The sun burned fiercely that day, despite the thick clouds covering the entire sky—as if rain was about to fall at any moment. Rays of light struggled to pierce through the heavy clouds, eventually reaching a young man sitting quietly on the cold grass beside a calm river.
Next to him stood a strange hut, like a silent witness to an ancient past.
The young man sighed, running his hand along a nearly broken spear beside him. In a low voice, he muttered,
"…I failed again. This isn't good. Was the old man right? …Well, I don't have any other choice."
Slowly, he stood up and gripped the spear tightly before walking toward the hut. Frustration was evident on his face, as if his thoughts were weighing down each step.
Before he could reach it, a broken voice echoed from behind the hut:
"So… you failed… again… This is… disappointing."
The young man paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot—reappearing beside the old man, his eyes shining brightly.
"I've decided… I'm leaving this place. I'll begin my journey to achieve my goal."
The old man coughed several times before speaking,
"And how… cough… will you achieve your goal… when you don't even know… who your enemy is?"
This old man had taken care of the boy—Baran—for ten years. He knew everything about him… his past, his pain, and the incident that changed his life when he was just a child.
Baran sat down calmly and replied,
"I'll search. I know his followers… All I need to do is train… then kill them."
He didn't care where he would go, nor about the world around him. His goal was clear—revenge. Since that day years ago, he had done nothing but train.
Suddenly, a voice came from inside the hut:
"Oi, Baran… are you leaving? How about I tell you a good place to go?"
Both Baran and the old man turned. An elderly woman stepped out slowly, leaning on her cane.
Baran immediately smiled upon seeing her and quickly walked toward her.
"Grandma, why did you come out? I was just about to visit you."
Their bond ran deep. Over the past ten years, they had become his only family.
The old man asked, glancing between them,
"Where… do you want him to go?"
Baran smiled slightly.
"I was thinking about going to the Ice Kingdom… What do you think?"
Instantly, both of them rejected the idea.
Silence filled the air.
Baran looked at the old man and noticed the scars covering his body—old wounds that had never truly healed. He knew the King of the Ice Kingdom was responsible, even if he didn't know the full story.
The old woman smiled gently and said,
"Go to the Dark Kingdom… It suits you better for now."
Baran didn't object. In truth, his mentor came from that kingdom, and he had always known he would go there someday.
A week passed quickly… filled with sadness and farewells.
---
Three days later, Baran sat beneath a tree, holding a map the old man had given him. It showed the royal capital of the Dark Kingdom, surrounded by three major cities known as the Guardian Cities—each ruled by a clan that served the king.
As for him, he was near a small city called King's Fang, beside a mountain inhabited by monsters.
Baran smiled as he folded the map.
"Let's begin…"
He headed toward the city.
It wasn't too small, nor too large—but it was strikingly beautiful. He entered unnoticed by the guards and began observing his surroundings.
"A beautiful city… Is the ruler a woman?"
White rose symbols were everywhere.
He didn't think much of it and headed toward a hotel, but suddenly stopped before entering.
"Damn… I don't have any money. How am I supposed to rent a room?"
He sighed, then entered anyway. The cost was two silver coins per day… and he had nothing.
He walked through the streets, watching people, restaurants, and vendors.
Then suddenly—
"Oi, kid! How about joining us to hunt some monsters in the mountain?"
He turned to see a girl and a young man beside her. They looked like they were preparing for a hunt.
The girl was staring at him with interest. Baran was a handsome young man, with short white hair fading into red at the tips, and pale skin.
He sighed and said coldly,
"And why would I go with an ugly girl like you?"
Silence.
The young man nearly exploded in anger, but the girl raised her hand slightly and said calmly,
"Well… if you don't want to, that's fine. I won't force you."
She turned and walked away, followed by the young man—who seemed to be her servant… or perhaps something more.
Baran watched them as he thought,
"…Actually, that's not a bad idea. If I kill some monsters, I might get a core to sell for money."
As for the girl, she kept walking, expecting him to follow.
But after a short distance, she turned around—
Baran was gone.