Godless Blood: Last Apostle

"...Hey, you're finally awake."

Silver groaned as he slowly sat up from the creaky wooden floor. Shu stared down at him, as the morning sun blinded him, refusing to let him open his eyes,. After a moment of blinking, he slowly focused his gaze on the young boy's face, tanned and dirty, but shining with innocence. He couldn't help but let out a small smile.

"Hey… How long was I asleep for?"

Shu simply clicked his tongue as he shook his head.

"The rest of the night. You fell asleep way before I did… You even leaned on my shoulder. Also, you have a bad habit of drooling while you sleep. It took a while to dry off."

Silver immediately perked up as his face slowly started to burn. He wiped off the remaining bit of drool coming from his mouth, as he slowly stood up.

"Ah… Sorry. I didn't mean to."

Shu smiled, before reaching out a hand towards him.

"No worries. Come on, the morning inspection is coming soon. Don't make me drag you there, sleepyhead."

Silver smiled, before taking his hand. They slowly walked out of the hut, and over the hot sidewalk, breathing in the warm air and shielding their eyes from the sun's gaze. They were hit with a symphony of sounds coming from the village's morning routine. Voices from every direction layered over each other as the sound of wooden wheels scraping against the rocky sidewalk filled the air.

Silver couldn't help but wince at the sound, but he shook it off as the village bell rang, signalling the start of the morning inspection.

As they walked, Silver accidentally bumped into a lone figure. The steel on his armor banged onto Silver's head, as he stepped back, before bowing his head.

"...Sorry, sir. I didn't mean to."

The hooded knight simply stood there, before glancing at Shu, and simply moved on without a word.

Silver stood there for a second, before glancing back, and exhaling. There were a lot of weird people here, after all.

The desert village, or one of the 'Godless Outposts', was a popular place for the 'Godless' people to stay in the wastelands, as it was the closest to the southern Seraphic Theocracy. Those who lost their seraphs or were exiled into the desert were plentiful, so the village had strict rules to maintain order.

He and Shu watched as villagers wearing leather helmets, symbolising the infantry of the village, searched every hut and shed, making sure that nothing was stolen or kept secret from the rest of the village.

He ignored the cries of a man being shoved by the infantry as an apple was taken away from him. He closed his eyes. Food was scarce here, and everything needed to be shared.

He and Shu arrived at the town square, where the infantry began handing out the morning supplies to the people.

Worn clothes, firewood, a cup of water, and scraps of food were given to each villager, who huddled together to ensure they got their share. Nobody complained, but they all knew. Today's share was less than usual.

"...Monsters appearing around the area…"

Silver overheard a guard whisper.

"...Changes to… Nature is changing…"

But before he could listen even further, the sound of their conversation was blocked off by a voice yelling 'Thief!', as he caught a glimpse of another child stumbling through the crowd with two sets of water cups.

Still, Silver had learned to not bother with those kinds of people, especially in times like this. He simply waited in line, before taking his share.

Silver adjusted the bundle of worn clothes under his arm as he carefully balanced his cup of water, his grip tight. Shu, walking beside him, sighed as they stepped away from the crowd.

"Today's share was even smaller than before…" Shu muttered, his voice low, almost afraid to say it out loud. "The rations keep shrinking. What are we supposed to do if—"

"Don't think about it," Silver cut in. His voice was steady, but even he wasn't sure if he meant it as reassurance or denial.

Shu fell silent, but his worried gaze spoke volumes.

Before Silver could say anything more, the village bell rang again—twice this time. Not the call for morning inspection, nor the alarm of danger, but something else. Something rare.

A visitor.

The villagers, weary and sun-worn, turned their heads toward the village entrance, murmurs rippling through the crowd. Visitors were uncommon here, and strangers often meant trouble. Silver followed the gazes of the others, and for a moment, his breath hitched.

A lone figure stood at the threshold of the village, their silhouette dark against the bright morning sun.

Dust clung to the heavy cloak draped over their shoulders, and a blade rested at their hip, dull but well-worn. The slight clinking of lightweight armor could be heard from underneath the cloak.

Their stance was firm, steady, exuding the quiet confidence of someone used to the weight of battle.

Then, the figure moved forward, stepping past the watchful infantry. Their hand lifted, pulling back the hood of their cloak, revealing familiar sun-kissed skin and piercing amber eyes.

Silver's heart pounded in his chest.

"Mira…"

His sister had returned.

The seven year old lost hold of his bowl and cup as the small wooden holder dropped, spilling the water onto the sizzling sand as he immediately started running towards the village entrance, pushing through the now smiling villagers.

Mira held up a hand to the guards at the entrance who greeted the mercenary, she suddenly saw the boy run from the corner from her eyes, and as she turned, a wide smile appeared on her previously tired face.

"Silver!"

The boy ran, ignoring the burning sensation on his bare feet as he dashed past the hot sand and rocky sidewalk, before leaping onto his sister, pulling her into a hug.

Mira stumbled back as she gave a slight 'Oomph', but caught her step as she wrapped Silver into an equally tight hug, chuckling brightly as she held the boy.

Mira ruffled Silver's hair, her calloused fingers running through his silver locks as she laughed. "You've grown," she murmured, her voice softer than the confident mercenary tone she used with the guards. "Taller, at least."

Silver buried his face against her shoulder, gripping the fabric of her cloak tightly. The scent of leather, sweat, and a faint trace of steel clung to her—so different from the warm desert air, yet so familiar.

"You were gone too long," he muttered, voice muffled against her. "I thought…" He trailed off, unwilling to voice the thought that had haunted him during every lonely night she was away.

Mira's grip tightened, her fingers digging slightly into his back as if she, too, feared the distance between them had become too great. "I know," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. "I'm sorry."

A few villagers chuckled at the sight, murmuring among themselves about how close the two siblings were.

Others, however, eyed Mira with something between admiration and unease. A returning mercenary was always a cause for attention—but it wasn't just her presence that drew their wary glances.

Silver, too, noticed it now. The way the infantry guards, despite their polite greetings, kept their hands close to their weapons. How the village elder stood a short distance away, his gaze carefully measuring her. Even Shu, who had jogged up behind Silver, seemed hesitant, his earlier smile faltering as he took in Mira's worn-out expression.

Silver pulled away slightly and looked up at her face. Only now did he notice the thin scar running down the side of her cheek. New, jagged, fresh. The bruises barely hidden beneath the collar of her cloak.

And the way her amber eyes, though warm with affection, carried a weight he couldn't quite name.

His stomach twisted. "Mira… what happened?"

For a brief moment, Mira hesitated. Then, the smile returned… But it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'll explain later," she said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "For now, let's go home."

But as the two of them walked past the watching villagers, Silver couldn't shake the feeling that whatever had brought his sister back wasn't just a casual visit.

Something had changed.

And he wasn't sure he was ready to find out what.