As Ryojin raised his hand to knock on the door of the main house, a sudden voice called out from behind him, loud enough to startle him.
"Oh, Rio—you're back."
He turned around slowly, trying to steady his heartbeat. It was Mister Kenny, holding an axe loosely in his right hand. His face was calm, as usual, but something about his gaze felt… heavier.
"Were you able to find him?" the man asked.
"Who?" Ryojin replied cautiously.
"The friend you said you were looking for."
Ryojin hesitated for a moment, his throat dry. He swallowed and shook his head.
"No… no, sir. I wasn't."
Mister Kenny's eyes lingered on Ryojin's face, quietly studying him. Ryojin felt a strange pressure under that stare, like he was being weighed, judged.
"I see. That's a shame," Mister Kenny finally said. "Come with me."
Ryojin hesitated again. He didn't want to follow. Still, he replied, "Okay," and began walking behind him.
They walked in silence, Mister Kenny led him toward a small wooden hut within the orphanage grounds.
"We're here," Mister Kenny said as he opened the creaky door.
He turned to Ryojin with a tired smile. "Can you help me move some of the firewood?"
Ryojin nodded and stepped inside. The hut was dim and dusty, filled with tools hanging neatly on the walls. Ryojin found the firewood stacked neatly in a corner, lifted several logs into his arms, and carried them outside.
"Here you go, sir," he said as he set them down.
"You're pretty strong," Mister Kenny noted with a light chuckle.
He took one of the logs and placed it upright, then raised the axe and brought it down with a firm swing.
"Let me try," Ryojin offered quietly.
Mister Kenny paused, then handed the axe over. "Ah, alright. If you insist."
Ryojin took it and began chopping the firewood with steady, powerful swings. It felt familiar. Almost too natural. His strength had grown—more than he realized.
Mister Kenny stood nearby, watching closely.
"You're strong, Rio," he said. "Stronger than most your age. Almost… too strong."
Ryojin didn't answer at first. Then, as he raised the axe again, he muttered, "I have a pact with a rhino spirit."
"A rhino spirit?" Mister Kenny repeated, sounding surprised.
"Yes."
There was a brief silence as Ryojin continued chopping. The rhythm of wood splitting filled the air until Mister Kenny's next question broke the quiet.
"Rio… what do you think of the Abyssal Clans?"
Ryojin froze for half a second, the axe still in his grip. A cold shiver ran down his spine. His breathing caught. His mind raced.
"Did he find out? But how?
Did he see the armor? Damn it… why didn't I get rid of it?"
Mister Kenny's voice came again. "Rio. Did you hear me?"
Ryojin cleared his throat. "Yes… sir."
"So… what's your opinion of them?"
"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.
"Do you think their actions were truly meant to save humanity?"
Ryojin's fingers tightened around the axe handle. His jaw clenched.
"I think… maybe they wanted to help. But they went about it the wrong way."
"Wrong way?"
"Yes. Sacrificing others for power… That's not right."
Mister Kenny was quiet for a moment, then replied, "But maybe they had no choice. To fight demons, cruel gods, and pact bearers drunk on power… perhaps it was the only way."
Ryojin didn't respond. The words left him uneasy. He hadn't expected that from Mister Kenny. It sounded like support. Maybe even admiration.
"…Never mind," Mister Kenny said, his voice lower now. "Continue chopping."
Ryojin resumed his task silently. The axe rose and fell, but his thoughts were scattered.
After a while, Mister Kenny spoke again. "Looks like you've got this covered. I'll head inside. Once you're done, put the wood back in the hut and come in to eat."
"Okay, sir," Ryojin replied, still avoiding eye contact.
Mister Kenny walked away, leaving Ryojin alone with the sound of his own breathing.
"That was… strange," Ryojin muttered to himself. "His words… they didn't feel right."
He finished chopping the wood and stacked it back in the hut. His body felt light, the work too easy.
"My strength… it really has changed," he whispered.
As he approached the main house, he noticed the quiet. The children's chatter had faded. He knocked softly on the door. It creaked open, and Kina stood there.
"Rio. What were you doing all that time?"
"Helping Mister Kenny chop firewood," he answered.
"Come on in," she said, stepping aside.
He entered the living room. Only Kina and the boy in the wheelchair were there.
"All the kids asleep?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said, pointing to a covered bowl on the table. "That's your food. I'm going to bed. Good night."
"Good night," both Ryojin and the boy replied.
The boy grinned at Ryojin. "Jinx!"
"What?" Ryojin looked puzzled as he sat down.
"You don't know this game?"
"No…"
"Seriously?"
"No," Ryojin repeated.
"It's a game where if two people say the same word at the same time, one can freeze the other by saying 'jinx'!"
"And that… freeze command? You just say 'jinx' and it works?" Ryojin asked.
"Yeah, now you're getting it."
"How do you break it?"
"Someone has to say the frozen person's name."
"Weird game," Ryojin said with a faint smirk.
"It's fun," the boy said. "What kind of games did you play when you were little?"
Ryojin looked down at the bowl of rice. His smile faded.
"I didn't… play much."
"Really? No friends?"
"I had two close friends," he said, his voice quieter. "They meant a lot to me."
"Had? Where are they now?"
"One… we're not on good terms," Ryojin admitted. "And the other… I don't know where he is."
"Not on good terms?" the boy asked gently.
"We argued," Ryojin replied, picking up the bowl. "And no, I never tried to fix it."
"You should," the boy said softly. "And the other one—are you looking for him here?"
"Yes."
Ryojin paused, his thoughts drifting. "Where is Sheng? Did something happen? Is he even alive? Or did the gods…"
The boy interrupted his thoughts. "It must be hard. Not knowing."
Ryojin nodded slowly. "Yeah… I hope I find him soon."
He looked at the boy, something soft in his gaze. "I never got your name."
The boy chuckled. "It's Kraven."
"Well then… good night, Kraven," Ryojin said as he stood.
"Same to you."