Ryan looked even more frustrated than the others.
Which was understandable.
He had just broken through a wall.
Just touched a higher realm.
Just sworn to become stronger.
And then reality had immediately reminded him how far he still had to go.
Honestly, it was a little absurd.
The whole reason I started playing the role of the "mastermind" in the first place was to prevent things like this.
To keep them away from dangers they couldn't handle.
To carry the burden myself.
Yet somehow, despite all my efforts, we still ended up here.
Hospitalized.
Beaten half to death.
And painfully aware of how powerless we had been.
Still...
It wasn't completely hopeless.
Ryan wasn't despairing.
Neither was Leo.
Their expressions were complicated.
Frustrated.
Angry.
Confused.
But not broken.
Because that was who they were.
The protagonists of this story.
The kind of people who grew stronger after every setback.
The kind of people who refused to stay down.
