The door creaked softly as they stepped inside.
Hana guided Jurgen to a seat, her movements careful, almost fragile, as though he might break under the slightest strain.
He lowered himself with effort, his body stiff, each motion deliberate.
Without a word, Hana reached for the hem of his shirt and slowly pulled it off, her gaze deliberately averted, cheeks faintly flushed.
She dipped a cloth into a basin of warm water she had prepared, squeezing it gently. Droplets fell in slow, rhythmic taps.
Her hand pressed softly against his back.
She began to clean his wounds with delicate precision, each movement measured, cautious.
Jurgen's breath hitched,a low, involuntary gasp escaping him as the warmth met flesh.
"Is this okay?" Hana asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
No response.
Her hand stilled mid motion, hovering just above his skin.
"Jurgen?"
He remained still, shoulders rising and falling in slow, uneven breaths.
"…Yeah," he muttered after a pause.
His voice was distant. Hollow.
Hana nodded faintly and continued, wiping away dried blood from his chest, the cloth gliding carefully over bruised skin.
The room fell into silence,broken only by the faint drip of water and the soft brush of fabric.
Outside, the wind whispered against the windows.
Inside, neither spoke.
She wrapped the bandage around his torso, layering it carefully across his chest.
Jurgen winced.
Hana froze instantly.
"Sorry," she whispered, loosening the wrap slightly.
He shook his head faintly.
"…It's fine."
Her fingers slowed, more deliberate now, tightening the bandage with gentle care.
The quiet deepened,filled only by Jurgen's uneven breathing and the soft rustle of cloth.
After a moment, he pushed himself to his feet.
Every movement was controlled.
Measured.
Then,
His hand shot to his mouth.
A violent cough tore through him.
Dark blood spilled between his fingers, staining them as it dripped to the floor.
"Jurgen!"
Hana's face drained of color, her eyes widening in alarm. She rushed forward, reaching for him.
"Jurgen! Are you okay?"
He shook his head weakly, trying to steady himself.
…but another cough wracked his body, forcing him back against the wall for support.
Hana pressed a hand to his chest, her fingers trembling.
"You're scaring me… stop holding back! Talk to me!"
Jurgen's eyes met hers,dark, unyielding… yet beneath that stubborn resolve, a flicker of exhaustion betrayed him.
"…I'm fine," he rasped.
The blood staining his fingers said otherwise.
Hana didn't respond.
She only tightened her hold, anchoring him in place, refusing to let him take another step.
Jurgen's gaze dropped to his trembling hand.
Dark red.
Too much.
…it's finally begun, huh?
"Pack my bags, Hana," he said quietly, his voice strained as he fought to steady himself.
Her grip tightened instantly.
She shook her head, sharp and immediate.
"I know… I know you're going for the Trials," she whispered, her voice breaking, tears pooling in her eyes.
"You can't. I won't let you."
Jurgen's gaze shifted away, catching the faint glow of light spilling across the room.
He could hear it,her resolve.
Feel it pressing against him.
I have to… I have no choice.
His thoughts came with a flicker of pity and firmness.
Slowly, he straightened, drawing a breath through the pain.
The warmth of her hands grounded him, if only for a moment.
"I have to do this," he said, low… steady… absolute.
"No one can stop it now."
Hana's lips trembled, her fingers clutching tighter, as though sheer will alone could hold him together could keep him from slipping into whatever awaited him.
"It's in two days…" Jurgen continued, lowering himself back down as his strength faltered.
Hana supported him instantly.
"I have to participate… and win. No matter what."
His fingers curled faintly.
Yes… I need power
Power beyond anything.
Hana bit down on her lip, her composure cracking as tears finally spilled over.
"Then I'm coming with you, Jurgen!" she cried, her voice shaking yet resolute.
"Stop holding back from me… I want to help you!"
He looked at her.
Tears streamed down her face, falling endlessly,yet her eyes…
Unwavering.
Filled with raw, desperate determination.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then slowly, he leaned back, his strength giving way as his body sank onto the bed beneath him.
The worn mattress dipped slightly under his weight.
His breath came ragged, uneven.
His gaze fixed on the ceiling above, distant… as if already somewhere far beyond the room.
Silence settled.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
Only Hana's quiet sobs filled the room,soft, trembling, fragile against the stillness.
Then.
Jurgen spoke.
Low.
Barely above a whisper.
"If I stay weak… I lose everything."
His hand curled into a fist, knuckles paling as it trembled,strained not just by pain, but by something deeper… something festering within.
"So I'll become strong enough…"
A pause.
Long enough for the weight of those words to sink in.
"…that nothing can take anything from me again."
His gaze hardened, the last trace of softness draining from his eyes,replaced by something colder… sharper… resolute.
"I'll change everything."
XXXXXXXXXX
Hours passed in silence.
By the time the first rays of sunlight filtered through the window, the world beyond had already begun to stir.
Morning had come.
Jurgen stood outside, a bag slung over his shoulder.
Hana stirred awake slowly, her vision still heavy with exhaustion.
She wiped at her eyes,dry now, emptied of yesterday's tears.
Her gaze drifted toward the bed.
Empty.
A pause.
"Jurgen!" she called, panic snapping her fully awake as she scrambled to her feet.
She leaned out the window.
There,
He stood motionless below.
The morning breeze brushed past him, stirring his hair gently, yet he remained still… distant.
She rushed downstairs, footsteps uneven, heart racing.
"Jurgen… please don't leave… please don't leave me." Her voice cracked, fragile, breaking under its own weight.
Her arm stretched toward him,reaching, as if trying to grasp something already slipping away.
"Hana."
His voice came slow.
Calm.
Cold enough to still the morning air.
She flinched.
"Don't follow me…"
His eyes remained fixed ahead, not once turning to meet hers.
"But I can help you, Jurgen, please just—"
"Hana!"
His voice cut through her words, sharp and absolute.
"I have no use for your love… or your pity."
A pause.
Then, colder.
"I have no reason to love… or be loved by someone like you."
Each word landed heavier than the last.
"So stop this nonsense."
Silence.
"I have no use for you."
His tone dropped,low, final, merciless.
"Get back inside."
He adjusted the strap of his bag.
Then he paused.
"I don't need someone crying behind me."
A beat.
"I need power."
Without looking back, Jurgen stepped forward and began to walk.
Behind him, Hana stood frozen.
Tears streamed endlessly down her face.
Her vision blurred as his figure grew more distant with every step.
Jurgen ground his teeth as he moved.
"Tch…" he muttered under his breath, a faint quiver betraying the edge of his restrained sorrow.
"Yes, Hana… I'm not worthy to love… or be loved by someone like you."
His hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"If you stay with me… you'll only watch me become something you'll hate."
He kept walking.
His gaze fixed ahead,unyielding.
Why do I want power…?
For what purpose…?
A pause.
Revenge? Against the world…?
His expression hardened.
…this world that took everything from me.
Yes, it's this cursed world.
Different thoughts churned through him, each one biting sharper than the last, as if searching for someone,or something to blame.
The world… the people… himself.
All targets seemed too small, too distant, too weak to carry the weight of his fury.
The world seemed to widen around him.
The morning sun climbed higher, light stretching across the horizon as his figure receded into it, smaller… and smaller… until he was little more than a silhouette swallowed by brightness.
The wind stirred his hair, carrying him forward.
Behind him.
Hana remained where she stood.
Still.
Unmoving.
Tears falling silently, one after another.
The world felt quiet.
Too quiet.
And in that silence
Everything had already begun to change.
[END OF CHAPTER.]