THE NIGHT WAS THICK, HEAVY WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE STORM. SIYUN MOVED ALONG THE EMPTY ROAD, SHOULDER BURDENED BY A BAG THAT FELT LIGHTER THAN THE WEIGHT PRESSING DOWN ON HIS HEART. THE RAIN HAD EASED, LEAVING A SILVERY SHEEN ACROSS THE PAVEMENT, REFLECTING THE FLICKERING STREETLAMPS (BUZZ… HUM… DRIP…). EVERY SOUND WAS AMPLIFIED—HIS FOOTSTEPS ON THE WET ASPHALT (CLACK… CLACK…), THE RUSTLE OF LEAVES IN THE GUSTING WIND (SWISH… WHOOSH…), AND THE DISTANT CRASH OF A METAL SIGN (CRASH… CLANG!).
THE GIRL'S WORDS REVERBERATED IN HIS MIND:
"WHEN SHADOWS BIND THE HEART OF MAN, ONLY THE LOST SHALL FIND THE LIGHT WITHIN THEIR HAND."
HE SHIVERED, MEMORIES OF THE BRIDGE, THE RAIN, HER HAND, AND THE EDGE OF SUICIDE STILL FRESH. QUESTIONS BURSTED IN HIS MIND—WHO WAS SHE? WHY HELP HIM? WHAT DID SHE MEAN BY "LIGHT"? HE HAD SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, BUT HE KNEW ONE THING: HE HAD TO KEEP MOVING.
THE ROAD LED HIM TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE CITY, WHERE TALL GRASS SWAYED LIKE WAVES IN THE MOONLIGHT. THE MOON PEERED THROUGH THE CLOUDS, CASTING LONG, SLENDER SHADOWS OVER THE FIELD. A WIND WHISTLED THROUGH THE GRASS (SSHHH… SWOOSH…), AND HE FELT AS IF THE NIGHT ITSELF WERE WATCHING HIM.
A FIGURE STOOD IN THE DISTANCE, STILL CLOAKED IN SHADOW. HER PRESENCE WAS CALM, ALMOST ETHEREAL. THE AIR GREW HEAVIER, AND THE NIGHT SEEMED TO HOLD ITS BREATH.
"YOU'VE COME," THE GIRL SAID, HER VOICE SMOOTH AND LOW, ECHOING SLIGHTLY. "DO NOT FEAR… NOT YET."
SIYUN STOPPED, HEART POUNDING (THUMP… THUMP… THUMP!). "WHO… WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS THIS PLACE?" HIS VOICE WOBBLED SLIGHTLY, FRAGILE UNDER THE NIGHT'S SILENCE.
"THIS PLACE IS NOT IMPORTANT. WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR MIND, SIYUN. YOUR HEART. THE CHAOS YOU CARRY."
HE FELT THE WEIGHT OF HIS LIFE PRESSING AGAINST HIM. THE BETRAYALS, THE LIES, THE MOMENTS HE HAD SACRIFICED FOR FRIENDS WHO TURNED AGAINST HIM—EVERY MEMORY THRUST INTO HIS CHEST LIKE A DAGGER.
"I… I'VE TRIED… I'VE TRIED TO FORGET…" HE WHISPERED, VOICE BREAKING. "BUT IT KEEPS COMING BACK. THE BETRAYALS… THE HUMILIATION… HANNA'S SMILE… THE WOLF… I CAN'T…"
"GOOD," SHE SAID SOFTLY, TAKING A STEP CLOSER. "FEEL IT. ACCEPT IT. LET IT FUEL YOU. THAT IS YOUR POWER."
THE NIGHT SEEMED TO CLOSE IN. EVERY DRIP OF WATER FROM THE LEAVES (DRIP… DRIP…) FELT LIKE A COUNTDOWN. HIS HANDS CLUTCHED HIS BAG AS MEMORIES SURGED—HANA'S SMILE, THE WOLF'S SMIRK, MINJI'S INNOCENT LAUGH, HIS MOTHER'S WORRY, HIS OWN FAILED ATTEMPTS TO STAND UP. EACH IMAGE CUT DEEP, YET NOW HE SAW THEM DIFFERENTLY—NOT AS WEAKNESS, BUT AS FUEL.
"I… I'VE WASTED SO MUCH… BEEN WEAK… LET EVERYONE CONTROL ME… I'VE CRIED ALONE… LET HATE AND FEAR DICTATE MY LIFE…" HE BREATHED, VOICE LOW, YET STRONGER THAN BEFORE.
"EXACTLY," SHE WHISPERED, HER VOICE LIKE A CALM ECHO IN THE STORM. "THAT ANGER, THAT PAIN… IT IS NOT YOUR ENEMY. IT IS YOUR TOOL. LEARN TO WIELD IT. FOCUS IT. TURN IT INTO SOMETHING THAT STRENGTHENS YOU, THAT MAKES YOU SHARP, THAT MAKES YOU UNSTOPPABLE."
SIYUN CLOSED HIS EYES. THE NIGHT, THE DARKNESS, THE RAIN (THUMP… WHOOSH… DRIP…) FELL AWAY INTO THE BACKGROUND. HE LOOKED DEEP INTO HIMSELF, INTO THE HOLE LEFT BY BETRAYAL AND LOSS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME… HE SAW POSSIBILITY.
"I… I CAN'T GO BACK. I CAN'T LET THEM BREAK ME AGAIN…" HE WHISPERED, HIS VOICE SHAKING, BUT FIRMER. "I'VE LET MYSELF BE VICTIM TOO LONG. I… I WILL TURN THIS INTO STRENGTH… I WILL MASTER MYSELF… I WILL NOT BE WEAK AGAIN."
"GOOD," SHE SAID, NODDING. "YOUR PATH IS YOURS, SIYUN. REVENGE ALONE DOES NOT MAKE YOU STRONG. MASTER YOUR MIND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FOLLOW. PAIN, DESPAIR, RAGE—ALL OF IT CAN BE YOURS TO CONTROL. NOT OTHERS… NOT OBJECTS… YOURSELF."
HE FELT A SHIFT INSIDE, A STRANGE CALM, LIKE A DARK STORM HAD BEEN REFINED INTO A FOCUSED ENERGY. HE WAS ANGRY, BUT HE WAS IN CONTROL. HE WAS HURT, BUT HE WAS FOCUSED. HE WAS ALIVE.
"I… I WILL USE IT… ALL OF IT… MY RAGE, MY SUFFERING… EVERYTHING… TO BE STRONG… TO SURVIVE… TO STRIKE BACK…" HE WHISPERED, FIST CLENCHED (CLACK… CLACK…).
"REMEMBER," SHE WHISPERED, "THE NIGHT WILL TEST YOU. THE WORLD WILL TRY TO BREAK YOU. BUT WHAT YOU LEARN HERE… WHAT YOU MASTER HERE… IS YOUR FOUNDATION. EVERYTHING ELSE… WILL BE BUILT FROM THIS."
Siyun TOOK A DEEP BREATH, FEELING THE NIGHT, THE DARKNESS, THE SILENCE, AND YET… CALM. THE EDGE HE HAD FELT ON THE BRIDGE WAS GONE. HE WAS NO LONGER A BOY READY TO FALL. HE WAS A YOUNG MAN, SHARP, DETERMINED, AND READY TO ACT.
THIS WAS HIS FIRST STEP. HIS FOUNDATION. HIS AWAKENING.
INSTEAD OF RETURNING HOME, SIYUN FOUND HIMSELF ESCORTED THROUGH THE NIGHT BY THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL AND A HANDFUL OF SILENT BODYGUARDS IN BLACK SUITS. THE AIR WAS COOL, BUT THE WEIGHT OF UNKNOWING PRESSING ON HIM HEAVIER THAN ANY STORM.
THEY ARRIVED AT THE CITY'S MOST EXCLUSIVE HOTEL, A PLACE RARELY SEEN BY THE PUBLIC, WHERE ONLY THE WEALTHIEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL RESIDED. THE BUILDING LOOMED ABOVE HIM, ITS GLASS FACADE REFLECTING THE DIM LIGHTS OF THE NIGHT SKY, SHINING LIKE A JEWEL IN THE DARK. THE AIR SMELLED OF POLISHED MARBLE AND FRESH FLOWERS, AND THE QUIET HALLS ECHOED ONLY WITH THE SOFT CLICK OF THEIR FOOTSTEPS (CLACK… CLACK…).
THE GIRL LED HIM TO A ROOM THAT SEEMED TOO GRAND TO BE REAL, WITH FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOWS OVERLOOKING THE CITY, RICHLY DECORATED WITH VELVET AND GOLD TRIM. HE FELT A STRANGE MIX OF WONDER AND UNEASE.
SHE SPOKE, HER VOICE CALM, SLIGHTLY ECHOING IN THE ROOM:
INSTEAD OF RETURNING HOME, SIYUN FOUND HIMSELF ESCORTED THROUGH THE NIGHT BY THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL AND A HANDFUL OF SILENT BODYGUARDS IN BLACK SUITS. THE AIR WAS COOL, BUT THE WEIGHT OF UNKNOWING PRESSING ON HIM WAS HEAVIER THAN ANY STORM.
THEY ARRIVED AT THE CITY'S MOST EXCLUSIVE HOTEL, A PLACE RARELY SEEN BY THE PUBLIC, WHERE ONLY THE WEALTHIEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL RESIDED. THE BUILDING LOOMED ABOVE HIM, ITS GLASS FACADE REFLECTING THE DIM LIGHTS OF THE NIGHT SKY, SHINING LIKE A JEWEL IN THE DARK. THE AIR SMELLED OF POLISHED MARBLE AND FRESH FLOWERS, AND THE QUIET HALLS ECHOED ONLY WITH THE SOFT CLICK OF THEIR FOOTSTEPS (CLACK… CLACK…).
THE GIRL LED HIM TO A ROOM THAT SEEMED TOO GRAND TO BE REAL, WITH FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOWS OVERLOOKING THE CITY, RICHLY DECORATED WITH VELVET AND GOLD TRIM. HE FELT A STRANGE MIX OF WONDER AND UNEASE.
SHE SPOKE, HER VOICE CALM, SLIGHTLY ECHOING IN THE ROOM:
"FIRST… TAKE SOME REST. TOMORROW MORNING, WE WILL BEGIN OUR JOURNEY. YOU NEED TO BE STRONG, SIYUN… AND FOR THAT, YOU MUST SLEEP."
SIYUN NODDED, BREATHING HEAVILY, HIS HEART STILL THUMPING (THUMP… THUMP… THUMP!), YET A STRANGE CALM HAD SETTLED OVER HIM. HE WAS NO LONGER THE SAME SIYUN WHO STOOD ON THE BRIDGE, READY TO FALL. HE FELT STRONGER—MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY, DETERMINED. HE WOULD NOT LET OTHERS CONTROL HIM AGAIN.
HE SAT ON THE EDGE OF THE GRAND BED, STARING OUT AT THE SPRAWLING CITY BELOW, SHIMMERING LIKE A SEA OF LIGHTS. THE NIGHT HELD A SILENT PROMISE OF CHALLENGES, BETRAYAL, AND REVENGE. BUT HE WAS READY TO FACE IT—WITH HIS MIND SHARP, HEART STEADY, AND DETERMINATION BURNING LIKE AN INVISIBLE FLAME WITHIN HIM.