Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Barrett was on duty today, tasked with helping the Capital Guard maintain order.

As the eleven young soldiers rode past him one by one, he carefully studied each of their faces. When his gaze fell on Thomas, he noticed that the once-handsome, striking figure seemed less radiant than before. A mix of nostalgia and complex emotions stirred in his chest, along with a fleeting sense of inferiority.

Heroes.

Barrett had once been a hero too. When he returned from the Victory Pass battle, the citizens had cheered for him the sway.

But now? Now, he had been reduced to a mere ninth-rank capital guard, stripped of the glory that once surrounded him. No longer the golden boy, no longer entrusted with important duties. Watching the eleven young soldiers, Barrett couldn't shake the sense of being worlds apart, like a speck of dirt beneath their feet.

If he was ever going to rise again, it would have to be through his brother-in-law's support. Or perhaps, another war would break out, giving him the chance to earn military merits once more.

How foolish Barrett had been back then, always imagining things so idealistically. He had once thought military accomplishments were easily won. After all, back at Victory Pass, Wyatt Sullivan had taken a blade for him, losing an arm in the process.

And on the Southern Frontier battlefield, Barrett had witnessed the true horrors of war-the brutal siege, mountains of corpses, and rivers of blood. Only then did he realize that earning glory on the battlefield was not as simple as Aurora had once made it sound. How many brave soldiers had died with their ambitions unfulfilled? And how many, like the eleven young heroes, had been captured and tortured? To escape and form an intelligence network like they had-they were probably the only ones who could pull off such a feat.

As thoughts of captivity and torture filled his mind, a chill ran down Barrett's spine, freezing him to the core.

He didn't know what would ultimately becof the Victory Pass incident. The king hadn't pursued the matter yet, but had sent people to keep a close watch on the Warren family.

One thing was certain-if Westhaven underwent a shift in power, so too would the Warren family. The new crown prince wouldn't be as concerned with preserving their reputation as the current king of Westhaven.

All the fanfare and glory belonged to someone else now, while Barrett could only continue scraping by. Despair settled deep in his bones at that moment, and his mind wandered to something Aurora had once said with such conviction: All she wanted was success. Yes, success. But it was far too difficult to obtain the success she wanted.

Barrett looked up at the eleven young heroes It almost felt as if he were looking up at a past version of himself and Aurora. But in the thick crowd, no one noticed him. Their attention was fully captured by the eleven celebrated heroes and the man who had rescued them, the Hell Monarch.

The Hell Monarch didn't notice Barrett either. His attention was focused on the heartwarming scene unfolding before him-Richard's three sons stepping forward to embrace Joshua and Benson.

Richard didn't cry. No, he stood tall, his face filled with pride. In a moment like this, he wouldn't let tears fall.

He watched as his two sons knelt before him, bowing their heads to the ground, their voices trembling as they said, "Dad, we haven't been the sons you deserved, but we've returned." Richard wanted to weep, but he smiled instead. He helped them to their feet and said, "I have always been proud of you." All around them, families had cout to greet their loved ones, and each tearful embrace was a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

Logan was sobbing openly as he clung to his adoptive brother, Felix. Logan was usually playful and easygoing, but he had none of his usual demeanor today. He wept like a child in his elder brother's arms, entirely forgetting that he was soon to be married. From inside the carriage, Carissa watched it all unfold.

These people thought they were separated by life and death, but unexpectedly, they experienced the joy of a reunion. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized this joy could never belong to her. She, her dad, and brothers would never see each other again in this life.

The true cruelty of this world lay in how blood ties, once so close, could be severed, with no promise of ever meeting again.

When she returned home, Carissa went straight to her room. After sharing in everyone else's happiness, she was left with her own sorrow. The weight of her grief settled over her, and she locked herself away, not wanting to Burden anyone else with her emotions.

She stayed alone in her room for nearly two hours, working through her feelings.

Rafael had wanted to stay by her side to comfort her, but understood that she needed this tto process her emotions on her own. So, he sat outside on the stone steps, making sure no one disturbed her.

When Carissa finally emerged, her emotions in check and dressed in fresh clothes, Rafael immediately rose to greet her. He reached for her hand, noticing that although her eyes were dry, the traces of tears were still visible. Gently, he wiped the corners of her eyes with his thumb, his heart aching for her. "Let's go see Mom." "Yes, that's exactly what I was planning to do," Carissa replied with a soft smile.

But after her tears, that smile carried a hint of fragility, making Rafael's heart ache even more.