Craving Scarecrow

"He has to learn, no matter what. He doesn't have a choice, and he must do it before the first mission," Nitin said quietly. His sharp gaze fixed on the window, watching Livio outside.

In the open field, Livio lay flat on his back, staring at the sky. It was his "comfortable" position, though to anyone watching, it looked like laziness. His mind was in chaos. The betrayal—Rebecca's face flashed again and again in his thoughts. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to clear his head and awaken his Pbv, but nothing came.

The clock struck midnight. Miles and Williams appeared, their footsteps crunching the dry grass as they approached Livio.

"Hey," Miles said casually, plopping down beside him, "I think you should just give up. Settle down here, maybe? Plant some carrots, get a boring job....this military stuff? It's not for you."

"Leave me alone," Livio muttered under his breath. He forced himself up and walked away, shoulders heavy.

"What's he doing? Let's follow him," Williams sneered.

Inside, Sebastian slammed his hands against the window sill. "They're bullying him again. I'm going out there."

"Stop, Sebastian." Nitin's voice was calm yet firm.

Sebastian spun on him. "What? You know what Miles and Williams are like! How can you just..."

"That's exactly why I'm stopping you."

Sebastian grabbed Nitin's collar, his fury bubbling over. "Are you insane?"

"Relax," Viktor said from the couch. "Maybe…... maybe this is what Livio needs."

Sebastian turned to him in disbelief. "What are you saying? Are you all losing it?"

"Calm down, idiot, and think," Tomasz interjected. "If we protect him now, he'll depend on us forever. Out there...when real danger comes—everyone will be too busy saving themselves. That's the reality. If things get too bad, we'll stop it. But for now….... let him fight."

Sebastian shook his head, his jaw clenched. "This isn't right."

"Hey, are you ignoring us?" Williams taunted, stepping into Livio's path. "Do you think you're some kind of big shot?"

Livio didn't respond. He sat down again, closing his eyes.

"Don't disturb him," Miles mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let him awaken his Pbv. Otherwise, who knows? Maybe he'll die first."

Livio's eyes snapped open. "What do you want? Get lost! I can't concentrate—damnit!"

Miles grinned. "Disappointed in you, Williams. That's not how you mess with people."

Before Livio could react, freezing shock consumed him. A bucket of water drenched his entire body. Miles stood over him, smirking, the empty bucket in his hands.

"You bastards." Livio staggered up, drenched and trembling with fury. "I'm not going to forgive you for this."

Miles knelt mockingly. "Oh, scary. Please, Livio sir, don't hurt us!"

Williams clutched his pants. "Oh no, I think I'm gonna piss myself!"

Their laughter stung worse than the cold water.

Miles' grin darkened. "Scary, huh? Let's see about that."

His punch came without warning—hard and fast into Livio's stomach. Livio gasped, doubling over. Before he could recover, a sharp kick smashed into his side, sending him sprawling across the ground.

Livio struggled to stand, but Miles grabbed him by the collar and threw him again, his body hitting the earth with a heavy thud.

Miles planted his boot on Livio's chest, leaning his weight onto it.

"Face it. You're useless," Williams said coldly, crouching beside them. "That's the truth."

"Aahhh! Get off me, you freaks!" Livio clawed at Miles' boot, his voice cracking from the effort.

"I think we should go," Viktor muttered, glancing around the room. "Wait….... where's Nitin?"

Sebastian turned toward the window and froze. "Where the hell....…?"

Nitin, Sebastian, and Ethan were already gone.

"Damn it." Viktor cursed under his breath. He activated his Pbv, faint energy glowing around him as he jumped from the window.

It wasn't graceful. He hit the ground hard, face-first. "Ouch, ouch, ouch. I'm fine...… but it hurts like hell."

By the time Nitin and Sebastian reached the field, the others were gone.

Livio lay face-down, unmoving. His drenched clothes clung to him.

Sebastian knelt beside him, shaking his shoulder. "Hey, Livio. Are you okay? Say something."

Livio didn't move.

"Are you seriously going to cry like this?" Nitin's voice broke the silence. His hands remained in his pockets, but his tone was sharp. "You think this is over? Wake up, damn it. Why did you come here? To die? To lie here like this?"

Livio's fist pounded the earth. "Damn it…... What should I do, Nitin? Tell me!"

Nitin grabbed him by the collar, forcing him upright. "Stop crying like a kid. Did you come here to die? No—you're here to fulfill something. No one will do it for you. So stand up."

Livio avoided his gaze. "Then help me…... Please."

Sebastian placed a hand on Nitin's shoulder. "Put him down, man. You're looking like a villain right now."

Nitin released him, stepping back.

"Livio," Viktor said, limping over, "I get it. I was the last to awaken my Pbv. I couldn't forget everything either. That's what slowed me down."

"You need to focus harder," Sebastian added, pacing back and forth.

"That won't work," Ethan interjected, chewing on a grass blade. "We need to change the approach."

Nitin sat down in a cross-legged pose. "Livio, sit like me."

Livio tried but collapsed in frustration.

"It's fine. Try this." Nitin shifted into Vajrasana.

Livio hesitated but managed to kneel properly.

"Good. Now come with me," Nitin said, pointing toward the waterfall.

Sebastian balked. "Wait, what? You can't be serious!"

"This is the price he pays," Nitin said simply.

The waterfall pounded down on Livio as he sat on the cold, jagged rocks. The freezing water bit into his skin.

"It's cold. So cold…..... What is this heaviness?

Rebecca. Mother. Father. I'll make up for it. I won't stop now….....

The roar of the waterfall dulled. A strange calm filled him.

"It's like a tunnel. Dark, but I see light."

Two hours passed. Ethan narrowed his eyes. "There's a glow."

Sebastian shifted nervously. "Should we pull him out?"

"Calm down," Nitin said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The glow intensified.

Livio stepped from beneath the waterfall, dripping but steady. His expression was calm—something had changed. He staggered to the grass and collapsed, the earth feeling like a soft mattress beneath him.

Nitin smiled faintly. "Good job, Livio."