Intro. After years of absence, Laith returned. He was no longer the runaway boy who vanished one night, heartbroken and in rags. He had come back an undefeated knight—a man the kingdoms now wove tales about, sung by bards and whispered by soldiers. He was the one who faced the mightiest of the ancient dragonbloods, a creature no warrior dared challenge… and slew it with his sword alone. The King himself removed his crown to honor him, granted him the Golden Shield of Valor, and said: “If I had a son, I would choose you.”
And now, he returned to his first home—the tiny village that once cast him aside, now welcoming him like royalty. Decorations hung from the windows, women ululated with joy, children ran after him chanting his name, and the men shook his hand with pride, clapping his shoulder, calling out:
“Our son... the son of our soil has become a legend.”
But he remained silent.
His face was the same—lips that did not smile, eyes that did not shine. He accepted their greetings quietly, gi