In the dimly lit and spacious room, the sun's rays filtered through the half-open curtains, casting a golden glow that painted the worn-out furniture in warm hues.
The air hung heavy with the scent of old wood, dust, and the faint aroma of dried flowers, creating a mix of nostalgia and decay.
Lee Jin's body convulsed with each wave of pain, his muscles tensing and contorting as if they were being twisted by an invisible force. The pain intensified, engulfing him like a tempest within his body.
He clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the agony tearing at him from the inside. A drop of blood trickled down from his closed eyes, the metallic taste of iron on his lips as he gritted his teeth.
Sweat poured from his forehead, and his clothes clung to his skin, drenched in the intensity of his suffering. The scent of stale air mixed with the coppery tinge of blood filled the room, creating an atmosphere that felt suffocating.
Amidst the pain, there was a constant throbbing sensation that seemed to emanate from every part of his body. It was as if he was trapped in a sea of needles, each one pricking at his skin from all directions.
The pain was not just physical; it was a visceral experience, coursing through his veins like a relentless storm.
He let out a guttural cry of "Urrg!" The sound seemed to reverberate in the room, echoing his torment back to him. The echoes only served to intensify the feeling of isolation, as if his pain was bouncing off the walls, never to be truly heard or understood.
"It... hurts..." he managed to gasp between ragged breaths, his voice strained and trembling. The words were a feeble attempt to express the indescribable, to put into language the depth of his agony.
But they fell short, leaving behind a sense of frustration at his own inability to convey the magnitude of his suffering.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the half-open curtains, forming scattered patterns on the floor, as if even the sun couldn't bear to witness the intensity of his pain.
The play of light and shadow danced on the walls, almost mimicking the turmoil within him. The room, with its broken and old furniture, seemed to resonate with his emotions, a decaying reflection of his own shattered state of mind.
Blood continued to drip from his eyes, running down his cheeks like tears. He didn't even have the energy to wipe them away; he could only suffer in silence as the pain continued to ravage his body.
In the midst of his torment, memories emerged like vivid flashes before his eyes. He saw the door closing behind him, the chilling finality of his family's rejection. The image of his younger self, tears streaming down his cheeks, etched itself into his mind, a symbol of vulnerability and betrayal.
"You can't even awaken the weakest Essence? You aren't worthy of having the surname 'Jin'!" the voice of his father rang in his head. "Get out of my sight!"
"Father..." The voice sounded like a whisper, but he knew it wasn't. It was the voice of the young man he had once been.
The memory, so vivid that it felt like a dream, was suddenly washed over by another one, this one a distorted echo of what he remembered.
He turned to his mother who was looking at him without any trace of love or pity in her eyes. "Mother..." he tried to call out to her. She made a dismissive wave with her hand. "You are no son of mine," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
His eldest sister, who was always a kind and caring older sister, now only stared coldly at him, without a shred of emotion on her face. "You are not my brother anymore. You are a disgrace to me. Get out." Her words were as devoid of emotion as her mother's.
"No... Sis..." He tried to call out to her, to the sister he used to rely on, but her gaze held no warmth or compassion. There was only anger and contempt, two emotions he could not have imagined her feeling toward him.
"Out!" his father's voice boomed in his ears, a stinging slap sending him stumbling across the room, crashing into a chair that had fallen to the ground. The chair skidded along the floor, making a high-pitched screech that grated his ears.
The echo of his father's slap reverberated throughout the room as if to mock him, as he lay crumpled on the ground.
The shock left him breathless, looking at the closed door, and the voices of his parents receding as they walked out of the room.
"Father... Mother..." The whispers slowly gave way to sobs as he struggled to push himself up with trembling arms, tears streaming down his face as he reached for the door, wanting to chase after them.
But it was too late. They were already gone, leaving only the echoes of their footsteps as a reminder of the pain they had caused.
The memories faded away like sand slipping through his fingers, and Lee Jin collapsed onto the ground, his strength giving out.
Blood dripped down from his eyes like tears, pooling on the ground. 'I still couldn't...' The words hung in his head like a bitter mantra as he lost the little bit of consciousness he had left, sinking into darkness.
***
"Why?!" The anguished cry cut through the air, but this time it wasn't Lee Jin's voice. It was a young girl, her eyes filled with hurt and confusion, as she looked at the boy seated next to her in the humble carriage.
Both of them had lustrous black hair that shimmered in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the leaves of the trees above.
The boy, whose name was Yohan, gazed at the girl with a mixture of sadness and determination in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Nara," he said softly, his voice tinged with regret. "The young master had no choice but not to tell you."
Nara's tear-streaked face showed a flicker of confusion. "But why...?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Because he didn't want to worry you. You know how sensitive you are, Nara. He didn't want you to be stressed out by all this."
Nara frowned as she turned to look out the window of the carriage. The world outside looked peaceful, with lush greenery all around. The sky was a bright, cloudless blue, a stark contrast to her inner turmoil.
"It's just..." she began. "We have lived together in that house for years. He was the one who gave us a family when we had none, but now he is leaving us alone in that place?"
She turned her tear-filled gaze toward Yohan again. "I know he wants to awaken his Divine Essence but still... How could he use the forbidden cultivation method? What if he never comes back?"
Yohan looked away, not wanting Nara to see the guilt written all over his face. "I know," he said, his voice soft but steady, "but he didn't want to worry you. If you had known, you would have tried to stop him."
Nara sighed, her heart heavy with the weight of the revelation. "I suppose he thought he was protecting me," she murmured, wiping away a tear that had escaped her eye. "But keeping secrets like this only hurts us more in the end."
Yohan remained quiet, keeping his gaze on the road ahead, and the scenery outside.
"I just hope he is alright," Nara added softly.
The boy turned to her, the pain and guilt visible on his face. "Me too," he said in a low voice.
****
In the hallway of Divine Academy, students in their colorful robes hurriedly passed by, their footsteps echoing against the polished marble floors.
The academy itself was an impressive sight, with majestic pillars and intricate carvings adorning the walls. The air was filled with an aura of anticipation and excitement, typical of a place where Divine holders honed their skills in the pursuit of greatness.
"Have you heard two new students from the lower branch will be joining us tomorrow?" One of two students who were walking down the hall paused to ask his friend. "A boy and a girl."
"What?" her companion gasped, his eyes widening. "From the lower branch? How is that possible? Doesn't the lower branch consider to be the weakest of the academy?"
The first student nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, they are, but apparently, these two have something special about them. Rumor has it that they possess a unique Divine Essence that caught the attention of the higher-ups. That's why they're being transferred to the main branch."
"Really?" his friend said, intrigued. "I wonder what kind of Divine Essence they have. It must be something extraordinary if it could earn them a place in the main branch."
"I don't know, but I guess we'll find out soon enough," the first student replied with a hint of excitement. "In any case, I hope they don't disrupt our classes too much. We have to stay focused if we want to pass the upcoming Essence Trials."
"Yeah, I just hope they aren't like Ka-jin," his friend chimed in, referring to a previous student whose disruptive behavior had caused quite a stir among their classes.
"Hmm, maybe you are right. Still, we can only hope they aren't as bad."