Maya was cleaning Sky Sword's blood–soaked hair and had replaced his dirty, tattered clothes with fresh garments, then laid him on his bed where he still lay unconscious.
She sat down on the chair beside the bed, clutching his hand as she waited for him to wake.
Even beneath the earth, the growls of the demonic beasts could be heard by all—but as sunset drew near, those sounds gradually diminished until they ceased entirely. That meant only one thing: the sun had set, the desolate atmosphere had vanished, and the darkness of night had fallen, restoring peace.
The hunting party went out to assess the situation and make sure the danger had truly passed for the time being; then they set off to hunt for their daily provisions so they could survive and carry on. Raven assigned some of his most skilled pupils the task of hunting and gathering enough ingredients for everyone to sustain themselves until this crisis was over.
In Sky Sword's room, Maya lay across his chest, still holding his hand. It seemed his eyelids were fluttering open slowly—he was waking. He stared at the ceiling for a long time until he felt weight on his chest: Maya was asleep. Unable to rouse her, he rested his head against her cheek once more and continued to gaze at the ceiling. He didn't know where he was or how he had arrived here, so he ignored it all. He no longer cared; life had gone from his eyes, and the silver gleam that once shone within them had vanished completely.
He raised his right hand and gazed at it, then slowly clenched it, as though silently making a vow to himself. Maya's lashes quivered, and she opened her eyes, startled to find she had dozed off. She sprang up to see Sky Sword awake, though with no spark of life in his eyes. She felt no relief—so long as he was awake, everything would be all right. Tears streamed down her cheeks like gentle, joyous raindrops, and she threw herself into his arms, hugging him in tears of happiness.
Sky Sword wrapped both hands around her back, pulling her close as he shook his head beside her. One of his eyes welled up with tears, and he said, "You're all I have now. I couldn't bear to lose you. Please, stay by my side." Upon hearing this, Maya withdrew her hand and looked at his face, devoid of any expression. Between his eyes, one single tear flowed without stopping, and emptiness and the absence of life showed in both.
Sky Sword had lost all feeling; he appeared as a madman who had lost everything and chosen madness to live without pressure or thought of what to do next, as though freed from all bonds and judgments. No one would worry about him; no one would mourn his death; no one would miss him—he would be liberated from the cares of life and all that it held.
Anxiety seized Maya, but she decided to remain silent. Deep inside, she believed he would return to himself: the fact that he could still cry, even if from only one eye, meant he was still human.
Grief overwhelmed Maya now; her tears of joy turned into a torrent of sorrow and frustration. She hugged him again, her wails carried outside. Raven was by the door, attempting to enter and check on them, but upon hearing her cries, he decided to step back and continued on his way.
Maya thought to herself, "At his darkest moment, I wasn't by his side… what kind of wife am I?" And so it remained for a long time until her eyelids nearly dried up. She sat on her chair, wiping away tears that would not cease. Sky Sword spoke: "Stop crying, Maya. I'm all right now."
But the harder he spoke, the more Maya's tears flowed. The emptiness on his face as he spoke only intensified her sorrow. Sky Sword decided to fall silent, and then her tears finally ceased and her grief began to fade.
Maya asked Sky Sword, "Are you hungry? You are, aren't you? It's obvious." He replied, "I am hungry indeed; I haven't eaten in quite a while." At once, Maya jumped up and hurried off to fetch him something to eat. A look of sadness still dominated her features; she gazed at the wall each time she passed it, until she reached the kitchen where the girls were cooking.
The kitchen was a small room with a wood–fired oven. On either side of the gray stone walls stood two tables: one for preparing the dishes, the other for the finished, cooked plates. Along the upper parts of both walls hung numerous lanterns that lit the space.
Maya entered the kitchen and, as if nothing had happened, asked—faking energy and strength—and pointed to the table of ready dishes: "Are these plates finished?" The girls replied, "Yes; they're ready for you, Teacher." In the training hall, Maya had become responsible for teaching the girls ever since she married.
Maya took the dishes and hurried back to Sky Sword's room full of feigned vigor—though her act was poorly concealed; the girls' faces betrayed grievance and sorrow, for they had seen Maya's red, tear–streaked eyes, eyes that would not stop crying for so long.
She rushed into the room, forcing a smile before facing Sky Sword: "I've brought you several plates you might like." Sky Sword did not respond; he knew that words would only deepen his wife Maya's pain. She moved forward and sat on her chair, indicating which dish he should start with. Among the offerings were fish soup, roast chicken, grilled meat, boiled eggs with assorted vegetables, and two apples.
Sky Sword pointed with his finger to the fish soup, so Maya carried the bowl and ladle to him and began feeding him by hand.
Sky Sword finished the entire bowl and then moved on to the second dish: the roast chicken.
Each time, Maya would cut off a piece of chicken and place it in his mouth. He devoured it quickly, without even pausing to breathe. He was extremely hungry and could not hide it.
He finished the second dish as well, then turned to the third and final dish: the grilled meat. Maya continued to smile and feel content feeding him, even though his features were dark and empty, as if staring into an endless abyss.
Sky Sword completed all three dishes, leaving nothing behind.
Maya asked him, "Do you want more?"
Sky Sword turned his head from right to left, indicating that he was utterly full.
But just as Maya was about to leave his room, he said, "I am truly grateful to you for everything you have done for me all this time."
Maya turned to say, "It is my duty."
Before she could marvel at his expression, for a single moment his silver eyes sparkled and glowed with a
vibrant light.