The royal courtyard garden was a haven of peace, adorned with exotic flowers and statues of majestic dragons. But on that day, two children, Yuki and Hiromi, had turned this sacred place into a playground. Hidden in a bush, they were evading Benkeï, their protector, who was kindly playing the role of jailer. Yuki, with a mischievous grin, whispered:
"Shhhht!"
Hiromi, unable to contain her laughter, placed her hand over her mouth, stifling the giggles that threatened to give them away. Benkeï, faithful to his role as their amused guardian, walked past without looking at them, pretending not to notice. But the two children, convinced of their success, watched as the monk moved away, disappearing from their view.

"We lost him, Hiromi!" Yuki whispered proudly.
Suddenly, Benkeï, who was far ahead, dissolved into a flurry of ashes, leaving behind a mystery.
"Huh? But… where did he go?" Hiromi asked, intrigued.
Before they had time to understand, a loud “Boo!” echoed behind them. Benkeï appeared with a playful smile. He had created a fire clone to trick them, and his little trick provoked a scream of surprise followed by bursts of laughter from the two children. The three of them, now complicit in their game, savored these carefree moments, until the distant voice of Hiromi’s mother called out.
"Hiromi! Yuki! Where are you?"
"We don’t want to go back to lessons…" Hiromi groaned.
"You must, princess… "Benkeï replied gently. "You have responsibilities."
Yuki, always quick to protest, added, "But…"
"You too, Master Yuki. You are the son of the great General Zhao. Your Kyojin lessons await you," Benkeï replied, adopting a more solemn tone.
The children exchanged a complicit glance, their wide eyes turning to Benkeï, hoping to convince him. The monk finally relented with a smile.
"Alright, alright… I’ll create a diversion. You have ten minutes!"
Hiromi, beaming, exclaimed, "You’re the best, Master Benkeï!"
After a gesture of gratitude, the two children ran off towards a verdant hill overlooking the royal garden. There, they lay in the soft, fresh grass, looking up at the sky where clouds danced in the breeze, interspersed with the flight of chirping sparrows.
"Look! Yuki exclaimed, pointing at a cloud with an enthusiastic finger. It looks like a dragon!"
Hiromi squinted, searching for the shape among the white wisps. After a moment, she smiled. "If a dragon ever kidnaps me, will you come save me, Yuki?" she asked innocently.
Yuki puffed out his chest proudly, imitating the heroes from their adventure stories. "Of course! No matter where you are, I will always come to save you!"
Hiromi blushed slightly, embarrassed by his confident declaration.
"One day, we will be as free as these sparrows," Yuki added, watching the birds flying above them. We’ll go wherever we want and explore this vast world, far from dojos and dusty books.
Hiromi turned her head to gaze at her friend with bright, admiring eyes. "That’s an idea I like a lot," she murmured before turning her gaze back to the endless sky.
That was the last carefree moment they shared together.
Twelve years had passed, and Yuki, lying in his bed, still replayed the scene in his mind as if it had happened yesterday. He couldn’t help but remember Hiromi’s laughter, the promises they made, the dreams they shared. But now, those memories were tinged with sadness and anger. It had been twelve years since Hiromi and her entire family had been massacred.
“I will avenge you, Hiromi… I swear I’ll have your head, Benkeï!” Yuki murmured, his jaw clenched with rage.
That same Benkeï, who had once been like an older brother to them, had betrayed the kingdom, massacred the royal guards, and reduced King Xin’s dynasty to ashes. The king, the queen, and even Yuki’s mother—all had perished by Benkeï’s hand, this monk whom no one would have suspected of such carnage.
Some whispered that madness had consumed him due to his excessive mastery of Tahli, the fire element. Since that fateful day, Benkeï had disappeared, and every attempt to find him had ended in bloody failure. None of the elite soldiers sent after him had returned alive.
General Zhao, Yuki’s father, had taken the reins of the kingdom to prevent total collapse. He had fortified the borders, strengthened the army, and even declared war on neighboring countries, suspecting a conspiracy in the king’s death. His rule was one of iron, but necessary to maintain order. Zhao, like Yuki, had deeply respected the late king, a sovereign loved by all for the lasting peace he had maintained.
For Yuki, however, only one thing mattered: vengeance. He had trained relentlessly, perfecting his mastery of Kyojin, so that one day he could confront Benkeï and kill him. Zhao had sent him to the far reaches of Xia to uncover who was behind the conspiracy, but each battle only underscored his failure to find the traitor.
Returning home after a recent battle, Yuki found himself once again without news of Benkeï. But this time, another task awaited him. Wounded in combat, he made his way to the most renowned infirmary in the kingdom: the home of Dame Kea, a respected healer living in a small village not far from the capital.
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