Kai's vision slowly adjusted as he awoke in a modest wooden house. The bed beneath him was far from the luxury of his hometown, but it was warm and comforting. Sunlight crept in through the cracks in the wooden shutters, and the scent of herbs lingered in the air.
His peace was short-lived.
Kai sat upright, his body aching, memories flooding back. "Where is he?! Where's Shinji?!" he shouted, the sting of battle still fresh in his mind.
An elderly woman with a hunched back and kind eyes entered the room, her hands raised in a calming gesture. "Please, child. Calm yourself. Shinji isn't a bad kid. You've misunderstood."
Kai's fists trembled. "Misunderstood?! He attacked me!"
The old lady, whom Kai later learned was the village chief—Old Lady Tamato—nodded solemnly. "He thought you were one of the bandits. We've been under siege from them for months. Ever since the outlaw town grew nearby, we've had no peace. Shinji has taken it upon himself to protect us."
Kai's anger dulled into skepticism. "Why would a kid call himself a protector?"
Old Lady Tamato sighed, her eyes distant with memories. "Because he has no one else. His father—his only family—passed away two years ago. Shinji was just thirteen."
Kai's expression softened. "How did it happen? What does it have to do with all this?"
She sat on a stool beside him. "Shinji's family… they were full of light and laughter once. His father, Loko, came from a long line of genius mechanics—one of the finest minds in the kingdom of Vandorra. But when he refused to work for a man named Argeus, everything fell apart."
"Argeus?" Kai's eyes narrowed. "Who is that?"
"Argeus is the richest man in Vandorra. Owns the Divitae Casino—the largest casino in the kingdom. Loko rejected his offer to work for him. Argeus, with his pride wounded, didn't lift a finger directly. No. He manipulated everything. Slowly. Quietly. Loko's reputation was shredded, his wife left him… and in the end, he was framed for a debt he never owed. They claimed he betrayed the country. He was executed."
Kai sat in silence, absorbing every word.
"After that," Tamato continued, her voice cracking, "we villagers did our best to raise Shinji. But he… he never let go of what happened. He felt he owed us everything. So he fights. Protects us."
Before more could be said, the door flew open with a loud crash. A man, face drenched in sweat and panic, burst into the room.
"They took him!" he cried. "A group from Divitae Casino. Said they had orders. They abducted Shinji!"
"What?!" Kai stood up, ignoring the pain shooting through his legs.
"He tried to protect us… even when they beat him. We couldn't do anything. We were helpless."
Tamato's expression twisted with fear and regret. Her hands shook.
Kai clenched his fists. "You helped me. You gave me a second chance. I've run from too much… but not this time."
He looked at the villagers, fire in his eyes. "Kai will bring back our boy home."
End of Chapter 5