Chapter-27: Shadows That Never Die
The flames had long faded, but the scent of burning flesh still lingered in Kim Han's mind. His family, his home—everything had been taken from him. The crimson glow of Daichi Sato's eyes haunted him even in the darkness, a reminder that true nightmares did not end when one awoke.
Han stood on the cold stone floor of Daichi's fortress, his wrists bound in rusted iron chains. The scars across his back were fresh, carved into him by the cruel hands of Ryuu Takeda, Daichi's most loyal hound. The years of torture and training had transformed him, but no amount of suffering could erase the memories of that night—the night Daichi bathed in the blood of his family and left Han alive to suffer.
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The Illusion of Death
"Do you understand now, Han?" Daichi's voice was eerily calm as he sat before the boy, sipping tea as if he were speaking to a mere guest and not a prisoner. "Death is not something you give freely. It is a weapon. A tool."
Han gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palm. "Why didn't you just kill me?"
Daichi's red eyes flickered with amusement. "Because killing you would have been a mercy. I wanted you to become something far worse—a man with nothing left but the will to fight."
At that moment, Ryuu stepped forward, his sword gleaming under the dim candlelight. "He still doesn't understand, Lord Sato," Ryuu said, his voice sharp. "He thinks we are like any other men. That we die so easily."
Daichi smirked. "Then let's teach him otherwise."
Ryuu raised his sword, and before Han could react, he plunged the blade straight into Daichi's chest.
Han's breath caught in his throat as he watched in shock. The blade sank deep, piercing Daichi's heart—or so it seemed. Blood pooled beneath the white coat, and Daichi's body trembled. But then... he laughed.
Slowly, Ryuu pulled the sword out, and before Han's very eyes, Daichi stood up, wiping the blood from his coat as if it were mere dust. The wound that should have been fatal was gone, nothing more than a shallow scratch.
Han's eyes widened. "That's... impossible."
"To the weak, maybe," Daichi said, his voice laced with amusement. "But to those who have walked the path of true power, death is nothing but an illusion."
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A Game of Life and Death
"Men like us don't die so easily," Ryuu added, his smirk mirroring Daichi's. "You see, Han, people like you fight with the belief that life and death are absolute. But in this world, only power decides who lives and who perishes."
Daichi stepped closer to Han, crouching so that their eyes met. "You will come to understand this soon. One day, you will think you have killed me. You will believe that you have avenged your family. But mark my words, boy—death does not come for those who are not ready to embrace it."
Han's breath was ragged as Daichi leaned even closer, whispering into his ear.
"Even when you think I'm gone... I'll still be watching."
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The Truth Behind Their Survival
That night, as Han lay in his cell, his mind raced. How had Daichi survived that wound? Was he human at all? And Ryuu... he seemed to know something Han did not.
But then, he remembered something Daichi had said—death is a tool.
What if Daichi never intended to die easily? What if he had spent years mastering a way to survive even fatal wounds? A secret technique, a hidden art—something only he and Ryuu knew?
Han clenched his fists. "No... they were never truly dead."
The realization sent a shiver down his spine.
Years later, when Han finally stood over Daichi's lifeless body in the future, he would remember this moment. The illusion of death. The power Daichi wielded.
And for the first time, he would wonder—was Daichi Sato truly dead? Or had he simply allowed himself to fall... just to rise again in another way?
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