Chapter 4: The Girl in the Shadows
Mu-won's breath was slow, controlled—but the air around him pulsed with invisible force. His skin radiated faint heat, like smoldering coal beneath a thin layer of flesh.
He turned his head slightly.
"I know you're there," he said softly, his voice calm but sharp like a drawn blade.
Silence.
Then a twig snapped. A shadow detached itself from the tree line.
A girl stepped out. His age—or maybe a little younger. Ragged clothing, sun-dark skin, and wild black hair tied in a messy braid. Her eyes were sharp, catlike, and filled with caution.
"You saw everything," Mu-won said, more a statement than a question.
The girl didn't flinch.
"You glowed like a demon. Hard not to notice," she said.
She didn't smile, didn't back down. Mu-won liked that. Courage laced with intelligence. Rare in this world—especially in kids.
"And you didn't run. That's interesting," he replied.
"I was curious. Most people don't explode with red light and survive."
Mu-won chuckled. "Most people aren't me."
She tilted her head. "Who are you?"
He stepped forward, letting his eyes return to their normal shade. "Just a boy. For now."
The girl studied him carefully.
"Name's Seo Hana," she finally said. "I live in the eastern shack. People say I'm cursed."
He raised an eyebrow. "Cursed?"
"My parents were killed by a beast two years ago. Villagers say I bring death." She paused. "They might not be wrong."
Mu-won stared at her for a long moment. Then, he gave a slow nod. "We'll get along just fine."
---
Later that Night
Back at Old Man Baek's hut, Mu-won sat by candlelight, drawing diagrams in the dirt. The Crimson Pulse Art was unlike any body-tempering technique he'd seen before—it didn't gradually improve the body. It forced change, using pain as a catalyst.
Every night, he would train in secret.
Every night, his bones would crack and reset.
And every morning, he would rise stronger.
---
Meanwhile…
Far from Ironwood Village, deep within the Jade Tiger Sect, an elder knelt before a mirror that rippled like water. In its surface, for a brief moment, the Crimson Pulse eruption could be seen.
"A seal… has awakened," he muttered.
A voice echoed from the mirror. Cold. Inhuman.
> "Find the source. Before he awakens more."
The elder bowed deeply. "As you command, Lord of the Sealed Sky."
---
Back in Ironwood Village
Mu-won stood at the edge of the forest. Seo Hana stood beside him, arms crossed.
"You're really going to train out here every night?" she asked.
He nodded. "Pain is the path to power."
She stared at him. "You're insane."
Mu-won smirked. "Not insane. Focused."
And with that, he stepped into the forest, toward the wilds, where beasts roamed.
His first real test was waiting.
To be continued.....