Page 1
Time moves.
The night of the hut fades. The sound of the river becomes a distant memory.
The old man looks down at the infant in his hands. Exhales — long, deep, like a man setting something down he's carried too far.
He holds the necklace between his fingers.
"From today…"
"…you are my grandson."
Page 2
The infant quiets.
The old man wraps him in an old piece of cloth. His eyes are hard — but somewhere inside them, warmth refuses to stay hidden.
The small house fills with crying that slowly, slowly becomes calm breathing.
Page 3
Years pass.
Quick flashes: Mabu running and stumbling. Mabu laughing. Mabu asleep on the old man's shoulder.
The name Mabu becomes part of the house itself — woven into the walls, carried in the old man's voice whenever he calls out.
Page 4
Eleven years later.
The village market — loud, colorful, alive with smell and noise.
Vendors shouting over each other. People pushing through. The scent of fruit drifting warm through the air.
Page 5
Behind a cart of apples, four children watch with sharp eyes.
A broad boy with an easy, confident smile — Karki.
A short boy pushing his glasses up with one nervous finger — Totoki.
A girl studying the corners of the market with a stillness that doesn't belong to her age — Yuzuha.
And a boy with a strong jaw and a slow-tightening fist — Mabu.
Page 6
The merchant turns to deal with a customer.
Mabu lowers himself slowly. Eyes fixed on the target. Breathing controlled.
Karki gives a single nod.
Now.
Page 7
Mabu snatches the fruit bag and launches into the alley.
The merchant spins around. "Hey—!"
His footsteps shake the ground as he tears after him, fury in every step.
Page 8
While the merchant chases Mabu—
The others descend like birds.
Three fruit bags vanish in seconds.
Page 9
The merchant stops. Hands on his knees. Gasping.
"I'll catch you— you little— ")
His voice drowns in the laughter of the market.
Page 10
The children twist through narrow alleys they know by heart.
Muffled laughter. Racing breath. Feet barely touching the ground.
One leap — and they're inside their hideout.
Page 11
They sit on the floor, dividing the fruit, eating with real satisfaction.
Mabu grins: "Your plan worked perfectly, Totoki. Outstanding."
Totoki pushes his glasses up with one finger — and doesn't try at all to hide his pride.
Yuzuha laughs. Karki chews with cheerful ferocity.
Page 12
Mabu tosses an apple into the air and catches it without looking.
"And me — did you see how I grabbed the bag and disappeared? Like lightning."
Laughter fills the hideout.
A warm moment. One none of them want to end.
Page 13
Then — a shadow in the entrance.
A boy, fourteen years old. His posture relaxed. But his presence fills the space completely.
Mabu looks at him. His smile fades slowly.
"Mabu."
Page 14
"Grandfather is calling for you."
Mabu crosses his arms: "Leave me alone, Thian. I'm enjoying my earnings."
Thian looks at him. Steady. Unmoved. Takes one step forward — and grabs Mabu by both ears with fingers that show no mercy.
"Are you still stealing from the market?"
Page 15
Mabu laughs through the pain: "No… I didn't steal anything."
Thian looks at him sideways. "You're lying."
He releases him. "Fine. Let's go."
Mabu crosses his arms. "I'm not coming."
Thian turns to face him — calm in a way that is somehow frightening. Then he bends down and grabs Mabu by the leg.
"Nobody asked you."
Page 16
And he starts dragging him home.
"Let go of me Thiaaaan! HEY—!"
A cloud of dust. Mabu clawing at the ground, shouting, being dragged across the earth one inch at a time.
His friends explode with laughter.
"Karki! Help me!"
Karki looks at Mabu. Then at Thian.
One moment — Karki imagines Thian turning to look at him. Red eyes. Dead calm.
Karki swallows. Makes a slow throat-cutting gesture at Mabu.
Sorry. You're on your own.
Page 17
Mabu digs all his fingers into the dirt.
"Useless," says Thian — and keeps pulling with absolute, merciless consistency.
A trail of dust rises behind them.
Page 18
They enter the house.
The old man looks up.
He raises one eyebrow, slowly: "Why is Mabu covered in dust?"
Thian: "Same as always. He didn't want to come."
Mabu fires a look at Thian from behind the old man's back that could cut stone.
Thian smiles — perfectly, angelically innocent.
Page 19
The old man sighs: "Fine… after training, I have something to tell you both."
Mabu begins sliding — very slowly, very quietly — toward the door.
He glances left. Glances right.
Then he sees Thian already watching him.
Mabu smiles.
"Ha… I was just checking the door."
Page 20
The training yard.
The old man stands them in a line. Complete silence.
"Seven years of training here…"
He looks at them both.
"…are finished."
No one speaks.
Page 21
Thian steps forward: "What's the new training?"
The old man smiles — small, quiet.
"Today is the final test. I want to see your true strength."
He walks to the corner of the yard. Lifts a massive boulder — one hand. Sets it down in front of them.
Page 22
"The test: hold this boulder and complete one hundred squats."
Mabu looks at the boulder. Looks at the old man. His mouth opens.
"What—?!"
Thian looks at the boulder. Looks at Mabu. And smiles — a rare, slightly evil smile. He picks it up without a word and begins.
Down. Up. Down. Up.
Calm. Steady. Like it's nothing.
Page 23
Mabu watches with eyes that keep getting wider.
Thian finishes. Sets the boulder down quietly.
"Grandfather. Done."
"Very good, Thian." The old man turns. "Now it's Mabu's turn."
Mabu squares himself in front of the boulder. Places both hands on it. Pushes. Strains. Tries to lift it from the side.
It doesn't move at all.
Page 24
"Grandfather… it's completely impossible, can't you see that, just make it five, only five… grandfather… grandfather…"
The old man sighs heavily. "Fine. Five only. This is the last time."
He moves to place the boulder on Mabu's shoulders.
But Mabu is no longer looking at him.
He's looking at where Thian stood.
He sees it again — Thian lifting the boulder as if it had no weight. As if it cost him nothing.
Why is Thian better than me?
Something shifts behind his eyes.
The night comes down around him—
and somewhere inside it, a promise takes shape.
Continued in Chapter Five