The next day.
When Rai opened his eyes, the first thing that entered his mind was the festival Rin had mentioned the night before.
For the first time in a long while, a quiet spark of anticipation moved inside him.
But it was not excitement for lights or celebration.
It was hunger.
If the King attended the festival… then everything could end sooner than expected.
If Leon appeared in public, surrounded by pride and false glory, Rai could cut through the illusion and finish what fate had begun.
Revenge did not sleep.
Rai slowly sat up and took a deep breath, steadying his thoughts.
A knock sounded at the door.
Before Rai could respond, Hyun entered.
"Today," Hyun said calmly, "I will show you our main training methods. You will also begin learning them."
Rai narrowed his eyes slightly. "Train… like your members?"
"Yes," Hyun replied without hesitation. "If you study our methods, you will become stronger. Strength is not only talent. It is refinement. Before you begin, I will explain everything."
Hyun turned and started walking.
"Come."
Rai followed silently.
As they walked through the underground passages, Hyun spoke again.
"I will apologize once more for my son's behavior. He is impulsive. He does not yet understand how a group survives together."
"I don't care about that," Rai replied calmly.
But deep inside, Rai remembered the intensity in Jisoo's eyes. That challenge. That fire.
It had stirred something in him as well.
They arrived at the training grounds.
It was still early — barely past midnight — yet the area was alive.
Torches flickered against stone walls. Shadows stretched and bent with movement.
And children were already training.
Rai's eyes shifted toward the rope platform.
A narrow rope was stretched high between two wooden pillars. Beneath it, there was nothing but hard ground.
A young boy carefully stepped forward on the rope, arms steady, breathing controlled.
Hyun stood beside Rai, hands folded behind his back.
"Balance is the first weapon," Hyun said quietly. "A battlefield is never stable. Blood makes the ground slippery. Bodies fall. Stones shift. If a warrior cannot control his own center, his blade becomes useless."
The boy's foot wobbled slightly — but he steadied himself.
"Up there," Hyun continued, "they learn to silence fear. The rope does not shake because of the wind. It shakes because of doubt. Once the mind is steady, the body follows."
Rai watched without blinking.
Children.
Not soldiers.
Children.
"You wonder why they train this early?" Hyun asked.
Rai did not answer.
"Because Yun soldiers do not ask age before cutting someone down. In this land, survival does not wait for adulthood. Discipline must grow before strength does. If they learn control now, they will not panic when death stands in front of them."
For a brief second, Rai felt something unfamiliar.
Respect.
Not for power.
But for resolve.
They moved toward the next section.
A wide stretch of deep sand filled an entire area. Warriors walked slowly across it, gripping the unstable ground with only their toes. Some carried heavy stones across their shoulders. Others balanced wooden poles stacked with weights.
Every step was slow. Controlled. Painful.
"Strength does not begin in the arms," Hyun said. "It begins from the ground."
A man stumbled slightly but forced himself upright.
"Sand shifts. It resists. It swallows your step. When their feet learn to hold unstable ground, they can stand firm anywhere — mud, snow, broken rooftops, even the shoulders of enemies. A warrior who controls his footing controls the fight."
Rai silently analyzed the movement.
Efficient.
No wasted energy.
Then—
Clang!
The sharp sound of steel echoed nearby.
Two fighters clashed fiercely — black cloth tied over their eyes.
Real blades.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
"Sight is a luxury," Hyun said calmly. "In battle, smoke blinds you. Night hides your enemy. Blood enters your eyes. If you depend only on vision, you will die the moment darkness falls."
One fighter tilted his head slightly — listening.
Steel met steel again.
"Here, they learn to hear breath. To sense killing intent. To feel air shift before a strike lands. When fear steals your sight, your instincts must replace it."
The fight ended with one blade stopping inches from a throat.
Neither removed their blindfold.
Rai's gaze sharpened.
This was not ordinary rebellion.
This was preparation for war.
At the far end of the ground, cold water poured endlessly from wooden pipes above. Several warriors stood beneath it, unmoving. Their bodies trembled, muscles stiff from the freezing force.
"Pain," Hyun said firmly, "is an instructor more honest than any master. We do not avoid it. We invite it. The body that suffers daily does not break easily in war."
One warrior's knees shook violently.
He did not step away.
"Endurance creates patience. Patience creates precision. And precision ends battles quickly."
Finally, Hyun turned toward Rai.
"We do not train to look strong," he said. "We train so that when the moment comes, there is no hesitation. Every step, every breath, every strike must already be decided before the blade leaves its sheath."
A brief pause filled the air.
"That is the difference between warriors who fight… and warriors who survive."
Silence settled between them.
Then Hyun added,
"These are only the basic qualifications to become a Min member. To stand with us fully, you must endure far more."
Rai did not respond.
He knew training.
He had suffered.
He had bled.
But this…
This was different.
This was discipline built for unity.
Not ego.
After a long moment, Hyun spoke again.
"We begin your training tomorrow. Prepare yourself."
Rai gave a slight nod.
They left the training ground.
⸻
Night came quietly.
Rai walked toward the place where he and Rin had stood the previous night.
The air felt different tonight.
Distant sounds of preparation echoed faintly through Yunara. Lanterns were being raised. Voices carried through the streets.
Festival night.
But the meeting place was empty.
Rai looked around.
Nothing.
Then—
A soft voice behind him.
"You still haven't learned how to sense us."
Rai turned instantly.
Rin stood there, arms crossed lightly, eyes reflecting torchlight.
A faint smile rested on her lips.
"You're quiet when you move," Rai said.
"That's the point," she replied playfully.
She stepped closer.
"Are you ready to go, Raikaro?"
The night breeze moved her hair slightly.
For the first time, Rai felt something that was not anger.
Curiosity.
The festival lights flickered in the distance.
And somewhere far away…
A throne waited.
To be continued…