Luna placed her head gently on Jaden's shoulder. The two of them sat quietly in front of the burning fire in the temple courtyard, its flames dancing gently under the night sky. The air was cool, calm. The stars above blinked like they were listening.
It was quiet. Peaceful. For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Then Luna broke the silence, her voice soft, almost a whisper.
"Do you remember when we snuck out just to eat fruit from the tree behind the house?" she said with a small smile. "And Mom caught us? She didn't even get angry… she just tickled us until we couldn't breathe."
Her head stayed on Jaden's shoulder. His eyes were still locked on the fire. He didn't speak right away, but after a moment, he gave a small nod. That memory had lived in a quiet corner of his mind for years. He could almost hear their laughter, feel their mother's warm hands.
"I really missed you, Jaden," Luna said, her voice even lower now. "When I left home and promised myself never to go back… I heard Dad moved to the city. But I didn't care to know more. I just wanted to forget everything."
Jaden didn't speak at first. His face stayed calm, but his silence was loud.
"I'm going to make him crawl the day we meet," Jaden finally said, his voice slow and quiet like a whisper from his soul.
Luna lifted her head just enough to look at him. She didn't need to ask how deep his pain ran. She saw it—in the way his hands clenched slightly, in the cold stillness in his eyes. The way he spoke told her he had been carrying this weight for years, walking with revenge like a shadow that never left his side.
He didn't just want to face Lord Zu.
He wanted to make him feel every piece of pain he ever caused.
Luna didn't know what to say. She looked at her brother—really looked. He looked the same, but he wasn't the same. There was something in his eyes now. Something dark. Heavy. And sad.
He had grown strong. But cold, too.
"You don't have to fight him," Luna said, reaching for his hand. "I have you now. That's enough for me, Jaden."
But Jaden shook his head.
"I didn't survive all these years to be a coward," he said, his voice firm. "He wanted a brave son. I'll show him one. But not the way he expected. I'll make him beg, Luna. And I'll show no mercy."
Luna went quiet. She stared at him, searching his face, hoping to find a bit of the old Jaden—the boy who used to run and play, the boy who once smiled so freely. But all she saw was fire in his eyes. Fire that looked just like the one burning in front of them.
She didn't argue anymore. She just watched him.
"Jaden…" she whispered.
But there was nothing left to say.
"You should rest now, Luna," he said, still staring at the fire. "It's late. Take a nap."
Luna stood slowly. She hesitated, looking at him one last time. Her eyes lingered on his face, like she was trying to memorize it again. Like she was trying to remind herself that this was her brother. That somewhere in there, the little boy she loved was still alive.
"Good night, Jaden," she said softly.
He didn't answer, just gave her a small nod.
Luna walked quietly to her room, the sound of her steps fading into the stillness of the night.
Jaden stayed by the fire, unmoving. The flames flickered in his eyes, reflecting something that had nothing to do with warmth.
He sat there long after Luna was gone.
And as always, he didn't sleep.