A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Kyle’s life became a cycle that never changed.
Before dawn, he would wake to the sound of the old alarm on his communicator. He would wash his face with cold water, stand before the small grave beneath the floorboards, and bow his head.
“Good morning, Mom.”
“I’ll work harder today.”
Those words had become his daily greeting.
After leaving the shack, he would make his way to New Horizon Academy.
He was still quiet.
Still kept to himself.
Still sat in the front row whenever Mrs. Campbell taught about Awakeners.
Every lesson was another piece of the world he needed to understand.
Every sentence brought him one step closer to revenge.
When the final bell rang, he never lingered.
He ran straight to Thorn Dojo.
…
“Again.”
Elias’ calm voice echoed through the underground training room.
Kyle gritted his teeth and wrapped the iron chain around his shoulders.
A month ago, he couldn’t even lift it.
Now…
He could walk with it.
His steps were slow.
His breathing uneven.
Sweat poured from his forehead.
Step…
Step…
Step…
His muscles screamed in agony.
His vision blurred.
Yet he refused to stop.
Finally, he reached the other end of the room.
The chain crashed onto the floor.
CLANG!
Kyle collapsed onto one knee, gasping for air.
Elias nodded.
“Better.”
“But not enough.”
Without another word, he added another iron weight to the chain.
Kyle stared at it.
“…Master.”
“Carry it.”
Kyle didn’t argue.
He bent down.
Lifted.
His body trembled violently.
Yet…
It rose.
A faint smile appeared on Elias’ face.
He had expected determination.
He hadn’t expected progress this quickly.
…
Training only grew harsher.
Morning.
Afternoon.
Night.
Punching drills until Kyle’s knuckles split open.
Running until his legs gave way.
Holding impossible stances while Elias corrected every mistake.
“No.”
“Your footing is wrong.”
“Again.”
Kyle repeated the movement.
Again.
“No.”
Again.
“No.”
Again.
Sometimes…
He failed over a hundred times before Elias finally nodded.
“Acceptable.”
Those single words became worth more than praise.
…
School also began to change.
Not because the students had changed.
But because Kyle had.
His shoulders had broadened slightly.
His posture became straighter.
His movements grew steadier.
Even the dark circles beneath his eyes had begun to fade.
One afternoon, as he entered the classroom, two boys whispered.
“Doesn’t Kyle look different?”
“I noticed that too.”
“He still wears those patched clothes…”
“But somehow…”
“He doesn’t look weak anymore.”
Another student snorted.
“Looks don’t matter.”
“He’s still just a poor kid from the Ash District.”
Kyle walked past them without reacting.
Their opinions meant nothing.
Only strength mattered.
…
Even the bullies who used to corner him after school became hesitant.
One of them blocked his path.
“Hey.”
“Pauper.”
Kyle stopped.
“What?”
The bully frowned.
For some reason…
Looking into Kyle’s eyes made him uncomfortable.
Those weren’t the eyes of someone who feared being beaten.
They were the eyes of someone who had already experienced something far worse.
The bully clicked his tongue.
“Tch.”
“Forget it.”
He stepped aside.
Kyle continued walking without saying a word.
Not because he had become stronger than them.
But because his presence had changed.
…
Every night…
Without fail…
Kyle returned home.
No matter how exhausted he was.
No matter how badly his body hurt.
He would kneel before the small grave beneath the floor.
“Mom…”
“I carried thirty kilograms today.”
“I almost collapsed.”
“But Master Elias said I improved.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“I wish you could’ve seen it.”
Some nights, he spoke for only a minute.
Other nights…
He remained there for hours.
Talking as though she were still listening.
“I learned about monster ranks today.”
“I still don’t understand everything.”
“But one day…”
“I’ll become someone you can be proud of.”
His voice eventually grew quieter.
Then silence.
Many mornings, Kyle woke up still leaning against the grave.
He had fallen asleep there without realizing it.
Yet every time…
He simply smiled.
It was the closest he felt to his mother.
…
Late one evening…
Elias stood quietly outside the dojo.
Kyle had already been dismissed.
Yet…
Instead of going home…
The boy had returned to the underground chamber.
Elias watched from the shadows.
Kyle picked up the iron chain by himself.
No orders.
No audience.
No praise waiting for him.
He simply trained.
Again.
And again.
Until his arms refused to move.
The old master folded his arms.
“So that’s the kind of disciple you are…”
Not talented.
Not gifted.
Just unwilling to stop.
For the first time in many years…
Hope flickered within Elias’ eyes.
Perhaps…
He had finally found someone worthy of inheriting everything he knew.
The days continued to pass.
Kyle’s routine never changed.
School.
Training.
Home.
His body slowly adapted to the brutal regimen Elias had designed for him.
The stones that had once seemed impossible to lift now felt lighter.
The iron chain that had crushed his shoulders no longer forced him to his knees.
Even his punches carried more weight than before.
Still…
Elias was never satisfied.
“Again.”
Those five letters had become Kyle’s nightmare.
And strangely…
His favorite words.
Because every “again” meant he was one step closer to becoming stronger.
…
One evening, after nearly collapsing from exhaustion for the third time that week, Kyle dragged himself out of the underground training room.
His clothes were soaked with sweat.
His palms were covered in fresh blisters.
Even climbing the stairs felt like an impossible task.
Elias stood at the entrance of the dojo with his arms folded.
“You’ll be back here tomorrow.”
Kyle nodded weakly.
“Yes, Master.”
“And the day after.”
“Yes.”
“And every day after that.”
“Yes.”
Elias looked toward the setting sun.
“How long does it take you to walk home?”
“About forty-five minutes.”
“And another forty-five minutes to return here tomorrow morning.”
Kyle nodded again.
“Yes.”
Elias sighed.
“In one month…”
“You’ve wasted nearly two full days simply walking.”
Kyle lowered his head.
“I never thought about it.”
“I know.”
“That’s why I did.”
Silence settled between them.
Finally, Elias spoke.
“From today onward…”
“You’ll live here.”
Kyle froze.
“…Master?”
“The dojo has empty rooms.”
“You need proper rest.”
“You need proper meals.”
“And most importantly…”
“You need more time to train.”
Kyle’s expression gradually changed.
The excitement disappeared.
In its place was hesitation.
“…I can’t.”
Elias frowned.
“Why?”
Kyle looked toward the distant Ash District.
“My mother…”
“She’s buried beneath our house.”
“If I leave…”
“She’ll be alone.”
For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The evening breeze swept through the dojo courtyard.
Elias slowly walked over until he stood beside Kyle.
He placed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Kyle.”
“The dead do not need you to stay beside them.”
“They need you to live.”
Kyle’s eyes trembled.
“You made a promise to your mother.”
“Didn’t you?”
Kyle nodded.
“I promised I’d become stronger.”
“Then honor that promise.”
“If staying in that shack could make you stronger…”
“I would tell you to remain there.”
“But it can’t.”
“It only steals your time.”
“It steals your energy.”
“And every day you lose…”
“The people who killed her continue living.”
Kyle’s fists slowly tightened.
Images of the Void Serpents flashed through his mind.
The leader’s mocking smile.
His mother’s final moments.
The sound of the blade.
The helplessness.
Elias’ voice softened.
“You can visit her whenever you wish.”
“You can speak to her every day.”
“But don’t mistake staying beside her grave for moving forward.”
“Become strong enough…”
“So that one day, when you stand before her again…”
“You’ll have fulfilled the promise you made.”
Tears slowly gathered in Kyle’s eyes.
Not tears of weakness.
Tears of understanding.
After a long silence…
He bowed deeply.
“…I understand, Master.”
…
That night…
Kyle returned to the small shack one last time.
The house felt quieter than ever.
He packed everything he owned into a single worn backpack.
Three sets of clothes.
A few old books.
His mother’s faded photograph.
Nothing more.
There had never been much.
He walked to the center of the room and knelt before the stone marker.
The words carved into it had begun to fade.
He gently brushed away the dust with his sleeve.
“Mom…”
“I’m sorry.”
“I won’t be sleeping here anymore.”
He took a deep breath.
“But I’m not leaving you behind.”
“I’m walking the path that will lead me back to you.”
“When I return…”
“I won’t be the weak boy who cried helplessly.”
“I’ll be someone capable of protecting what matters.”
“And one day…”
“I’ll bring justice.”
“I swear it.”
A gentle breeze slipped through the cracks in the walls.
For a brief moment…
Kyle felt as though someone had placed a warm hand upon his head.
He smiled.
It was small.
But genuine.
He stood, slung the backpack over his shoulder, and took one last look around the shack.
Every corner held a memory.
Every wall reminded him of his mother.
He closed the door quietly behind him.
Not because he was abandoning his past…
But because he had finally found the courage to walk toward his future.
…
As Kyle disappeared into the night, Elias stood outside Thorn Dojo waiting.
Without a word, he took the backpack from the boy’s shoulder.
“It’s lighter than I expected.”
Kyle gave a faint smile.
“I never owned much.”
Elias looked at him for a moment before nodding.
“From today onward…”
“This dojo is your home.”
Kyle looked up at the weathered sign hanging above the entrance.
THORN DOJO.
A place he had passed countless times without a second glance.
Now…
It was the place where his journey truly began.
Far above them, hidden in the darkness atop a distant rooftop, a pair of cold eyes silently watched the two figures enter the dojo.
The mysterious observer smiled faintly.
“So…”
“Elias Thorn has taken another disciple.”
“Interesting.”
The figure disappeared into the night before anyone noticed.