Splash!
"Ahhh! What the hell?!"
"Stop whining and get ready," the man in black said calmly.
Emrys wiped the water from his face, anger burning in his chest. "What was that water for?!"
"Get used to it. I'll wake you like that every morning. So don't oversleep."
Soaked and irritated, Emrys clenched his fists, then swallowed his pride. "Fine. What are we doing today?"
The man in black glanced at him. "What do you think? Stand up and run fifty laps around the warehouse."
"…What?"
"We're starting with running."
"Seriously?"
"What are you waiting for? Go. Now."
Before Emrys could argue, the man grabbed him and threw him outside.
"W—!"
Emrys stumbled, but his body moved on instinct. He started running.
The first lap was easy.
The second passed without effort.
By the third, the wind rushed past his ears.
Fourth.
Fifth.
The man in black watched in silence.
At least he's got stamina.
Emrys kept going.
By the tenth lap, his breathing was heavy—but controlled.
By the fourteenth, his pace slowed slightly.
Still, he didn't stop.
At the twenty-third lap, his breathing turned rough and uneven.
At the thirtieth, his vision blurred.
But he kept his eyes forward.
Mmh… impressive for a kid his age, the man thought. But this ends soon. Five more laps at most.
Then—
Emrys reached the fortieth lap.
His legs finally gave out. He collapsed onto the ground.
The man in black walked over and looked down at him. "What are you doing lying there? Is that how you plan to avenge your family? How will you fight your enemies if you can't even run after them?"
Emrys stared up at him.
Empty eyes.
No words.
Tch. Damn brat, the man thought. Even on the brink of collapse, he still looks at me like that.
Still…
Forty laps. He's got potential.
Turning away, the man said, "When you can move again, take a shower and rest."
Then—
"!"
A sudden rush of air passed him.
Emrys ran past.
"…What?"
Despite his exhaustion, Emrys forced himself up and kept running.
The man in black froze, eyes wide. "He's still moving? He should be done. That doesn't make any sense."
The truth was simple.
The fifty laps were never meant to be completed.
The lesson was defeat.
Learning how to accept loss—even after giving everything.
But Emrys didn't stop.
Forty-three.
Forty-five.
Finally—
Lap fifty.
The moment he crossed the invisible finish, his body gave out. He collapsed, unconscious.
The man in black approached, a faint smile forming. "You did well. Remember this. From now on, it only gets harder. That's the path you chose."
He lifted Emrys onto his shoulder.
Grrr…
"…Huh?"
The sound came from Emrys.
The man paused.
"…Ah."
It had been over two days since the boy had eaten.
"…Oops. My bad." but even so his will to fight is something else
The next morning, Emrys woke up to a delicious smell.
The smell alone woke him up instantly. For a moment, he almost looked like a little puppy.
The man in black crossed his arms. "Look who finally decided to wake up. Go wash yourself and then come eat."
Emrys stood up, using every bit of energy he had left. Obediently, he washed himself and then came to the table.
He stopped.
The food.
Emrys looked at the man, waiting for permission.
The man noticed and raised an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? That's all for you. Dig in."
Emrys nodded silently and started eating.
He ate like a starving lion that had finally caught its prey—fast, fierce, and desperate. Almost as if he had earned every bite on the table with his own effort.
The man watched him eat. A small smile appeared on his face.
Emrys noticed it.
Instinctively, he became wary, his body leaning forward as if to protect his food.
The man laughed. "Relax. Eat. I'm not stealing anything. That food is there because of your own effort."
Emrys glanced at him suspiciously, then continued eating. "Thank you… mister."
"Mister?" the man repeated. "From now on, call me Jhin. 'Mister' makes me feel old."
Emrys paused, looking genuinely confused. "Aren't you old, Mister Jhin?"
Jhin stared at him, a vein almost popping on his forehead. "I am not old. And stop with the 'mister,' damn brat. Just call me Jhin."
"…Okay," Emrys said. "Thank you, Jhin."
Then he went back to eating.
After dinner, they returned to training.
Running.
Lifting.
Stretching.
Strength training.
By the time Emrys realized it, two moths had already passed.
That evening, Emrys was eating alone. Jhin had gone out to buy groceries.
Then—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Hello? Anyone home?" a man's voice called from outside the door.
Emrys froze.
What do I do?
Jhin isn't here.
And who would come here? This warehouse is remote. You can't find it unless you already know it exists.
His heart started pounding.
Emrys stood up slowly and scanned the room.
A weapon.
Anything.
His eyes locked onto a metal pipe lying near the wall. He grabbed it and focused on the door, every muscle tense, ready to react if it opened.
Then—
"Hello. Do you know where Jhin is?"
The voice came from behind him.
"…!"
Emrys turned around and attacked instantly, swinging the pipe with everything he had.
The man dodged it effortlessly.
In the next instant, Emrys felt his weapon ripped from his hands. Pain shot through his body as he was slammed to the ground, his arm twisted behind his back. He couldn't move.
"Alright," the man said calmly, looking straight into Emrys' eyes—almost as if he was staring through him. "Let's start from the beginning."
Emrys gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "Who's Jhin?"
The man's eye twitched. "Damn brat. You really want to play it like that, huh? Fine. Let's see who wins."
He tightened his grip on Emrys' arm. "I'll give you five seconds. If you don't tell me where he is, I'll break your arm."
Sharp eyes, the man thought. But at the end of the day, he's still just a kid. What was Jhin even thinking?
Then—
Something unexpected happened.
Emrys met his gaze.
Those eyes.
They weren't afraid.
They weren't shaking.
They showed only one thing—
He was ready to lose his arm rather than betray Jhin.
Then—
A knife flew straight at the man.
"—!"
He barely dodged it. The blade sliced past him, leaving only a shallow scratch.
The man jumped back.
Emrys lifted his head.
It was Jhin.
"What do you think you're doing?" Jhin demanded, his eyes burning with anger.
"Jhin!" Emrys shouted. "Get out of here! He's looking for you! He's strong—so run!"
Ignoring the pain, Emrys threw himself toward the man. "I'll hold him off, so run!"
His trembling voice echoed through the warehouse, filled with fear—and worry.
The man and Jhin both froze.
Even now…
He was worried about Jhin more than his own life.
�ha, Who do you think you are, worrying about me, brat?"
Before Emrys could react, Jhin suddenly appeared behind him and gently patted his head.
"Relax," Jhin said. "That idiot over there. Is Alex, Alex let him go."
"…!"
The pressure disappeared. Emrys gasped and pushed himself up.
He looked at the man—then back at Jhin. "What do you mean he's on your side?"
Turning toward Alex, Emrys demanded, "Then why were you threatening me? Why did you attack me if you know Jhin?"
No response.
"Hello?" Emrys waved a hand. "Alex? Are you there?"
Alex blinked, snapping back to reality.
He stared at Emrys in shock.
That level of resolve… at this age?
He exhaled slowly. I made a mistake, maybe he is the one we need.
Alex knelt down. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't mean to scare you."
He glanced at Jhin. "Jhin told me he found a good candidate. I just wanted to test you. But what you showed me…"
Alex smiled faintly. "It proved you're worthy."
Emrys hesitated.
"…And?" he said. "Did I ask? I want to know why you ambushed me like that."
Alex's smile widened slightly. "Just to make sure you're suited."
"…Suited for what?" Emrys asked.
Alex was about to answer—
When he felt it.
A faint pressure brushed against his senses, precise and restrained. Not hostile. Not murderous.
A warning.
Only Alex noticed.
Careful, Jhin said without words. Not yet.
His expression didn't change, but a thin line of sweat traced down his temple.
"…Suited," Alex replied smoothly, "for me to train you. That's all."
The pressure faded as quietly as it had come.
Alex let out a slow breath.
Still the same, he thought. Always watching. Always protecting
Once everything had calmed down, Jhin spoke again. From now on, he'll be taking care of you—training you in combat and making sure your needs are met."
Alex straightened. "Hello, little one. As Jhin said, I'm Alex. You can call me big brother."
Emrys looked exhausted. "…I'd rather not. Alex is fine."
Alex recoiled, wounded. "…That hurts."
"Wait," Emrys said, suddenly frowning. "Why is he training me? Why can't you keep doing it?"
Jhin's expression darkened. "I need to go somewhere, to a place where you cant go yet.
He turned away preparing to leave.
Emrys asked why so suddenly?.
jhin replied my only mission was to find a suitable candidate and that's it.
But we will meet again sooner then you think
"From now on," Jhin said quietly, "Alex will take care of you."
Emrys frowned, anger rising in his chest.
"Huh? Again with that suited nonsense," he snapped. "What is your goal for me anyway? I've always wondered—who are you guys really? Jhin… is that even your real name? You and Alex are strong, yeah—but who are you?"
Jhin laughed lightly. "Oh yeah… I never told you any of that, did I? And you're only asking now?"
Alex cut in sharply, "Are you stupid? Following a stranger even though you know nothing about him?"
Emrys clenched his fists, his head lowered.
"THEN WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" he shouted.
"I was lost. I didn't know where to go or what to do. And then Jhin suddenly appeared in front of me. I might not have known his purpose—or how he even knew me—but at that moment, my body told me he was the one who could help me reach my goals. Help me end this war."
His voice trembled.
"So I didn't care who he was. But now he wants to leave me behind—and I want to know why."
Silence filled the room.
Jhin took a step forward.
"Then let me answer your question."
His voice was calm. Serious.
"My name is Jhin. That part wasn't a lie. I'm a commander in the military. I was sent here to monitor the situation."
Emrys looked up.
"That's when I noticed you in the hospital," Jhin continued. "A child with so much hatred in his eyes that it gave even me chills."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"I got curious about what path you would choose. After you ditched the police officer and wandered the streets, I saw those eyes again. And in that moment, I knew."
Jhin opened his eyes.
"We need someone with that kind of hatred in the military."
Alex stiffened slightly.
"That's why I decided to help you," Jhin said. "Because I knew you'd play an important role in ending this war."
Emrys' breath caught.
"I wanted to train you longer. Properly. Thoroughly," Jhin admitted. "But the front line is calling. That's why I asked Alex to step in."
Alex nodded.
"He'll teach you everything you need to know," Jhin continued. "And when the time is right… we'll meet again."
"…On the battlefield."
Emrys was silent for a moment.
Then he scoffed, forcing a bratty tone. "Why didn't you just tell me that from the beginning, old man?"
Jhin smiled. "Sorry, kiddo."
Emrys turned away, his eyes burning.
"…It's fine," he said quietly. "We'll meet again on the battlefield. I'll train hard until then."
He looked back at Jhin.
"So take care of yourself."
Jhin nodded once.
Then he turned—
And walked toward the front.
In those few moths, something had quietly changed.
Jhin had never said it out loud.
Neither had Emrys.
But somewhere between the early mornings, the harsh training, the shared meals, and the silent moments after exhaustion, a bond had formed.
Not master and student.
Something closer.
Like father and son.
Jhin was the one who woke him up.
The one who pushed him past his limits.
The one who scolded him—
and the one who made sure he ate.
And Emrys…
Without realizing it, had started looking for Jhin's presence before sleeping.
Had waited for his approval.
Had trusted him without question.
So when Jhin left—
It felt like losing his family yet again.