Since that day, everything changed.
The quiet boy who once wandered the library without purpose now carried a fire within him.
Alhen was determined.
Determined to see the world beyond the pages.
Determined to walk the lands he once thought were only imagination.
But dreams alone were not enough.
"I need to get stronger..." he muttered one morning, gripping a wooden stick as if it were a sword.
The world in that book wasn't peaceful. It was vast, unknown... and dangerous.
So he trained.
Days turned into months.
Months turned into years.
While others his age played or rested, Alhen pushed himself.
Running through uneven paths until his legs burned.
Swinging his wooden sword until his arms trembled.
Falling... and standing back up again.
"Again..." he whispered, breathing heavily. "I have to do it again..."
Even when his hands blistered.
Even when his body begged him to stop.
Because every time he closed his eyes-he saw it.
The ocean.
The bamboo forest.
The endless horizon.
Ten years later...
The sound of wood striking wood echoed through the open field.
Thwack!
A figure moved swiftly under the afternoon sun, his body sharp and controlled.
Alhen-now seventeen.
His once small frame had grown stronger, lean with effort and discipline. Sweat dripped down his face as he swung his training sword again and again, striking a worn wooden post.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Not enough..." he muttered under his breath.
He stepped back, adjusted his stance, and struck again-faster this time.
THWACK!
The force made the post shake.
Alhen exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling.
"One more..."
He raised the sword again-
"Alhen!"
The voice cut through the air.
Alhen froze mid-swing.
He lowered the sword slightly and turned his head.
His father stood at a distance, arms crossed, watching him with a firm but familiar expression.
"That's enough for today," his father said. "You've been training since morning."
Alhen tightened his grip.
"I'm not done yet."
His father sighed and walked closer.
"You said that yesterday. And the day before that."
Alhen looked away, frustration flickering across his face.
"I still need to get stronger."
His father stopped in front of him.
"For what?"
The question lingered in the air.
Alhen hesitated... then answered quietly-
"To survive out there."
A brief silence passed.
His father's expression softened, just slightly.
"You've already come far," he said. "Pushing yourself too hard will only break you."
Alhen clenched his jaw.
"I can't stop now."
His father placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're not stopping," he said calmly. "You're resting."
Alhen looked at him, conflicted.
"...Just for a bit."
Later that afternoon...
The sun hung lower in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the village.
Alhen sat outside his home, a cloth draped over his shoulders as he wiped away sweat. His training sword rested beside him.
He stared quietly into the distance.
Beyond the fields.
Beyond the hills.
Somewhere far away...
The world he had seen as a child was still waiting.
His father stepped out and sat beside him.
"You're thinking about leaving again, aren't you?" he asked.
Alhen didn't answer immediately.
"...Yeah."
A gentle breeze passed between them.
"I've trained for years," Alhen said. "I'm ready."
His father looked at him for a long moment.
"The world isn't like your books," he said quietly.
"I know," Alhen replied.
"It's dangerous. Unforgiving."
"I know."
"...You could get hurt."
Alhen turned to him, his eyes steady.
"But I'll never forgive myself if I don't go."
Silence.
Then-
A small sigh.
His father looked up at the sky.
"...You really are stubborn."
Alhen gave a faint smile.
"I learned from you."
That made his father chuckle softly.
After a moment, his father stood.
"If you're going to leave," he said, "then do it properly."
Alhen blinked.
"What do you mean?"
His father looked back at him.
"Finish your preparations."
A small pause.
"...And leave with no regrets."
Alhen's eyes widened slightly.
Then, slowly-
He smiled.
"Yes, father."
That evening, as the sun began to set, Alhen stood once more.
Not as a child chasing a dream.
But as someone ready to begin it.