Guilt Of The Next Leader

Lee Kang stirred, his body protesting every movement as he opened his eyes. The soft crackling of a fire was the only sound, its warmth barely chasing away the chill in the room.

Memories of the battle rushed back as he blinked at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling.

Groaning, he pushed himself up onto his elbows, scanning his surroundings. Jin Seok was kneeling beside Leader Yang, carefully adjusting his bandages. Despite the tired lines on his face,Jin Seok's hands were steady, his focus unwavering,he did not even see Lee Kang waking up.

Lee Kang's gaze moved to the others. San Woo was propped against the wall, his left arm tightly bandaged, though his face was pale and alive but he was out cold. Nearby, So Hyeon lay close to the fire, her chest rising and falling in shallow but steady breaths.

In the corner, Min Joon was sprawled on a pile of straw mats, snoring softly. The sight brought a faint, bittersweet smile to Lee Kang's face. At least someone was getting some rest.

His eyes landed on a figure bound with ropes and gagged. A girl with fiery red hair and piercing red eyes. She was awake, her gaze darting around the room, sharp and curious despite her situation. When their eyes met, she tilted her head slightly, as if studying him.

"You're awake," came Jin Seok's quiet voice.

Lee Kang turned, meeting the boy's tired smile.

"How long... have I been out?" he asked, his voice rough.

"For one day," Jin Seok replied. "San Woo gave us instructions before he passed out. I've been trying to follow them, but... I don't know if I'm doing it right."

Lee Kang softened. "You've done well, Jin Seok. Better than most adults would in your place."

Jin Seok shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "I don't know. Leader Yang hasn't woken up yet, and So Hyeon... she hasn't moved since we brought her here. I don't know what else to do."

Lee Kang forced himself to his feet, biting back a wince. Placing a hand on Jin Seok's shoulder, he said, "You've done enough. Let me take over from here."

Jin Seok hesitated, glancing at Leader Yang. "But—"

"Rest," Lee Kang said firmly. "You're no use to anyone if you collapse. Go sit by the fire and get some sleep."

Reluctantly, Jin Seok moved to join Min Joon by the fire. He sank down onto the straw mats, exhaustion pulling at his eyelids.

Before fully lying down, Jin Seok murmured, "She... she was with us when we were kidnapped. I think she's just like us." His voice faltered, and a faint blush crept onto his cheeks.

Lee Kang smirked at the unexpected response. "That so?" he muttered, the corners of his lips twitching upward.

His gaze shifted back to the bound girl. Just like us, huh? he thought, his smirk fading as the weight of their situation returned.

With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. "Guess I'll figure it out later," he muttered.

Lee Kang straightened, stretching his sore muscles.

Lee Kang watched Jin Seok drift off to sleep, the boy's head resting against the wall. He lingered for a moment, making sure the younger one wouldn't stir, before picking up his sword and quietly heading for the door.

The chill of the night air hit him like a wall as he stepped outside. The faint orange glow of the fire inside the house barely lit the path ahead. His boots crunched against the dirt road as he approached the cart they had left yesterday.

The sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. Birds with sharp beaks and unfeeling eyes pecked hungrily at the bodies of his fallen comrades, their once-proud uniforms now bloodied and torn. A wave of nausea rose in Lee Kang's throat as the metallic tang of blood and the sickly-sweet stench of decay filled his senses.

"Vultures," he muttered bitterly, unsheathing his sword. With a swift motion, he slashed through the air, scattering the flock. Their wings flapped noisily as they took to the sky, leaving behind only the desecrated corpses.

Lee Kang dropped to one knee, his hand brushing against the lifeless shoulder of a fellow brother of his. His face twisted in grief as he carefully lifted the body and placed it onto the cart. One by one, he moved the another, his hands trembling with each touch.

When the cart was ready, he took the reins and led the horses back to the house. Their hooves clattered against the stone path, echoing through the stillness of the night. His jaw was set, his eyes cold, but the sadness that weighed on his heart was unmistakable.

He stopped the cart near the house, tying the reins to a post. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the lifeless figures one last time before turning away. His shoulders sagged under the weight of it all.

This time Lee Kang climbed onto the roof of the house, his boots finding precarious footing on the uneven shingles. From there, he scanned the village, its once-lively streets now a graveyard.

As he ran across rooftops, his face hardened further with every step. The village was unrecognizable, a ruined canvas painted with blood and ash. Broken carts and shattered pottery littered the ground. Doors hung limply on their hinges, some torn completely off.

The smell was the worst of it. The air reeked of charred wood and rotting flesh, a grotesque mixture that clung to his nostrils. He passed bodies crumpled in unnatural positions, their faces frozen in terror.

He finally stopped at a small pile of sticks and broken beams, likely the remnants of someone's home. Gathering as much wood as he could carry, he turned back toward the house. His steps slowed as he passed a familiar corner, where just two weeks ago he and his comrades had laughed and shared stories. Now, it was silent.

Lee Kang returned to the house, dropping the firewood beside the dwindling flames. He stoked the fire, watching it flicker and grow. For a moment, he let himself sit there, his eyes staring blankly at the flames.

But rest wasn't something he could afford. Rising again, he climbed to the tallest house he could find, his legs moving automatically. The roof groaned under his weight as he reached the top, sitting down with a heavy sigh.

The view was grim. The village stretched out before him, bathed in the cold light of the moon. It was a wasteland of shattered lives and broken dreams.

Lee Kang released a slow breath, his chest tight with emotion. His face, usually so composed, betrayed his pain. His hands clenched into fists as he sat there, the weight of the day pressing down on him.

"Why did it have to be like this?" he whispered to no one in particular. The night offered no answer, only the quiet rustle of the wind.

Lee Kang stood on the broken roof of a house, staring at the wreckage below. The village was eerily quiet now, but its silence was far from peaceful. It was the kind of quiet that came after violence—heavy, suffocating, and impossible to ignore. The smell of rotting flesh lingered in the air, a sickening reminder of the carnage that had unfolded.

His hands rested on the hilt of his sword, the blade buried in the wooden beam beside him. His knuckles were white, his grip trembling as his emotions boiled over.

"When did it come to this?" he muttered under his breath. His voice wavered, a mix of anger and despair. "Why did they have to die like this? How could I let this happen?"

The faces of his fallen comrades flashed in his mind—disciples he had trained with, sparred with, laughed with. Now before he came their lifeless bodies was abandoned to the crows. He had dragged their corpses to the house earlier, but the sight of their bloodied faces still haunted him.

He gritted his teeth, his frustration building. "And for what? Some lunatic's game? Some monster we weren't ready to face?" His voice rose, trembling with the weight of his guilt. "If I had been stronger, faster—if I had been better—maybe…"

The words caught in his throat. He slammed his fist against the wooden beam beside him, the dull thud echoing in the stillness.

"Maybe they wouldn't be dead."

The sound of footsteps interrupted his spiraling thoughts. Lee Kang spun around, his hand reflexively gripping his sword. He froze when he saw a familiar figure approaching—San Woo, his delicate frame swaying slightly as he balanced on the uneven roof tiles.

"San Woo?" Lee Kang's voice softened, his grip loosening.

San Woo stopped a few steps away, his usual composed demeanor tinged with visible exhaustion. His injured arm was bandaged tightly, and the faintest wince crossed his face as he moved. Despite this, he offered a calm, steady gaze, his presence grounding amidst the chaos.

"I heard you yelling," San Woo said quietly, his voice cutting through the stillness like a gentle breeze. "What are you doing up here?"

Lee Kang turned away, staring at the horizon. "Trying to figure out what the hell went wrong. Why they're dead, why we're still alive, and why I can't stop feeling like this is all my fault."

San Woo tilted his head slightly. "And have you figured anything out?"

Lee Kang let out a bitter laugh. "Not a damn thing."

San Woo stepped closer, sitting down on the edge of the roof. "Then stop trying to find answers right now. You'll only drive yourself mad."

Lee Kang sighed, shaking his head. "I was supposed to protect them, San Woo. That was my job. My responsibility. But I couldn't even handle that lunatic on my own. If So Hyeon,you and Jin Seok did not step in—and don't even get me started on him. I don't know what he's capable of, or if we can even trust him."

San Woo leaned back, supporting himself with his good arm. "Jin Seok's power is a question for another time. Right now, you need to focus on the people who are still here. So Hyeon, Leader Yang, Min Joon and that girl They're still alive because you didn't give up. That's not failure, Lee Kang."

Lee Kang shook his head. "I saw people I've known for years getting eating in front of me. I saw their faces, their blood—and I ı ı dont know and you call that not failing?"

San Woo's gaze softened, but his tone remained firm. "You did everything you could. No one else would've held their ground like you did. And if you keep punishing yourself for things you couldn't control, you'll lose what strength you have left."

Lee Kang didn't respond, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to steady his breathing.

"You think you're the only one who feels this?" San Woo continued, his voice calm but piercing. "We all lost something tonight they were not only your friends they were ours to also I lost the use of my arm, So Hyeon's unconscious, Leader Yang's barely breathing—but we're still here. We're alive. And that's thanks to you."

For a long moment, Lee Kang said nothing, his gaze fixed on the horizon as the first rays of sunlight began to break through the darkness. Finally, he let out a long, shaky breath.

"You're too good for your own good, you know that?" he muttered, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

San Woo chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

"If I wanted to support our next Sect Leader, I have to be."

Lee Kang sat down beside him, resting his head against the cool tiles. The weight on his chest didn't vanish, but it felt a little lighter now.

As the sun rose higher, painting the ruins in hues of gold and orange, the two of them sat in silence. The pain, the guilt, and the questions still lingered, but for this brief moment, they let the warmth of the morning wash over them.