The sky.

  In Hope’s life, there had never been anything so wide, so open, so… up there.

  When he lifted his head, his eyes welled up.

  The light burned his pupils, and he couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that blue could have so many shades.

  He saw a bird flying. It had no flock. It was alone, soaring in the endless blue.

  “So this is what freedom feels like,” he thought to himself.

  Dungeon ceilings could be high too, but this… this was something else. There were no limits here.

  The wind brushed lightly against his face. After the suffocating humidity of the dungeon, such a free breeze…

  It was as if the sky was embracing him, wiping away the darkness of years.

  The clouds drifted slowly, changing shape like heaps of white cotton. Was that a dragon? Or a castle?

  Dungeon monsters appeared in Hope’s mind. But these were harmless. Even inviting.

  “Wow…” he murmured involuntarily.

  He didn’t even care about the chains. The cold metal wrapped around his wrists, the shaking of the cart on the stone roads, the armored men standing around him… all faded into the background. The sky claimed first place, leaving no room for anyone else.

  “Look, look, look,” Hope said, tilting his head even further back. “Is it always like this?”

  One of the guards grunted. The other was one of the more impatient types. He adjusted his shoulder armor.

  “Put your head down,” he said.

  “Why?” asked Hope. “Is it going to fall?”

  Silence.

  Hope didn’t stop.

  “By the way… your sword is really cool.” He pointed to the sword on the guard’s belt.

  “Does everyone out there use swords like this? Or are you special? Or are you a hero too?”

  “Shut your mouth.”

  “Fine, so where are we going? Will there be a lot of people there? Can I be a hero too?”

  The air inside the carriage tensed. The other guard cleared his throat.

  “I saved a girl’s life,” Hope said proudly. “That counts, right? I mean… I can be considered a hero, can’t I?”

  “A hero?” The first guard laughed mockingly. “You’re a rat who lived in a dungeon. Heroes go on adventures with the kingdom’s permission, hunt monsters, collect treasures. Fools like you… are just trouble. You were there without permission and fought without authority.”

  Hope’s eyes narrowed. But his curiosity outweighed his fear.

  “So how do you get permission? Is there a test? Or some kind of magic?”

  The books he read in the dungeon didn’t contain information about this. And the outside world was very different from the dungeon.

  The second guard intervened. “Enough. If you don’t shut up, I’ll tighten your chains.”

  Hope fell silent. But the questions kept spinning in his mind.

  Was the outside world really this complicated?

  The dungeon was simple: set traps, survive, repeat. That had been what he had done as long as he could remember. He didn’t remember his past. All he remembered was that in the dungeon where he first opened his eyes, the writings told him to do this.

  The first guard turned sharply.

  “You’re a criminal.”

  Hope’s face froze for a moment.

  “But isn’t that ridiculous? Saving someone should make me a hero, so why am I a criminal?”

  “Because you interfered with royal property without permission, disrupted the dungeon’s order, and rescued someone without authorization. This is a media business. There are countless people watching heroes enter dungeons and making money from it. And you blocked that, you bastard.”

  “Unauthorized?” Hope rolled the word in his mouth. “Where do you get this authority? Do you fill out a form?”

  No answer came.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Are these chains for that?” He looked at his wrists. “I haven’t hurt anyone.”

  “Put your head down,” said the guard, this time more sharply.

  Hope slumped his shoulders. He looked at the sky one last time.

  The blue was still there. He etched that color into his mind. As the carriage shook along the stone roads, Hope continued to gaze out the window.

  The trees… real trees! Even more beautiful than in books. In the dungeon, there had only been mushrooms and moss. But these were tall, green giants, swaying in the wind. A river glimmered in the distance. The sound of the water could be faintly heard.

  “This world… feels infinite,” he murmured.

  The guards didn’t hear him. But the older one sighed. Perhaps Hope’s innocence had touched him. Or maybe he was just tired.

  As the journey continued, Hope’s excitement gave way to unease. Why was he a criminal? Was rescuing Lypin wrong? How could saving someone be wrong? What did ‘media’ even mean?

  The carriage slowed. Sounds rose from outside. Shouts. Applause. Hope raised his eyebrows.

  “Uh… why are these people shouting?”

  The door opened, and sunlight struck him once again. But this time, it didn’t come from the sky. It came from the people. A large crowd had gathered. Everywhere was filled with banners and flowers.

  “LONG LIVE!”

  “ROMANTIC REBEL!”

  “HERO!”

  One banner had a crooked heart. Inside, a hastily written sentence: ‘Glad you exist.’

  Hope’s mouth fell open.

  “They’re… cheering for me?”

  The guards tried to pull him, but Hope was already starting to jump.

  He raised his chained hands into the air.

  “I LOVE YOU ALL TOO!” he shouted. “Everyone looks so bright!”

  The crowd cheered even more. People surged forward like a wave. A small, dirt-faced child threw a flower at Hope. It got caught on his chains. Hope laughed.

  “Thank you! This… this is a flower? I’ve never seen anything like it in the dungeon!”

  Women waved handkerchiefs, men raised their fists.

  “You saved her! You’re the real hero!” someone shouted.

  The guards tried to push the crowd back. But as the noise rose, so did the tension. Hope’s heart pounded. This love, this excitement… after the dungeon’s loneliness, it felt like a dream. But one of the guards yanked him roughly.

  “Walk. Don’t put on a show.”

  Hope stumbled. But his smile didn’t fade.

  “Why do they love me? What have I done to make them happy?”

  Someone in the crowd waved a banner:

  “Long live the Anarchist Heroes!”

  This turned Hope’s crime into rebellion. A guard pressed on the back of his neck.

  “Bow your head.”

  Hope lowered his forehead. Stone floor. Iron gate. Darkness. The applause stayed behind. The prison he entered was different from the dungeon. Narrower, quieter, and smelled worse. When Hope was chained to the wall, this was the first thing he noticed. Damp stones, old blood, and lots of rust.

  “Hmm,” he sniffed. “This smells familiar.”

  But it wasn’t. The dungeon’s smells were natural. Monster feces, mold, fresh blood. Here, the decay was man-made. Sweat, urine, forgotten scraps of food. The walls were smoother. But icy cold. Hope tugged the chains. The sound echoed.

  “At least there are no monsters,” he thought.

  But the guards… they were also a kind of monster. Two guards were talking in the corridor.

  “What’s with this kid? Why was he in the dungeon?”

  “Could it be about the old legend?”

  “Quiet. The king doesn’t like hearing what his father did.”

  Hope listened carefully. But he didn’t understand. Which legend? he thought to himself, and at that moment the door opened with a loud creak.

  It was Lypin who entered.

  Hope’s heart raced. That warmth… something that never existed on the cold stone of the dungeon.

  “Are you okay?” asked Lypin.

  Hope smiled.

  “I’m fine.”

  “They locked you in here. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Hope shrugged.

  “It’s okay. I’m used to dark, enclosed, foul-smelling places.”

  Lypin’s face tensed.

  “You shouldn’t have to get used to it.”

  Hope lowered his head. Lypin stroked his hair.

  “You’re so warm,” Hope said suddenly. “You’re different from me, but when I saw you, a strange feeling filled me.”

  Lypin blushed.

  “I wish… I could touch you again,” Hope said softly. “Or hug you. What I felt in the dungeon… it was beautiful.”

  Silence. Lypin took a step closer. But the chains were in the way.

  “I felt it too,” she whispered. “Your hands were cold, but… you made me feel safe. It was as if I already knew you. When I was about to die, I saw a white light. While something dark purple was devouring me… you came, a bright light that saved me.”

  Lypin took a deep breath.

  “Uh… do you know the legend?” she said. “Once, humans had four arms, four legs, and two heads. One day, the Black Architect Sulfus became jealous and split them in two. Since that day, humans have been searching for their other halves.”

  “A beautiful story,” said Hope in awe. “But I’ve never heard it.”

  “Really?” Lypin was surprised. “Where are you from? Why were you in the dungeon?”

  “I was born there.”

  Lypin stammered.

  “Born in a dungeon?”

  “I think so. I don’t remember my past. But as far as I can remember, I was always there. I set traps, raised bosses, trained. In my remaining time, I read books. About the outside world, about science and such. I mean… since the moment I opened my eyes there, I’ve been doing the same things.”

  “Why?”

  Hope paused.

  “Because I was told to… In a closed place where no one was, this was the only task given to me. So I had no choice but to make it my life’s purpose. Because I did this, people came. Life became more livable, and I continued to do it. As long as I saw people, I could feel at least a little like a human.”

  Lypin couldn’t speak after those words. The door opened again, and an old man entered.

  “Take the young lady out.”

  The guards took Lypin away.

  “If we are free one day… let’s hug again outside,” Lypin said one last time.

  “Young man, I came to test you,” said the old man.

  The chains were unlocked.

  “Place your hands here.”

  Hope touched the stone monolith. He felt warmth.

  “This is the Heart of the Kingdom,” said the old man. “It determines your class.”

  The stone glowed. A voice echoed.

  [CLASS DETECTED: ARCHITECT]

  The room froze.

  “What? Quickly, inform the king,” the old man said, trembling.

  “Architect… this has never been seen.”

  Five minutes later, the doors opened again. A crowned silhouette entered.

  “Welcome, King Kharonos.”

  The king approached.

  “So the Architect really exists.”

  Hope lifted his head.

  “Yes.”

  The king punched the wall with a single fist, shattering it.

  “And my father kept this from me.”

  Then he looked at Hope.

  “I should kill you in public for disrupting the order. But killing you would be foolish. You can serve as a great weapon for me.”

  A terrifying smile spread across his face.

  “I will give you a chance to live. Fight in the arena in two days. If you win, you are free.”

  The sky appeared in Hope’s mind.

  The trees, the flowers, the applause. This was a chance for Hope that would never come again. A great opportunity to become a hero and see Lypin.

  “YES! I WILL FIGHT! But one question—will Lypin be there too?”

  The king smiled mockingly.

  “The entire kingdom will be there.”

  Hope’s eyes sparkled. This was the turning point of his life. If he won… he could achieve everything he had ever dreamed of.