Slowly, the boy's eyes opened. He glanced around his surroundings, eventually locking eyes with Kajin. Panicked, the boy sat up and backed away.
"No need to be scared," Kajin said calmly, his tone gentle.
The boy didn't relax. Instead, he raised his arms defensively and continued to back away.
"Looks like this is going to be a tough one," Kajin thought, observing the boy's reaction.
Turning slightly, Kajin picked up a wooden plate holding some meat and bread. The delicious aroma quickly filled the air, catching the boy's attention. His expression shifted to one of surprise.
"You want this?" Kajin asked, placing the plate on the ground and sliding it toward the boy.
The boy eyed the food suspiciously, unmoving. But after a while, his stomach growled loudly. Kajin chuckled softly and stood up.
"I see..." Kajin said, raising his hands in a show of non-aggression before stepping back toward the entrance. "Enjoy the meal!" With that, he exited the small room.
The boy cautiously lowered his arms and glanced toward the exit. Then, inching toward the plate, he grabbed the food and began eating ravenously.
Outside, Kajin peeked around the corner of the entrance, watching the boy closely. Satisfied, he leaned back and sighed.
Ruya stood waiting for him with Cracknut, who was busy munching on a nut.
"So, how did it go?" Ruya asked eagerly.
Kajin shrugged. "He's a tough one to deal with. Judging from his behavior, he's been through a lot, seems like he's carrying some heavy trauma."
"Hmm, so... we're playing the long game?" Ruya asked while Cracknut tilted his head in curiosity.
"No," Kajin replied bluntly.
"Aha... okay," Ruya said, blinking in surprise at Kajin's straightforwardness. "So, what's your plan, then?"
Kajin paused for a moment. "I don't have one."
Ruya and Cracknut froze, staring at him in disbelief.
"Then what do we do?!" Ruya shouted.
Kajin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Don't worry about it. I'll have it all figured out by tomorrow morning."
Ruya's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. "E-?" he stammered.
Kajin walked up to him, grabbed his shoulders, and spun him around. "C'mon now, go. I've got a kid to see."
"Hey! I'm part of this! You can't just send me awa—!" Ruya's protests faded as Kajin pushed him along.
Kajin smirked a little, watching Ruya leave, before turning back toward the entrance.
Inside, the boy sat on the ground, his plate now completely empty.
"Looks like you really enjoyed the meal!" Kajin said as he stepped inside.
The boy leaned back slightly, his guard still up but not as tense as before.
"Hmm... he's still scared, but not as much as last time," Kajin thought, sitting down in the opposite corner of the room.
For a moment, Kajin studied the boy. "You remind me of myself," he said, catching the boy's attention.
"Just like you, I once sat alone in a dark, cold, and empty room," Kajin continued, his voice soft but steady. The boy listened intently.
"Back then, all I thought about was escaping the misery I was trapped in. Those memories... they're still fresh in my mind," Kajin admitted.
He met the boy's gaze and smiled warmly. "But you're safe now. I promise you that."
The boy blinked, taken aback by Kajin's words and reassuring tone.
"So," Kajin asked, crossing his arms, "what's your name?"
The boy hesitated for a moment before finally answering.
"Harley..." he said quietly.
"Nice to meet you, Harley. I'm Kajin," he introduced himself with a friendly grin.
Harley's eyes widened in shock. "K-Kajin?!" he stammered.
"You're..." Harley trailed off, realization dawning on his face as he recognized the name.
"You are... the Kajin of the Royal Castle, right?" Harley asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Kajin nodded slowly. "Yeah... of the Royal Castle," he replied, disliking the title.
Harley stood up cautiously and walked toward Kajin. Once close, he looked him over, head to toe.
"You look nothing like the Kajin they described," Harley said as he continued his inspection.
Kajin observed him curiously. "How quickly this kid changed after hearing who I am," he thought.
Leaning closer, Harley studied Kajin's white eyes. "How did you escape?" he asked.
Kajin froze, caught off guard. "Well... you see, I..." he began, stumbling over his words. "I could really use Ruya right now," he thought, regretting having sent him away earlier.
Sighing deeply, Kajin grabbed Harley by the shoulders and gently sat him down. Harley, surprised by the sudden action, remained silent.
Kajin frowned slightly. "Why did you go quiet all of a sudden?" he asked.
Harley tilted his head. "No clue," he said bluntly.
Kajin scratched his head, unsure of what to make of the boy's abrupt change in behavior. After a brief silence, Kajin finally spoke. "Okay, Harley, how about you tell me your story?"
Harley considered the offer for a moment. "Okay, I'll tell you. But," he added, pausing.
Kajin's interest piqued. "But?"
"But in exchange, you have to answer all the questions I have for you," Harley declared.
Kajin's face twisted into a mix of regret and frustration. "Why did I save him in the first place?" he thought. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he nodded. "Fine. You've got yourself a deal."
"Yay!" Harley exclaimed, practically bouncing in excitement.
"But you've got to start first," Kajin insisted.
Harley nodded eagerly. "Okay, here I go," he said, taking a deep breath.
"About three months ago, I was wandering around my village when some soldiers passed by. They seemed drunk. I tried to avoid them, but they caught me by force and started pushing me around. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and punched one of them in the face. Then I ran.
But they caught me. The next day, I was behind bars. I was sent to an auction and sold to a slave dealer. I worked as a maid in his house, and whenever I made a mistake or forgot something, he'd hit me on the legs with a wooden stick."
Harley paused, looking down at his bruised knees and ankles.
"Finally, two days ago, I'd had enough, so I escaped. Normally, a low-ranking slave wouldn't have much trouble escaping, but this old man was different. He had a reputation, apparently no slave ever escaped him. He even ordered a high division to track me down and put a big bounty on me.
Since then, I've been surviving with whatever I could find, barely sleeping."
Harley finished his story and looked up at Kajin. "So... what do you think?"
Kajin nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. Escaping wasn't an easy choice, but it paid off in the end. You were lucky, too," he said.
Harley smiled faintly. Then his expression brightened. "Now that I told you my story, you have to answer my questions!" he said excitedly.
Kajin laughed nervously. "Yeah..." he muttered, already rethinking his decision.
"Yippee!" Harley cheered, bouncing on his heels.
Kajin sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay. Ask your questions."
Harley thought for a moment before asking, "How strong are you?"
Kajin blinked, baffled. "How strong am I?" he repeated in his thoughts. "Well," he began hesitantly, "I'm probably as strong as an army commander."
Harley raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Really?"
"Yeah, really," Kajin insisted, his tone betraying some nervousness.
"Hmmm..." Harley didn't seem convinced but ultimately shrugged. "Okay, my second question. How brutal was your training?"
Kajin froze, caught off guard again. "How does he know about my training?" he wondered.
"It was... very brutal," Kajin said finally. "I don't even know how to explain it to you. Just imagine the most intense training you can think of, but add a volcano, constant beatings, and bleeding arms."
Harley's eyes widened in awe. "Wow... so basically, it was like hell."
"Yeah, just like hell," Kajin replied with a wry smile.
Harley nodded, then kept firing off questions, one after another. Kajin answered them all, though his energy waned with each response.
"Okay, my last question!" Harley announced finally.
"Thank the gods," Kajin muttered under his breath as he lay down on the ground, exhausted. "I swear, I don't even want to know why my left ear is pointier than the other..."
Harley took a deep breath. "Will you join the Holy Resistance?" he asked.
Kajin's eyes shot open, startled by the unexpected question. "The Holy Resistance?" he repeated.