He walked ahead, silent, as if I wasn't even there. I could hear the steady rhythm of his steps, but no matter how fast I tried to move, I was barely keeping up. My breath quickened, my chest rising and falling faster, until I finally had to stop and lean forward, catching air.
"Please… wait for me," I called out, my voice more desperate than I meant it to be.
He slowed. Then, almost reluctantly, he turned to face me. The moment his eyes met mine, my exhaustion faded just a little. That face… calm, sharp, and beautiful—like it belonged to a world far above mine.
"Please," I said again, softer this time. "Let's rest for a little."
He looked at me with an expression that was almost peaceful, yet there was a hint of distance—like nothing in this world could touch him.
"Why are you following me?" he asked. "I told you to go down the road into the nearby village. It's dangerous here."
I straightened, wiping sweat from my brow, and met his gaze with as much determination as I could muster. "I want to follow you. Please… teach me to defend myself. I saw your power."
For a moment, he didn't answer. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was weighing something in his mind. I stood there in tense anticipation, waiting—almost afraid to breathe.
If I only knew what he was thinking in that silence.
Finally, his gaze settled on me again. "You couldn't keep up with the training I have," he said slowly. "And we would be the only ones in this forgotten place—occasional gangsters passing through. Your reputation for marriage would be ruined." His voice deepened slightly. "Decide on your own… but don't expect me to have any gentle ways of training."
He turned away from me without another word, his steps slow but steady as he moved up the road. I froze for a heartbeat, watching his back grow smaller with each moment.
I don't have much time to decide—he's already leaving.
What should I do?
Marriage… I never wanted that anyway. And him—he's calm, beautiful, strong. He saved me without breaking a sweat. This… this could be my chance.
My pulse quickened. Each step he took felt like a door closing, and I couldn't let it shut.
I straightened my back, ignoring the ache in my legs, and hurried forward, my feet finding a faster rhythm.
When I caught up to him, he glanced at me briefly. He didn't say a word, but something in his pace shifted—just slightly, almost imperceptibly. Slower.
So… he's not as cold as he wants me to believe.
We climbed higher into the mountain, the path narrowing until it ended abruptly at a wall of stone. It felt like we'd reached a dead end, but he didn't stop.
He stepped closer to the rock face, brushing aside a curtain of thick vines with one hand. I watched in silence as he pulled them apart, revealing a narrow gap—just wide enough for a person to slip through.
He went first without looking back. I hesitated for only a heartbeat before pressing in after him, the cool vines brushing my face as I passed.
On the other side, a stone staircase rose into the mountain itself, the air cooler and faintly damp. Strange rocks along the walls glimmered with a soft, shifting light—just enough to guide my eyes upward.
I didn't think. I just followed.
Each step echoed quietly in the enclosed space, and with every rise in the stairway, the faint glow ahead grew stronger. Somewhere above us, a brighter light waited.
When we finally stepped out, the light hit me like a wave. I squinted, my eyes struggling after the dim glow of the passage. Slowly, shapes began to take form before me.
Mountains rose like great walls all around, sealing off the world beyond. In the middle of this hidden basin, a vast stretch of forest swayed gently in the wind. Steam curled lazily from a hot spring so large I could see its rippling surface even from here. On the far side, another pool caught the light, still and mirror-like.
Scattered across the space were stone buildings—solid, old, and quiet. Some stood bare in the sun, others half-swallowed by creeping vines, as if time had tried to erase them. No voices, no footsteps. Was he… the only one here?
He didn't pause. Just walked forward onto a narrow path edged with stones, his pace unhurried, his back straight.
We walked in silence.
He didn't say a word, his steps precise, measured, like every movement had a purpose. The plants around us were unlike anything I'd seen before—broad leaves with silver veins, flowers that glimmered faintly as if catching some unseen light.
As the path curved closer to the houses, the stillness pressed in on me. No smoke from chimneys. No voices. No movement. I took a breath, the question slipping out before I could stop it.
"Where is everyone? Are you… really alone here?"
He didn't slow. Didn't even glance back.
"Yes," he said at last. "This was once a hidden village. A place where we taught self-defence… and other things. Over time, people left—some to fight beyond these mountains. One by one, it became empty. Many lost their way. Many died… for breaking the vows they took to keep this place a secret."
His voice was calm, almost too calm. "If you spread word of this place… something similar could happen to you."
I felt no danger—only a strange curiosity and a trust in him that ran too deep to explain.
We approached a larger building, cleaner than the rest, almost like a temple. Inside, it was one open space with a massive table at the far end, an empty chair at each side, and one great seat in the center.
He led me to the table. A huge book rested upon it. He opened it, and his voice took on a weight that seemed to press into the air.
"This is the book of those who have taken the vows. Once written here, your path will be bound to them."
His eyes met mine, searching, and then he began to read:
> The Vows of the Hidden Place
1. Speak not of this place to outsiders.
2. Use the skills you learn only for defence, protection, or works of good.
3. Teach no skill to those who have not taken these vows.
4. Do not harm another member of the Hidden Place.
5. Take only what you need from the land, and keep it thriving.
6. Abandon greed—wealth is measured in strength, wisdom, and honour, not gold.
7. Obey the guidance of the one who holds the High Seat.
8. Never turn a weapon against the innocent.
9. Train the body, mind, and spirit as one.
10. Should you leave, you may never return unless called.
When he finished, he closed the book with a slow, deep sound that echoed in the room.
I felt my heartbeat rise. I could still walk away.
But… I already knew my choice.