Chris woke up early in the morning, as he had gotten used to doing over the last month of training. The sun had just begun to rise. It would have been an odd time for his old self to wake up, but now he tried to follow the training regimen from Yong-Su’s memories. The kid had done it since childhood, so Chris felt he could do the same.

  Reality couldn’t have been more different. The first days of his training were abysmal; he could barely find the strength to wake up early and swing a sword for hours. In time, though, he adapted. The routine became second nature, and now it felt natural to begin his day with sword swings and muscle training.

  This morning, however, he could barely contain his excitement. He carefully got out of bed, trying not to disturb the still-dreaming Soa. He threw a new shirt over his shoulder and went outside.

  A bucket of icy, crystal-clear water awaited him. The cold splash opened his pores and jolted him fully awake. He washed his face, looking down at his reflection, still not used to his new appearance. It wasn’t truly him, but after his talk the night before, he had accepted his path: he would grow stronger and take revenge so Yong-Su’s soul could rest in peace and protect his new family.

  He wiped the water from his face and tied his hair into a long ponytail.

  ‘I should find a barber and get my hair cut, he thought.’

  -Why? This style suits you.-

  “I was wondering when you’d show up. What took you so long?”

  -I was observing your new routine. I see you’ve managed to adjust to this place.-

  “I’ve gotten used to it, but I still miss my comfy bed and those steamy showers.” He sighed. “At least I have my trusty bucket of freezing water, so I can’t complain.” He grinned toward the blue window.

  -You know, you look pretty crazy talking and grinning to yourself.-

  “After I saw a giant talking snake and a nest of massive ants that use crystals for armor, talking to myself feels pretty tame, don’t you think?”

  -You’re right. After everything you’ve seen and done, this does feel normal.-

  “I can’t believe this is the most normal thing I’ve done in a long time. If I did this back on Earth, I’d be locked up and pumped full of drugs in an asylum.”

  -Aren’t you going to wake Soa up?-

  “Nah, I’ll let her enjoy her sleep until I’ve finished my training.”

  Chris looked up as the sun’s rays began to slip between the crowns of the trees. It was time to begin.

  Since he had lost his swords during his last adventure, he had to skip sword practice until he found replacements. Instead, he trained his 'Eight Direction Fist' on a rock that had become his unlucky sparring partner.

  Cracks lined its surface from his relentless practice, but this morning, the poor rock couldn’t withstand the torrent of blows. His increased strength and skill finally overwhelmed it; the rock crumbled.

  “Wow! Did you see that? It took me a whole month to make those tiny cracks, and now, after a little pressure, it just crumbled away!”

  -I told you, Chris. You’re not as weak as you think.-

  Chris raised his hand in the air and shouted with a terrible accent.

  “Yo, Adrian, I did it!”

  -Did one of those rocks hit you in the head? Have you gone crazy?-

  “I can’t believe you! You know about Rudolph, but not about Rocky Balboa? When we get back, you and Muzga are watching movies with me. Pay attention, I’ll give you a test afterward, I’m not kidding.”

  He muttered softly.

  “How can you know Rudolph but not Rocky…”

  “Who might this master named Rocky Balboa be? I’ve never heard of him.”

  Chris nearly jumped. Jang Mu-Yeon was leaning against a nearby tree, smirking.

  Chris froze, flustered by the question, but quickly composed himself and answered with a mix of truth and lies.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “He’s a master of the fist I read about in a… fictional book.”

  “That’s too bad. I would have liked to meet such a master. The next time you visit, lend me that story.”

  “I’ll gladly do it. How long have you been here?”

  “Not long. I came looking for you and waited for you to finish your battle with that dangerous foe.” He pointed sarcastically at the rubble.

  Chris’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly changed the subject.

  “Is it time to begin?”

  “There’s no hurry. You can continue your fight with these boulders, just leave the one in the back alone. It’s my favorite.”

  “We’ve finished for today. Don’t worry, I liked that one too.”

  “Fine. Let’s go. I don’t have all day to waste on you.”

  “You just said you weren’t in a hurry.”

  “Well, I lied.”

  “You’re going to give me a headache one of these days.”

  “Don’t worry, I know the cure.” He smiled sinisterly.

  They went behind the hut to begin the procedure.

  “You’ll have to drink this concoction; it’ll help your body adjust to Eun-Hwa’s core.” Mu-Yeon explained.

  The potion was a sickly green color, and its stench made Chris gag.

  “Do I really have to drink this?”

  “If you want to survive the transplant, yes. Chug it down.”

  -Be a man and drink it!-

  'Easy for you to say. You’re not the one drinking it.'

  “I see your friend is here, but where’s the little snake?” Mu-Yeon asked.

  “She’s snoring in the hut.”

  “Wake her up and bring her here. You’ll need her help.”

  “Do I really have to? She’s going to be pissed.”

  Mu-Yeon stepped closer, placing a firm hand on his shoulder and meeting his gaze.

  “Yong-Su, enough with this silly talk. Believe me, you’ll need every ounce of help to survive this. This isn’t child’s play. The smallest mistake could kill you and waste the chance your dear friend gave you.”

  “It’s really that dangerous?”

  “More than you can imagine. We’re about to go against the natural order of the world. No human should possess this kind of power.”

  Reluctantly, Chris went to retrieve the soon-to-be furious creature. And he was right, Soa nearly strangled him for waking her. He returned with a sore throat and a very angry snake.

  “Took you long enough. Now, Soa, come here if you don’t mind.”

  She slithered toward him reluctantly, and in a flash, yelped as one of her scales vanished, appearing instead between the doctor’s fingers. She hissed furiously but held herself back.

  -She said she’ll remember that.-

  ‘Yeah, I bet she will.’

  Mu-Yeon crushed the scale and mixed it into the potion. Its color darkened to an almost black hue, like Soa’s scales.

  -Just imagine it's hot chocolate.-

  ‘That doesn’t help.’

  Chris lifted the potion, ready to drink, but Mu-Yeon stopped him.

  “Before we continue, you must understand how dangerous this is. We’re defying the world’s laws. No one has survived before; each soul eroded by the core’s will. We can stop now, and you’ll still live strong enough to protect yourself.”

  “I’ve just been lucky to survive so far. I can’t rely on luck forever.”

  “It doesn’t matter how you’ve survived, only that you have. But I’ll ask one last time, do you truly wish to continue?”

  A storm raged in Chris’s mind. Doubts and fear gnawed at him, but as he looked at Soa, his family now, his resolve solidified.

  “I’ll still do it.” He said, eyes gleaming with courage.

  A warm smile spread across the doctor’s face, unexpected even to him.

  ‘Did that just happen?’

  -I’m as surprised as you are.-

  Embarrassed, Mu-Yeon turned away to hide his face.

  “Fine. Drink it and lie down. The rest is on me.”

  “Wish me luck, everyone.”

  Soa crawled up and nibbled his finger before retreating to her rock.

  -She said if you die, she’ll find a way to bring you back just to kill you again. Oh, and… good luck, Chris.-

  ‘Thanks, both of you. ’

  Chris drank the potion and lay down. The liquid burned through his insides, and his damaged core grew hot before finally settling. Mu-Yeon explained that this was the first step; the old core would break down and be absorbed by the new one. Then, Chris would enter a dreamlike realm for a final trial. Failure meant death; the core’s will would consume his soul.

  ‘There goes the first step. Here comes the second.’

  Chris closed his eyes and opened them again to a different world.

  The sky pulsed with color, and the air was so crisp it almost sang. He stood surrounded by towering mountain peaks that seemed to pierce the heavens. When he looked down, he realized he, too, was perched atop a smaller peak.

  “What is this place?” He whispered.

  “This is my ancestral home.” A familiar voice came from below.

  He peered through the clouds and saw white scales gleaming beneath.

  “It can’t be… Eun-Hwa?!”

  Her head emerged from the mist, familiar and radiant.

  “It really is you! But how? You died fighting those assassins.”

  “I did.” She said softly. “But with my dying breath, I wounded their leader and prayed you’d have time to escape.”

  “I escaped the tunnel, but he found me. We fought, I would’ve died if not for that wound. I used your venom to finish him, but it poisoned me too.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “I would have perished if not for Jang Mu-Yeon and Soa’s interference.”

  “You got lucky meeting that lunatic.” She laughed lightly. “He’s the only one who could’ve saved you. I wanted to find him too… but fate had other plans. Tell me, who is this Soa?”

  “She is a special person.”

  “You mean… my baby hatched?” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “How is she?”

  “She’s fine. Probably basking in the sun right now.”

  “Thank you, Chris, for protecting her, and for giving her a name.”

  “Honestly, she’s protected me more than I’ve protected her. ‘Soa’ is just a nickname, though. You could give her a real one.”

  “I’d love to… but I’m already gone. I don’t want to burden her with my memory.”

  “You’re still her mother. I can’t replace that.”

  “Chris, you’re her family now. I’m just a ghost. We shouldn’t even be speaking; this defies the natural order. I hoped you’d never need to use my core… but fate has brought you here.”

  “Where exactly is here?”

  “As I said, this is my ancestral home, where the souls of my clan return. Each mountain represents a fallen soul and its strength. The closer to the sky, the closer they were to ascension.”

  “But yours is smaller than the others. Mu-Yeon said you were the strongest of your clan.”

  She laughed warmly.

  “I was the strongest of my generation, but compared to my ancestors, I was just a child. They broke beyond their limits and ascended.”

  “What is this ‘ascension’ you’re talking about?”

  “Our lineage comes from the ancient guardians of the worlds, your people call them dragons. They once worked with the gods to protect creation. But long ago, before this world was born, the road to ascension collapsed. Their lineage was corrupted; most went mad. They had to be sealed or slain by their kin. Today, only a handful remain sane.”

  Chris’s mind reeled.

  “I’ve met one. He’s the CEO where I work.”

  “You’ve met one? Then he must be ancient. Now I understand why he built such a strange place. He’s still protecting creation in his own way.”

  Suddenly, the mountain shook violently.

  “What’s happening?” Chris shouted.

  “Your trial is about to begin. We’ll meet again if you succeed.”

  “Wait! What’s going to happen?”

  “You’ll have to face my ancestor’s challenge. Fail, and your soul will be destroyed.”

  Chris already knew the risk, but hearing it from her made it feel far more real.

  “We’ll meet again…if fate wills it, Chris.”

  Those were her final words before both she and the mountain faded away.

  Then, he was falling, plummeting through the clouds.

  ‘Why do I always end up falling to my death?’

  But death never came. Instead, he splashed into what felt like water… yet the taste was metallic.

  He opened his eyes.

  It wasn’t water. It was…

  Blood.

  A whole ocean of it.