The day after their last training session, Kai didn't wake up with fire in his chest—he woke up aching all over.
His body screamed. Shoulders stiff, thighs locked, wrists sore. Even blinking felt like effort. The wind that brushed through the forest canopy carried a chill that crept into his bones.
Sir 8 sat on a flat stone nearby, chewing on a bitter herb and watching Kai with an unreadable expression.
"Don't move," Sir 8 said without looking over. "You need rest."
Kai, gritting through the pain, flopped back onto the grass and exhaled hard. "I can still push—"
Sir 8 raised a hand, silencing him with just a gesture. "You push now, you'll break. And I'm not training no broken tool."
A Quiet Moment
The day moved slowly. Sir 8 cooked a small rabbit over the fire, threw Kai a piece, and sat quietly chewing. No drink. No smirk. Just... thinking.
Kai stared at the flames. "Sir 8… why don't I have Ki?"
Sir 8's jaw worked a bit, like he was chewing the question along with the meat.
"You ain't broken," he finally said. "You just ain't awakened yet."
"Can I?" Kai asked quietly.
Sir 8 didn't answer right away.
He turned his head, scanning the trees. Listening to the wind. Then slowly, he looked back at Kai.
"There's a way," he said softly. "But it's... harsh. Real harsh. Most don't make it. Some go mad. Others unlock something worse than death."
Kai sat up slightly, despite the pain. "I'll do it."
Sir 8 chuckled. "Didn't even hear the method yet, and you're already volunteering. Bold or dumb—I can't tell yet."
The Sapient Thought
Later that night, after Kai fell asleep under the stars, Sir 8 sat near the fire, fingers laced together, elbows on his knees. The flames flickered in his eyes, reflecting something ancient and heavy.
He whispered to himself:
"Sapient Mode..."
The words tasted like lightning and blood. Like guilt.
He hadn't thought about it in years. Not since he burned that battlefield. Not since he watched the light vanish from the eyes of people who begged him to stop.
He clenched his fists.
Could he teach it to Kai?Should he?
"No Ki... no foundation..." he muttered. "Boy doesn't even know what he's asking."
But then, he thought about it again—Kai's eyes. Not the rage in them, but the clarity. The refusal to quit. That mix of raw will and confused innocence.
Sir 8 let out a long breath and looked up at the stars. "He might just be dumb enough to survive it."
Dawn – The Spark of a New Plan
When the morning sun broke over the hills, Kai was already up—sore, but stretching, forcing his limbs into motion.
Sir 8 walked over slowly and tossed him a small leather pouch.
"What's this?"
"Herbs. For muscle recovery. You're still trash, but I like how you suffer."
Kai snorted, coughing on the bitter smell.
Sir 8 crouched down to eye level. His voice changed—less mocking, more serious.
"You want Ki? I'll show you a path."
Kai nodded. "Yes."
"But understand this," Sir 8 growled. "If you walk this road, you don't come back the same. You will either unlock a piece of yourself—or break apart trying."
Kai's eyes sharpened. "I'm not scared."
Sir 8 nodded, though his voice stayed low.
"Good. Because if—if—I decide to teach you Sapient Mode, you'll need to be more than a fighter. You'll have to become something inhuman. Something... conscious beyond flesh. Few understand what that means."
Kai didn't flinch.
Sir 8 stood and turned away, but under his breath he muttered:
"Damn kid… maybe you really are built for this."
End Scene Tease
Sir 8 scribbles something in a tattered notebook that night under his blanket.
One word, carved in black ink:
"SAPIENT?"