The weight of the truth pressed heavily on Gok as he stood there, the frozen form of Rat before him and the menacing presence of the Monkey Zodiac looming in his mind. The chaotic world around him, filled with alien races and impending wars, seemed distant and unreal. But in that moment, as his thoughts raced, his mind wandered—back to a time long before the Infinite Blade, before Ranker, before the war.
---
It was a quiet night in Gok's hometown. He had been no older than ten at the time, sitting on the porch of their small house, his legs hanging off the edge as he watched the stars twinkle above. His family had been simple people, content with the quiet rhythm of rural life. His father, a carpenter, worked tirelessly to provide for the family, and his mother, a schoolteacher, always made sure Gok's mind was nurtured.
In the distance, the faint hum of the city could be heard, but it never felt close enough to intrude on their peaceful existence. Gok remembered the laughter of his little sister, sitting beside him, their hands playing with the dirt. She had always been the one to challenge him, to dare him to chase the impossible dreams.
"Gok, do you think we could ever fly like those birds up there?" she had asked him, her eyes wide with wonder.
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We can't fly, Sori. But we can always dream about it."
Sori, with her carefree smile, had always been the heart of their family. Her bright personality balanced the quiet strength of their parents. Gok's memories of those days were warm, simple—until the day everything changed.
---
The sudden sound of a distant explosion shattered the tranquility of that evening. Gok's heart raced as he turned to see his parents run toward the front gate, their faces filled with worry. His father spoke in a low, urgent tone, his words muffled by the wind, but Gok could read the tension in his voice.
"Stay inside, Gok. Don't come out. It's dangerous."
Without question, Gok had done as told, but his curiosity pulled him closer to the window, peering through the cracked shutters to see the growing chaos unfolding in the distance. The once quiet night was filled with the sounds of sirens, shouts, and the faint glow of fire.
And then, it all went silent.
Gok's memories grew foggy at this point. What happened next, he could never remember clearly. One moment, his family was there, just as it always had been. And then—nothing. A flash of light. The roar of something massive. The ground beneath them shook violently.
When Gok awoke, he was lying in the middle of the wreckage of their home. His limbs were bruised, and his head throbbed with a sharp pain. His first instinct was to call out for his family, but all that met his ears was the eerie silence.
Sori's laughter, the comforting hum of his mother's voice, the rough calluses of his father's hands