Saō Hyun woke before he knew why he had woken.
There was no scream.
No sharp pain.
Only dim light slipping through the stone window, and a heavy silence — but not a frightening one.
He sat up slowly on the bed.
Looked at his hands.
They were clean.
No blood.
No mud.
No bite marks.
Just a child's skin.
He breathed.
He thought:
"Is this… morning?"
He stood.
Washed his face.
Then went out.
In the nearby hall there was a small table — warm bread, a light soup, a cup of herbal tea.
He ate quietly.
The food was simple, but it made his body feel… present.
After a while, he heard footsteps.
Shin Ri entered.
He stood before him.
Looked at him.
Then said:
"You slept."
Saō Hyun nodded.
"Yes."
"Good."
He sat.
Silence.
Then he said:
"Today, you will go out."
Saō Hyun lifted his head.
"Where to?"
"To a place that shows you what you can become."
He did not fully understand.
But something inside his chest moved.
Then Shin Ri turned toward the entrance.
"Lin Hua."
She appeared moments later.
"Yes, sir."
"Accompany him."
Then… he winked.
Two small, quick winks.
Saō Hyun did not understand their meaning.
Lin Hua did not either.
She paused, then said:
"As you command."
She turned to Saō Hyun.
"Come."
Outside there was a small carriage — black, with side curtains.
They rode.
The carriage moved.
Saō Hyun sat by the small window.
The road was long.
The mountains receded.
The trees grew denser.
The air changed.
Then… he began to see people.
Houses.
Markets.
Voices.
Then suddenly — the view opened.
A city.
Large.
Wide.
Spreading.
High walls.
Great gates.
Black and silver banners fluttering.
He stared in silent wonder.
"This… is a city?"
"Yes," Lin Hua said.
"This is the capital of our sect."
He swallowed.
He had not imagined the sect could be this vast.
They entered.
The carriage moved through wide stone streets, filled with people — fighters, merchants, children, women, noise.
Saō Hyun felt very small.
Like a dot walking inside a sea.
At last the carriage stopped before a massive round building, its black wooden door carved with ancient symbols.
Lin Hua said:
"This… is the Library of the Venerable Shin Ri."
They stepped down.
Went in.
Inside was silence.
Deep, heavy, reverent silence.
Tall shelves rising to the ceiling, filled with scrolls, books, stone tablets.
At the entrance stood one man — tall, still like a statue.
When he saw them, he bowed slightly.
"Miss Lin Hua."
"We are here by the Venerable's order."
He nodded.
Opened the way.
They went deeper.
Then Lin Hua stopped.
Looked at Saō Hyun.
"Here."
"Choose four martial arts."
His eyes widened slightly.
"Four?"
"Yes."
He looked at the shelves.
At thousands of paths.
Thousands of names.
Thousands of destinies.
He thought, in the voice of a child who feels the weight of the choice:
So quickly…
Then… I must choose carefully.
He looked at his hands.
Then at the shelves.
Then at his heart.
And he knew…
That this moment…
Would change everything.