One year before Jay fell from the Wall.
At the same time Poul was preparing for the battle of reclamation.
The Nameless King lay in the mud.
Rain poured endlessly from the dark sky.
Cold mud clung to his pale face. His lungs burned as they begged for air, and his vision blurred.
Through the haze, he heard footsteps approaching.
Two figures slowly appeared before him.
A young woman with brown hair, wearing a long pink dress.Beside her stood a man holding a sword, his black hair soaked by the rain.
They were walking toward him.
Then everything went black.
Voices echoed somewhere nearby.
Slowly, the Nameless King opened his eyes.
The light was blinding.
It hurt to see.
"Ah! Finally, you're awake!"
The voice was light and cheerful.
Startled, he turned his head quickly, his hand brushing against something soft… yet firm, almost like the ground.
Ignoring it, he immediately began searching for his bone sword.
"Huh? What are you looking for?" the same voice asked.
His vision gradually cleared.
In front of him stood a… giant.
A young woman with brown hair and smooth skin.
No scars.
Not a single wound.
The Nameless King's eyes widened.
'How is that possible…?'
'Is she extremely powerful?'
He observed her more carefully.
'No… that's not it.'
'The scars must simply be hidden'.
"Hm…" The girl avoided his gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Why are you… staring at me like that?"
The Nameless King examined her clothing.
Her "armor" was nothing more than a blue dress.
The fabric looked fragile. Easy to tear.
He slowly looked her up and down in disbelief.
Such weak protection.
His fist tightened, preparing to strike.
But before he could move, another giant stepped into the room.
This one wore a white coat. His hair was purple, like a violet flower, and his eyes matched the color.
He carried a white clipboard.
The man approached the bed and opened the folder.
"Well," he said calmly, glancing at the paper, "according to the examinations we conducted… he's almost fully recovered."
The Nameless King frowned.
'Examinations? Fully recovered?'
'Are those names of techniques? Weapons?'
He didn't understand.
Turning his attention back to the young woman, he noticed the relief spreading across her face.
Suddenly, he threw the blanket aside and stood up.
He looked around the room.
No sword.
He walked past the doctor, continuing his search.
Behind him, the young woman lowered her head.
"I'm sorry… and thank you," she said quietly before running toward the doctor.
As the Nameless King walked down the corridor, he passed a mirror.
He stopped.
The reflection staring back at him showed a tall man with black hair and black eyes. His face carried several scars, and burn marks covered both of his arms.
He was wearing a thin hospital gown.
His eyebrow rose slightly.
He stepped back.
Then forward.
His fist cut through the air.
CRASH.
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the corridor.
Pain pricked his knuckles.
Looking down, he saw shards of glass embedded in his fingers. Blood pooled on the floor beneath him.
He raised an eyebrow again.
'That cuts?'
'I thought I punched the giant in front of me.'
He calmly began pulling the shards from his hand.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway.
The Nameless King continued walking after removing the final piece of glass.
Then a woman appeared in front of him and screamed.
The shrill noise stabbed into his ears.
Moments later, the brown-haired girl from before arrived, sweat running down her forehead.
"What happened?!" she asked in panic.
She froze.
Blood covered the floor.
A nurse crouched nearby, trembling.
And standing in front of her…
Was the Nameless King.
Watching her with the same cold gaze of a—
She shook her head violently, pushing the thought away.
'No… it can't be.'
'They're different.'
Even though the hair was the same.
Even though the face looked similar.
'No… his eyes are different.'
His expression was far more alive than—
She clenched her teeth and stepped forward.
"Idiot! What did you do to your hand?" she said, grabbing his injured hand.
"…"
The Nameless King stared at her face.
Her eyes trembled.
'It's him.'
'The man who killed Cobel… the former King of the Giants… my father.'
The Nameless King tilted his head.
Then he spoke.
"What… is?"
His voice was rough and lifeless, as if forcing sound through a throat that had forgotten how to speak.
The strange tone made her smile slightly.
"Bring bandages!" she called before looking back at him.
"What's your name?"
The Nameless King tilted his head again.
"Come on, what's your name?"
Sweat slid down his face.
"N-name," she explained slowly. "For example, mine is Eli. My name is Eli. What's yours?"
Silence stretched between them.
'Name…'
Isn't that the thing the giant who almost killed me said I didn't have?
While he was thinking, a nurse and another attendant arrived with bandages.
They approached him carefully.
"Excuse us," the nurse said politely. "We're going to bandage your boyfriend's hand."
Eli answered automatically.
"Huh? Ah… yes."
Then she realized what the nurse had said.
Her face instantly turned red.
'He's not my boyfriend!'
The nurse carefully wrapped the Nameless King's hand.
"Why did you punch the mirror?" he asked.
The Nameless King opened his mouth… then closed it again.
Silence filled the room.
When the bandaging was finished, Eli grabbed his arm and guided him back into the room.
Beside the bed sat a plastic bag.
"There are clothes inside," she said.
The Nameless King tilted his head.
"Clo… th… Clothes? What… is that?"
Eli pressed her finger against her forehead.
'How does he not know what clothes are?!'
She opened the bag and pulled out a set of formal clothing.
Holding it up, she pointed.
"This is clothing. Now get dressed."
The Nameless King touched the fabric.
It felt far more durable than what he had been wearing.
Without hesitation, he removed his hospital gown and began putting the new clothes on.
Eli was still standing in the room.
Her eyes widened.
She quickly covered her face, struggling not to scream.
'This idiot! Doesn't he have any shame at all?!'