Saō Hyun did not lift his head when the carriage stopped.
He did not care.
The sound of the wheels on the dirt, the sound of the horse, the sound of it halting — all of it felt distant, as if it belonged to another world that had nothing to do with him.
He was sitting before the small grave.
A misshapen mound of earth.
A piece of wood driven into the ground without a name.
Jon.
There was nothing else left to mark him.
Saō Hyun stared at the soil as if waiting for something to happen.
For it to tremble.
For Jon to rise and say, "I was only joking."
But the soil remained soil.
Cold.
Silent.
A man stepped down from the carriage.
His footsteps were quiet.
Steady.
He approached.
Sat beside Saō Hyun.
He said nothing.
Inside the carriage, one of the men whispered to the other,
"Sir… why does he care about this child?"
The other replied in a low voice,
"I don't know… but he stepped down himself."
Time passed.
The man sitting beside him finally spoke, his voice low but clear:
"Is this the grave of someone you love?"
Saō Hyun did not answer.
He did not turn.
He kept staring at the earth.
The man repeated gently,
"I do not see his name."
Saō Hyun finally spoke, his voice faint:
"Because I do not know how to write."
The man was silent for a moment.
Then he asked,
"And what is his name?"
"Jon."
"Was he your brother?"
"He was… everything."
Silence.
Then Saō Hyun said:
"He told me to run… so I ran."
Silence.
"Then I came back… and he was already dead."
Silence.
"So if I had not run, I would have died."
Silence.
"But I am alive."
A longer silence.
Then he whispered,
"And that feels wrong."
The man did not reply at once.
He let the words settle.
Then he said,
"It is not because you are alive that you are wrong."
Saō Hyun turned to him for the first time.
He looked at him with eyes that were tired, empty.
"Then why do I feel like I stole his place?"
The man did not answer quickly.
He looked at the grave.
Then at the horizon.
And said,
"Because children believe that life is distributed fairly."
Silence.
"The truth is… it is only distributed."
Saō Hyun said,
"I did not ask for it."
"And he did not ask for death."
"And Ara did not ask to be taken."
Silence.
"So why am I here?"
The man looked at him.
Not with pity.
Not with sorrow.
But with… recognition.
And he said,
"Because the world does not ask before it uses someone."
Saō Hyun lowered his head.
"I do not want to be used."
"I only want… not to lose anyone else."
The man breathed slowly.
"And do you know how to prevent that?"
Saō Hyun shook his head.
"No."
The man said,
"With power."
Saō Hyun looked at him.
"Power prevents others from taking you."
"Power prevents others from taking those you love."
"Power does not grant justice… but it grants the ability to object."
Saō Hyun said,
"But Jon was strong."
"And yet he died."
The man smiled faintly — a very sad smile.
"He was strong enough to die instead of you."
Silence.
"Not strong enough to change the outcome."
Saō Hyun asked,
"Can it be changed?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"By becoming the part that cannot be ignored."
Saō Hyun was silent.
Then he asked,
"Does that mean I will hurt people?"
The man looked at him for a long time.
Then said,
"It means you will choose whom you hurt… instead of having it chosen for you."
Saō Hyun remained quiet.
Then he said in a small voice,
"I do not want to hurt."
The man said,
"No one begins by wanting to."
Silence.
Then he asked,
"What is your name?"
"Saō Hyun."
The man repeated it softly, as if tasting it:
"Saō Hyun…"
Then he said,
"My name is Shin Ri."
Saō Hyun looked at him.
"Are you strong?"
Shin Ri smiled faintly.
"Strong enough to sit here without fear."
Saō Hyun asked,
"And are you kind?"
Shin Ri paused.
Then said,
"I am honest."
Silence.
Then Saō Hyun said,
"That is better."
Shin Ri breathed deeply.
Then he said,
"What do you think of becoming my student?"
"I will give you power…"
"Not to take revenge."
"But to protect what is yours."
Saō Hyun kept looking at the grave.
Then he said,
"And if I become strong… will Ara return?"
Shin Ri was silent.
"No."
"But she will not be taken again."
Saō Hyun closed his eyes.
One tear fell.
He wiped it away quickly.
Then he said,
"Alright."
"I will become your student."
Shin Ri looked at him calmly.
Then said,
"Then stand."
"Sitting too long before graves brings no one back."
Saō Hyun stood slowly.
He looked at the grave.
And whispered,
"I will try… not to be a mistake anymore."
Then he turned.
And walked with Shin Ri toward the carriage.
Behind him…
The grave remained alone.
Silent.
As graves should be.