Chapter 1. The warrior's first breath

The afternoon light passed through the curtains, painting golden lines across the wooden floor of the house. A gentle breeze softly stirred the white fabric, making shadows dance on the walls. The kitchen still smelled faintly of the meal his mother had cooked earlier—rice with vegetables and chicken. Humble, but warm. Just like their home.

Takao sat at the table, a cup of tea forgotten before him. He stared at his hands, his fingers nervously gripping the wooden surface. His mother sat across from him, her hair tied up carelessly, her eyes tired but full of kindness.

“Mom… I have to tell you something.”

His voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it broke the silence like a stone thrown into a calm lake. She immediately lifted her gaze. She felt that burning inside, the sense that something was coming, something serious.

“What is it, my boy?”

Takao took a deep breath. His chest rose and fell slowly, heavily.

“I’m going to enlist. In the army. I’ve already submitted my application.”

His mother remained still for a moment. Her eyes locked onto him without blinking. Then, slowly, she placed her hands on the table and whispered:

“Why?”

Takao didn’t speak immediately. He rose from his chair and began to walk slowly through the small living room. The floor creaked softly beneath his steps.

“I don’t want to see you working day and night. Getting tired, getting sick, forcing fake smiles when I come home. You’re all I have left, Mom. And I want to take care of you. To protect you.”

His voice cracked. He was angry—not at her, but at the world. At how it had thrown them into a corner. That it had taken his father away.

“I’ll get paid. They’ll give us shelter, medicine. You’ll worry less. And I… I might become something more. Maybe I’ll become someone.”

His mother slowly rose from her chair and approached him. Her steps were quiet, but every movement carried weight. She came up behind him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

“You don’t have to become someone, Takao. To me, you’ve always been special. Since the first time I held you in my arms.”

Takao turned to face her. His eyes were red, not yet from tears, but from the weight of everything he felt. She looked at him steadily.

“It’s dangerous. The army… it’s not a school. It’s not a game. I already lost your father on a dangerous mission. I can’t lose you too. I wouldn’t survive it.”

He lowered his gaze. “I know. And I’m scared too. But… I can’t stay here feeling useless anymore.”

His mother hugged him tightly. For the first time in a long while. His head buried itself in her shoulder like a small child.

“If this is truly what you want… I can’t stop you. But promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Think of me. Every day. And come back. Come back to me alive.”

Takao nodded. He couldn’t speak. He was overwhelmed by everything at once. Words, fear, love, the past. His father’s image passed like a shadow through his mind. His uniform, his smile, the last time he saw him alive.

His mother went to the small cupboard next to the fireplace. She opened it and took out a small, old wooden box. She opened it, revealing a ring.

“It belonged to your father. He always wore it. He wanted me to give it to you when you grew up. Now… I think the time has come.”

Takao took it in his hands. It was heavy—not physically, but emotionally. He looked at it carefully. Inside was engraved a motto: “For those we protect.”

He slipped it onto his finger.

“I will honor him. And you. I promise.”

His mother smiled sadly.

“You’ve grown so much, Takao. But to me… you’ll always be my little boy.”

That night, they didn’t sleep much. They sat together on the couch, talking about his father, his childhood, the future. As dawn approached, the fear didn’t disappear, but something else began to grow between them.

Trust. Acceptance. And an invisible bond, stronger than time.

Takao’s journey hadn’t started yet. But that night… he took his first breath as a warrior.