By the time Jaden returned from the Valley of Whisper, the sun was beginning to set. The sky burned orange and purple, casting long shadows over Master Shang's home. He didn't knock. He walked straight to the backyard and sat under the tree where they usually trained. His clothes were dirty, his knuckles scraped, but his eyes — they were quieter.
Master Shang came out with two cups of tea, sat beside him, and placed one cup on the ground. Neither of them said anything at first.
"You saw things?" Master Shang finally asked.
Jaden nodded. "It tried. But it didn't win."
Master Shang sipped his tea. "That blade you used — it doesn't just cut demons. It cuts lies too. Even the ones we tell ourselves."
Jaden glanced at the old man. "Did you use it too?"
"Once," Master Shang said. "I saw my wife. And Lei. And all the things I could've done differently."
Jaden looked down at his own hand, his fingers curling slightly. "I didn't expect to feel so... angry again."
"That's how you know it worked," Master Shang said. "It pulled the truth out of you. And you faced it."
They sat there in silence again, until Master Shang got up and went inside, leaving Jaden to rest.
But he didn't sleep.
The next morning, he was already walking through the city streets, blending into the crowd. His body ached, but his mind was steady. He was supposed to check in with the DC organization, but something else pulled at him — a memory. That girl. Mia.
He didn't know why she stuck in his head. Maybe it was the way she looked at him. Not with fear, but curiosity. Even when he tried to scare her off.
He didn't plan to look for her, but fate had other ideas.
As he turned a corner near the edge of the marketplace, there she was. Sitting on a bench with a notebook in her lap, eyes scanning the DC building from a distance like she was waiting for something to happen.
She looked up, and their eyes met.
Jaden stopped. He should've walked away. But he didn't.
Mia stood up, nervous but bold. "You again."
"You came back," Jaden said, his voice calm but unreadable.
"I had questions," she said. "I thought about what you said. The threat. I almost didn't come. But I wanted to understand."
"Understand what?"
"You. The scar. The demons. All of it."
Jaden's jaw clenched slightly. "You're too curious for your own good."
"I know," Mia admitted. "But I've read about you demon slayers. You kill things that haunt people in the dark. But what about what haunts you?"
He didn't answer.
She stepped closer. "You think people only see your scar. But I see someone who's survived something. That's not weakness. That's strength."
Jaden narrowed his eyes. "You don't know anything about me."
"Maybe not," she said softly. "But I want to."
That caught him off guard. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He'd spent most of his life pushing people away. He never thought someone would want to come closer.
He looked past her, into the crowd.
"You shouldn't get involved with this," he said. "Demons. Pain. Scars. They don't disappear just because you care."
"I don't scare easily," she said.
"Maybe you should."
She gave a faint smile. "Well, maybe I'm stubborn."
Jaden exhaled, not quite a sigh. "Go home, Mia. This world isn't for you."
She looked disappointed, but nodded. "Okay. But if I ever see you again... I'll still say hi."
She walked away slowly, disappearing into the street.
Jaden watched her go, then turned and headed to the DC building. Jun was waiting.
"You're late," Jun said.
"Ran into something," Jaden replied.
Jun raised a brow. "A demon?"
"No," Jaden said, eyes distant. "Something more complicated."
And with that, he stepped into the building, unsure of why that girl had shaken something inside him. Maybe it wasn't her words — maybe it was the fact that someone saw him and didn't flinch.
Someone didn't look at his scar like it defined him.