It was a day like any other at home. I was woken up early for breakfast. Mom had already prepared everything, waiting for my brother and me with the table set. She had made egg omelets, a family favorite. I didn’t see Dad anywhere.

  “Mom, isn’t Dad having breakfast with us?” I asked.

  “Remember, he left on a work trip. He’s been very busy these days.”

  Lately, Dad had been away a lot. He was always busy with work.

  “I wish he could spend more time with us. Why does he always have to leave?”

  “Ken, his work is crucial for the kingdom. Maintaining diplomatic relations at the embassy helps prevent conflicts with other realms.”

  My brother spoke with his chest puffed up in pride. He had always admired Dad immensely.

  “But…” I sighed, feeling disheartened.

  “Well, let’s eat before it gets cold. You’ll need all your energy for training, right?”

  “Yes, Mom,” my brother and I answered in unison.

  Mom always made us a delicious meal every morning before training. The omelet was, as always, amazing. I would love to learn how to make it just like her someday.

  Since training right after eating wasn’t ideal, we rested for a while. I picked up a history book to read. I had always loved tales of heroism, and our home was filled with books on the subject.

  The Kingdom of Dusk borders two other kingdoms. Though the journey between them is long, the relationship among the three has always been tense. From ancient wars centuries ago to territorial battles less than fifty years past, peace has always been fragile. While things have calmed down considerably, the kingdom still takes the development of soldiers and Blessed Warriors very seriously, along with training diplomats well enough to prevent conflicts.

  Past rulers had defended against multiple invasions from the Kingdom of the Sword and the Kingdom of the Flower, as well as terrorist attacks from the unknown dangers beyond the kingdom’s border walls. That’s why my father’s job at the frontier was so important.

  As I was lost in thought, my brother pulled me back to reality.

  “Hey! You’ve had your nose buried in that book for ages. It’s time to go train with the old man!”

  My brother was never a fan of books, but he would occasionally ask me about what I was reading.

  I was sitting on the floor, so I followed him to our room. We put on our training gear: shorts and sleeveless shirts embroidered with a sword and shield emblem. After brushing our teeth, we headed outside.

  Our clan, the Knight Clan, home of the kingdom’s protectors, was vast, filled with many structures. Unlike the city, our homes and buildings had an ancient architecture—many wooden and bamboo houses adorned with ceremonial decorations and tatami flooring. Some leaned more towards gothic styles, others towards minimalism. There was a mix of designs, but most carried a strong sense of tradition.

  Everyone here knew each other, so visiting neighbors was common.

  Lucas and I greeted everyone outside as we walked through the community. The streets were filled with people—warriors, children, elders. To an outsider, it would be hard to believe that these people were the warrior caste responsible for defending the kingdom.

  On our way to the old man’s house, we admired its grandeur. It was probably the largest house in the Knight Clan’s territory, an elegant building with an ancient structure and a massive dojo where we trained daily.

  “We’re here, old man!” my brother shouted.

  “Hey, old man!” I followed his lead, unable to contain my excitement for training.

  The old man was in a meditative lotus pose, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees, fully concentrated. At our shouting, he raised an eyebrow.

  “Old man? I dare say I’ve aged rather well. If you keep calling me that, I’ll have you both holding a plank position for a whole week.”

  He was a large man with graying hair, some wrinkles on his face, and a well-groomed white beard and mustache. Despite his age, his physique was imposing. He was renowned throughout the kingdom as a war hero and one of the greatest Vigor users to have ever lived.

  Strict as he was, he had softened over the years—or at least, that’s what Mom said. There were also rumors that he didn’t accept just any disciple. Only those with great potential and noble hearts were worthy of training under Grandmaster Kin.

  “Understood?” he emphasized.

  “Yes, Grandpa…” my brother and I muttered, lowering our heads.

  Oh, by the way, the old man was our grandfather. Dad always called him “the old man” at home, so my brother and I picked up the habit. It annoyed him when it came from his grandkids.

  “Well then, let’s begin. You know what to do. Let me know when you’re ready.”

  Grandpa’s words marked the start of our training session.

  “Yes!” my brother and I responded with determination.

  Quickly, I grabbed a brown cloth from the floor and wrapped it around my eyes. I sat in the lotus position, pressing my palms together, and focused. I could feel the Vigor swirling within me, surging like electricity through my body. The goal of the warm-up was to manipulate the Vigor within us, forming a thin layer over our skin to amplify our sense of touch, while also concentrating Vigor in our ears to heighten our hearing.

  Vigor is the energy found in the environment and within all living beings. Manipulating it enhances the body in many ways.

  I focused intensely, guiding the Vigor through my veins, absorbing it into my muscles, until it reached my skin and eardrums. This process required great concentration and skill, but the hardest part came next. As soon as the Vigor reached my pores, it would start to leak uncontrollably if not properly regulated. I had to concentrate deeply to stabilize the flow and form a protective layer around my skin.

  “I’m ready!” I exclaimed, standing up with energy.

  “EH?! ALREADY?!”

  My brother shouted in shock. The warm-up was an advanced exercise that initially took us two to three minutes to complete. I had just done it in about thirty seconds.

  “Don’t lose focus!”

  “OW!”

  The old man smacked my brother’s head with an open palm, snapping him back into concentration.

  “So unfair… he’s only nine…” my brother muttered, refocusing.

  Ignoring him, I regained my concentration and took a stance that allowed for quick movement. The test to confirm a proper warm-up was brutal. From a distance, the old man would launch small wooden spheres at us, so fast they resembled bullets. My brother and I believed he did this knowing that the Vigor layer softened the impact—or at least, we hoped so.

  I heard the old man rise to his feet, picking up the wooden spheres in his hand.

  “Let’s begin,” he said, a playful tone in his voice.

  A cold sweat ran down my face as I heard the first projectile fire off with a sharp flick of his middle finger. I felt the air shift—a swift breeze cutting toward my left side—but I didn’t know where exactly… until it hit.

  "Ouch! That hurts!" I said after feeling the piece of wood hit my left forearm.

  "Focus."

  "Yes!" I shouted determinedly, returning to my stance.

  I heard the wooden bullet shoot forward. The sound reached both ears equally, meaning it was coming from the center—but I couldn't tell its height. As a last resort, I decided to jump.

  "Mmmph." I nearly lost my breakfast when the piece of wood struck my solar plexus. Even so, I lay on the ground for a few seconds, catching my breath. Slowly, I tried to get up, recovering from the blow.

  "That’s the consequence of your decision. Use your senses, boy."

  "Third time’s the charm..." I said, panting as I got back to my feet. I knew something was missing. I had a pretty good layer of vigor on my skin... my skin... That’s it! I had only coated the surface of my skin, but I hadn't applied it to the small hairs on my body. That would make it easier to feel the wind as it moved.

  I focused my vigor into a layer that covered my body hair, trying to heighten its sensitivity.

  I heard the old man pick up another piece of wood. I listened closely as the wooden bullet was fired toward my right. I only lacked one piece of information—the height. Then, the hairs on my right leg stood on end.

  "There!" I thought, lifting my leg as fast as I could.

  I heard the wooden bullet hit the ground behind me.

  "Yes! Old man, brother, I did it in three tries! Three!" I said, overjoyed as I removed my blindfold. I had been stuck at five attempts for a while.

  "You're mastering it faster each time, kid. They don’t call you ‘Little Kin’ for nothing—you really take after your grandfather," the old man said with a proud smile.

  "That was amazing, Ken! Now it’s your older brother’s turn to show what he can do," my brother said confidently as he stood up.

  The old man picked up just one wooden bullet and held it in his hand.

  "Are you ready?"

  "Yes!"

  The old man threw the wooden bullet at my brother’s cheekbone. He slightly tilted his head, allowing the bullet to narrowly miss him—dodging it perfectly.

  "Whoa! You’re incredible, brother! You always dodge it on the first try!"

  My brother took off his blindfold and puffed out his chest.

  "Hehehe, right?"

  It took my brother about a minute and a half to warm up. That might seem slow compared to me, but his technique was undeniably difficult. Yet, lately, he had been dodging it perfectly every time.

  "Your movements are shorter and more precise now. You’re really improving, kid."

  "You’re gonna make me blush, old man," he said, rubbing his nose with his index finger, sounding quite pleased. Then, suddenly, he turned to me.

  "But how did you do it so quickly? How can you control your vigor so well despite being so small?"

  "Mmm, I don’t know. I just make it flow as fast as I can," I replied, having no real answer.

  "Your brother has incredible talent in vigor manipulation. Meanwhile, you have exceptional physical ability."

  "I guess that’s what it means to be a genius. But if you ever figure out how you do it... teach me, okay?"

  "Sure," I said, nodding.

  "We’re heading to the forest to practice with the trees. Let’s go," my grandfather announced as he walked toward the dojo door.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Wait! We’ll put on our shoes right away," my brother said hurriedly.

  "No shoes."

  "Oh… right."

  My brother looked a bit confused, but we were used to not knowing what was coming next. Our clan’s land was connected to a private forest—a vast area where the old man would occasionally bring us to practice our strikes against the trees.

  When we arrived, the old man moved from tree to tree, placing his hand on the bark, analyzing their hardness. He continued until he stopped and looked at my brother.

  "This one’s for you, kid—it’s an Ironwood."

  Ironwood was the hardest tree of all. I remember reading somewhere that it was as tough as steel. You had to strike an exact spot to break it.

  He kept looking for a tree for me until he stopped at a nearby Murmurer.

  "I think this one will be best for you."

  Unlike the Ironwood, the Murmurer was a slender tree. It was known for its tough bark, though it wasn’t as solid inside. This was my first time striking such a hard tree—I usually trained with common trees. The thought made me nervous... but also excited.

  From where I stood, I could see my brother. Both of us positioned ourselves in front of our practice trees.

  "Combat stance! Inject vigor into the parts of your body you find necessary!"

  The old man’s voice rang out, ensuring we both heard him. My brother and I quickly assumed our fighting stances, raising our hands. I made sure to direct vigor to my arms, knuckles, shoulders, and waist.

  "But this time, inject vigor into your feet—find your balance with the ground for a stronger strike."

  "Begin!"

  I punched the Murmurer hard with my right arm—but it did nothing. I struck again—still, nothing.

  I knew my body wasn’t that strong yet—I was still growing. But I wondered... if I mastered vigor, could I become as strong as my brother?

  Time passed—maybe even hours. This exercise wouldn’t end until the old man said so. I was exhausted. I hadn’t been using much vigor in my punches, but my body was screaming for rest and a hot meal.

  "Ooold maaan, a break, pleaaase," I whined, feeling closer to fainting than to damaging the Murmurer.

  "You’ve deformed the tree a little. Is that enough for you? Are you giving up?"

  Honestly, I was beyond tired, and I had no desire to keep punching the tree even one more time.

  "Grandpa, pleeease, I’m starving, okay?" I put on my best puppy-dog eyes.

  "Well, I suppose a break wouldn’t be too bad..." my grandfather said, trying to hide how pleased he was that I hadn’t called him old.

  Then—CRACK.

  The ground trembled as if a small earthquake had struck. The old man and I immediately turned toward my brother, our eyes widening in shock.

  He was still standing in his stance, his knuckles bleeding heavily, exuding a blue aura of vigor.

  And the Ironwood was on the ground.

  We ran toward him as fast as we could.

  "Brother! How did you do that?!" I asked, astonished and thrilled by what he had just accomplished.

  "I guess... I just really wanted to bring it down..." he said, smiling weakly as he struggled to catch his breath.

  "Incredible… You actually knocked down an Ironwood," the old man said, pausing briefly.

  "But you know the point of this exercise is to protect your body against tougher surfaces while also dealing maximum damage. And, well... about the protecting part..."

  "Hehehe..." my brother laughed awkwardly, scratching his head.

  "Don’t let your emotions take over. You’re still too young to break an Ironwood. Take better care of yourself next time. But... it’s truly an impressive feat to fell one at just fourteen. Congratulations, Lucas."

  "Thank you, Grandpa," my brother replied, his face glowing with pride.

  “Well, I think this is a good time to eat and celebrate with the family. Ken looks exhausted too. Go take a bath, and I’ll see you at dinner.”

  My grandfather ruffled both our heads before heading to the kitchen.

  …

  The four of us sat at the table—Lucas, Mom, Grandpa, and I—eating the roasted turkey that Grandpa had brought. He was already quite drunk from the wine he was drinking, a traditional wine from our clan. He drank it every evening—it was a custom for him, at least.

  “And then, crack! When Ken and I got there, the lock was already on the ground,” the old man boasted as he took another sip.

  “Dad, aren’t you drinking a bit too much?” my mother asked as she subtly moved the bottle.

  “This is truly something worth celebrating! We have two kids who can already be compared to soldiers in their use of vigor, and they’re only 14 and 9 years old! These boys will become great warriors—just like their grandfather Kin! Hahaha! Here, drink a little more,” he said as he poured more wine into my mother’s glass.

  “That much is obvious. After all, they’re my children! I was a great soldier too, remember?” she said with a proud laugh, pointing at herself with her index finger. She paused briefly and cleared her throat.

  “I wanted to wait for their father to give Lucas his reward for his achievement, but Grandpa insisted, so we’re giving it to him today.”

  The old man lifted a small gift bag and handed it to Lucas.

  “Go ahead, open it.”

  “And what about me?” I asked, putting on my best puppy-dog eyes.

  “W-Wow, is this for real?” My brother was practically trembling as he pulled a thin ring from the bag.

  “It’s our clan’s promise ring. It’s a formality given to each family member when they turn 15 and are ready to represent the clan. We wanted to give it to you on your 15th birthday, but Grandpa believes you’re ready to have it now.”

  “Whoa, the ring is beautiful,” I said, my eyes shining as I admired my brother’s gift.

  It was a tempered steel ring, adorned with a small gemstone on the outside. Inside, golden runes were engraved. I hadn’t yet learned the language, but I knew that when I received mine, I’d be able to read it.

  “In honor of Lucas, who broke his first lock today! I’ve seen many soldiers try and fail to even scratch one before giving up. I can’t believe I missed it,” Grandpa said, tearing up as he drank more wine.

  “And for Ken, who managed to form an impeccable vigor armor in just 30 seconds! If you keep training that hard, I’m sure you’ll be able to reduce that time even further.”

  “Thank you so much, Grandpa! I swear I’ll represent the Knight Clan with pride!” my brother shouted.

  “You’re already 14, Lucas. Have a drink with your grandfather. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the bottles at home mysteriously emptying.”

  And so, Grandpa raised his wine-filled cup. “To my two talented grandsons—cheers!”

  “Cheers!” We all responded with smiles, our glasses clinking together—Mom, Grandpa, and my brother with their wine, and me with my glass of iced tea.

  …

  It was almost 10 PM. My mother, my brother, and I were on the couch watching TV—well, my mother was watching. My brother and I were still mesmerized by the ring.

  “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” my brother said, his eyes gleaming as he stared at it.

  “Yeah, it’s incredible.”

  “Yeah! I just wish Dad was here.”

  “Me too… I miss him.”

  “Boys… I didn’t want to say anything, but your father will be at the border for a while longer. It looks like he has a lot of work and won’t be able to return for a few more days,” my mother said softly.

  “But when he comes back, we’ll spend a lot of time together and celebrate your achievements properly.”

  “It’s a promise,” I said with a smile.

  “It’s a promise,” she replied, gently ruffling my hair.

  “Come on, you too,” she said, messing up Lucas’s hair.

  “Mooom, I’m 14 already,” Lucas whined, trying (and failing) to dodge her hand.

  “No matter if you’re 14 or a thousand years old, you’ll always be my precious son. So, let yourself be spoiled once in a while, okay?”

  “O-Okay, Mom,” my brother said, a little embarrassed.

  “Well, let’s get back to watching—this show was getting good…”

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  Explosions rang out one after another—until one sounded too close.

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  I was completely disoriented. My ears rang. My vision blurred. I turned toward my mother—only to see her, blood streaming down her head, shielding my brother and me from the debris that used to be our ceiling.

  “Boys, are you okay? Looks like Mom isn’t as tough as she used to be…”

  “Mom, y-your head—it’s bleeding a lot,” my brother said, his voice shaking with fear.

  “Mom, y-your stomach—s-something’s coming out…” Metal rods had pierced through her abdomen. I clung to her, sobbing in terror.

  “Oh… don’t worry about that. Everything will be okay. Mom’s right here with you.” She smiled.

  I didn’t know what to do—I was scared. So, so scared. I just wanted to hold my mother and wake up when everything was fine again…

  A small, glowing green sphere suddenly dropped through the hole in the ceiling. It began emitting tiny green motes into the air, orbiting around it, until—

  A blinding flash.

  The world shifted.

  It felt like the earth was trembling—but the ground wasn’t moving.

  My mother pulled us close, whispering hoarsely, “It’s going to be okay, boys. Mom will protect you… cough cough” Blood spilled from her lips onto the floor.

  “Mom, I… I want to protect you too,” my brother said, struggling to stand.

  I was too scared to speak, but one thought crossed my mind—

  “Dad will come to save us, right? He’s coming… right?” I clung tightly to my mother’s sweater.

  “He must be on his way. I’m sure he’ll save us.” Her eyes betrayed the lie in her voice, but she tried her best to give us hope.

  The green sphere’s light turned white. I felt the vigor in the air being pulled away—like it was being torn from reality itself.

  My mother held us tight. Her hands began turning translucent. Parts of her body were becoming transparent—fighting not to vanish.

  “M-Mom, y-your body… it’s disappearing.”

  My brother was vanishing, too—pieces of him flickering in and out of existence.

  “No, no, please—Mom, what’s happening to us?” His trembling voice only made me more terrified.

  “Listen, boys. I’m giving you all the vigor left in my body… use it to protect yourselves.”

  “W-What? Mom, what are you saying?” My brother’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Don’t leave us! If you use all your vigor, you won’t survive these injuries. Please, Mom, stay with us—I’m begging you!”

  But Mom had already made up her mind.

  She pulled us into her arms one last time, channeling every drop of vigor she had left into us.

  “Lucas, Ken—I love you, my boys…” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. Yet she never stopped smiling—her warm, reassuring smile—the one that always meant, Everything will be okay.

  "Survive, even if it costs you your life..."

  "M-m-mom, NOOOOOOO, MOM NOOOOOO!"

  "MOTHER, STAY! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE US, I BEG YOU! MOTHER!"

  My brother and I tried to hold her tighter so she wouldn’t leave, but she vanished in our arms, leaving only her clothes behind.

  We were speechless for a moment until instinctive words filled our mouths.

  "MOTHERRRRRRR!"

  "MOMMMMMM!"

  I couldn't believe it. Mom simply disappeared. Everything felt unreal, as if it were just a dream, and she was about to wake me up.

  "Mom didn’t leave, right? Right, Lucas?" I asked, on the verge of losing my sanity.

  My brother looked down at his own body and saw that it, too, was beginning to fade. Then, he turned to me.

  "I-it looks like we’re both disappearing as well, b-but don’t worry... Leave it to your big brother. I’ll make sure... t-that nothing happens to my little brother."

  His face was drenched in tears, and though he forced a smile, it still managed to comfort me, just like always.

  "Lucas..."

  My mind was so overwhelmed with pain that I hadn’t even noticed my own body. It seemed I was disappearing too.

  I was terrified—terrified of dying, of losing my mother, of losing my brother. I hugged Lucas and cried uncontrollably.

  He hugged me back, but I could feel him fading faster than I was.

  "Ken, when I'm gone, run as fast as you can and call for help. Scream for help."

  His voice had become calmer, as if he had accepted something.

  "When you’re gone...? W-what do you mean?" His embrace was growing weaker.

  "You know... I always wanted a little brother. When you were born, you were my greatest joy—to have a lifelong companion, someone to train with, someone to share everything with. Thank you for being the best brother I could have ever wished for."

  "Thank you for loving us all. I'll be waiting for you with Mom... Here, take this..."

  He placed his ring in my palm and closed my hand. I could barely feel his touch anymore. There was less and less of him.

  "Lucas, Lucas, what are you talking about? This is yours, Lucas! I can't... Stop saying things like that!"

  "We'll see each other again, Ken. Just return it to me as late as possible."

  Lucas infused the last of his Vigor into his body, along with the power Mom had given him.

  "No, no, no, brother, don’t go! Don’t leave me too! LUCAS! Don’t leave me alone…!"

  "I'm sorry, Ken... I'm so sorry..."

  And then, my brother vanished, leaving only his clothes in my hands.

  "Lucas… Mother..."

  I couldn’t believe what was happening. This isn’t real, right? Tell me it’s not real...

  I looked at my hands, wanting to pinch myself, but there were parts of them where I could see the floor through them—blurry and flickering in and out. It was as if the Vigor they had given me was delaying my disappearance.

  Then, I remembered.

  "Ken, when I'm gone, run as fast as you can and call for help. Scream for help."

  I forced myself to stand and moved toward the door. My whole body ached. My vision was blurry. I had no strength. I felt like I was fading away.

  I managed to reach the door of my house and grasped the handle, but at that moment, two of my fingers began to dissolve. They flickered back into existence just long enough for me to open the door.

  I looked around, searching for someone to call for help, but… My clan was devastated.

  Destroyed.

  All the houses were in ruins. The ground was stained with blood, but there was no one left. It looked as though many had been wounded, yet there was no one in sight.

  Panic consumed me.

  I didn’t know what to do.

  Maybe Grandpa...

  I could feel my body growing weaker. I was disappearing. My legs lost all sensation, and I collapsed onto the ground.

  I wanted to go to Grandpa’s house, but my senses were shutting down. I didn’t know which way to go.

  "I... have to get help... I have to help Mom and my brother..."

  I started crawling with the few fingers I could still feel, dragging myself forward.

  I didn’t even know where I was going.

  I lost vision in one eye. The other could barely see.

  Then, in the haze, I saw my father—his image blurry, running toward me.

  "Dad, help... Mom and Lucas..."

  "Kid! Stay with me! I’ll get you to a doctor—just stay with me!"

  The blurry image of my father faded.

  For a brief moment, I saw the truth.

  I was being carried on the back of a woman with chestnut-colored hair and a green hairpin.

  And then, I lost consciousness.