dulled with drink. His agility faded with neglect. He existed, but he did not live.

  Often drunk, often smoking his pipe, Silver wandered from pce to pce.

  Until the day he met the bck winged man.

  The memory faded away.

  And now, Silver was running—sprinting across fields, boarding ships, crossing waters—until the Furthian guards met him, guiding him into the Coliseum.