Silent Edge Infirmary – Afternoon The scent of herbs hung thick in the air, mixing with the gentle clatter of pots and the low groans of recovering warriors. Blue stepped through the doorway with a small basket in hand, eyes scanning until he spotted them.
Ilho, arm in a sling but grinning like an idiot, waved. Jinhu sat nearby, one leg bandaged, chewing on dried fruit.
"Oi," Blue said, tossing the basket down onto the table. "Figured you two were sick of broth by now."
Ilho blinked. "You brought food? What kind?"
"Roasted duck, rice, and some preserved plums. I stole the good stuff from the Wudang supply crates. Don't tell anyone."
Jinhu perked up. "You're a good man, Blue. A terrifying man. But a good one." Blue pulled up a stool and sat between them.
For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed—no fights, no secrets, no heavy burdens. Just three comrades. Eating. Laughing.
Blue leaned back, eyes settling on Ilho. "You better be fully ready in two days," he said, voice low. "No excuses."
Ilho raised a brow. "For the finals?"
Blue nodded. "You got two days to rest. Use every ounce of strength to recover. I want to go all out." His smirk sharpened—dangerous, hungry, excited.
Ilho blinked. Jinhu leaned back slightly. "He just got really scary."
Ilho grinned and raised a thumbs-up with his uninjured hand. "I'll be ready, Blue. Don't hold back." Blue stood, brushing off his hands. "I won't."
As he turned to leave, the door opened—and there stood Yeol, arms crossed. He nodded once. "Tomorrow night. We'll bring him to your room."
Blue gave a subtle nod in return. "Thanks," he said, then walked off down the hall, footsteps silent but steady.
---
Night Before the Finals – Silent Edge Barracks Blue sat alone in his room, eyes closed, breathing steady but shallow.
How do I say it? How do I tell him everything without shattering him?
A knock shattered his thoughts. Right on time. The door creaked open. Wu Cheng stepped in first, arms behind his back. Yeol followed, his usual half-smile present—but tonight, it didn't reach his eyes. And behind them stood Ryul. Silent. Fists clenched. Gaze locked on Blue like a blade drawn at the ready. The three of them entered, and Yeol casually tossed three bags onto the table.
"Dumplings," he said. "This is going to be a long, unpleasant conversation. Figured food might help us digest the truth."
They sat.
Ryul didn't wait.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, voice trembling with anger. "What makes these two treat you like some prodigy?"
Blue kept his head low for a beat.
Then quietly said two words: "Tang Jiung."
Wu Cheng blinked and sighed. "Welp. Wasting no time, I see."
Ryul scowled—and hurled a dumpling at Blue's head. It bounced off with a soft thwack.
"You think this is funny?!" Ryul growled. "How do you even know that name?! What kind of sick game are you playing?"
Blue finally looked up. His gaze met Ryul's—not defiant, not smug. Just... honest.
"I'm not playing games," he said softly. "I am Jiung. I'm your brother."
The silence that followed was heavier than steel.
"BULLSHIT!!" Ryul exploded, standing so fast his chair screeched back. "I watched him die!"
Yeol slowly stood, placing a hand on Ryul's shoulder.
"It's true, nephew," he said gently. "He carries the same qi your grandfather passed down to him, a qi only a Tang can possess."
PING
A faint shimmer lit the room as the system screen flickered alive in front of Blue.
System Notification: Tang Qi Suppression Momentarily Lifted
Blue inhaled—and let his qi swirl outward. A flicker of dark, venomous mist coiled from his palms, faint but undeniable.
Ten Thousand Venom Qi. The Tang Clan's birthright.
Ryul's mouth parted. He stepped back a half-step, stunned.
…But… how?" he whispered. "That day… your head… it was—"
His voice caught in his throat.
Blue: "I know. I remember seeing you under the floorboards. I remember yelling at you to run."
Ryul: "We did. After Uncle took So-Yeon… we all ran. Scattered like leaves. Every one of us."
His fists tremble. "You left us. Just like Mother. Just like Father. Even Grandfather." Blue lowers his head, a tear falling. "I know. I left you. And I've never stopped thinking about it."
He breathes, voice soft. "I woke up in another world… with a new name, new parents. But my qi stayed with me—and so did all of you. Every time I trained, I remembered you. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Murim burning. And then the monsters came to that world… like they did here." Blue looks up, eyes shining.
"Then a gate opened. A way back. When i got to murim I had the system with me. Like those here in murim who've traveled to other worlds. I visited our parents grave, went to our childhood home. Uncle told me all of you were safe, i had no choice but to wait to confront any of you." Ryul stares in silence.
"I wanted to find you all right away—but the system sealed my qi. Uncle Yeol and Wu Cheng found me. They told me to hide everything until I was strong enough to protect you. I listened." He steps forward.
"I'm sorry, little brother. I don't know what you've been through, or how you survived. But I promise you this—my goal is to bring all of us back together."
A pause. Blue's voice thickens.
"Even if you hate me. Even if you never believe me. I had to tell you the truth." Ryul rises slowly, face streaked with tears. His fists shake… then pounded against Blue's chest.
"Hate you?" he chokes out. "How could I ever hate you?"
He sobbed. "Just don't leave me again."
Blue pulled Ryul into a tight embrace. "I won't. I promise you, I won't leave again."
He stepped back, resting a hand on Ryul's shoulder. "But for now… you have to keep this to yourself. No one else can know. Not yet."
BOOM!
The door to Blue's room exploded inward, flying off its hinges with a crash. Ilho and Jinhu tumbled through, landing in a heap on the floor.
Behind them stood Wu Jin, Sa Gwan, and Mu Jang—arms crossed, unimpressed.
Wu Cheng burst into laughter.
Blue snapped his head toward the mess. "Seriously?! My fucking door? Does this sect even pretend to care about privacy?"
Ilho groaned from beneath Jinhu. "In our defense… the eavesdropping was an accident." Ryul blinked, eyes still watery, then chuckled through the tears. He wiped his nose, glancing at the three masters framed in the broken doorway.
"Looks like you've got a little more explaining to do, hyung."
Ilho walked up to Blue, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry we eavesdropped. We actually came to hang out before the finals tomorrow… to show you I'm healed up and ready. But, well… we heard voices, and couldn't help listening."
He clapped a hand on Blue's shoulder. "We don't care about your past. You're our brother." Jinhu sauntered over, grabbed a dumpling, and pointed it at Blue. Mouth full he said. "You weren't gonna tell us?"
He turned to Ryul: "By the way—welcome to the inner circle. I'm Jinhu. We're brothers now too." In the background, Sa Gwan leaned toward Wu Jin and muttered, "Brutes…"
Mu Jang answered in full volume, "Yes. But loving brutes."
Wu Jin stepped into the room, arms folded. "I told you the other night—you don't have to shoulder this alone."
Blue glanced around the room—at the chaos, the camaraderie, the smiles that didn't ask anything from him—and said quietly, "I didn't think you'd all take it this easily. I was afraid to tell you." Ilho pulled him into a one-armed hug. "It's all good. We'll help now. You're not alone."
He glanced at Ryul. "And like Jinhu said—your brother is our brother. Even if he is with Wudang."
Then, squinting at Blue with mock suspicion: "But can you keep our finals fair and not use that system of yours? That's cheating."
Laughter erupted.
In that moment, Blue felt something shift. For the first time since returning to Murim, he didn't feel like a ghost clinging to memory. He felt real. Grounded. Present.
He had Ryul. Ilho. Jinhu. His masters. The elders. A strange, loud, wonderful family in this world. And on Earth… he had them too.
"Thanks, everyone," Blue said. "There is something else i need to tell all of you, since you are all here though. I don't know how much longer I can stay in Murim. I've got a family on Earth. And a friend. Someone I miss."
He paused, smiling. "But I've still got work to do here first. It feels easier now, knowing I've got all of you."
Jinhu glanced up. "So… you gonna tell So-Yeon?"
Blue grew quiet.
"Not anytime soon," he said. "She's the hardest to tell."
Wu Cheng and Yeol shared a knowing nod.
"Alright, everyone," Yeol said. "Let's give these two some time."
Wu Jin glanced at Blue. "Don't stay up too late. I can't have my disciple losing to Sa Gwan's disciple."
Wu Jin raised his rod. "You know what happens to losers, right?"
Blue smirked. "Starve!"
The group laughed again as they exited. Mu Jang lingered just long enough to grab the busted door and lean it awkwardly against the frame before walking off.
Now alone, Blue and Ryul sat together.
They talked. About Earth. About the system. About Blue's new life. About how Ryul and the others escaped that day—and what they'd been through since. Sometime during the night, Ryul drifted off, curled up in the corner with a quiet, steady breath.
Blue looked over at his brother and smiled. "Thanks, Ryul… I needed this."
He leaned back, the warmth of the moment holding him still. And finally… he closed his eyes.