Hollow blade

In the dark recesses of Mount Hua, where mythical beasts roamed and sunlight dared not enter, a child was born in a hidden den, his cries swallowed by the shadows. Abandoned from the moment of his birth, he grew up in a world devoid of warmth and connection, surrounded by the echoes of monstrous roars and the scent of damp earth. He had never seen the light of day, never felt the caress of the sun on his skin.

From the moment he could crawl, the child learned to navigate the treacherous terrain of his home, avoiding the fierce creatures that lurked in the darkness. He scavenged for scraps and learned to move silently, his existence marked by an emptiness that left him hollow. Emotions were foreign to him; fear, joy, and sorrow had never found a place in his heart.

One fateful day, while he huddled in a corner of the den, the ground trembled as a figure entered—an unexpected intruder. It was a young hunter, known for his boldness and ambition. He had come to the mountain in search of glory, seeking to claim the legendary beasts as trophies. As he stepped into the den, his eyes widened at the sight of the child.

"What do we have here?" the hunter exclaimed, his voice a mix of surprise and intrigue. The child merely stared back, his gaze empty, reflecting the darkness around him.

The hunter approached cautiously, momentarily distracted from his quest. "You're all alone, aren't you?" he mused, kneeling to examine the child more closely. There was no fear in the boy, no sign of fight—just a profound silence that unsettled the hunter.

Without thinking, the hunter reached out, offering his hand. "Come with me. I can't leave you here. You don't belong in this darkness."

The child felt no stirring within him at those words. He simply nodded, a mechanical response born from instinct rather than understanding. As he followed the hunter out of the den, he was unaware that the world outside held both promise and peril.

The hunter, believing he was rescuing the boy, had unwittingly drawn a thread of fate that would intertwine their lives forever. The child, still devoid of emotion, stepped into the light for the first time, not knowing that his presence would one day challenge the balance of Murim itself.