Rain poured over the Dark Castle, accompanied by the deafening clap of thunder and flashes of lightning striking near the mountains. Kajin stood in the shower, his head bowed as cold water cascaded over him. Bandages covered his hands and arms, reminders of his recent battle. Slowly, he raised his tired, half-closed eyes to look at his arms, the memories of the spar and its aftermath flooding back.

After the fight, Kajin had gone to the infirmary to get his wounds treated. As the medics stitched up the cuts on his stomach and bandaged his arms, he couldn’t stop thinking about his time at the Royal Castle, the pain and suffering that had shaped his entire life. Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, Kajin closed the water and grabbed a towel, drying himself off before putting on a black long-sleeved shirt and matching pants.

Walking into his room, he moved slowly to his bed and sat down. His mind was anything but clear, memories of the Royal Castle haunted him relentlessly. Kajin buried his face in his hands, the cruel voices from his past taunting him:

"You brat! Come here before I beat you again!"

"You’re nothing but a slave to the Royal Family! You should’ve been killed long ago!"

"Get that monster away from me! He’s a disgrace to our kingdom!"

The voices grew louder, each one stabbing deeper into his psyche.

"AGHHH!!! FUCK!!! FUCK!!! FUCK!!! FUCK!!! SHUT UP!!!" Kajin roared, his frustration and rage erupting uncontrollably. He stood and drove his fist into the wall, leaving a massive crack in the stone. As he prepared to throw another punch, a hand caught his wrist.

Kajin turned to see Ruya, who released his grip and said in a serious yet friendly tone, "Look bro, I know you’re having a hard time, but there’s no need to destroy the whole castle because of it."

Kajin shot Ruya a cold, tired glare before replying, "Don’t tell me what to do, Ruya. You know nothing." His voice carried a mix of anger and sadness.

Unfazed, Ruya persisted. "Maybe I don’t know everything, but you’re not the only one who’s suffered."

Kajin’s eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of empathy breaking through his rage. After a moment, he sat back down on the bed. Ruya grabbed a chair, turned it backward, and sat on it, resting his arms on the backrest.

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"I was born into a normal family in the Eldarion Kingdom, the so-called paradise of the elves," Ruya began. "We lived in a village near the Golden Flatlands, right on the border between Darkvill and Eldarion. When I was five, a border war broke out. Our village got caught in the crossfire. Demons raided the village, enslaving the women, killing the men, and taking the children as either slaves or worse. My father was killed right in front of me, and my mother… she was captured along with me."

Kajin’s interest piqued at the story, his anger subsiding slightly as he listened.

"I thought I was lucky to be taken instead of killed like my father. But that thought didn’t last long. After the demons destroyed the village, they brought us to Voidar, the slave cages. That’s where I was separated from my mother. I haven’t seen her since."

Ruya clenched his fists, his tone hardening. "The conditions there were so brutal that out of the 2,789 elves captured, only 512 survived. I watched my childhood friends die, some even trying to kill me to stay alive. Life in Voidar was hell. So much so that I tried to kill myself once. But a friend stopped me, her name was Kiara. She cared for me like no one else ever had. She’s the reason I’m still alive today."

Ruya paused, taking a deep breath. "When we were ten, we decided to escape. We waited for the right moment, sneaking out when the guards were distracted during a supply delivery. Somehow, we made it past the gates and removed the magic bracelets that locked our mana. I used a skill the village elder had taught us, the same invisibility skill I used during our battle, Kajin."

Kajin’s eyes widened further at the revelation. "Invisibility… That explains it. But his mastery of the skill, it’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen, did he perhaps awaken it? I couldn’t detect him at all, even at my level… He’s extraordinary."

Ruya continued, "We ran as far as we could, but the demons quickly caught up. Kiara… she sacrificed herself so I could escape. I didn’t want to leave her, but her determination was too strong. So, I let her go."

His voice cracked with regret, his hands trembling slightly. After a brief silence, he resumed. "I kept running, but reinforcements caught me. The second army commander was right behind me. I thought it was the end. But then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared. She fought off the commander with magic I’d never seen before. She smiled at me and said, ‘Come with me, boy, and you’ll escape the terrors of this life.’ That woman was Anastasia."

Kajin’s expression softened as he absorbed the story.

"For the next eight years, I lived here and trained harder than I ever thought possible," Ruya finished. "I vowed to become strong enough to protect others and bring peace to this world."

Ruya leaned his head on his arms, exhaling deeply. The room fell silent for a long moment before Ruya looked up at Kajin.

"I’ve shared my story with you. I’ve told you who I am. Now, all I ask is for you to do the same."