The evening light was beginning to fade. Before disappearing beyond the western horizon, the sun cast its final golden glow across the land. Leaves swayed gently in the breeze, and carried on that wind was the faint scent of tobacco.
Lior sat on a wooden bench, a lit cigarette between his fingers. Behind him stood Rion.
After a long silence, Lior finally asked,
"Why do you really want to become a Magic Knight, Rion?"
Rion fell silent for a moment. Then he answered in a firm voice,
"Because I want to surpass Allen. I want to become better than him."
Lior slowly took another drag from his cigarette. Exhaling smoke toward the sky, he said,
"That's a lie."
Rion frowned.
Lior continued,
"Allen only pulled that far ahead of you two years ago. But you've been training to become a Magic Knight long before that."
He paused briefly.
"Ever since that Admin attacked the village, you've become almost obsessed with it."
Fragments of the past surfaced in Rion's mind, and he felt a trace of frustration toward himself.
In a calm voice, Lior continued,
"I know the Magic Knight Commander saved your life that day. And that's only half of your reason. The rest is something else. If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."
Rion remained silent for a while.
Then he slowly lowered his head and said,
"So... you noticed everything."
A long sigh escaped his chest.
"Fine. I won't hide it anymore."
His gaze drifted into the distance.
And the doors of memory opened to a day twelve years ago.
---
Twelve Years Earlier
A field on the edge of the village.
It was late afternoon.
Children of Rion's age were running, laughing, and playing together. Their cheerful voices floated through the air, making the atmosphere even brighter.
But far away from that joyful crowd, at the edge of the field, sat a young Rion alone.
He was not like the others.
Ever since childhood, he had been extremely introverted. Speaking to unfamiliar people was difficult for him. Even expressing his own feelings never came easily.
And yet...
He wanted to play too.
He wanted friends too.
That day, gathering all the courage he could muster, he stood up.
Slowly approaching the other children, he asked,
"Can I play with you?"
The children looked at one another.
"No."
Just a single word.
But that one word pierced young Rion's heart like a knife.
Quietly, he returned to his spot and sat down.
His eyes began to fill with tears.
A few moments later, he could no longer hold them back.
He cried silently by himself.
Then a shadow stopped in front of him.
Rion looked up.
A girl his age stood there.
Bright eyes.
A sweet smile.
"Why are you crying?"
she asked.
Rion said nothing.
"My name is Lia. What's yours?"
Still, no answer came.
Yet Lia didn't get annoyed.
Instead, she left.
The next day, she came back.
She tried talking to Rion again, but it didn't work.
Then she came again the day after that.
And the day after.
Days passed like that.
Rion would sit at the edge of the field watching the others play, while Lia came and talked to him.
At first, she was the only one who spoke.
Later, Rion started giving short replies.
And then, little by little...
A friendship was born.
The other boys and girls gradually began befriending Rion as well.
Within a year, Lia and Rion had become each other's closest friend.
For the first time in his life, Rion had found someone in front of whom he didn't need to hide who he was.
---
It was Lia's birthday.
Excited and happy, she had invited several friends for dinner.
Rion was among them.
Since Rion was still young, Lior decided to personally take him home afterward.
But when the two of them reached Lia's house, everything changed.
Even from a distance, they could tell something terrible was happening.
Ruins surrounded the area.
Wounded soldiers lay scattered across the ground.
The smell of blood hung heavily in the air.
And at the center of it all, a horrifying battle was taking place.
One combatant wore a strange mask resembling a joker's face.
The other was the Magic Knight Commander.
Every clash between them shook the air itself.
It felt as though the end of the world had suddenly arrived.
Then Rion's eyes drifted elsewhere.
And the sight froze his heart.
Lia's house was burning.
Towering flames painted the night in shades of crimson.
He immediately broke into a frantic run toward the blazing house.
At that very moment, the masked man unleashed a devastating attack.
The destructive force shot straight toward the Magic Knight Commander.
The Commander dodged it effortlessly.
But in the next instant, his eyes widened.
The attack was now racing—
toward Rion.
He didn't hesitate for even a second.
Moving with lightning speed, he rushed forward and shoved Rion out of the way.
A violent explosion shook the ground.
Rion survived.
But during that brief opportunity, the masked Admin escaped.
When everything finally settled, Rion stood motionless.
Before him burned Lia's home.
No voices came from within the flames.
No cries for help.
No answers.
Slowly, the terrible truth became clear.
Lia was gone.
Her family was gone.
His closest friend...
was gone.
Tears streamed endlessly down his face.
He cried out in anguish.
Under the light of that fire, with tear-filled eyes, young Rion made a vow to himself.
One day, he would become strong.
One day, he would find those Admins.
And one day, he would take his revenge.
That was why he wanted to become the Magic Knight Commander.
---
Present Day
Rion returned from his memories.
Silence lingered between them.
Slowly releasing a cloud of smoke into the sky, Lior said,
"You made a good decision. If I were in your place, I might have done the same."
Looking upward, he added softly,
"Time is the greatest teacher in the world. What time teaches you, no one else can even come close to teaching."
The words made something stir deep inside Rion.
A strange feeling.
It felt as though he had heard those words somewhere before.
Long ago.
But no matter how hard he tried to remember, nothing came to mind.
Suddenly, Lior said,
"A letter arrived from Allen."
Rion looked at him.
"Apparently, he's become a Captain now."
A faint sting spread through Rion's chest.
Allen had once again moved another step ahead.
Lior smiled.
"I know you'll succeed too."
Then he stood up and walked away.
Rion said nothing.
But deep inside, he whispered,
You've gotten far ahead, Allen.
But in the end, I'll be the one who wins.
---
The day of departure arrived at dawn.
The sky had not yet fully brightened.
A thin veil of mist drifted across the land.
Rion hoisted his bag onto his shoulder.
Before setting off along the village road, he never once looked back.
His parents stood behind him.
Their eyes were filled with pride, worry, and love.
And so Rion began his journey.
Ahead of him awaited the capital.
An unknown future.
A new life.
Either success or failure.
And the very first step toward fulfilling the vow he had made on that night of fire many years ago.
Slowly, he walked forward.
Without looking back even once.