Chapter 31: Fragments Of Jin's past Emerages (31)
The first light of dawn painted the sky a muted gray, casting long shadows over the quiet village. Jin and his companions gathered outside the inn, their expressions solemn and alert. The atmosphere of Sai Village still weighed on them, an almost oppressive feeling that made the air feel thicker than it should have been.
As they prepared to set off, Brom approached, securing his spot at the reins of the caravan, his face as stoic as ever. He climbed up with practiced ease, gesturing for the rest of them to board. Luna shot Jin a sideways look, her usual smirk firmly in place.
"So, leader," she said, teasing him with the title, "any predictions on where our ghostly friend from last night might be lurking?"
"Hopefully far behind us," Jin muttered, casting a final glance back toward the village. "I can't say I'll miss the place."
Kade chuckled, adjusting his bag. "You mean you won't miss that welcome committee?" he asked, grinning. "It's not every day we get threatened by an old man with a hoe." Kael shrugged, scanning the road ahead. "Honestly, I'd take him over half the things we've faced lately."
Brom, overhearing everything, gave a wry smile as he adjusted his grip on the reins. "This region has always had its fair share of mysteries," he said. "Folks here are steeped in old tales. Whatever that old man thought he saw, it probably was just some hallucination."
Brom urged the horses forward, his gaze fixed ahead as they pulled out of Sai Village. Brom and everyone was already ready to leave the village's strange atmosphere behind.
As they continued west, Jin couldn't shake the lingering sense of unease, as if something was following them, watching from the shadows. Brom's presence at the helm reassured him, though. The older warrior had an instinct for survival, and Jin trusted that if there were any danger nearby, Brom would be the first to sense it.
Over two months had passed since Jin and his companions had left Sai Village behind, heading steadily west. The journey had stretched across vast, changing landscapes: dense forests that seemed to hum with unseen creatures, barren plains that left them exposed, and finally into rough mountain trails as they approached the distant territories. Every day held its own challenge, yet Jin had taken to keeping a diary, a quiet ritual each night to chronicle their path and the trials they had faced.
The diary told the tale of endless days on the road and the encounters that marked their way—run-ins with rogue mercenaries looking to test their skills, skirmishes with strange creatures that prowled the edges of civilization, and occasional fleeting glimpses of other travelers who crossed their path only to vanish by the next dawn.
It detailed the ways they trained at night to keep their edge, often in silence, each of them honing skills that had seen rapid improvement over their journey.
In these entries, Jin often mentioned the surprising bond that had developed between him and Luna.
Since that night in the Lone Lantern, they had grown closer, sharing late-night conversations when the others were asleep, Luna's playful teasing easing the weight that had been pressing on Jin's mind since they'd first left. Her presence had become a constant comfort, grounding him even during the most grueling stretches.
At times, she'd reach over to nudge him or toss a casual arm around his shoulder, their banter slipping into something almost unspoken.
Away from villages, towns, or any sight of life. The others were asleep, a flickering firelight cast dancing shadows across Luna's face as she leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What do you think about every night, anyway, Jin? Something has been... constantly at your mind, and I want to know."
Jin hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he was ready to open up. His past had always been a heavy burden, something he kept buried deep. Yet the warmth of the fire, the silence of the night, and the weight of Luna's gaze slowly broke down his walls. With a sigh, he set his diary aside and looked into the fire, as though the flickering flames could hold the words he'd kept hidden for so long.
"It's... about my past," Jin began, his voice low, almost reluctant. "I've never really talked about it before, but I guess if we're being honest with each other, maybe it's time."
Luna remained silent, her gaze softening as she settled back against the log, waiting for him to continue.
"My earliest memories are from when I was about six," Jin continued, his voice distant as if he was pulling those memories from somewhere deep. "I don't remember much before then... just flashes, maybe—my parents, or what I think were my parents. But when I was six, that's when everything really started to change."
Jin's hand clenched into a fist at his side, his knuckles white against his dark tunic. "I was living on the streets, alone. I didn't have much, just scraps of food and the clothes on my back. And then... I met Roshio."
Luna's expression softened. She knew very little about his past but she did know about Roshio to an extent due to small information he gave, but this was a side of him she hadn't fully known.
"Roshio was... different. I don't know what drew him to me. Maybe he saw something in me, or maybe he was just a man who couldn't leave a child to die on the streets. He took me in, taught me how to survive, how to fight. But more than that, he showed me what it meant to live with honor, with purpose."
Jin paused, his eyes darkening. "I trained under him for years. Every day, every night, I pushed myself. I wanted to be strong, not just for me, but because I owed him everything. He gave me a reason to keep going."
Luna could see the pain flicker across his face as he spoke, but she remained silent, letting him carry on.
"And then... two years ago, maybe three... it all came crashing down. We were tracking a group of people, mercenaries, criminals. I don't know who they were or what they wanted, but I know Roshio thought they were a threat to something bigger. Something dangerous." Jin's voice faltered for a moment, and he took a breath, shaking his head as though to shake off the memory. "We fought them, but they were too much. Outnumbered. Outmatched. And Roshio... he... he told me to run. He gave me my weapon and said to run... I-I didn't want to, my body didn't want to. However, I knew for the sake of my master I had to run. To get out of there no matter how far I had to run."
Jin's jaw tightened, his eyes burning with barely-contained fury. "He saved me. With his life. The last thing... I can do for him is find the bastards who caused it... and kill every single one of them with the blade he gave me."
Luna sat still, her heart aching for him. She didn't need to ask how that had affected him. The rawness in his eyes told her everything.
"He told me to get out. To live. To keep fighting, no matter what. But... I couldn't just let it go. I couldn't let them walk away after taking everything from me. And I still don't know who they were, or who was behind it. I've been chasing shadows ever since."
Jin's eyes met Luna's, the intensity of his pain and resolve clear in his gaze. "I want revenge. I have to find the ones who did this. But every lead I've followed so far... every name... nothing has come up clean. It's like they vanished into thin air."
Luna reached out before putting her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I believe you'll find everything... when it's needed. Don't think you're alone though please... okay? We're all here for you."
Jin tensed up for a moment but soon started to breathe and exhaled slowly. As Luna's arms enveloped him, he allowed himself to relax, the tension in his body slowly melting away.
He rested his head against her shoulder, the firelight casting long shadows on their forms. Her words, simple yet genuine, echoed in his mind. We're all here for you. It was hard for him to believe at times, especially when the rage and pain inside him consumed so much of his thoughts, the intense training he had forced his party to go through.
But Luna's embrace felt real, her warmth undeniable, and he knew deep down that his team. Kael, Riven, and Kade would always be there as they've been there for over a year through everything.
For a long while, they sat there in silence, the crackling fire the only sound breaking the quiet of the night.
Finally, he pulled away slightly, enough to look into her eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly. His voice had softened, the edge of anger replaced with something more fragile. "I don't know what's worse—fighting for revenge, or the emptiness that comes after..."
Luna smiled faintly, her fingers brushing his arm gently. "Revenge won't fix what was lost, Jin. It won't fill the hole left behind. But it'll give you something to fight for. And maybe... in time, you'll find peace. But you don't have to figure it out alone. It might not be worth going out for revenge, or maybe it will be worth it... just know you have all of us to count on, even if its slightly."
The fire crackled and popped between them, its light casting a glow on the world outside their small camp. The others were still asleep, but for Jin and Luna, the night held a quietness to it that felt amazing to him.
After a while of slow breathing, Jin had decided to take the time to train, to clear his mind. He left the campfire to a small boulder and got on top of it before he started to meditate wanting a clear mind before he began physical training.