The strange procession moved across the golden dunes — Kairo, Yuki, and the group of bandits who had once tormented her. The air was thick with tension, an uneasy truce hanging between them.
Kairo kept a hand on Yuki's shoulder, his grip firm but not rough, like he was anchoring her to his side. She clung lightly to his arm for guidance, her delicate fingers a sharp contrast to his strong frame. The bandits trailed behind, whispering among themselves, their footsteps sluggish with uncertainty.
Kairo's mind was a storm. This wasn't part of his plan — he was supposed to quietly conquer the Sand districts one by one, break Dune's hold on the land, and flood the territories with his water. Instead, here he was, dragging along a blind girl who spoke of kindness and a pack of former tormentors who looked at him with a mix of fear and confusion.
Finally, the leader of the bandits broke the silence. "Where are we even going?"
Kairo didn't answer.
Yuki, her voice as gentle as the wind, replied, "To the next village."
The leader scoffed. "And what? You think they'll just welcome us after everything we've done?"
Kairo's icy blue gaze cut through him. "They don't need to welcome you," he said coldly. "You're only alive right now because she wants to believe you're worth something."
The bandit flinched at the words but didn't respond.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the dunes, Yuki softly asked, "Kairo... why are you doing this?"
Kairo's jaw tightened. "Doing what?"
"Letting them come with us."
He didn't answer immediately. "Because I want to see you be wrong," he finally muttered.
Yuki smiled faintly. "And if I'm not?"
He didn't reply.
When they finally reached the next Sand village, the sight was almost identical to the last — simple stone houses, people wrapped in light cloth to shield themselves from the heat, and a deep well at the center of the square. Children ran through the sand, their laughter a distant echo.
Kairo pulled his hood lower over his face. He was still a prince of the Aqua tribe, and if his identity was revealed, the entire village would rally against him.
The bandits hung back, clearly uncomfortable.
As they approached, Yuki leaned slightly toward Kairo. "I'll speak to them," she whispered.
Kairo grabbed her arm gently but firmly. "What if they throw you out again?"
Yuki smiled softly. "Then I'll still try."
Kairo hated how calm she was.
Yuki stepped forward, standing before a group of villagers gathered near the well. "Excuse me," she said softly.
The villagers looked at her curiously, some whispering. "Isn't that the blind girl from the other district?"
An older woman stepped forward, her gaze sharp. "What are you doing here, Yuki?"
Kairo's muscles tensed, ready for a fight.
Yuki remained composed. "We're just passing through," she said gently. "These people—" she gestured to the bandits "—want a chance to make things right."
The older woman's eyes narrowed. "Them? They're criminals."
Kairo's voice was a quiet growl. "They were."
The bandits shifted uncomfortably under the weight of both Kairo's words and the villagers' judgment.
Yuki clasped her hands in front of her. "I know what they've done," she admitted. "But they've chosen to change."
The villagers murmured, skeptical.
Kairo could see the tension rising, his fingers twitching at his side. If they pushed Yuki away again, he wouldn't hold back.
The older woman studied Yuki for a long moment, then sighed. "We'll give them a chance. But they step out of line once — just once — and they're out."
Kairo blinked, genuinely surprised.
The bandits exchanged stunned looks.
Yuki's smile brightened like a soft ray of light. "Thank you."
The group was led to a small, empty house at the edge of the village. It wasn't much — cracked stone walls and a roof patched with cloth — but it was something.
As night fell, Kairo stood outside, staring at the desert sky, the stars burning brighter than he remembered.
Yuki appeared beside him, her hand lightly brushing his arm.
"You didn't expect them to let us stay," she said softly.
Kairo exhaled sharply. "No."
Yuki tilted her head. "But they did."
He glanced at her, his voice a low whisper. "Why are you always so confident that people are good?"
Yuki smiled faintly. "Because someone has to be."
Kairo didn't respond.
As the cool night air settled in, the prince of the Aqua tribe — the man who sought to drown the land in water — stood silently beside the blind girl who spoke of kindness.
For the first time in a long while, Kairo felt something strange beneath his icy exterior.
Hope.
And it scared him.
The desert night was silent, broken only by the soft whistle of the wind brushing across the sand. Kairo remained still, his mind a storm while his body refused to move from Yuki's side. She stayed there calmly, her hand still lightly resting on his arm, unaware of the intensity simmering beneath his skin.
He hated this — hated how easily she believed in people, how she spoke of kindness like it was some unshakable truth. Yet, at the same time... it intrigued him.
"Let's go inside," Yuki finally whispered, sensing the weight of Kairo's silence. "It's cold."
Kairo didn't respond right away, his eyes still fixed on the distant dunes. But when Yuki took a careful step back toward the house, he instinctively reached out and grasped her hand, guiding her along even though she hadn't asked for help.
Inside the small stone house, the bandits huddled in a corner, whispering to each other. They were clearly uncomfortable — outcasts among their own people, now forced to coexist with those they had tormented for years. Kairo wondered how long this fragile truce would last.
Yuki slowly knelt on the worn mat laid out on the floor, carefully feeling for the edges of the cloth with her hands. She tilted her head slightly, listening to the bandits' hushed conversation.
"Why did you follow us?" Kairo asked suddenly, his voice low and cold.
The bandits fell silent.
"Answer me," Kairo said, his tone sharper now.
The leader of the bandits, a man with a scruffy beard and a scar running down his cheek, shifted uneasily. "We... we didn't have anywhere else to go."
Kairo's eyes narrowed. "So you thought tagging along with a blind girl and a stranger would somehow fix your lives?"
The bandit's jaw clenched, but he didn't respond.
Yuki spoke softly, "Everyone deserves a second chance, Kairo."
He looked down at her, his irritation simmering. "Not everyone," he muttered.
She didn't argue, only offering a small, sad smile.
As the night dragged on, Kairo stayed awake, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, while Yuki slept soundly on the mat. His gaze never left her — not in a way that spoke of affection, but of something more complicated.
It bothered him how she trusted him so easily. She didn't know who he really was — the prince of the Aqua tribe, a man determined to drown these very lands in water. And yet, she clung to his arm like he was her protector.
What would she do when she found out the truth?
Morning arrived with the soft glow of the desert sun creeping through the cracks in the stone walls. Yuki stirred, stretching slightly before turning her head toward Kairo.
"You didn't sleep," she murmured.
"I didn't need to," he replied bluntly.
She tilted her head, a faint smile playing at her lips. "You were watching over me."
Kairo's jaw tightened. "Don't be ridiculous."
Yuki simply laughed softly — a sound that felt too light for the heavy weight Kairo carried within him.
The bandits slowly rose as well, awkwardly gathering themselves.
Kairo stood, brushing the sand off his cloak. "We move at sunrise heading for the next district."
Yuki's face lit up. "Another step closer to completing my dream," she whispered.
Kairo studied her — how hopeful she looked despite the cruelty she had endured. He couldn't understand it.
And maybe, somewhere deep inside, he envied it.