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It had been a year since Kent returned to Stardew Valley.
A year since he had been able to be by his family’s side again, to leave behind the cruel and bloody reality of war; a year of still suffering constant nightmares that woke Jodi with his screams and sobs.
“Once inside, the war never leaves you,” he had once heard a squadmate say.
After so long, Kent had learned to accept it. In what sane man’s mind could it be considered normal to still be so startled by the sound of popcorn popping in the microwave? Maybe Kent would never be the person he was before the war—but now he was back, and that was what mattered. He had returned to his wife and his two wonderful children: Sam had grown into a fine young man, talented and noble-hearted, and Vincent was growing in the same way. Even after the years apart, they were still his little ones, and he loved them with all his heart. He would do anything for them to make up for the time they had lost.
And then one night…
“Darling, have you seen Sam?”
It was past eleven, and the young musician still hadn’t come home.
“It’s very late; even if it’s Friday, he’s usually back before eleven,” Jodi explained, running her nervous hands through her hair.
“You know how boys are at that age,” Kent replied to his wife. “He’s probably with his friends and lost track of time.”
Jodi pressed her lips together, uncertain.
“I’ll try calling Robin, maybe she knows something…”
Before Jodi could get up from the bed, Kent stopped her.
“You’ve had a long day. Rest. I’ll go look for him.”
The truth was Kent had a bad feeling. Whether it was paranoia or paternal instinct, he suspected something bad had happened and didn’t want to give his wife more to worry about.
He walked to the front door, passing by Vincent’s room—where the boy had long been fast asleep—and Sam’s empty room.
Kent stepped out into the night, greeted by the cold night air. It was dark and silent outside. And yet, Kent managed to spot the envelope lying in front of the main entrance to their home. He bent down to pick it up with trembling hands and opened it, unfolding the paper inside.
“You can’t escape the Empire without consequences.”
Inside the envelope was a photograph. Sam was staring fearfully into the camera. Duct tape covered his mouth, and his arms seemed to be tied behind his back with something.
“If you want your son to get out of here alive, come back.”
In the lower corner of the paper was the seal of the Gotoro Empire’s flag.
~
Sam had stayed late playing at the Stardrop Saloon with his friends.
“Oh, man, it’s late. I’ve got to get back before my mom gets mad,” said the blond, glancing at the watch on his wrist and grabbing his backpack, ready to leave.
“You’re such a mama’s boy,” Abigail teased.
Sam just shrugged.
“What can I say? I just want everyone to be okay. Bye, good night!”
He waved goodbye to Sebastian and Abigail and stepped outside. It was already dark, so the young man tried to walk quickly on his way home. Maybe he could take a shortcut through the cemetery instead of using the main street…
That was when he heard footsteps. He stopped and turned around, but saw no one behind him. “Maybe I’m just imagining things because of the hour,” he told himself, trying to calm down, though an uneasy feeling lingered in his stomach. He kept walking, and the sound of multiple footsteps returned, following and drawing nearer.
This time, Sam truly felt a chill run through him. Without wanting to stop and find out if what he heard was real, he broke into a run. The footsteps thundered behind him like a stampede. Sam’s heart pounded as he weaved between the gravestones in the cemetery. He just wanted to get home—he promised himself he’d never stay out so late playing again—if this was some kind of sick prank…
His sprint came to an abrupt halt when, out of the shadows, a humanoid figure stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Sam tried to find a way around, but it was already too late. Before he could take off running again, someone yanked his backpack forcefully from behind.
“Let me go… Let me—mmnh!”
In an instant, Sam was trapped in the strong arms of someone who immobilized his body. A hand pressed a cloth against his face, and a sharp, penetrating smell flooded his nostrils and invaded his brain. The young man struggled, shouted, and kicked, but those people—if they were real people—felt more like brick walls than humans, staying unyielding and silent in the face of his resistance.
The chloroform quickly took effect, and Sam’s attempts to fight weakened. All that remained was the deepest fear before his mind slipped away and he fell into unconsciousness.
~
Kent stopped at the place the letter had indicated. It seemed to be an old, abandoned warehouse tucked away in the mountains. The man’s heart pounded wildly. He could almost feel the words of the letter—tucked in the pocket of his jacket—burning against his skin.
He had thought he was free from the war, from the horrors, the cruelty, and the terror.
From the moment he had been forced to leave his family to fight on the front lines in the name of his nation, his life had turned into a long, unending nightmare. And when the Gotoro Empire had captured him and thrown him into that prison, he had truly believed he’d reached the end of his road—a path with no return and no salvation. The only thing that had kept him sane and determined to survive was remembering his family: the sweet words and tender caresses of his wife, the innocent laughter and bright eyes of his two children.
He had escaped and made it back to them, and for the first time in years, he thought fate was smiling on him again.
But now the Gotoro Empire had appeared once more—and had dared to use his own son, his Sam, to drag him back. Was this revenge? Punishment? Kent had thought he might be able to escape a life of violence, but if he had to sacrifice his life for his firstborn, he wouldn’t hesitate.
He stepped inside.
The place was empty, except for three soldiers wearing the Gotoro Empire’s uniform.
“So we managed to lure you out of your nest, vermin,” said the first man when he saw Kent enter. His accent was thick, and his eyes cruel.
“What have you done to my son?” Kent asked, wasting no time.
The soldier—who seemed to be the leader—nodded toward one of his companions. The man obeyed and walked over to a side door. A few minutes later, he returned, dragging a sobbing figure and tossing it onto the ground before them.
It was Sam. His hands were tied behind his back, his ankles bound with rope. His blond hair—usually styled upward—was now disheveled, messy strands falling across his forehead. His face was covered in bruises, and a trail of dried blood ran from one nostril, as if he had been beaten. Maybe he had; the Gotoro Empire’s soldiers were notorious for enjoying torture for sport.
“Well, here he is. We’ll let him go if you surrender yourself,” the leader said.
Sam lifted his gaze, his gray eyes locking on his father’s face with panic.
“Mmmmnh!” he shouted through the gag, shaking his head.
Kent had to summon every ounce of willpower not to run straight to his son. The sight stabbed pain into his chest. He had a bomb in his pocket, and he wouldn’t have hesitated to use it—if he didn’t know his enemies were surely armed and wouldn’t think twice about endangering Sam’s life at the first sign of aggression from him.
Kent raised both hands in surrender.
“All right. I’ll go with you. But please, let my son return home safe and sound.”
“Mmn! Mmn-mnh mm mnh!”
Sam kept shouting. His eyes were brimming with tears as he stared at his father—the father he had just gotten back.
Kent looked away from his face, guilt tugging at him. He couldn’t allow himself to break down now.
The leader stepped forward, holding a pair of metal handcuffs.
“Wait,” the blond man said. “Release him first. How do I know you won’t just kill him once I give myself up?”
The leader rolled his eyes but nodded. From his pocket, he pulled a pistol and aimed it at Kent.
“If you try to help him or do anything, I won’t hesitate to shoot.”
Kent nodded.
One of the soldiers went to Sam and used a knife to cut through the ropes binding him, then yanked him upright by his jacket.
“No, Dad, please, don’t do it!” Sam shouted as soon as the tape was ripped from his lips, while the soldier dragged him toward the exit. Tears had already begun to streak down his battered cheeks.
When was the last time Kent had seen Sam cry? Maybe many years ago—when the boy was still a child, learning to skateboard, and fell off that low wall, breaking his arm. Had it really been so long?
“Go, Sam, run,” Kent said firmly and clearly. “Get out of here and go home. Don’t look back, no matter what you hear—just go.”
“Dad…” Sam’s voice trembled.
“GO!” Kent roared.
Biting his lips, tears still in his eyes, Sam nodded, then turned and bolted out of the warehouse.
Only when there was no trace of his son did Kent feel like he could breathe again. The soldiers approached him with triumphant expressions.
“You’re coming with us,” the leader said.
Kent had been through too much. He had seen the horrors of war firsthand, had lost countless comrades—so many that their faces were now nothing but smudges blurred by trauma and time. He had left his family for years, and now that he had finally gotten them back… he wasn’t going to let them be taken away.
“Over my dead body!” he shouted, pulling the bomb from his pocket.
~
Sam ran through the trees. His whole body ached from the brutal beating. Breathing was exhausting with how tight his chest felt. He could barely see ahead, blinded by tears and the darkness of the early morning.
He had been so afraid… He was still so afraid. He didn’t want to leave his father alone; he didn’t want to lose him again…
And then he heard it behind him—the unmistakable sound of an explosion.
He couldn’t keep going.
“DAD!” he screamed, turning on his heels and running back toward the source.
The warehouse was engulfed in flames: a blazing beacon in the middle of the mountain, sending up a towering column of smoke that threatened to swallow the moon.
Sam collapsed to his knees, his mouth open. He couldn’t breathe. His heart pounded against his ribs like the frantic beat of a drum, hitting and hitting, hurting and aching. His dad had been in there…
He let out a raw, heart-wrenching scream into the night before breaking down into sobs, the violent shaking wracking his body. This couldn’t be happening…
And then, from within the flames, a dark silhouette emerged, staggering forward.
Fearing it might be one of the soldiers, Sam jumped to his feet, ready to run—but then he caught sight, illuminated by the firelight, of familiar blond hair.
“Dad!”
Sam ran to meet Kent. His father had lost his green jacket, and a crimson stain blossomed from his left shoulder, spreading across his shirt.
“I managed to run in time,” Kent said, out of breath.
Sam reached him and wrapped his arms around his chest.
“I’m sorry!” he cried. “I should’ve come home earlier, maybe then… a-and then you… and—and…”
The tears cut him off, the young man clinging to his father and sobbing into his good shoulder.
“Shh, shh, none of this is your fault,” Kent replied, running his hand through his son’s blond hair in a comforting gesture. “What matters is that you’re safe. That’s all I care about.”
They stayed like that for a while, until Sam began to calm down.
“You’re hurt,” he said, sniffling and wiping away the last of his tears. “You need to see a doctor. I’ll take you to the clinic.”
The young man slipped an arm around his father’s waist to help him walk on his trembling legs, and together they began the journey back to town.
Maybe Kent would never be able to escape the horrors of his past—but here, with his family, he could do his best to build a new future.