The Path

As the echoes of their brief encounter reverberated in the air, the warrior stood before N, a mixture of curiosity and bemusement etched upon his face.

In a passive aggressive tone, the warrior starts the conversation saying "Boy? I am no more than a young man like yourself. Why do you address me like that? And why do you want to have a discussion with me of all people, about strength?"

N notices the slight aggression in his voice, and thinks carefully about how to word his response, "the strength you exuded, both physical and mental, captivated me."

He continues, "you appeared as a beacon of power amidst chaos. I believe you are the perfect person to talk about strength!"

Lowering his gaze to appear submissive, he tries to ease the warrior saying, "However, I apologize if my wording was faulty, please understand that despite my youthful appearance, I have traversed the corridors of time far longer than my visage suggests."

The warrior's features softened and his curiosity increased.

The warrior thought to himself, "why's he talking like that..... but I guess he's 40 or 50? I really need to think before taking a guess at someone's age. He really doesn't look that old though."

The warrior decides to confront N on his lack of action when witnessing a person in danger, "strength, eh? Tell me, why did you not help the girl when she was clearly in danger? I could tell you had been in the shadows for a while, why did you not act??"

"I've seen humanity at its worst," N confessed. "Pain, suffering, and despair have become commonplace to me. It made me believe that nothing good would come from helping others."

The warrior immediately questions him again, "So then why do you think I helped the girl?"

Without missing a beat, N proclaims, "THAT is precisely what I wish to know, you had nothing to gain from saving her. Why would you go out of your way to help her!?"

As if he has answered this question a thousand times, the warrior states with an annoyed expression, "Yeah, true. But, I consider myself strong. At least stronger than the average person and I believe the strong have a responsibility to protect the weak."

N couldn't help but show his confusion as he blurted out, "Why?"

The warrior answers after taking a deep pause, taking a deep sigh, "That is because I can empathetically place myself in the shoes of the weak. Being a prey to the strong, being their plaything for them to merely pass time or blow their frustrations."

He continues, with eyes looked lost in a labyrinth of memories, "It makes me want to go the extra mile to ensure that the weak are helped."

N's voice was filled with disbelief as he posed another question to the warrior, "You? A warrior of such strength and valor... you were weak once?"

The warrior met N's incredulous gaze with a faint smile. "Yep," he replied, his voice laced with a hint of reminiscence. "There was a time when I knew only of weakness, both physical and mental, although that was a long time ago."

"How did you transform from that state of vulnerability to the formidable warrior you are today?" N asked, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and yearning for his own transformation. His eyes staring to glimmer ever so faintly.

The warrior says, "It was difficult. I was saved from that life by my master; however, it is through my own determination that I truly managed to grow in that path."

"Is everyone capable of such change? Even me?" Asks N with eyes that somewhat exude hope.

The warrior replies, "That all depends on how seriously and how hard you are going to work on your goals."

The warrior's hand, still stained with the blood of his fallen adversaries, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a piece of paper.

With deliberate yet graceful strokes, the warrior began to write, using the macabre ink that marked his hands.

N watched in a mixture of fascination and unease as the warrior completed the gory inscription.

The drops of blood formed a chilling testimony to the fierceness of the battle that had just transpired. It was as if the very essence of the warrior's triumph had been imprinted onto the paper, a symbol of his unwavering commitment to his craft.

"Here, I've roughly made a map to the gym that I go to for training. If you are serious about getting stronger, give the place a visit." Says the warrior as he passes the piece of paper to N, and says his farewell.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the city, N emerged from the secluded alley and reentered the bustling city streets.

His lifeless eyes were now set ablaze. His steps guided by the light of a new purpose.

As N reached his usual sleeping spot, a park where most homeless people resided, in a forgotten corner of the city, he settled down, his thoughts a whirlwind of anticipation.

Throughout his long and empty existence, N had always struggled to find solace in sleep. But tonight was different, a departure from his usual restlessness.

This time, slumber eluded him not because of the usual torment of his thoughts, but because of a peculiar sensation tugging at his heart.

He considered the possibility of being sick, fearing that this unusual sensation might be the harbinger of an illness. But to his relief and confusion, there were no other symptoms in tow. No fever, no aches, and no signs of physical ailment.

It was as though this unease was rooted not in his body, but in the depths of his soul.

He pondered for a bit, until one thought left him perplexed. What if he was feeling excitement and nervousness, emotions that he had never felt before in his long life.

As N lay awake, his gaze turned upward to the night sky.

The heavens had unveiled their splendor, revealing breathtaking stars that stretched across infinitely. Each star radiated brightly, serving as a reminder that even in the darkest of nights, there was beauty to be found.

It was as if the universe itself conspired to assure him that his journey was not in vain.

In that tranquil moment, under the celestial canopy, N felt a profound sense of peace.

"Beautiful, this world truly is beautiful," mumbled N.

Tomorrow, he would take the first step on a path that could potentially help him grow. For the first time, N desperately longed for the next day to come.

As he laid there, taking in the breathtaking view in front of him, he succumbed to sleep.

When he woke up, the first rays of sunlight bathed the world in a soft, golden glow.

N stretched, feeling the awakening of muscles long forgotten. With a newfound energy, he got up and took out the piece of paper that the warrior gave him.

With a tinge of nervousness, he left the park behind and started to follow the directions on the paper.

He goes along that same unforgettable alleyway, where the thug's blood still painted the walls. Police was on the scene investigating what had transpired there.

After leaving that place, not wanting to be involved with the police, N reaches a market.

A few steps is all it takes before he is bombarded from every direction by mouthwatering aroma of food that looks out of this world.

It stalls him for a while, debating what delicacy he should try, but he remembers that he has no money. Reluctantly, on a grumbling stomach, he continues on.

He passes by many big landmarks noted in the makeshift map. From shops, some of which had hundreds of people queuing outside for, to parks, that were filled to the brim with pets, kids, and couples.

One thing N notices is that, as the distance between him and the destination reduces, the number of people he sees roaming outside also reduces.

After walking for an hour more, he finally arrives to the place that the fabled warrior uses as his gym.

The door to the gym is in a very secluded place. Shrouded in darkness, and covered in overgrown vines and weed.

The door looks very old, as if it would break with just a bit of force. And there were no people in sight.

The first thing N thought was, "For a warrior of his caliber, this place is definitely a disservice."

But another thought crossed his mind soon after, "What if the warrior lied to me?"

Anxiously, N decides to put his worries aside, and trust in the warrior. He goes to open the door.

Despite looking like it could fall any minute, it was quite difficult for N to push open the door to the gym.

Mustering up all his strength, he is barely able to create a gap wide enough to fit his body through.

After going in through the gap, he tries to close the gate but has no energy left to do so.

In the end, he decides it would be best to ask someone else in the gym to close the door.

But finding someone might not be a easy thing to do. The last time he saw another person was around 15 minutes ago. And after entering, he can clearly see the amount of dust that is everywhere in the gym.

He walks a bit deeper into the gym, and finds another door. This one clearly in good condition, and not fully closed, with light and faint voices passing through.

He knocks, but no one answers. He waits about five minutes, before gathering enough courage to enter.

Immediately, he is blown away by a loud "RAH!" sound that collectively around 100 kids made.

The warrior is sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by all the kids, all doing a punch routine in unison.

It does not take long for the warrior to notice N standing at the door, to which he immediately shouts, "You're here my friend!"

Everyone stops what they're doing and looks at N, a stranger to them, in their gym.

The warrior quickly notices the growing tension form both sides and says, "Go on, continue with your drills. I'll be stepping outside for a bit."

The warrior goes and takes N out the door, partially closing it on his way out.

With a smile the warrior asks, "Good to see you, are you here to get stronger?"