The Path Of A True King.

Chapter 7

On Sunday

At the base—a small building they had bought—Kai was cleaning the floor, scrubbing away the blood.

He sighed, reflecting on why he hadn't held back his punches when sparring with Elijah. It was starting to bother him.

As he worked, he heard the door creak open in the next room.

"Who is it?" Kai called out.

"It's me, Lucas," replied a voice.

Lucas entered, a boy slightly taller than Kai, with blonde hair and sharp blue eyes.

His broad, muscular frame stretched his clothes to the brink, making him appear much older than his 16 years.

His bored expression hinted at an indifference to most things. Lucas placed a covered window panel he had been carrying onto the floor.

"Is this place even worth it? And where's the leader of our little group?" Lucas asked.

Beside him stood a gentle-looking girl, Mai.

She had striking purple hair and matching eyes, her beauty accentuated by an hourglass figure. She said softly,

"And here I was, wearing my special dress for him." Mai, at 15, was the same age as Elijah.

Kai glanced at her and said, "Mai, we go to the same school. I'm pretty sure you've met him."

Lucas added, "Yeah, I've met him already. How have you not?"

Mai tilted her head slightly, her expression puzzled. "You know, I'm not sure. I've tried looking for every boy in our grade, but none of them matched the image I had in my head."

Lucas chuckled, and Kai sighed. "You know the boy I always spend time with," Kai said.

Mai shook her head, but then her expression darkened as realization dawned. "No way. You can't mean him. You're not talking about your skinny childhood friend, are you?"

Lucas burst into laughter. "Your reaction is priceless. But yes, that skinny boy happens to be our all-powerful leader."

Mai's jaw dropped. She turned to Kai. "Are you crazy, Kai? There's no way that skinny boy can last a single punch. Are you trying to get him killed in tomorrow's fight?"

Lucas was thoroughly enjoying the moment, laughing harder as he slouched into a chair. Kai sighed again and said, "I get where you're coming from. Honestly, I'm starting to have second thoughts myself."

Lucas smirked. "I told you he wasn't fit to be a leader. Just make me the leader instead."

Mai rolled her eyes. "If you become the leader, we'll be dead in a matter of minutes."

Lucas glared at her, but Kai intervened. "No, he's fit to be the leader. Let's see what he'll do. We all have to start somewhere, and for him, this is just the beginning. It's okay."

Mai frowned. "Then why are you having second thoughts?"

Kai hesitated. "Maybe… maybe he just wasn't meant for this life."

Lucas muttered under his breath, "You should let me be the leader."

"I told him not to fight tomorrow and to take it easy," Kai said aloud. Then he thought to himself, Maybe I pushed him too much.

At Elijah's House

Elijah sat on his bed, wincing.

His body ached in ways he had never experienced before, with large purple bruises marking his skin.

He could only recall being knocked out by Kai—twice—before somehow ending up back at home.

It wasn't a fight; it was a one-sided beating.

Glancing at his phone, Elijah saw a message from Kai.

He felt pathetic.

There was no way he could fight tomorrow, not in this state.

As he stared at the message, the door to his room opened. In walked his little sister, Amy.

She had long black hair like Elijah's, and her fiery red eyes sparkled with anger.

At just 12 years old, she already had a commanding presence.

"Big brother," she said, frowning.

"Hey, little sis," Elijah replied weakly.

Amy's face darkened as she stomped closer. "The day I come back home, and what do I find? Big brother Kai carrying you in, covered in bruises!" She crossed her arms and yelled, "What's wrong with you? You're always making me worry!"

Then, in an instant, her anger faded. She rushed to him, throwing her arms around him. "But I missed you."

Elijah stroked her hair gently. "How was it at Grandma's farm?"

Amy's face lit up as she began recounting her time there. "It was great! Grandma told me all kinds of stories.

There was one about a king who jumped into battle, cutting down his enemies.

Even though he was badly injured, he fought with unmatched power.

He fell in the end, overwhelmed, but he left behind a legend. King Havor—the pride of our family."

"Wow, that's amazing," Elijah said, raising an eyebrow.

"So you're saying we come from a family of the greatest warriors? Where's this history book?"

Amy shook her head. "Grandma said the story is passed down through the generations. She said King Havor conquered armies using a special breathing technique."

'So, just a story,' Elijah thought, sighing.

"I wish I could learn this breathing art from our great-great-grandfather," he added sarcastically.

Amy grinned mischievously, startling Elijah.

She darted across the room to her bag, rummaging through it frantically.

Finally, she pulled out a book. Tossing it to Elijah, she said,

"This came from Grandma. She told me to give it to you."