The sun set and the wind was soft, falling lazily across the quiet yard. Einar had just settled onto the swing, trying to enjoy a rare moment of peace.
That peace shattered in an instant.
"Hey, Einar… I knew I'd find you here."
A tall boy with fair skin and short black hair stepped into view, flanked by two shorter boys. Both were tan-skinned with black hair—one long, one short—but their faces were nearly identical. Their presence alone made the air feel heavier.
Einar adjusted his sitting position and rubbed his face with both hands. He looked up, meeting the eyes of the three intruders.
"Steve… John… Jacob. What are you doing here?"
Steve, standing in the center, laughed—a sharp, mocking sound.
"Straight to the point as always, huh? Typical loser behavior, haha. But we're not here to chat. We came to tell you to leave—and never come back. Starting today, this whole yard belongs to the Tiger Gang."
His grin was smug, arrogant. John and Jacob mirrored it proudly.
Einar tilted his head slightly, frowning.
"Oh? Really now? And who exactly decided that?"
Jacob stepped forward, hands on his hips, chest puffed out.
"Don't argue, idiot. Just leave. We're three and you're one—no one is coming to help you. And we already got Leader Li's approval to take this place. So there's nothing you can do."
Einar's expression darkened. He spoke slowly, deliberately, every word weighted with years of attachment to this place.
"No. This place… has belonged to me—and my brothers—since we were kids. We've cared for it longer than you can imagine. You don't get to take it so easily."
He paused, his eyes narrowing.
"Now leave… before I make you leave."
The yard was silent. For a moment, it seemed like the three might reconsider. But then Jacob's face twisted with rage.
"You worthless parasite…!"
He lunged.
Einar barely had time to react. The punch hit him squarely in the face, sending him crashing to the ground.
Jacob didn't stop. He straddled Einar and began pounding him with a relentless series of punches. Einar raised his arms, trying to protect his face, but the blows kept coming—one after another. Each hit rattled his bones. A metallic taste filled his mouth, and blood ran down his cheeks.
Finally, Jacob stood, panting, a wide grin on his face. John and Steve laughed behind him, enjoying the spectacle.
Steve stepped forward, crouching slightly to meet Einar's dazed gaze.
"What happened to all that bravado? Weren't you going to beat us up a minute ago? Looks like you couldn't even handle one of us, haha."
He pressed his foot onto Einar's chest.
"Remember this. Don't come back. Next time, we won't hold back."
John and Jacob grabbed Einar by the arms and threw him through the yard's entrance like a ragdoll. Then they started walking away, their laughter echoing into the distance.
But just a few steps later, they froze.
A faint, trembling voice called out behind them.
They turned.
Einar was standing. Blood dripped from his mouth and chin. His left eye barely opened. Every movement looked agonizing. Every step looked impossible.
And yet… he was standing.
He spat blood onto the ground. His chest heaved. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Come back here… all of you…" His voice cracked, but the fury in it was unmistakable.
"Come here, you bastards… I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget. I'll beat you until no one can even recognize you!"
Even battered, broken, and bleeding, Einar's presence alone made the world feel smaller, sharper, like the calm before a storm.
This wasn't over