In the garden in front of the entrance to the Wolf's Cave, I can hear the hustle and bustle of people. I notice an Amator sitting on a rock. Speaking loudly and making grand gestures.

  "If is not other than The Giant Slayer!"

  Amator rushes to my side and wraps his right arm around me while holding a barrel of beer in the other.

  "The Giant Slayer?"

  It seems that Amator has been telling them about our mission in the Shmool clan. But from the sound of it, he must have exaggerated the details.

  The wolves howl and celebrate a party in front of the Wolf's Cave. Amator forces Lilu to join in, and Ragnar drinks beer while standing on his hands, competing against Ríe.

  I notice Mukasa arriving, but she ignores us until she reaches Aleifr and in a violent motion pours beer over him.

  "I challenge you to a duel!” she says tensing her face making long shadows.

  The wolves explode with excitement and move the wooden tables to form a battlefield. Mukasa's robotic arm seems to have a better design.

  Amator mediates the fight "You know the rules; the last one to..."

  Mukasa lunges and attacks with a rapid flurry of blows. I can see that her movements are swift. Aleifr manages to dodge each one, but he doesn't counterattack.

  Mukasa realizes it, and then in a split second, her robotic arm seems to extend at great speed and lands a blow on Aleifr. Everyone is stunned. Mukasa takes advantage to grab him and put him in a chokehold. Her robotic arm starts turning red and emitting smoke.

  The sound of Aleifr's skin being burned. Aleifr makes a motion as if to counterattack, but then relaxes his expression and lets himself be burned by the heat.

  Mukasa strenghten her grip, and several of the wolves draw their blades.

  "Stop! I won't let anyone get close!" Aleifr says, summoning his blood sword.

  The wolves back away in terror.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Aleifr gently puts his hand on Mukasa's arm. "If this is what you want, I won't stand in your way."

  "You fool! I hate you!" Mukasa says with a trembling voice full of rage. "Our home. My friends. Everyone I knew. Why did you do it?"

  Aleifr tightens his face and uncovers his bandages, revealing his skinless arm. All the wolves are stunned.

  "That day, your mother did everything she could to prevent my execution. She even faced the Fire Warriors, but even for her, there were too many. Seeing this, I couldn't contain myself and allowed Altum to possess me." Aleifr looks in my direction, and then a tear runs down his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Mukasa. If only I hadn't drowned in despair, believing that everything was lost, that you had both died, if only I had searched for you, even if it felt like a naive illusion, maybe Emru would still be alive."

  Mukasa's face tenses, and she clenches with all her might. Aleifr doesn't change his expression despite the pain he must be feeling. But finally, Mukasa releases Aleifr's neck.

  Mukasa gestures as if she wants to speak but seems to find no words and then decides to leave.

  I run in Aleifr's direction and activate Jasmine's mark. But Aleifr stops me.

  "I'm fine. This is nothing in comparison to what I did."

  Amator helps to divert attention, and the wolves resume the celebration. Aleifr stands up on his own and gestures for me to follow him.

  We reach one of the edges of the precipice that overlooks almost the entire cave. Aleifr sits down and indicates that I should do the same.

  "Thank you, Altair," Aleifr says.

  "Thank you?"

  "It's as if Altum or someone brought you to remind me that there is still light in this world. When I see you, I can't help but remember what it was like before I lost control."

  "I'm not sure about that. I hurt the people who mattered most to me too. I'm no different from you."

  "But I think you're better than me. Even in your situation, you don't seem to have lost your smile."

  I look at the horizon, towards the Sinabarite's light.

  "I'm just trying to imitate my brother. He always looked at the positive side of any situation and moved forward with a smile."

  "Sounds like someone I would like to meet."

  "Yeah, he was the person I admired the most," I say with a smile.

  I stay pensive for a few seconds. I wonder what my brother would do in this situation. If he had made the same decisions I have made so far. But I'm sure he would do whatever it takes to help the people in this cave.

  "Aleifr," I say, "are you serious when you say you want to save the people of the chamber?"

  "Of course."

  "Then allow me to help you," I say, offering him my hand. "Let's show that we are capable of something better. That people are capable of so much good than bad"

  Aleifr smiles and grabs my hand.

  "I like the sound of that."