"Thanks, Mr. Shinra. I promise to make their death meaningful," Rebekah said, her voice trembling as tears began to stream down her cheeks.
Marco watched her silently. She knows a lot for her age… but deep down, she's still a child, he thought.
"Don't cry, Rebekah," Alfie said, standing tall with clenched fists. "Everything's going to be alright. I'll eliminate every last darkside spirit from this world!"
"Pipe down, kid," Marco replied sternly. "This isn't the time for bold declarations."
"I don't care what time it is," Alfie shot back, his voice unwavering. "That's my dream — and I'll follow it with everything I've got! As soon as Papa returns, I'm joining the Shinra Academy. That's when my journey begins!"
Marco's expression hardened slightly. I almost forgot why I came here… I haven't told them the news yet. How do I even begin? I need to tell the wife first... gently.
He turned quietly toward the door.
"There you are," he said to Margaret, who was finishing up the dishes. "Ma'am, do you have a second? Let's talk outside."
"Of course, Mr. Shinra," she replied. "Give me a moment."
Marco stepped outside and leaned against the wooden railing of the porch, his gaze lifted toward the star-strewn sky.
Those two kids… full of potential. One's endured a life of loss, the other is about to feel it for the first time. I'm about to crush this boy's spirit — but it's a truth that must be told. Will he still choose to chase his dream… or break under the weight of it?
"Mr. Shinra?" Margaret's voice broke through his thoughts. She was standing behind him, wiping her hands with a towel. "You said you wanted to talk. I've been standing here for two minutes. Everything okay?"
Marco blinked and straightened up. "Sorry for spacing out. I didn't realize you were already here."
"It's fine. What's this about?"
"My name is Marco — the Special Darkside Knight from Machan," he said calmly. "A few days ago, I received a battlefield delivery from a blacksmith from this kingdom. He was sharp… had incredible senses. He detected the darkside spirits approaching us just before departing."
Margaret's expression shifted subtly, her smile fading.
"He warned us in the nick of time. Many doubted, but I believed him. We prepared for battle… and just before he tried to leave, he returned and confirmed the darkside spirits were closing in from all sides. With no escape, he chose to fight beside us. But it was a trap. A special darkside spirit appeared, splitting our courts."
Marco's tone darkened.
"I assigned elite Shinras to protect him and my squad… but another special darkside spirit descended where he was. The others stood no chance. The blacksmith… fought it head-on. He bought time, saved lives. By the time I got to him, it was too late. He was drained of his Renshi — near death. With his final breath, he made me swear to protect his son and help him master the two types of Renshi within him."
Marco paused, his voice growing heavy.
"His last words were calm… 'My name is Falco.' I didn't know him well. But in that moment, I saw a true hero — someone who gave everything to protect others."
Margaret stood frozen, her hand trembling as tears welled in her eyes.
"Falco…" she whispered. "You said he fought… a special darkside spirit? That can't be… My Falco had no Renshi. He… he was just a smith…"
Marco knelt slightly. "That's the part he hid from everyone, ma'am. It wasn't a lie — it was protection. Your husband… was a witch."
Margaret's eyes widened. "A… what?"
"A witch is different from a Shinra," Marco explained gently. "They possess two Renshi — light and dark. Falco awakened with dark Renshi, which he kept sealed. He feared it. Not for his sake, but for yours. That's why he refused to use Renshi during his Shinra Academy days. Why he left that world behind."
Margaret's legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees, tears flooding down her cheeks.
"No… no, that's impossible," she cried. "If he had Renshi, the Shinras… the darkside spirits… someone would have sensed it! That kind of power can't be hidden!"
"It can," Marco said gently. "Witches aren't like Shinras. Their Renshi is unstable… unpredictable… but concealable — at a cost. Falco was rare. And he chose family over power."
Margaret sobbed silently into her hands. "He never told me. He carried all of it alone…"
"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," Marco said softly. "But you should be proud. Falco gave his life to save others. He didn't die a smith… he died a warrior."
As the stars glimmered above and the cool breeze whispered through the trees, a heavy silence settled between them — the weight of truth, sacrifice, and the legacy of a man who fought not for glory, but for love.