After eating the fruit, everyone quietly drank water. No one really spoke. The cave was quiet. A heavy kind of quiet. Not peaceful… just tired.
About half an hour passed.
Then, the old lady slowly stood up. She didn't say anything. She just walked toward the cave entrance.
She looked outside—
And froze.
Her body went stiff. Her eyes widened in shock, like she saw something awful.
Luca noticed first. "Hey… Kenzo, look at her," he said, pointing.
Kenzo turned. Ming, Sofia, Akiko, Ash, and the rest of the group followed his gaze. Slowly, they got up and walked over.
That's when they saw it.
A deer. Lying outside the cave.
Dead.
Its body was torn apart. Like something had ripped into it without a second thought. Blood soaked the ground around it.
It was clear—those creatures had done it.
But that wasn't even the scariest part.
They hadn't seen a single animal until now. Not a bird, not even an insect. And now, finally, the first one they saw…
Was dead.
No one said anything. They just stood there.
Then Ming broke the silence. His voice was calm, but firm. "We're leaving. It's not safe here anymore."
Everyone nodded. No one questioned it. They picked up their bags and followed him.
They walked into the forest again.
No one talked.
The only sounds were footsteps… and the occasional crack of dry branches under their shoes. It was quiet. Not the peaceful kind. Just… empty.
They kept walking. An hour passed. Maybe two.
Then they saw it—up ahead. A light. Glowing from the end of the path.
As they got closer, a huge gate came into view. Behind it stood tall stone walls.
They stopped for a moment.
No one said a word.
Then Ming stepped forward and knocked.
Hard.
A few seconds passed.
The gate slowly creaked open.
Two men stood there. They didn't speak. They just looked at them, then silently motioned for the group to come inside.
They walked in, a little hesitant.
What they saw next was... unreal.
A giant courtyard, surrounded by traditional-style buildings. Old architecture—like something from another time.
And in the courtyard—people were training.
But it wasn't normal training.
They were using swords. Glowing swords. Some sparked with lightning. Others shimmered with light. Their movements were fast, powerful, sharp.
The younger ones wore blue and white uniforms. The teachers wore black and white.
Ming, Luca, Akiko, Kenzo, Sofia, Ash… everyone just stared.
Then, two people walked toward them.
A tall guy with white and blue hair, strands falling into his cold, unreadable face. His eyes were dark brown and serious. Around Ming's age.
Beside him was a girl with long black hair and warm hazel eyes. She smiled kindly.
They were both wearing the black-and-white uniforms.
Ming was about to say something, but the guy lifted his hand.
"We know why you're here," he said. His voice was calm but strong. "You don't have to explain anything. You want safety. You can stay. This place is safe."
Everyone looked relieved. Some even let out soft sighs.
The girl smiled gently. "I'm Amaya Tsukiko," she said. "And this is Rin Kurogai. It's nice to meet you."
She seemed kind. Rin didn't smile at all.
The group started introducing themselves.
"I'm Ming Liu," Ming said.
"I'm Kenzo Demir. This is Luca Kaya," Kenzo added. Luca gave a nod.
"I'm Akiko Sato," Akiko said quietly.
"I'm Sofia Sayyed," Sofia said.
"Ash Wilson," Ash said, a little nervous but trying to be polite.
Then the rest followed.
"Marla Venn."
"Nolan Crest."
"Elias Dray."
"Jaren Holt."
Amaya gave each of them a warm look.
Rin stayed quiet, his eyes unreadable.
Ming looked at Rin. And Rin looked right back. Cold. Sharp.
"Follow us," Rin said finally, then turned around.
They followed Amaya and Rin through the place.
As they walked, other people stared at them. Some looked curious. Some looked suspicious. No one said anything.
Soon, they reached a large wooden door.
Rin opened it.
Inside, three older men were sitting, waiting. They looked like they were in their forties. Each wore different colored robes—brown and black. Their hair was black, their eyes deep brown.
Amaya introduced them. "These are our leaders. Sir Hikari Sasaki, Sir Daisuke Yamada, and Sir Fubuki Tanaka."
The men nodded once.
"Please, take your seats," Hikari said.
Everyone sat down.
"So… you're all running from the monsters?" Hikari asked.
Ming and the others nodded.
The three leaders looked at one another. Then Fubuki said, "You may all stay here. But you will be trained. Just like the others outside."
The group exchanged nervous looks.
Daisuke added, "Yes. All of you. Except the old lady."
Sofia raised her hand. "What about the child?"
Rin answered coldly. "He'll be trained too."
Sofia's eyes widened. "But he's just a kid!"
Hikari spoke softly. "We understand. And we'll protect him. But he still has to learn. If he's ever alone… he needs to know how to survive."
Sofia looked down. She didn't argue.
Then Ming asked, "So… this training… is it to fight the monsters?"
Hikari stood up. He looked serious.
"Yes. It's to fight them. But not just them."
He paused.
"It's also to prepare you for something worse. The one who created the monsters."
Everyone froze.
Wait. What?
Someone… created them?
Ming felt his heart sink.
Who would do that?
And why?
.
End of chapter 5