Chapter 17

(The ruined house stands silent, its walls barely holding together as Kael and Sun step inside. Dust fills the air with every step they take, and the wooden floor creaks beneath their boots. Kael moves slowly, his eyes scanning the remnants of his childhood.)

A Glimpse into the Past

(As Kael steps further in, everything around him starts to blur. The cold air fades, replaced by the warmth of a home once full of life. His vision shifts, and suddenly, he is no longer in ruins but in a place of laughter and joy.)

(He sees himself as a child, running around the room with his little sister, their brother chasing them playfully. Their mother stands by the kitchen, humming softly as she prepares food. Their father enters, weary but smiling after a long day of work.)

Kael's Father (laughing): "You little rascals, causing trouble again?"

Young Kael (grinning): "We're not causing trouble! We're training, just like you and brother!"

(His father chuckles, ruffling his hair. The memory is so vivid, so real, that Kael almost forgets where he truly is. The warmth, the laughter—it all feels within reach.)

Sun's Voice Breaks Through

Sun (calling out): "Kael?"

(The vision shatters like glass. The warmth disappears, the lively home fading into ruins once again. Kael finds himself standing still in the middle of his old home, his fingers clenched tightly into fists.)

Sun (tilting his head): "Hey… you good?"

(Kael blinks, his mind still lingering in the past. Sun waves a hand in front of his face.)

Sun: "Kael? You there?"

Kael (quietly): "Yeah… I'm here."

Sun (looking around): "Was this your room? It's pretty big."

Kael (glancing at the remains of a broken bed and scattered furniture): "Yeah… it was."

Sun (studying Kael's face): "What happened to you just now? You zoned out hard."

(Kael exhales, forcing himself to push away the lingering feelings. He shakes his head.)

Kael: "It's nothing. Let's go to the backyard."

The Tragic Memory

(They step out the backdoor, entering an open field surrounded by burnt wooden fences. The place is eerily quiet, but Kael's mind is far from the present. He stops in the center of the yard, his fingers tightening around his sword hilt.)

Kael (voice heavy): "This is where my father and brother were killed."

(Sun doesn't say anything, letting the silence settle. Kael takes a deep breath before speaking again.)

Kael: "I remember it so clearly…"

Flashback – The Night of the Attack

(A roaring fire spreads across the village, turning the night sky red. Screams echo in the air, houses collapsing under the merciless flames. Kael, his mother, and his little sister huddle inside their room, fear gripping their hearts.)

(A powerful clash shakes the ground outside. Kael's father and brother stand against a dark figure, their swords drawn, their stances firm.)

Kael's Brother (gritting his teeth): "Who the hell are you?!"

Unknown Being (voice calm, almost amused): "It does not matter who I am. What matters… is the vessel."

Kael's Father (narrowing his eyes): "What vessel?"

(The dark figure tilts his head slightly, as if studying them.)

Unknown Being: "You don't know, do you? No… you wouldn't."

(Without another word, the figure vanishes and reappears instantly—behind Kael's brother. A single strike, too fast to see, and blood splashes onto the dirt.)

Kael's Brother (staggering, coughing blood): "F-Father…"

(Kael's father roars in rage, attacking with everything he has, but the enemy is beyond anything he has ever faced. Within moments, his sword is shattered, and the unknown being impales him through the chest.)

Kael's Father (choking on blood): "Run… Kael…"

(From inside the house, Kael watches in horror through the cracks in the wall. His mother grips his shoulder tightly, her face pale but determined.)

Kael's Mother (whispering): "Stay here. Protect your sister."

(She grabs a dagger and steps outside, facing the enemy despite knowing she cannot win.)

Kael: "No… mother…"

(A scream pierces the night as Kael watches his mother fall next. He holds his little sister's hand tightly, his heart pounding. Then—suddenly—the fire spreads wildly, consuming the village in an instant. The dark figure moves through the flames, searching. Searching for someone.)

Return to the Present

(Kael exhales sharply, his hands trembling slightly. The memory still burns within him, as real as if it had happened yesterday.)

Sun (quietly): "So he burned the whole village… with everyone still inside?"

Kael (nodding): "It was like he was looking for someone… and he didn't care who he had to kill to find them."

(Sun places a hand on Kael's shoulder, his usual playful nature replaced by rare seriousness.)

Sun: "I'm sorry, man. That's… that's a lot."

Kael (softly): "It was a long time ago."

Sun (grinning slightly): "Still. You're not alone, you know? You've got me. Your brother."

(Kael looks at Sun, surprised for a moment. Then, a small smile tugs at his lips. The weight in his chest feels just a little lighter.)

Kael: "Yeah… I know."

(They stand in silence, the ruins of the past surrounding them. But this time, Kael is not facing them alone.)

(The night breeze carries the scent of burnt wood and damp earth as Kael and Sun stand in the remnants of the past. The ruined village whispers its forgotten sorrows, but Kael's mind is no longer trapped in memories—he has moved forward, but he hasn't forgotten.)

Kael's Confession

Kael (staring at the horizon): "After that night... I took my sister and ran."

Sun (quietly): "Where did you go?"

Kael (exhaling): "Nowhere. We just... ran. We didn't stop. Not until morning. Our feet were bleeding, but we didn't care. We had nowhere to go, no one left. I just knew we had to keep moving."

(Sun stays silent, letting Kael speak.)

Kael: "By dawn, we were exhausted. We collapsed near a forest, barely able to stand. That's when we saw him… A young man, cutting wood. We didn't know it at the time, but it was Alden."

Flashback – Meeting Alden

(The scene shifts to the edge of a dense forest. Kael, barely ten years old, holds his younger sister close, his small hands trembling. His lips are cracked from thirst, and his legs threaten to give out. They have nothing left—no food, no home, no family.)

(Ahead, a young man with sharp eyes and a strong frame swings an axe, splitting logs with effortless precision. He hums a quiet tune, oblivious to the two children watching from the shadows.)

Kael's Sister (whispering, weakly): "Brother… I'm hungry."

Kael (swallowing hard): "I know. Just… a little more, okay?"

(But she can't walk anymore. Her small body is too weak. Kael's arms shake as he tries to carry her, but he has no strength left either. That's when the young man stops mid-swing, sensing their presence.)

Alden (turning around, eyes sharp): "…Who's there?"

(Kael freezes. His body screams at him to run, but he can't. He has no energy left. Alden studies them for a moment, then sighs and kneels, placing his axe down.)

Alden: "You kids look like you've been through hell."

(Kael's lips part, but no words come out. He doesn't know what to say. The only thing that escapes his mouth is the truth.)

Kael (weakly): "We're… hungry."

(Alden doesn't ask any more questions. He just stands and gestures for them to follow.)

Alden (calmly): "Come on. Let's get you something to eat."

Return to the Present

Kael (softly): "That's how it started. He took us in, fed us, gave us a place to stay. I never told him what happened that night. Not once."

Sun (raising an eyebrow): "Not even after all these years?"

Kael: "No. To him, we were just two starving kids who needed help. That was enough for him."

(Sun leans back, staring at the ruins around them.)

Sun: "Damn… That means Alden's basically the reason you survived."

Kael (nodding): "Yeah. And after that, I started training. At first, it was just to survive, but deep down… it was always about revenge. I just never said it out loud."

(Sun watches Kael carefully before speaking.)

Sun: "So… what now? You think that bastard is still out there?"

Kael (clenching his fists): "I don't think—I know. Whoever he was, he wasn't just some random killer. He was looking for something. Someone. Maybe the vessel he talked about. And if he's still out there…"

(Sun smirks, stretching his arms.)

Sun: "Then we'll find him. And when we do—"

Kael (smirking slightly): "Yeah… I know."

(The two stand in silence, the ruins of Kael's past around them. But for the first time in years, Kael isn't just looking back—he's moving forward.)