The light crept through the window as the sun began to rise to his post. Tiny rays moved toward a small sleeping creature resting on her prized pillow. Her black scales shone in the light, but she didn’t bother to wake up.
Only when she felt a slight movement from the man sleeping beside her did she quickly raise her head, hoping he had finally woken. But she was disappointed to see it was only a twitch of his right hand, as if he were trying to grip something that wasn’t there.
Disheartened, she let her head sink back into the pillow.
“Soa, you have to get out and get some fresh air. It’s been more than a month already. I’m already taking care of a patient, I don’t want to take care of another one.”
She just raised her tail and shook it from side to side to say no.
“Don’t make me do something I’m gonna regret, young girl. Get out for a little bit, then you can come back. He’ll still be here.”
His voice was rough, but his tone held concern.
Again, she refused, sinking back onto her pillow to try and sleep. But an invisible force lifted the pillow and threw her outside onto the grass, still wet with morning dew.
She hissed angrily and slithered toward the door, but it was already closed and sealed, just like the windows. She pushed against it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Stop already! You’re gonna give yourself a concussion. Take a short stroll around or sunbathe on the rocks you love! I won’t let you back in until I think you’ve relaxed enough.”
She knew she wasn’t strong enough to go against him, so she reluctantly made her way toward her favorite sunbathing spot.
Jang Mu-Yeon was already sitting beside the patient’s bed, holding one of his hands as he fed him Qi to keep him alive. It was only patchwork; eventually, he would need to find a better way.
“Chris, oh Chris! How long are you going to sleep? You’d better hurry, the little one won’t hold out much longer.”
He finished the treatment for now and went to work on his concoctions. But something was different; his movements were slower than ever since he began cultivating.
As he stepped into the light, his eyes looked sleepless, and his hands trembled as he tried to pick up a bottle. The shaking grew worse until the bottle slipped and shattered on the hard ground.
The shards were scattered everywhere. He tried to gather them using his technique, but his dwindling Qi reserves couldn’t lift so many tiny fragments. So he bent down to pick them up by hand, his back aching.
On one of the larger shards, he saw his reflection, his face now older and withered by time.
He gathered all the pieces and set them on the table before sitting down to recover. He was growing weaker every day.
Mu-Yeon began channeling his technique, absorbing the surrounding Qi. As he drew more and more energy into his body, the aches and fatigue faded away. His face regained its youthful glow, and the trembling subsided.
Once he’d recovered, he checked on Chris’s body before heading outside to find Soa. It wasn’t hard; she was lounging on her favorite rock, basking in the sun.
“I see you’re enjoying your time outside.”
Soa opened one eye before turning her head away. She was still angry about being thrown out like trash.
“Soa, look at me.”
The snake didn’t move.
“Don’t make me repeat myself, child.”
Still no reaction.
He didn’t want to waste his newly gathered Qi, but he infused a small portion into his voice.
“I won’t let you ignore me! I’ve lived longer than you and lost more friends and family than you could ever imagine!”
Soa trembled at the power in his words, then turned to face him, locking eyes.
“So, I finally have your attention. I know you’re suffering, but you can’t just stay here and do nothing. Look at me, I’m doing everything I can to keep him alive. But with each passing day, I have to use more Qi than I can gather.”
She tilted her head, questioning.
“You’re wondering what you can do?”
She nodded.
“You still have those crystals your mother left behind, don’t you?”
Another nod.
“Good. I’ll teach you a technique that will let you absorb their energy and raise your realm. You were born with a golden spoon, child; you are the daughter of Eun-Hwa, and your ancestors’ blood runs in your veins. When Yong-Su wakes up, he’ll soar through the realms. If you don’t want to be left behind, you’ll have to train.”
Though she couldn’t speak, her eyes pleaded with him; she wanted to become stronger, to protect rather than be protected.
“I see the eagerness in your eyes. Come closer.”
She lifted her head and slithered to him. As he touched her, a wave of information broke through her mind’s barriers, and a mystical technique formed within her thoughts.
“That will do for now. Go and take the jade ring, begin cultivating.”
She eagerly slithered away, leaving behind Jang Mu-Yeon’s tired figure as he sat down to catch his breath.
He straightened his back and decided to take a short stroll, giving Soa space to cultivate on her own.
Soa quickly returned with the ring around her tail, but Mu-Yeon was nowhere to be seen. So she took out a few crystals and began reciting the words in her mind. The energy flowed from the crystals into her core.
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It would be a long road before she could improve her realm, but she had taken her first step toward that goal.
Mu-Yeon finished his inspection of the formation and saw that everything was stable. Feeling slightly proud, he returned to check on Soa, smiling faintly at how hard she was working.
Satisfied, he turned back toward the hut. It was time for Chris’s next treatment.
When he entered and saw Chris’s condition, he hurried to his side, feeding him Qi. Chris was sweating and fidgeting in his sleep. As the Qi flowed into him, his body calmed, his breathing steadied.
Mu-Yeon wondered what kind of trials the young man was enduring, what horrors he was fighting.
–The dream realm–
Chris was struggling hard, very hard to… beat K at checkers?
“It’s your move, kid.” K said, sipping his tea with amusement.
“I know, old man, but the next move will make or break my victory.”
He studied the board carefully, sneaking glances at K’s expression, trying to read that stoic face. Finally, he spotted the faintest twitch of K’s eyebrow and took the gamble; he moved his piece and captured three of K’s.
A wide grin spread across his face until K moved his own piece and wiped out the rest of Chris’s.
“No, no, no!” Chris fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists. “This should’ve been my win!”
“Tough luck, kid.”
“I curse the day I taught you this godforsaken game!” Chris groaned, tearing up handfuls of grass.
“Someone your age shouldn’t get this stressed over losing. You’ll go bald at this rate.”
“How can I not be mad when you’ve beaten me so many times, and you’ve just learned how to play this game! Who does that?”
“Sit back down and finish your tea. I haven’t beaten you that many times, only 356 times.” K smirked, raising his cup.
Chris sighed, dropped the grass, sat back in his overturned chair, and finished his tea.
“Better now?”
“I’ve calmed down, but I’m still mad. I saw that eyebrow twitch, you tricked me, old man.”
“You tricked yourself. I only showed you what you wanted to see, and you took the bait. Shall we duel again?”
“Let’s do it. This time, I’m gonna win.”
“Less talking, more doing.”
K snapped his fingers, and reality warped around them. They stood once more on the training grounds. Half the room was scarred with cuts and holes; the other half remained nearly pristine, save for faint sword marks around K’s position.
“How do you feel?”
“Better than ever.” Chris bounced on his toes, spinning his sword confidently.
“You almost had me in our last fight.”
“You call that ‘almost’? I couldn’t make you take a single step!”
“At the last moment, you made me lift my foot to dodge your strike. You get a point for that.”
Chris grinned and pointed his sword to taunt him.
“I’ll defeat you this time.”
“Then do it, if you can.”
Chris charged forward, thrusting his sword into the floor to throw up debris and obscure K’s vision.
“This is child’s play!”
K flicked his hand, blowing away the dust, but Chris was gone.
“That’s too easy. Try harder.”
He turned, scanning for his opponent, but no sign of him. Gravel fell on his shoulder. He looked up to see Chris hanging from the ceiling, struggling to free his sword.
K chuckled and leaned on his weapon.
“Need help?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Chris grunted, pushing with his feet against the ceiling.
“I can wait.”
“Forget it!”
Chris let go, plunging toward K.
K could’ve ended the duel right there, but curiosity won. He sidestepped, letting Chris crash into the ground, creating a small crater. A dust cloud rose, but Chris didn’t wait; he used it as cover, hurling chunks of broken floor.
A few hit their mark, easily deflected; others slammed into the walls.
“Did I hit you?” Chris called, half-grinning.
“What do you think?”
“I did not.”
“You’ll have to try harder.”
“I was just testing my luck.”
When K relaxed his guard for a moment, Chris took the opening, launching several large chunks of debris he’d hidden behind his back. K destroyed them easily, but the delay gave Chris time to close the gap.
He lunged, fist aimed for K’s chest, but K blocked with the blunt edge of his sword. Chris jumped back to escape the counter.
“You’re finally using your brain, that’s your strength. Use it more.”
“I’ll take the compliment, but I’m not done yet.”
“Oh? Then show me.”
This time, K charged, sword swinging fast. Chris dodged backward, the blade slicing deep into the far wall. He rolled aside, barely avoiding the next downward strike, but slammed into the wall mid-roll.
“Man, that hurt!” He groaned.
K allowed him to stand.
“Thanks, old man, but aren’t you taking it too easy?”
“If you hadn’t dodged, you’d be in two pieces. Does that sound easy?”
“Hey! You said you wouldn’t kill me!”
“I have to raise the stakes, you’re getting better. Try harder if you want to stay alive. But since you’ve become dear to me over time, I’ll give you a choice I’ve never offered before. Do you want to leave?”
Chris froze. He sat down, thinking. K had time for another cup of tea before Chris spoke.
“I’ll stay. I’ll defeat you and gain the power to protect my family.”
K smiled, the answer he’d hoped for.
“Then let’s have our last duel.”
They faced each other, circling slowly, reading every twitch and breath.
“So, are we fighting or just circling each other forever?” Chris said.
“I’m waiting for you. Or shall I start?”
“Age before beauty.”
“As you wish. Be ready.”
K moved first, blindingly fast. Chris dodged, but not completely; a deep cut tore across his side.
“Ouch! That hurts!” He clutched his wound.
“I warned you. This is real, you can die.”
Chris wrapped his shirt around the bleeding cut and steadied himself. He couldn’t move recklessly now.
He pressed forward carefully, enduring several more cuts as he tried to close in. Both fighters were soon drenched in blood, though none of it was K’s.
“How’s the fight, old man?”
“Could be better, but I love it. Let’s end this.” K grinned
“I agree. My next move will be my last.”
“So be it.”
They stepped back, then charged. K swung wide; Chris slipped, but on his own blood. He fell hard.
K stopped in his tracks, concern flickering across his face at the sight of Chris falling. But it was all part of Chris’s plan.
Before the old man could react, Chris pulled a small pebble he’d hidden in his pocket and hurled it straight toward K’s head.
The man tilted his head slightly, letting the pebble whistle harmlessly past.
“Gotcha!” Chris shouted.
For a brief moment, confusion crossed K’s face, then realization struck. The pebble hadn’t been meant for him.
Chris had aimed for the sword lodged in the ceiling. The stone struck true, knocking the blade loose.
K spun around, ready to intercept Chris as he would leap to reclaim his falling weapon.
“Wrong way, old man!” Chris roared, driving forward with every ounce of strength he had left.
The last thing Mr. K. felt was Chris's fist piercing his chest.
“Clever boy, you fooled me twice.”
“What can I say? I learned from the master.”
“You truly did.”
K smiled as his form began to dissolve.
As he vanished, Chris dropped onto the floor, limbs spread, exhausted.
The world shifted, his wounds vanished, and he found himself on a grassy plain once more.
A familiar voice spoke behind him.
“When you first arrived, I didn’t think you’d be fit to inherit our legacy. But you’ve surprised me.”
Chris turned to see the same old man calmly sipping tea.
“I thought I killed you.”
“Silly kid. I told you before, I’m just a wisp of my former self. You can’t kill me.”
Chris sat and gulped down the tea waiting for him.
“What’s next?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“There are no more trials.”
“But you said…”
“I lied. You had to defeat me, but if you’d proven unworthy, I would’ve destroyed your soul.”
“Then I can leave?”
“You can. You’ve inherited the right to use our powers and the burden that comes with them. But before that, someone wishes to speak with you.”
Eun-Hwa appeared beside them.
“You did it, Chris. I watched your training and your victory. Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I wouldn’t be here without your help or the others. I’m sorry for the quick reunions, but I think I should hurry back.”
Eun-Hwa nodded and faded away, leaving Chris with K.
“Hey, old man, before I go, tell me your name.”
“Sure. My name is….”
The world began to fade as he was pulled out of the realm.
The first words he mumbled as he awoke were:
“Kaleidos Shadowstar.”
“What did you say, young master?”
Chris shot upright at the unfamiliar voice.
“Who…where am I?”
“Young master Yong-Su, you’re on your way home to the Baek clan.”
-Chris, you’ve finally woken up.-
‘What’s going on, System? How did I get on this carriage? Where are Jang Mu-Yeon and Soa?’
The System was silent.
‘Tell me what happened!’
-I’ll tell you, but you must understand something first. You’ve been asleep for a long time.-
‘How long?’
Two years, Chris. You’ve been asleep for two years.
Chris repeated aloud without realizing:
“Two… years.”
