The golden rays of the sun pierced through the sky…
falling upon a massive mountain.
It stood so tall…
as if it was touching the heavens themselves.
Clouds drifted across its body…
its peak lost beyond sight.
At the foot of the mountain,
a narrow dirt road stretched into silence…
and on that road, a boy walked alone.
His leg was injured.
Each step he took… was unsteady.
His dark hair was messy…
his eyes filled with unshed tears…
his face, swollen and bruised.
Step by step…
he finally reached his home.
He pushed the door open.
Darkness greeted him.
A cold wind drifted through the empty house.
He picked up a small lamp…
and lit it.
In its faint glow, he walked inside.
He removed his school uniform…
and stood before a mirror.
For a moment…
he stared at himself.
Then… he tried to smile.
But that smile…
was fake.
He collapsed onto the bed…
and quietly broke into tears.
———
Morning came.
He got ready in silence…
walked into the kitchen…
and opened the fridge.
Empty.
He stood there… unmoving.
Then, without a word…
he closed it…
and left the house.
Each step toward school…
slow… heavy… lifeless.
As he reached the gate,
his heart began to pound.
His hands trembled.
His legs felt weak.
Still… he entered.
Inside the classroom,
voices filled the air—
"Did you hear? A village was destroyed yesterday…"
"Yeah… a monster did it…"
"But why doesn't it attack our village?"
"Are you stupid? Be grateful it doesn't…"
"It lives on that mountain…"
"Anyone who goes there… never comes back…"
Sota remained silent.
Then—
"Oye… Sota…"
He slowly looked up.
Four boys stood before him.
"After school… come behind the building."
"…Yeah…"
———
After school…
he walked to the back area.
They were already waiting.
"Late again…"
One of them grabbed his hair—
and slammed his face into the ground.
The others joined in.
Kicks. Punches. Laughter.
Sota stayed silent.
This is normal…
No matter how much they hit me…
I won't make a sound.
Suddenly—
He covered his ears…
and ran.
He ran toward the mountain.
Faster… higher… deeper…
What's the point of living like this…?
No freedom…
No food…
No reason to live…
Without realizing…
he reached the top.
And there—
stood a black castle.
He stepped inside.
A man sat in silence.
Long black hair.
Torn black clothes.
A sword resting beside him.
The man opened his eyes—
and looked at Sota.
Suddenly—
the ground trembled.
A massive monster burst from the earth.
Sota's vision blurred…
and he collapsed.
The man rose into the air.
The monster attacked—
but none of its strikes touched him.
Then, appearing above it…
he whispered—
"Sunless Domination…"
Red lightning tore across the sky.
Even distant villages saw it.
Then—
silence.
The man descended.
He walked toward Sota…
and paused.
Something was wrong.
The surrounding energy…
was flowing into the boy.
Sota's body began to glow.
As if—
something inside him…
had awakened.