"Red, you are the hope of our family and our world." A woman, seemingly in her thirties, said firmly with an urgency in her tone. She did not look up as she set down her calligraphy brush, the final stroke still glistening in wet ink.
The girl, supposedly Red, stood across the room straightly, her fingers tightened around the sword hanging on her hip side.
The temperature in the ever quiet room with walls lined with scrolls marked with bold strokes of wisdom passed down after generations.
The smell from the incense burning by the side of the table hit every nerve of Red.
Her jaw tightened thinking about the task she had been entrusted with. A burden heavier than ever yet it felt right. She was born for this. Trained for this. And, finally, the moment was there calling her.
"Roger." She saluted in acknowledgement, her posture straight and unshakable—stronger than ever, as if the weight of her duty only steeled her resolve.
"Remember this—there is only one acceptable outcome: success. Failure is not an option. Everyone has placed their hopes on you. Etch the pain of our people into your very veins, carry their dreams on your back, and reclaim the justice owed to those who walked this path before you." The woman walked towards Red. Her every step screaming elegance and power. The woman's hand reached out to touch the cheeks of Red, a gentle pat on her face.
Red flinched, instinctively stepped back, turning her face away from the touch.
"I.. I apologize. I was not ready for this." Red bowed. Her voice wavering, eyes fixed on the floor.
The woman withdrew her hands. Disappoint stirred into her, a sharp ache in her heart yet she buried it again, beneath many layers. She was calm and composed as ever.
"Be safe. You must always protect yourself first." The woman said helplessly. A rare softness in her tone.
Their duties may have pulled them apart, but after all, she is still her daughter. Her own flesh and blood.
Red did not lift her head, afraid that if their eyes met, she might shatter. Her composure built up all these years will break.
The oath echoed in her mind continuously.
'No emotions. No ties of blood. Only duty and a life for the world.'
"Noted." Red replied. Her tone firm, afraid that the former will notice the crack in her steel composure.
The woman nodded in affirmation. She shifted her gaze towards the man waiting silently in the doorway.
"You may escort her now." She said.
Red stoop up, turned around without glancing at her own mother and quietly followed the man into the black military vehicle.
The woman stood rooted in place, her gaze fixed on the vehicle as it vanished into the mist like a fading memory.A single tear slipped down her cheek—silent, swift, and unseen—before she quickly wiped it away.
Inside the vehicle, Red turned to take a last look of the familiar yet unfamiliar place. Her eyes paused at the woman standing by the balcony, wiping away her tears.
An unfamiliar feeling surged within her heart. In their world, there was only one bond that everyone is a soldier for the country. In their world, there was only one bond that mattered: the unwavering loyalty of a soldier to their country.
Red sat upright, spine straight. She pushed away all the lingering emotions, adjusted her breath and focused her mind on the sole purpose of her life.
The vehicle came to a slow halt in front of a massive, imposing structure. There were no windows, no ventilation units—just blank concrete walls that seemed to swallow light and sound.
Without hesitation, Red stepped out.
As she walked towards the entrance, two figures emerged from the crack door, one holding a blindfold.
Red allowed them to tie the fold around her eyes, and allowed them to lead her inside.
In the endless, dark corridor—chilled to the bone and echoing with silence—Red repeated the oath in her mind like a mantra. Over and over.
She had drilled it into herself countless times.No fear.No pain.Only the mission.
The blindfold rendered her world sightless, but her mind stayed sharp. Every step deeper into the unknown only solidified her resolve.
Suddenly, her guides halted.
Without a word, they shoved her forward.
She stumbled into what felt like a confined space—tight, cold, metal walls pressing in on every side. A box? A chamber? She couldn't tell.
Then the scent hit her—metallic and bitter, thick with chemicals and something else… something unnatural. The air was icy and sterile, yet the smell clawed its way down her throat, making it hard to breathe.
And then—pain.
A sharp, unbearable surge tore through her limbs like lightning cracking across every nerve. It was as if her soul was being pulled apart, stretched and twisted out of her body. Her knees buckled, her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt, but she refused to cry out.
She had trained for this. She had trained to endure.
But the agony grew. Deeper. Hungrier.
Her body screamed before she did.
A strangled cry escaped her lips, involuntary, as her back arched and her fists pounded against the sides of the box. Her vision blurred behind shut eyelids, her head spinning as if gravity itself had turned traitor.
Then it happened.
She felt herself moving—not by steps or touch, but as though reality was shifting around her. Her body became weightless and heavy all at once. She didn't know whether she was falling or being flung across time and space.
And amidst it all, she screamed.
Raw. Human. Vulnerable.
Until—
Her eyes wide open.
What came into her sight was a chandelier hanging against a icy white wall.
Her body shot upright. Scanned her surrounding. Unfamiliar.
The pain was gone but her head was heavy.
It has been a year yet the pain still lingers. Like a nightmare.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. Her steps were quiet, practiced—each movement controlled. But as she reached for her scarf on the chair, a sharp sting flared up in her arm.
She winced.
Her hand instinctively shot to the bandaged wound. The pain wasn't unbearable, but it was enough to remind her—this body, Lina's body.
She was not Red anymore.
She steadied her breath, then moved quickly.
Her eyes swept the room once more.
She turned toward the balcony. The glass door slid open with a soft click. With a single breath, she climbed onto the railing, crouched, and then— Leapt.
Her figure blurred as she disappeared into the bamboo forest like a ghost in the wind.
No alarms.No second glance.
Only the silence left behind.