As Kairo and Yuki continued their quiet journey through the Sand district, the wind whispered across the dunes, carrying the weight of unspoken words between them.
The sun blazed overhead, casting long shadows behind the unlikely pair — the ruthless Aqua prince and the blind girl of a tribe he once vowed to drown.
Yuki still clung to Kairo's hand, her delicate fingers curled around his calloused ones.
She moved with cautious steps, relying solely on the steady grip he provided.
Despite the heat and the strain of traveling through the rough terrain, she never complained.
Kairo, on the other hand, was struggling — not physically, but mentally.
He didn't understand why he was still here.
Why am I doing this? he thought. I should be drowning these lands... conquering more villages... not playing tour guide to a blind girl.
And yet... he didn't let go of her hand.
After a while, they reached a smaller village tucked between two towering dunes.
This village was even quieter than the last — modest homes carved into the sandstone, and a few people moving about with baskets of grain and water.
Kairo's gaze sharpened, scanning the villagers for any sign of hostility or fear. To his surprise, no one seemed to notice him. The hood he wore still hid his identity, and Yuki's presence at his side seemed to soften any suspicion.
"Is this... your home?" Kairo asked, his voice low, almost hesitant.
Yuki shook her head softly. "No... but I've heard of this village. It's where traders pass through."
Kairo smirked. "Good. It would be easier to destr—"
"Kairo," Yuki interrupted, her voice firm but gentle. "Please... just observe. No fighting."
Kairo gritted his teeth. "That wasn't part of the deal."
"It was." she said softly, still holding his hand.
He didn't pull away.
Instead, they entered the village square. The villagers, though conservative like the others, didn't seem as cruel. Some offered small nods of acknowledgment as Yuki passed by, though none dared speak to her directly.
Kairo noticed how Yuki's grip tightened ever so slightly when people whispered behind her back. It wasn't open cruelty, but it was there — the silent judgment.
He hated it.
"Why don't you say something?" Kairo muttered under his breath.
Yuki smiled faintly. "Because I'm used to it."
"Doesn't mean you have to accept it," he snapped.
Yuki tilted her head, sensing the sudden heat in his voice. "Kairo..."
He didn't respond — his jaw was too tight with anger.
Just then, an older woman approached them — wrapped in a simple sand-colored robe, her hair streaked with gray. She looked at Yuki first, then at Kairo's hooded figure.
"Yuki... it's been a long time," the woman said carefully.
Yuki nodded. "It has, Lady Mara."
Lady Mara's gaze lingered on Kairo. "And... who is this?"
Kairo was about to speak — ready to declare himself, to strike fear into her heart — but Yuki beat him to it.
"He's my guide," Yuki said simply. "A traveler who's helping me see the world."
Kairo blinked in surprise.
Guide?
That wasn't the word he would have used. Conqueror, perhaps. Destroyer.
But guide?
Lady Mara frowned. "You still trust strangers so easily, Yuki. It's dangerous."
Kairo's grip on Yuki's hand tightened at the remark, but Yuki simply smiled. "Sometimes... strangers have kinder hearts than those we know."
Kairo stared at her.
He didn't understand how she could remain so calm — so trusting — after all the pain her people had caused.
Lady Mara eyed Kairo again but said nothing more. She simply walked away, leaving a strange tension behind.
Once they were alone again, Kairo finally spoke. "Why did you call me your guide?"
Yuki turned her face towards him, though her unseeing eyes gazed past him. "Because... that's what you are."
Kairo scoffed. "I'm not guiding you anywhere. I'm scouting your tribe — planning its downfall."
Yuki didn't flinch. "Then why are you still holding my hand?"
He froze.
His grip hadn't loosened once.
He could've let go — could've left her behind, let her stumble through the village alone — but he didn't.
He hadn't even thought about it.
Kairo opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out.
Yuki, still smiling softly, whispered, "Maybe... you're guiding me in more ways than you realize."
Kairo didn't respond — his thoughts were a storm beneath his cold exterior.
And so, they continued their journey — the ruthless prince and the blind girl — hand in hand, walking the line between destruction and something far more complicated.