Hours later…
Ethan was already in the hospital. His leg was bandaged, the pain was slowly fading, but the uneasiness inside him would not pass. The room was quiet. Even the old stones in the walls seemed as if they were hiding something.
The door opened softly.
His father, Edward Hunter, stepped inside.
"My son… how are you?" he asked quietly.
Ethan moved his head slightly.
"I'm getting better… slowly, Father."
Edward took a deep breath, then lowered his voice a little.
"Arlen says you suddenly collapsed where you were picking apples. He even said that when he went to call a doctor, you were in a state of terror…"
"Ethan… what happened to you?"
Ethan wanted to speak.
He had to speak.
He had to tell what he saw.
But…
Suddenly his head began to ache.
"Aaarrgh…" Ethan grabbed his head.
"I forgot…
I can't remember… It's like… like I saw something…"
Edward looked at him with worried eyes.
Just then—
Ethan's eyes suddenly widened. His breath caught. It was as if he saw that thing again right in front of him.
The air in the room grew heavy.
"What is it, Ethan?!" his father asked.
"Did you remember something?"
Ethan answered quietly. His voice trembled:
"No…"
But in that moment, a thought circled in his mind:
If I tell him… if I—
"Ethan! What is it? What did you see? Tell me already!" his father insisted.
Ethan spoke:
"I… I was just picking apples, and I saw a person in front of me… I don't know what kind of person, but after I saw him I guess I got scared and lost consciousness… But the strange thing is, I only saw him for a second or two, and in the blink of an eye he disappeared…"
The seriousness on Edward's face softened, and he said,
"Ethan… it seems you were just sleepy! Didn't I tell you not to stay up so late at night? Haven't you gotten tired of hitting trees with that wooden sword?"
Ethan replied,
"No! I'm training!"
Edward asked,
"What are you training for?"
Ethan said,
"I… I'm training so that one day I won't hold this wooden sword—but a real one. I don't want anyone to dictate anything to me. I want to write my own destiny."
Edward smirked, but his gaze grew serious. Looking at his son's bandaged leg, he said slowly,
"To write your own destiny? That is the greatest dream anyone can have, Ethan. But remember—the veins of destiny run very deep. When you swing that wooden sword, you're not just cutting the air—you're tearing pieces from your future."
Ethan asked,
"What do you mean? Training is a good thing…"
Edward continued,
"It is, of course. But being strong doesn't mean gaining something. Being strong means giving something up. When you truly take that sword into your hand, life will demand a price from you. If you're ready to pay that price, then continue your training. Because on a real battlefield, every strike you deliver will take a piece of your soul."
Edward smiled again, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"Anyway… I was at work when they told me Ethan fell from a tree and broke his le—"
At that moment, a doctor opened the door.
"Mr. Edward! Mr. Einar is calling for you!"
Edward turned.
"What? What happened?"
The doctor replied,
"M-Mr. Einar just asked me to call you! He's waiting for you outside the hospital!"
Edward said,
"Ethan! You rest. Your mother will come stay with you. I'm going!"
Ethan nodded.
"Okay, Father!"
~Part 2 End..