Three years had slipped by like whispers in the wind.
Kairo, once a small boy trembling inside a cage of despair, now stood tall at twelve years old.
His frame had grown lean yet strong, his eyes sharper, carrying both the bright innocence of youth and the heavy shadows of memories no child should ever bear.
The kingdom celebrated him—the boy who had survived the impossible, the boy blessed by heaven itself.
Children chased after him in the palace courtyards, nobles whispered his name with awe, and even the knights regarded him with a mixture of respect and quiet curiosity.
Yet deep inside Kairo's heart, the past still lingered like an unhealed wound.
On nights when moonlight slipped through his window, he would feel the crushing weight of black aura pressing against his chest.
He remembered the endless treadmill, the sickening cracks of broken arms, the screams echoing in the cage.
Sometimes he woke with the metallic taste of blood on his pillow, tears having stained it red while he slept.
Leonhart, also twelve now, remained his closest companion.
The two trained together almost every day under the watchful eyes of the royal knights, their bond unshaken by time.
When the other children laughed freely, Kairo and Leonhart would sometimes exchange silent glances—memories no one else could understand binding them tighter than blood ever could.
The King watched his son with careful eyes.
"Kairo has grown strong,"
he whispered to the Queen one quiet evening, his voice heavy with concern.
"But I fear… his strength is not only a gift. It is also a wound. One day, his heart will be tested again."
The Queen's expression softened with sorrow.
"Our young boy went through things no child should ever suffer."
At that moment, little Aria—now four years old—padded into the room on bare feet, clutching the hem of her nightgown. She looked up at her parents with wide, worried eyes.
"Father, I'm scared… Brother Akio told me about the forest. Can you tell me why we should never leave this forest?"
The King smiled gently and knelt down to her level.
"Because, Aria, there are giants out there who will scare you. That's why we must stay here."
Aria's small face paled.
"What if those giants come inside and attack us?"
The Queen smiled warmly and brushed a stray lock of hair from her daughter's cheek.
"There is a strong barrier around our home, sweetheart. If they try to come in, they will be killed. Don't worry—everything is going to be alright."
Aria tilted her head, still uneasy.
"But a monster came and attacked my brother…"
The King paused for a brief second, his smile faltering before he recovered.
"Well… that monster actually trained your adopted brother. Now he is much stronger. It helped him, and he has become so strong that one day he might even match me."
Aria's eyes brightened with innocent understanding.
"Ohh… then he is not a monster. He is a teacher! And if he becomes as strong as you, everything is going to be alright."
With that simple acceptance, the little girl skipped away, humming softly to herself.
The King let out a quiet sigh as he watched her go.
"She won't ask about this again. She's still too young to know how much her brother truly suffered."
The Queen placed a gentle hand on his arm.
"You handled that very well, husband. You're truly good at protecting our daughter's heart."
The sun dipped low on the horizon, painting the fields in warm shades of gold. Kairo and Leonhart walked side by side, their laughter lighter than it had been in years, their hearts momentarily freed from the constant weight of training.
Then familiar voices called out from behind them.
"Kairo! Leonhart! Where were you two?"
Both boys turned. Running across the grass with wide, playful grins were the same children who had once played tag with them before that fateful day of despair.
One by one, they stepped forward and launched into a little dramatic act, as if performing on an invisible stage.
Akio—the bold one, always the first to shout and the fastest at tag. He was the guy everyone loved to roast, yet everyone adored.
Daichi—the bigger, round-faced boy who was incredibly smart but whose laziness was his greatest weakness. He didn't care what others thought and simply wanted a normal life. His observation skills were unmatched.
Renji—the hardworking one who got excited far too quickly. Invite him to a fight and he would throw himself in with everything he had. Even if defeated, he would stand up again, ready to take damage for his friends or loved ones.
Hina—cheerful and gentle, the girl who always wove flowers into chains during breaks. She was kind to a fault, the type of person you couldn't help but like. In the end, she would surely become everyone's favorite, even making Liana seem ordinary by comparison.
Mika—mischievous and daring, much like Renji in her desire to grow strong, yet recklessly so. When she entered the training grounds, boys her age would deliberately use lighter weights, afraid they might accidentally hurt her while she pushed her limits.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten us already!"
Akio declared, puffing out his chest with exaggerated pride.
"I am Akio the Great, who has killed those giants over and over again until they became dwarfs!"
Leonhart blinked in surprise, then broke into a warm smile. Kairo felt his chest tighten for a moment—these were the simple bonds he had thought lost forever.
The children cheered and rushed forward, surrounding the two boys.
They tugged at their arms, laughed loudly, and bombarded them with questions.
For the first time in years, Kairo and Leonhart felt like ordinary children again—not tortured souls, not chosen warriors, but simply boys playing in a sunlit field with friends.
Hina beamed brightly.
"Hey, why don't we play tag? Just like we did when we first met Kairo!"
Mika flashed her usual mischievous grin.
"Yeah, we should! It's way too much fun. This time, I'll catch all of you!"
Akio struck a dramatic pose.
"Yeah, you can't catch me! But aren't we too old to play tag anyway?"
Hina puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"Hey, don't say it like that. That's mean!"
The six of them dropped onto the soft grass, the gentle wind brushing past as if eager to join their lively conversation.
Akio suddenly jumped to his feet, hands planted firmly on his hips.
"Tag is for little kids. We're twelve now! Why don't we spar with wooden swords instead? In war, you don't get to shout 'time out!'"
Daichi groaned loudly, clutching his round stomach.
"Oi, we're not that old, Akio! What's the rush? My arms still hurt from chopping wood at home!"
Renji smirked, his sharp eyes narrowing with excitement.
"Still… Akio isn't wrong. One day we'll face real enemies. You can't chase demons with flower chains, Hina."
Hina puffed her cheeks even more and tossed a daisy at him.
"Better than chasing trouble like Akio always does. And I can easily defend myself—that's all I need."
Mika sat cross-legged, tilting her head with that signature playful grin.
"Forget wooden swords—don't you all want to go to the forest? I heard if you survive just one night in there, you become ten times stronger!"
Daichi's face instantly paled, his hands flailing dramatically.
"No way! If all of humanity walked into that cursed forest, humanity would go extinct! You've heard the stories—monsters as tall as castles, giants whose heads touch the sky! Only an idiot would go there!"
Hina nodded quickly, her soft voice trembling slightly.
"Daichi's right. That place isn't for humans. Even our bravest ancestors never returned from there… Only kind-hearted kids miraculously survived, and when they came back, they didn't even remember entering the forest."
A heavy silence fell over the group. The breeze suddenly felt colder.
Kairo and Leonhart exchanged a brief, knowing glance.
Only they understood the truth. They had not merely seen the forest—they had suffered deep within its heart.
Their bodies still carried the memory of that torment, even if their friends could never comprehend it.
Kairo forced a relaxed smile onto his face.
"If I were stuck in that forest, I would easily survive. Well… sparring doesn't sound bad. Better swords than giants, right?"
Leonhart chuckled softly and brushed his long hair back.
"Yeah. At least a spar only bruises your pride."
Akio studied Kairo for a moment, then grinned.
"Hmm, you're not lying, huh? Well, Kairo, you were able to survive. I used to defeat you before, but now I can't even touch you with my sword."
Daichi wore his usual lazy expression, though his sharp eyes betrayed deeper thoughts. They've forgotten about that forest… That's a good thing. They only remember fragments. But they deserve to be this strong. I don't know why, but I feel like their success wasn't easy. They can fool others, but not me.
Renji smiled brightly.
"Well yeah, both of them are so strong now. I'm working even harder than before so I won't be left behind."
Akio puffed up with confidence.
"Yeah! I'll catch up to you all with pure hard work!"
The tension broke. Their friends lit up once more, and soon the group was laughing and playfully arguing about who would fight first.
The late afternoon sun cast long golden shadows across the grass.
Akio, eyes burning with excitement, dashed off and returned with an armful of wooden practice swords, dropping them with a loud clatter.
"Alright! The Academy's gonna make us warriors anyway—we should get used to both training and studying. Let's see who's the strongest!"
He snatched up a sword and pointed it dramatically at Kairo.
"Oi, Kairo! You started the academy idea instead of regular school, right? Tell us—what's going to be in the entrance test?"
Kairo chuckled, adjusting his grip on one of the practice blades.
"Nah, Akio. That's not up to me. My father changed the exams completely. Even I don't know what will be on it."
Leonhart stepped forward, his voice calm yet firm.
"Exactly. The King treats everyone equally. Even his own son must take the same test as the rest of us. No special treatment, no shortcuts."
The group exchanged glances, their faces showing a mix of admiration and nervous excitement.
Renji scoffed lightly, though a smile tugged at his lips.
"Tch. Equal or not, I'll crush all of you on the first day."
Daichi groaned and scratched his head.
"Great, more homework and tests. As if training my body isn't hard enough… Why in the world are we the only ones suffering from this new academy? Before, everything was so peaceful."
Hina giggled softly. "You'll be fine, Daichi. Just don't eat your textbooks."
"Hey! Who eats them? I want to burn them so I can make this land harmonious again like it used to be! Damn it, who in the world created these annoying subjects?"
Daichi's face flushed red as the entire group burst into laughter.
Mika leaned casually on her wooden sword like a walking stick, narrowing her eyes with playful challenge.
"Tests, exams, swords… pfft. Let's stop talking and actually spar. Winner gets the biggest slice of cake at my house later—and yeah, it's my mother's specialty."
The group cheered instantly. All nervousness about the Academy melted away, replaced by pure excitement at the chance to prove themselves.
Hina smiled dreamily, clearly already thinking about the cake.
"Hmm, your mom's cakes are way too good. You tried making one once and nearly burned down the whole kitchen."
Akio grinned mischievously.
"You can throw Mika's cake at the enemy. Even their armor won't be able to handle the force because of how hard it is!"
Daichi added with a lazy smile,
"Mika's cakes were the reason dinosaurs went extinct. The smell killed them all. Only some humans survived, and we are their descendants."
Mika's face turned bright red with embarrassment.
"Hey! I'll prove you wrong—I'm going to make better cakes than my mom!"
Meanwhile, Kairo and Leonhart exchanged another quiet glance. Both knew they would have to hold back—way back. Their true strength was not something their friends should see just yet.
Akio rushed to the Academy's wooden supply shed and returned with a small empty box.
"Alright! We'll make it fair. Everyone writes their name on a slip of paper. We put them in this box, shake it, and pick. Whoever's name comes out fights!"
The kids eagerly tore pieces of parchment from their notebooks.
Akio scribbled his name boldly and slapped it in with pride.
Renji wrote his neatly, smirking as if victory was already certain.
Daichi struggled with the spelling until Mika snatched the pen and helped him with a grin.
Hina folded hers carefully, a gentle smile on her lips.
Mika drew a tiny flower beside her name before tossing the slip inside.
Leonhart and Kairo hesitated for only a moment before adding theirs as well.
Akio closed the lid and shook the box with dramatic flair. Rattle-rattle-rattle.
"Okay! First match!" He reached in and pulled out a slip, his eyes widening.
"…It's Daichi!"
"Eh?! Why me first?!" Daichi shouted, his face turning pale.
Everyone laughed and clapped him on the back encouragingly. Akio reached in again for the second name.
"…And his opponent is… Renji!"
"YES!"
Renji grinned wide, spinning his wooden sword like a show-off.
"Try not to cry, Daichi. I'll make it quick."
Daichi groaned and picked up his practice blade, holding it awkwardly like a farmer with a hoe. "This is unfair…"
The circle formed, buzzing with excitement as the first match of the afternoon began.