As Ozai's blade descended toward her, fear gripped her nerves, her wide eyes reflecting the inevitability of her fate.
But as the blade connected with the nape of her neck, a sharp clang echoed through the air—it had struck one of her chakrams, which had materialized in the last moment to shield her from her enemy.
Realizing this, Hye Rin understood: the chakrams would always protect her from fatal strikes if she was rendered defenseless.
Wasting no time, she tightened the whip around her opponent's neck and swung her with a fierce, brutal force, slamming her against a tree.
The impact made the woman cough up blood.
Slowly, the whip unraveled from her throat, granting her brief freedom. Without hesitation, she dashed toward the water barrier enclosing Seiya and attacked it with her chakrams, but to no avail. Her efforts were futile, and a smirk crept onto Hye Rin's face. She arched her face up slightly, her eyes filled with pity and mockery at the woman's futile actions.
"You really thought a weakling like you could break my barrier?" Hye Rin's laughter was cold, shamelessly mocking.
But her grin quickly faded, her expression turning stern.
"Now, let's get back to killing you, shall we?"
The woman's face drained of color, fear spreading across her as she grasped how merciless Hye Rin could be. Her entire body trembled as goosebumps crept over her skin.
Before she could make another move, water erupted from the ground beneath her, twisting up like vines, binding her legs and arms to prevent her from fleeing.
"Not so fast," Hye Rin teased, her voice low. "Don't act like a cat scared of water. Just relax."
The woman struggled desperately against the water restraints. Seeing her helpless state, Ozai prepared to leap forward, but a single look from Hye Rin made him freeze.
Hye Rin conjured several tiny water blades, sending three of them toward the bound woman. Even though she was unable to move, her chakrams defended her on their own.
Hye Rin clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Let's see how many chakrams you have, shall we?"
She added another water blade to the attack, this time sending four blades at once. As expected, a fourth chakram appeared to block it.
Hye Rin chuckled darkly and increased her attack, unleashing five blades. This time, only four were deflected. The fifth blade sliced through the woman's skin, and she gritted her teeth in pain.
"Just four? What a shame. If you had more, you might have survived."
Hye Rin's voice dripped with mockery as she continued, "Your chakrams might be fast enough to block multiple attacks, but what happens when I bombard you with even more and that too, at once?"
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, adrenaline surging through her as she thought about the suffering she would inflict.
"Cut open the bottled water for me," she ordered Ozai in a whisper.
In a single leap, Ozai landed by the bench where the pack of bottled water rested. With a precise swipe of his blade, he sliced through the bottles' necks, water spilling out. Hye Rin, still smiling, manipulated the water with one hand, while the other kept the woman bound.
"Sorry, but your abilities are a nuisance, and I don't deal well with stress."
Hye Rin conjured a barrier like the one trapping Seiya, but this time, she filled it with water. The woman's cheeks puffed out as she tried to hold her breath, desperate for oxygen.
"Now, shall we begin your execution?" Hye Rin taunted, releasing a torrent of water blades within the barrier.
The woman's chakrams flew about, trying to shield her, but there were too many blades—too fast, too numerous.
Deep cuts began to appear all over her body. Amid the chaos, a blade sliced across her neck. The woman writhed in agony, her hands flying up to her throat, trying in vain to stem the flow of blood. Bubbles escaped her mouth as she struggled for air.
"Let's make this even more fun."
Hye Rin raised the water's temperature, turning it boiling hot. The blades, now spinning faster, tore into the woman's flesh with relentless force. The woman's body convulsed violently, writhing like a worm doused in salt.
As her life ebbed away, her lips moved as though trying to form words before her body finally stilled.
"What was that? Did she try to say something?" Hye Rin turned to Ozai, curious, but he simply shrugged.
"They always try to say something in their last moments, instead of accepting their weak, miserable fates."
With a sigh of relief, Hye Rin released the barrier, letting the water—now mingled with blood—spill onto the ground, along with the woman's lifeless body.
Hye Rin's expression softened as she looked at Ozai. "I'm sorry…" she said quietly, her voice tinged with guilt. "Sorry you had to go through all of this. Forgive your worthless sister, will you?" She ruffled his hair, her smile forced, her heart heavy.
Being the eldest, Hye Rin adored not only the littlest one but both her younger siblings, cherishing them with a fierce, motherly love.
Ozai smiled at her, shaking his head. "What are you talking about, Noona? You were ruthless. You made her pay. And it wasn't your fault, so don't carry the blame."
His words brought a small measure of comfort to Hye Rin, and she ruffled his hair even more, a genuine smile tugging at her lips.
They both turned their attention to Seiya, who remained curled up, his head buried in his knees.
"Seiya?" Hye Rin called softly as they approached him.
"Sei? Seiya!"
But there was no response. Hye Rin and Ozai exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.
"He's actually asleep! Peacefully, at that," Hye Rin chuckled, finding it endearing.
"We shouldn't wake him. I need to contact headquarters first," she said, her expression turning serious once more.
"Right. She must've been from one of the Rogue organizations we've been investigating. I saw the same strange symbol on the nape of her neck."
"I saw it too," Hye Rin agreed. "I'll handle the report. You take Seiya home. I don't want him seeing this mess."
Ozai nodded, gently lifting Seiya onto his back, and they started heading home.
****
Along the way, Seiya stirred, waking up slowly.
"Oh, you're awake?" Ozai said with a chuckle.
There was a brief pause before Seiya responded, still groggy. "Where's Née-chan?"
Ozai grinned. "She'll scold you, you know? She prefers to be called Noona, the Korean way!"
Seiya quickly corrected himself. "Noona!"
"That's right," Ozai laughed. "Noona's contacting headquarters about some work. She'll be back soon."
Feeling more awake, Seiya rested his head on Ozai's back and tightened his little arms around him. "Big brother, do you guys use phones to talk over there?"
"Well, we use phones, sure, but our primary communication tool is a crystal-like rune with the shape of an African map.
Look, I have one." Ozai reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden rune shaped like the map of Africa.
Seiya's eyes sparkled in awe. "That's so cool! Will I get one too if I join?"
Ozai's thoughts grew troubled. There were younger kids than him in the association, but exposing them to that world wasn't something he liked to think about.
Their father was strict and sent them off as soon as they Awakened. Seiya would likely face the same fate.
"Yeah, everyone gets one. It's a communication device and a tracker."
"That's awesome! I can't wait to Awaken! I wonder what abilities I'll have," Seiya mused, excitement filling his voice.
Ozai smiled softly. "I'm curious too. You're so kind and warm-hearted that I can't help but wonder just what kind of abilities you'd awaken."
They arrived home, and later that evening, Hye Rin returned after making the report of the incident to the headquarters and the authorities. Though they planned to stay the night, they felt uneasy about the risk they'd placed Seiya in. After some gentle coaxing, they decided to leave that same night.
Despite knowing their house was well protected by their parents' strong Awakened abilities, both Hye Rin and Ozai couldn't shake their worry. They promised Seiya they would keep in touch and send him gifts, just as they always did. Hye Rin left him with her phone number and the headquarters' contact in case he needed anything.
Though sad to see them go, Seiya waved them off with a smile, ready to face another day.
****
Seiya's life resumed its usual course. He attended school, where bullying was a constant shadow, though the teacher occasionally scolded his classmates for picking on him. The bullying eased but never truly stopped.
At home, things were no better. Seiya often bore small bruises from his father's rough handling. His parents' marriage was strained, and Seiya frequently overheard their bitter arguments, many of which were about him. His mother would defend him, pleading with her husband to be kinder, but Seiya's heart ached at hearing her fight on his behalf. It only made him feel more guilty, as though everything were his fault.
If only I were as smart as my siblings or strong as kids my age, then maybe Father wouldn't look at me with such contempt.
Seiya thought sadly.
On one particularly painful night, Seiya overheard his parents arguing again. His mother's voice was filled with tears as she begged for Seiya to be treated with the love he deserved. It broke his heart, and he wept silently in his room.
****
As Seiya's next birthday approached, he was filled with mixed emotions. Though he hadn't Awakened at three like his older sister, he was hopeful he would Awaken at the normal age. Maybe then, his father would finally look at him with pride.
Every day leading up to his birthday was a blend of joy and nervous anticipation.
Then, the long-awaited day arrived.
Seiya woke early, his heart pounding in his chest as he lay staring at the ceiling. It was 7:08 a.m., the ticking of the clock matching the rapid rhythm of his heartbeat.
This was the day he had dreamed of for as long as he could remember—the day that would mark the beginning of his journey. The start of something greater than he could have ever imagined.
With emotions swirling within him, Seiya lay there, motionless, ready to face whatever awaited him.