Mujin Jin

Cold.

It's the only sensation you can cling to besides the pain. Chilled, blood-tinged water laps against your weakened body as you lie motionless. Your eyes remain shut, and a dull ache throbs at the back of your neck — you must have struck your head against a rock when the river swept you away. Face down on the riverbank, you can feel the small stones pressing uncomfortably against your skin.

You can't remember how you ended up here. Your mind is blank, lost somewhere beyond the rushing water.

Then, voices drift through the air. Distant at first, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. They grow closer until they stop right in front of you.

You can't make out what they're saying. When you manage to crack your eyes open, two blurry figures come into view: a man and a boy. Through your hazy vision, it seems the man is quietly giving instructions to the boy beside him.

"Hey..."

He reaches out and gently taps your shoulder, checking whether you're fully awake. His voice is calm, deep, and measured—not threatening, but not particularly warm either. Just steady.

"Can you get up? Are you hurt?"

Your vision slowly clears. The man is wearing sunglasses and has messy black hair styled into a mullet, shaved at the sides. The dark strands fall to his shoulders, their ends slightly wavy. Beside him stands a boy, watching you with a mixture of curiosity and distrust.