[POV — Vin Jin]
Vin Jin sat on a jagged rock, knees pulled to his chest, the cold mountain wind biting at his skin. His body ached from the run, but the fatigue wasn't the worst part. It was the fear—the crushing, familiar fear that the Shaman had drilled into him since childhood.
He didn't know why he was still alive. The mountains were supposed to take him. Maybe they would.
From a distance, he saw a small group of kids approaching. One stepped forward, a girl with calm, sharp eyes. Mary Kim, he guessed. There was something about her posture, the way she moved—it reminded him of strength he had never been allowed to show.
A man stepped beside her—tall, broad, eyes sharp. Seongji Yuk. Vin Jin didn't know him, but instinct told him this man was different. Not cruel, not manipulative—just… strong.
He tried to rise, to continue walking into the fog, to leave them behind. But Seongji's voice stopped him.
"You don't belong to the mountains alone," Seongji said softly. "Not yet. Not without understanding."
[POV — Seongji Yuk]
Seongji studied Vin Jin carefully. The boy was broken, bruised, but his eyes—those strange, multiple pupils—showed raw, untamed potential.
"This is Vin Jin," Seongji introduced to the group. "He's come from the Shaman's complex. The world he knows is twisted. The people he trusted… betrayed him."
Mary Kim and the others watched silently. Jewoo's jaw tightened; Hyungjae's fists clenched instinctively. They understood the meaning without needing explanation: this boy had endured something they couldn't imagine.
"Cheonliang isn't safe," Seongji continued. "But here, you can survive. Here, you can become strong. Learn, and protect yourselves."
[POV — Vin Jin]
Vin Jin swallowed his pride and sat with them, listening. The anger and fear still burned inside him, but for the first time, he felt something unfamiliar: acceptance. Not complete trust, but a possibility of it.
Mary Kim glanced at him, studying him like a rival. "Don't get in my way," she said flatly.
Vin Jin smirked slightly. "I wouldn't dream of it."
The others looked uneasy, unsure of what to make of this quiet, dangerous boy. But Seongji's presence reassured them. If he could accept Vin Jin, maybe they could too.
[POV — Seongji Yuk]
As the group gathered around a small fire, Seongji spoke quietly.
"The Shaman's influence reaches everywhere. You need to understand it to fight it. Vin Jin fled because he didn't see another way. But now, he has a choice. Stay, learn, and become strong—or leave and be swallowed by the mountains."
Vin Jin didn't answer. He didn't need to. His actions, staying close to the fire and listening intently, said more than words could.
Seongji looked at the group, then at Vin Jin. "Tomorrow, training begins. You will learn, and you will survive. Together."
The fog thickened around the mountain, shadows moving like silent watchers. The Cheonliang Fam's newest member had arrived—and the first step toward revenge, strength, and unity had begun.