A blast tore through the park.
Children screamed. Parents scattered, calling names into the smoke. Panic surged like a wave — loud, wild, and uncontrollable.
Arin burst through the back gate, panting.
Then he saw them.
Near the swings, a mother was pinned beneath a collapsed metal frame. Her son stood frozen beside her, crying.
A monster was approaching — blade raised.
The mother didn't look at Arin. Her eyes were locked on her child.
Arin's legs twitched.
He took a step back.
He didn't want to be here.
He didn't want to fight.
He just wanted a normal life. One without monsters, gates… or powers he never asked for.
But her face — so desperate. So helpless.
Just like that day.
His aunt's blood.
Her final smile.
Her trembling voice:
"Run, Arin… Live. For me."
His chest tightened.
No.
Not this time.
CRACK!
A blur of gold streaked across the park. The monster stalking the child never saw it coming. It slammed into a tree, cracking bark and bone.
Arin stood where it had been.
His breath came hard. His hoodie was torn. His fists glowed with faint gold light.
He turned and gripped the swing frame.
With a single motion, he lifted it off the mother.
"Are you okay?" he asked, voice steady.
She nodded, wide-eyed. "Y-yes… Thank you. You saved my son…"
But Arin wasn't listening anymore.
His eyes shifted to the gate.
The air shimmered. Red. Sickly.
More were coming.
He looked back once — mother and child, safe, clutching each other.
Then he turned toward the breach.
Something flared in his chest.
Not fear. Not doubt.
Rage.
Two monsters burst from the portal.
Arin moved.
He ducked under the first swipe, striking the second in the jaw. The third lunged — claws ready — but he spun, elbowing its head aside.
Still, they kept coming.
The ground shook.
They stopped.
A larger shadow stepped through the gate — taller, cloaked in armor, sword in hand, aura heavy like drowning.
The boss.
Its golden eyes locked on Arin.
And it dashed.
Too fast.
Arin dodged — barely.
The second slash grazed his ribs.
He gasped, clutching his side.
"I can't keep up…" he muttered.
But then—
A child's cry behind him.
He turned.
A smaller monster had thrown its blade toward the boy.
Arin moved — too slow.
CLANG!
The sword was deflected midair.
Not by chance.
A stone — thrown by Arin — bounced the blade away.
The monster turned, confused. Annoyed.
SMASH!
The boss struck Arin square in the side, launching him into a tree.
He hit the trunk hard. Bark cracked. Air flew from his lungs.
"Too weak," the boss sneered.
Pain. Burning.
Then—
Another monster turned toward the mother and her child.
It raised its sword.
The mother, still weak, tried to shield her son.
Arin's eyes widened. "No…"
The monster swung—
BOOM!
A golden flash.
Arin's fist collided with its face mid-swing, sending the monster hurtling into another tree.
The creature screeched.
The boss turned.
And the fight began.
Golden light clashed with blood-red aura.
Arin struck — again and again — fists glowing brighter, faster.
Each blow shook the ground.
The boss retaliated — savage slashes and aura bursts.
But Arin kept up.
One punch — the monster staggered.
Another — its mask cracked.
And another — pure, burning power — sent the creature flying.
Arin leapt forward, landing hard.
He looked down.
The monster was trying to crawl.
Then it turned — saw him — and froze.
Its eyes widened.
It trembled.
It knew him.
"You…" the monster hissed, backing away.
"I thought you were dead—"
But it didn't finish.
It turned and ran toward the gate.
Arin stepped forward to chase…
But his knees buckled.
His body screamed in pain.
He dropped to the ground, trembling.
His hand dug into the dirt.
He watched the monster vanish through the gate.
It pulsed once…
And shattered.
Gone.
Silence.
Arin stayed on one knee, breath ragged.
"I… I'm useless as ever…"
He gasped for breath.
"I gave nothing to her… not even happiness."
"My aunt never smiled because of me."
"I never made her proud."
His vision blurred — not from pain, but guilt.
"I was a failure…"
"Just a burden."
"But not this time."
Not again.
Golden light exploded from his body.
The ground cracked beneath him.
A voice echoed in Arin's head.
"Second place isn't failure, Arin."
"You always ran like you were chasing the sky."
He remembered — years ago.
Racing uphill.
Mira laughing.
Cheering him from the finish line.
"You don't have to win. Just don't stop running."
His fist clenched.
He stood.
Staggering.
Eyes burning gold.
His hand touched something cold.
A sword.
He gritted his teeth, trembling.
"I always ran behind," he whispered.
"But not this time."
"You devil…"
He stood.
Golden light flared.
He vanished in a blink.
Lightning-fast, he closed the distance — blade gripped in both hands.
SHHK!
The sword plunged deep into the boss monster's back.
A shockwave burst from the wound.
The boss screamed.
It staggered forward… then collapsed.
Dead.
The remaining monsters panicked.
They turned and fled back through the gate.
But the gate had already broken.
Shattered.
Silence.
Arin stood motionless, sword still in hand.
His shoulders dropped.
His legs gave out.
And he fell—
But before the ground met him…
A pair of arms caught him.
Warm.
Gentle.
He blinked once… barely conscious…
And saw her.
A girl.
Then everything went black.