UnbrokenChainENG

The rain began to fall slowly, making rhythmic sounds as droplets of water hit the roof of the aging temple. The evening breeze carries the refreshing scent of wet earth and foliage, creating a calm atmosphere that contrasts with the chaos that has just happened.

Inside the temple, the atmosphere was warmer. The light from the dim lanterns illuminated the room, their shadows quivering on the walls as the small fire in the center of the room flickered in a faint breeze.

Duncan was still chuckling as he took a sip of his hot tea.

"Seriously, I'll never forget that. Erik, you will be remembered as the first man to be robbed by a monkey."

Erik who was still upset just snorted, his hands clasped the teacup tightly.

"Shut Up, Duncan. I almost caught him."

Lirien smiled as he slowly stirred his tea. "But still, it's the first time I've seen Erik run that fast."

Shazmeen who was sitting cross-legged near Kael looked out the window, noticing the raindrops getting heavier. He clasped his teacup, enjoying the warmth that crept to his fingertips.

Kael herself sat leaning against the wooden pillar of the temple, her teacup untouched beside her. His gaze blankly gazed outside, following the streams of rain falling from the roof of the temple.

Shazmeen glanced at him for a moment before smiling faintly. With a smooth movement, he shifted his seat closer towards Kael, close enough that her shoulders almost touched his arms.

Kael glanced at him briefly but said nothing.

"Why don't you drink the tea?"Shazmeen asked slowly.

Kael sighed, her eyes still staring at the rain. "I don't really like tea."

Shazmeen raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're like an old man, but you don't like tea?"

Kael turned to him with a flat expression. "What do you mean 'like an old man'?"

Shazmeen laughed. "You always sit in the corner alone, talk only when necessary, and your gaze is like that of someone who has lived a hundred years."

Lirien who heard that immediately laughed a little. "He does look like an old man exhausted with the world."

Shazmeen smiled and took another sip of her tea. "But still, drink. You may not like tea, but at least it's warm."

Kael stared at the cup beside her for a few seconds before finally picking it up. He took a slow sip, then turned to Shazmeen.

"Satisfied?"he asked, his tone was flat but there was a bit of warmth there.

Shazmeen just smiled contentedly. "Good. See? It's not that hard."

Lirien placed his Cup with a probing look towards Kael. "So ... Kael," he said in a cautious tone ," what exactly is it that makes all countries hunt you? I know the rumors are going around, but I want to hear it directly from you."

All eyes are now on Kael.

Duncan leaned forward with an expression of interest. "He said You were a clan-killing monster, a kingdom-destroying man, a man who could fight a country alone. Oh, and the most interesting thing—you also allegedly kidnapped a princess."Duncan glanced at Shazmeen with a seductive smile.

Shazmeen snorted. "I was not kidnapped!"

Kael finally looked at them all. His eyes remained cold, but this time, there was a bit of fatigue in them. "The rumors are true ... half of them."

Kael put down her teacup slowly, her eyes still staring at the steam rising slowly from the surface of the warm liquid. The look in his eyes remained cold, but this time there was something different—a burden that he had kept for a long time, and now little by Little began to lift.

"I am from Thalrune," he said, his voice still flat, but there was no doubt in his tone. "In the past, my clan was one of the most respected... and feared. We have unique fighting techniques, something passed down through generations."

"Fighting techniques?"Rainer raised an eyebrow, an expression full of curiosity.

Kael nodded. "We are known as the invisible shadow. We moved silently, disappeared in the darkness, and attacked without a trace. That's why many countries want us... or want to exterminate us."

Sylvaine, who had been leaning against the wall with a relaxed expression, now looked a little more serious. "And I'm guessing... your clan was finally annihilated?"

Kael clenched her hands involuntarily, but her face remained calm. His eyes remained fixed on the tea that was beginning to lose its heat. "Yes, but not by the enemy. The Thalrune clan was slaughtered by someone wearing the exact same clothes as me.

He killed them all in one night... and I was the only survivor."

The room suddenly felt quieter.

Shazmeen, who was sitting not far from him, looked at him with rounded eyes. "Someone wearing the exact same clothes as you?"

Kael nodded, her breathing a little heavier than before. "I saw it. He killed people I considered family, and when I saw his face..." Kael's hands clasped the cup tightly, almost as if wanting to crush it. "It was my father's face."

Lirien was flabbergasted, closing his mouth.

Duncan whistled softly, his expression difficult to read. "So ... your own father slaughtered your entire clan?"

Kael laughed a little, but without humor. That smile was more like a flash of a sword ready to slash. "I don't know."His voice remained flat, but there was tension in it. "I don't know if it was really him, or someone in disguise... but on that night, I didn't have time to think. I was chased, hunted, accused of being a traitor, because I was the only one alive."

Shazmeen bit her lip, as if to say something, but held back.

"And since then... everyone thought you were the one who slaughtered Thalrune?"he asked finally, his voice was quieter than before.

Kael nodded. "I was the only one left, and the only one seen at the scene. When the troops came to our village, they only found me standing amidst the corpses of my own clan. With clothes full of blood."

This time, the silence that followed was longer than before.

Duncan finally leaned back casually, then looked at Kael with an expression that was hard to guess. "Oh my god, Kael. Crazy, man."

Rainer looked at him intently. "That means there's someone out there who wants to set you up. Someone who wants to make sure you can't clear your name."

Kael finally raised her head and looked at Rainer with an unreadable expression. His cold eyes were a little more open this time, but only slightly. "Yes... and I plan to find them."

Sylvaine leaned back in sympathy. "Wow. It was ... more tragic than I thought."

Kael looked at him coldly. "No need to feel sorry."

Shazmeen glanced at him with a small smile. "That's funny. You're the most wanted man in the world, but you're sitting here with us, drinking tea."

"Yes," said Lirien, leaning his head against Sylvaine's shoulder. "If the rumors about you were true, I should have been scared to death. But somehow... I feel safe around you."

Sylvaine nodded in agreement.

"It's not just you."

Shazmeen looked at Kael with an appraising look. "Same. I don't feel scared either."

Kael looked at them one by one. "You should be scared."

Duncan laughed a little. "How can be afraid? You saved us!"

Kael snorted a little.

"Don't expect it to keep happening."Kael looked at him for a moment, before snorting softly. "You guys are really stupid."

Duncan laughed loudly. "And you're stuck with us too, Fool!"

Shazmeen drew a little closer to Kael, making her squint suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

Shazmeen leaned her cheek against his arm. "I just wanted to see if the most dangerous man in the world could feel uncomfortable."

Kael remained silent, but there was a slight tension in her shoulders.

Lirien saw that and immediately laughed. "Oh my god! He's really uncomfortable!"

Sylvaine nodded along. "Wow, so Kael's weakness is physical contact?"

Duncan shook his head.

"Why do we just realize now?"

The usually cold Rainer was seen grinning. "Interesting."Kael let out a long sigh. "You guys are really testing the limits of my patience."Shazmeen watched his expression, and for the first time, he saw something behind the coldness of the gaze an invisible wound, but it was always there and it seemed like Shazmeen was getting interested in Kael.

SOMEWHERE

His heavy voice echoed in the room. "Our colleague, Coguku, has been tragically and tragically murdered on the island. I want you all to stay alert for the damn boy."

The eyes of some members were rounded, others clenched into fists, holding back the burning anger.

Zonkoku continued, "Judo, Ensha, Exile, Tenma, Levian, Fara, Fella, Yuna, Tenji, Ganma... and you, Endra. I don't want any of you to divulge our identities. Never, though, mention the name of this organization. Kael ... seems to be no longer a stray dog wandering around alone."

"Huh? You mean he has allies?"Tenma looked at her with an expression full of doubt. "How could someone like him have a partner?"

Zonkoku didn't answer right away. He sighed, letting the tension evaporate for a moment, then looked at Tenma with his sharp cold gaze. "I don't know either," he said quietly. "Yeah ... at least for now I'm not interested in finding out."

He then waved his hand lightly, a gesture that was immediately understood by everyone in the room. "Go on. Leave me alone. Except you, Levian."

One by one the members of Nythragael left the room, leaving Zonkoku and Levian in stifling silence.

Zonkoku straightened his back, now his gaze was fully on Levian. His voice was low, full of pressure. "Levian... you once told me that you had killed everyone in Thalrune."

Levian's neck stiffened slightly, but his expression remained cold.

"Did I not command you to leave none of them?"Zonkoku narrowed his eyes, his voice getting sharper. "And now, the boy is still alive. Kael is still breathing."

Levian remained silent. There was not a hint of guilt or remorse on his face.

Zonkoku leaned back, then smiled lightly—a smile that carried no warmth, but rather a threat. "But for now, let him. Don't let yourself be revealed by him... until his play date arrives."

Silence.

A Stormy Morning

Here's the English version with a chill, slang-heavy vibe, keeping the meaning totally intact:

The sky was still draped in a thin mist when the crew rolled out of the temple. The morning air hit crisp, with a breeze shaking up the wet leaves from last night's rain. But while nature was all calm and welcoming the dawn, the vibe in this squad? Straight-up chaos, fam.

"Hold up, so we're legit dipping without breakfast?" Rainer whined, rubbing his growling stomach like it was about to stage a protest.

"Yeah, we'll hunt on the way," Shazmeen clapped back, chill as ever, tying her messy hair again. "Ain't it dope to chow down on something you nabbed yourself?"

Duncan straight-up flopped onto the ground, face screaming pure agony. "Nah… this is savage… we're gonna starve out here, bro..."

"We've literally taken five steps from the temple, Duncan," Lirien sighed, already done with the drama.

"And it feels like fifty freakin' miles..." Duncan stared at the sky, eyes all teary. "If I kick the bucket today, carve this on my tombstone: Dropped dead on the road from pointless starvation."

Sylvaine let out a little laugh. "You're extra as hell, dude."

Duncan crawled over to her, clutching her robe like some desperate beggar. "Sis Syl, please, whip me up a quick bread with your magic, I'm begging..."

"I ain't your walking toaster, Duncan."

Meanwhile, Lirien was busy freestyling a jam about their struggle.

"We're trekking with no grub~ stomachs on E~ will we make it?" Lirien sang, going full dramatic mode.

"Or just pass out on the trail?" Duncan jumped in, making it even more extra.

Kael, strolling behind with his usual stone-cold face, finally piped up, "Y'all ain't even that far from the temple yet?"

"Oh, for real, Your Highness Kael," Sylvaine mocked in a fancy noble voice. "Not all of us got your superhuman stamina to go days without eating, fam."

Kael gave her a quick stare, then kept it moving without a word.

Erik, who'd been quiet this whole time, finally dropped some wisdom. "Real talk, the more we bitch, the hungrier we get."

Duncan let out a long-ass sigh. "True… fine, let's roll. But if I start munching on tree branches later, don't @ me."

Shazmeen smirked at the whole scene, her eyes flicking to Kael, who was stepping a bit ahead of the pack. Dude was still icy, but he wasn't keeping them at arm's length anymore. He let them clown around, vent, even hit him with sass—though he just responded with that signature deadpan look.

They kept pushing through the forest, headed for Yeilheim Village, still a few hours out. The OG plan? Hunt while they walked—sounded badass in theory, but IRL? Total flop.

"Aight, who was the genius that said hunting's a breeze?" Rainer groaned, posted up behind some bushes, bow shaking in his hands.

"Me," Shazmeen threw her hand up, proud as hell. "And I still say it's easy… if y'all weren't the ones doing it."

Duncan dropped to his knees nearby, clutching a knife. "I can't believe this… we've been at it for an hour, and the only thing we caught is..." He held up his hand, showing off a tiny frog staring at them like it was over this crap too.

"We can't even eat that, Duncan," Sylvaine shook her head.

"I know… but at least it didn't dip on me."

Meanwhile, Erik and Kael were scoping things from a distance. Kael leaned on a tree, arms crossed, watching this hot mess of a hunting party.

"This is sad as hell," Erik muttered. "We should've let Kael handle it from jump."

Kael sighed, then in one slick move, yanked a dagger from its sheath and yeeted it into the bushes. A little growl, then silence. Few seconds later, he strolled over and came back with a dead rabbit in his grip.

Everyone just stared, dead quiet.

"So…" Shazmeen blinked. "You could've done that this whole time?"

"Yup," Kael said, short and sweet.

Duncan faceplanted into the dirt. "Bruh, we just wasted a whole hour of our lives."

Sylvaine let out a long breath. "I should've known."

Rainer slid up, eyes all hopeful. "Yo, if you can hunt that quick, can you snag—"

"Nope," Kael cut him off before he could finish.

Whole squad went silent, then busted out laughing.

"Aight, we got one rabbit," Lirien said, clapping his hands. "Now, who's cooking?"

Dead air.

Shazmeen side-eyed Duncan. "You're good in the kitchen, right?"

Duncan pulled a dramatic face. "Not when all we got is this rabbit! I need spices, salt, something besides straight-up MEAT, yo!"

"We can grab extras in Yeilheim," Erik tossed out.

Kael, fed up with the morning's clownery, started walking.

The rest scrambled to keep up.

Duncan sighed, staring at the rabbit dangling from Kael's hand. "Hope you know, lil' bunny… your death wasn't for nothing."

Shazmeen smacked his shoulder. "Duncan, it died 'cause we're starving."

"Big facts."

After hours of trekking.

Yeilheim was a vibe, no cap. Fresh air, green fields stretching forever, and a dope mountain backdrop painting that chill village life. But one thing they didn't clock: the hike here was way longer than they thought, and now they were stuck—sun blazing but freezing cold, starving, and no spot to crash.

"Man, you jinxed us, Rik," Duncan grumbled, dragging his feet. "You said we'd score food in this village, but it's noon now and we're just hungrier after this cursed trip!"

"I didn't know it was this far, dumbass! I've never been here either!" Erik snapped back, looking pissed.

"Chill," Rainer huffed, wiped out. "Let's find a spot to crash before we all pass out in the street."

While they were still bickering, a cold voice cut through.

"Y'all think this is your crib or what?"

They all whipped around.

Kael.

Face still blank, he kept walking ahead without even glancing back.

Sylvaine sighed, "If there's no inn, we sleeping under the stars or what?"

Still stone-faced, he stayed out front, not turning around.

Shazmeen's jaw dropped. "Yo? Mr. Cool's finally chatting now?" she teased.

Kael didn't flinch.

Lirien started freaking. "So where we crashing? Don't tell me it's the damn road!"

But before they could keep whining, Kael stepped up to an old dude sitting outside a house, weaving bamboo baskets.

The whole crew shut up, watching, totally thrown.

Kael, who usually dodged people like the plague, spoke.

"'Scuse me."

Silence.

They all froze.

Erik nearly choked on his own spit.

The old man looked up, eyeing Kael with curiosity. "Can I help you, kid?"

No fluff, Kael went straight in, voice icy and on point. "We're looking for a temp spot to crash. Any houses for rent or someone who can take us in?"

The old dude stroked his beard, thinking. "Hmm… no inns around, but there's a farmer who might let y'all stay."

Kael nodded, no reaction. "Can you show us the way, sir?"

…

…

The squad was still stuck in place.

No one said a word.

No one moved.

Duncan blinked a few times, then turned to the rest. "Hold up… did Kael just…?"

Sylvaine's mouth hung open. "He talked. To a random dude. Not us."

Rainer stared at Kael like he'd just spotted a unicorn. "And he sounded… mad normal."

Shazmeen held back a laugh, but her face was pure shock. "Yo, no way. Mr. Ice King, who's always mute, just chitchatted with a stranger and fixed our mess?"

Erik slapped his forehead. "Why didn't we think of that?!"

Duncan was still shook. "Kael… talking. Kael… asking. Kael… SOCIALIZING!"

Lirien shook his head. "I… I can't process this. Am I dreaming?"

While they were still losing it, Kael walked back over, face as blank as ever. "If y'all wanna sleep here, keep arguing, dumbasses."

They all traded looks—confused, stunned, and a lil' scared.

Shazmeen patted Lirien's shoulder. "I don't know if I'm proud or spooked. This is scarier than watching Kael wreck fools."

Lirien nodded slow. "Facts."

Duncan dropped to his knees, throwing his hands up like a preacher. "KAEL! GOAT OF EVERYTHING! TEACH ME YOUR WAYS!"

Kael gave him a quick glance, then kept walking. "Don't be stupid."