Ming didn't sleep.
All night, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling. His mind wouldn't stop. It kept looping—monsters… that weird guy Hikari talked about… the people they met… and Kenzo.
Especially Kenzo.
There was something about him. Something off. Ming didn't know what it was exactly. Just… a gut feeling. Like a quiet alarm in the back of his head.
Eventually, he sat up and got out of bed. Quietly. His eyes went to Luca, then Kenzo, then finally Ash, who was sleeping right beside him, curled up peacefully.
Ming let out a soft sigh and walked to the window. The sky outside was dark, still. His thoughts spun like they were chasing themselves.
"Will it ever end?" he whispered. "Will it ever stop?"
Behind him, a quiet voice spoke.
"…Mr. Ming?"
He turned around. It was Luca. He was awake now, his tone gentle and a little sleepy.
"Can't sleep?" Luca asked softly.
Ming just nodded.
Luca sat up, stretched, then got out of bed and walked over. He stood beside him by the window.
There was silence for a while.
Then Ming said quietly, "Can I ask you something?"
Luca gave a light nod. "Yeah. Of course."
Ming hesitated. Then, in a low voice, he asked, "Do you believe in Kenzo? I mean… do you trust him? If someone told you he was doing something horrible—like, something that could hurt all of us—would you believe it?"
Luca blinked, clearly caught off guard. He didn't say anything for a second.
The question just hung there in the room. Heavy.
Then, finally, Luca gave a tiny smile and said, "No. I couldn't believe that. Kenzo would never hurt anyone. He's too… pure, you know? So, yeah. No. I wouldn't believe it."
Ming stared at him for a moment. Then he looked away and sighed.
"Okay… That's your answer. I guess I'm not surprised. You're his friend, after all."
They stood there in silence. The stars were faint above them, barely visible, but still there—twinkling through the dark.
After a while, Luca spoke again.
"Mr. Ming… it's late. You should try to sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."
Ming nodded. Luca quietly walked back to his bed and lay down again. He was asleep soon after.
Ming stayed by the window for a few more seconds, then glanced at them—Luca, Ash, and Kenzo. Still sleeping peacefully.
He let out one last sigh and went back to his bed.
Finally, he closed his eyes.
---
[In Ming's Dream]
Ming was standing on a lonely mountain. Everything around him was dark—like the whole world had been swallowed by shadow.
Then he heard it.
Someone crying.
A quiet, broken sound, echoing through the air.
He walked toward it. His feet crunched over the ground. Then—he stepped on something hard.
He looked down.
It was a book. Black cover. Golden edges. It shimmered a little, like it didn't belong here. It felt strange. Important.
He knelt down, reached for it—but the crying got louder.
He hesitated… then left the book and kept going toward the voice.
The shadows around him twisted and shifted. And then, in the dimness, he saw a man kneeling on the ground. Crying hard, like his whole soul was breaking.
In his arms… were two burned, lifeless bodies.
He held them tight, sobbing like he couldn't breathe.
Ming stepped closer.
One body was small. A child.
The other… a woman.
Both horribly burned.
Ming stumbled back, heart pounding. The sight made his stomach turn.
But before he could even take it in, a bright light flashed across the sky.
Too bright.
He shut his eyes, covered his face with his hands.
When he opened them… everything had changed.
He was somewhere else now.
He knew this place.
It was the field he used to play in when he was a kid—with his older brother.
The air felt different here. Soft. Warm. Safe.
Then he saw someone walking toward him.
It was his brother.
He looked exactly like Ming remembered him—the same black, shoulder-length hair, those light brown eyes, and that soft, familiar smile.
Ming froze.
Everything inside him felt like it was breaking and healing all at once.
His brother stopped in front of him, still smiling.
He was holding something in his hand, but Ming didn't care what it was. He didn't even look at it.
His brother was here. That's all that mattered.
Then the man raised the object.
Ming finally glanced down.
It was the same diary. The one his sister-in-law had given him at the funeral.
He stared at it, confused and overwhelmed, but before he could say a word—
A voice called his name.
---
The dream shattered.
He opened his eyes.
Luca, Kenzo, and Ash were standing by his bed.
"Mr. Ming, wake up," Luca said, nudging his arm. "Sir Hikari called us for breakfast. Get up already—after breakfast, they're gonna train us."
Ming sat up slowly and nodded. The others were already dressed and ready.
He grabbed his uniform from the wardrobe and walked into the washroom. After bathing, he got dressed. When he came out, almost half an hour later, his hair was still dripping a little.
He looked at the three of them and said, "Let's go then."
---
Outside, Amaya was waiting. She smiled when she saw them.
"Let's go!"
She led the way to the cafeteria.
It was huge—already filled with other trainees and the trainers. The whole place felt busy but calm.
Amaya walked them toward the front. Hikari was waiting there, along with two other leaders, Rin, Sofia, Akiko, three other passengers, and the old woman.
As they all sat down, a few people gave them warm smiles.
Everyone… except Rin.
Hikari gave a small smile. "Let's start breakfast. After that, we'll begin training."
Everyone nodded and started eating.
But Ming barely touched his food.
His thoughts were stuck in that dream.
That mountain. The crying. The burned bodies. The book. The diary. His brother.
What's happening to me?
Why am I seeing these things?
The questions wouldn't stop.
They spun in his head like a storm that refused to calm.
.
End of chapter 7.