Fai's heart hammered against his ribs, His instincts screamed at him, urging him to flee, to turn and sprint back into the concealing shadows of the forest.
Yet, his legs, as if suddenly rooted to the very ground beneath him, remained unresponsive, refusing to obey his mind's command.
He stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the five menacing figures that now completely blocked his path to freedom.
The blonde-haired teenager, the one who had so cruelly likened him to "stinky sewage," took another step forward.
A smirk, cold and utterly devoid of warmth, stretched across his face. "What's the matter, Fai? Cat got your tongue? Or perhaps the 'orphan smell' is just too overwhelming for you to speak?" His words were designed to sting and humiliate.
The other members of the group chuckled, a low. The tallest one, with the perfectly combed grey hair and imposing armor, shifted his weight, his large frame casting a long shadow over Fai. His eyes, though partly hidden by the shadow of his brow, seemed to gleam with a predatory amusement.
The twins, boy and girl, mirrored each other's cold expressions, their identical faces showing no hint of empathy. They looked like a well-oiled, perfectly synchronized unit of intimidation.
"You know, for someone so desperate to get into the MTA, you spend a lot of time by yourself in this forest, away from everyone else," the blonde continued, circling Fai slowly, like a shark surveying its prey. "Almost like you're hiding something. Or... maybe you're just too weak to train with the rest of us, huh?"
Fai's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He felt a surge of raw, burning anger, threatening to overpower the fear that gripped him. He knew these individuals far too well. They were the same group from their high school, the one that had consistently made his life a living hell.
They had graduated just last month, and their cruel habits, unfortunately, hadn't changed with the scenery. They specifically targeted him because he was an orphan, completely alone, with no connections, no powerful family name, and nothing to protect him. In this new world, weakness was a death sentence, and those without backing were invisible, irrelevant, or worse, prey.
Their leader was a boy named Kael, the blonde-haired one, whose father held a minor position within one of the smaller, less reputable factions .
This connection, however flimsy, gave Kael a twisted sense of unearned superiority and absolute impunity when it came to Fai.
"What do you want, Kael?" Fai finally managed to ask, his voice raspy, He tried to project a strength he didn't feel, hoping his voice wouldn't betray the trembling in his knees.
Kael stopped his circling, now standing directly in front of Fai, his face inches from Fai's own. His blue eyes, once seemingly fine, now held a glint of malice. "Oh, nothing much, Fai.
Just a friendly chat. You know, making sure you're properly motivated for the assessment next week." He paused, his gaze dropping to Fai's chest, where the silver warrior necklace rested. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Nice trinket. " he said
A jolt, colder and sharper than any fear, shot through Fai. His hand instinctively flew to the necklace, covering it protectively.
This necklace was sacred.
It was his last tangible link to the only family he had ever known.
"Don't touch it," Fai growled, his anger, simmering just beneath the surface, began to boil over.
He didn't care about the assessment, or the MTA, or even his own safety in that moment. All that mattered was the sanctity of his parents' memory, embodied in that silver warrior.
Kael's smirk widened, sensing a reaction. "Oh, feisty, aren't we? Looks like the little orphan has some fight in him after all." He chuckled, then deliberately reached out a hand, his fingers aiming directly for the necklace.
"Let's take a closer look, shall we? I bet it's worthless junk, just like everything else you own."
Before Kael's fingers could even brush the silver warrior, Fai reacted.
It was pure instinct, a flash of defensive fury. His wooden sword, still clutched in his hand, swung up in a swift arc, not aimed to strike, but to swat away Kael's hand.
It was a desperate, unrefined move, born of pure desperation. He had trained his reflexes endlessly, and in this moment, they saved him from the desecration of his most treasured possession.
Thwack!
The dull sound echoed through the clearing as the flat of the wooden sword connected squarely with Kael's hand. Kael cried out, more in surprise than actual pain, clutching his hand. His face, moments ago smug, contorted into a mask of shock and then cold fury.
"You little runt!" Kael roared, his voice suddenly sharp and devoid of amusement. "You actually hit me?" To him, this was an unforgivable insult, a direct challenge to his authority, especially coming from someone as "insignificant" as Fai.
He was utterly enraged that a nobody like Fai dared to lay a hand on him.
The tallest teenager, who had been silently observing, suddenly moved forward, his heavy armored boots thudding softly on the forest floor. "That's enough, Fai," he said, his voice surprisingly deep and calm. He stepped between Kael and Fai, effectively putting his massive body as a shield.
"You've gone too far."
'Too far ? I was just protecting my self '
Fai thought .
Leo, Kael's second-in-command, and the physically strongest of the group. Unlike Kael, who relied on taunts and influence, Leo was a blunt instrument of force, Fai knew that a real fight with Leo, especially now, would be devastating.
Leo was known for his raw power, having already shown signs of a strength-based mutation, even before the official assessment.
Fai, despite his own dedicated practice, was still only working with basics, honing his body and reflexes, not yet relying on any discovered latent powers.
" You dare to hit me ? you think because youve trained your special ? Let's see if your 'improvements' can save you from this, orphan!"
Kael said , rubbing his hand. He looked at Leo, then at the twins, giving a silent command with his eyes.
"Get him!"
The twins moved first.
They were fast, agile, and seemed to anticipate each other's actions, honed by months, if not years, of working together.
The boy, with a lean build, darted to Fai's right, while the girl, equally nimble, flanked him on the left. Their hands were bare, but their strikes were precise and aimed at debilitating points ,the joints, the temples.
They weren't using swords, but their fists and feet could still deliver painful blows, designed to hurt.
Fai instinctively shifted his stance, bringing his wooden sword up defensively. He knew he was hopelessly outmatched in sheer numbers and mutated abilities.
His own mutation, if he even had one, hadn't fully manifested, or at least he hadn't discovered it yet. All he had was his daily training , and his sheer, desperate will to survive.
He parried the boy twin's swift kick with the flat of his sword, then ducked under the girl twin's sweeping punch.
His movements were focused entirely on defense and using the natural obstacles to his advantage, trying to create distance.
"He's fast!" the girl twin grunted, narrowly missing Fai as he spun away.
"Don't let him get away!" the boy twin shouted, pressing the attack, determined to corner him.
Leo, however, didn't rush in. He stood back, observing Fai's desperate movements, assessing Fai's limited fighting style, his predictable weaknesses. He knew Fai couldn't keep this up forever.
Kael, watched Fai expertly avoid his cronies, his frustration growing with every successful dodge.
Fai knew he couldn't keep this up forever. He was already utterly exhausted from his five hours of training, Dodging two agile opponents while being wary of two others was draining his reserves rapidly, pushing him beyond his physical limits. He needed an opening, a desperate chance to break free and reach the forest gates that shimmered close.
He then moved to the left, drawing the girl twin in, then abruptly spun right, bringing his wooden sword around in a wide, sweeping arc. It wasn't meant to hit, but to create space . The girl twin had to jump back to avoid it, momentarily creating a small, crucial gap.
Fai seized the opportunity, pushing off the ground with all his might, aiming to burst through the narrow opening between the twins and Leo. It was a desperate gamble to freedom .
But just as he darted forward, Leo moved.