The Hooded Man

The village of Kryphos seemed different with each passing day. The silence that once brought peace now felt like torture to Theos. Since the departure of Sophia and Icarus, he carried an emptiness that not even his mother’s warm embrace could fill.

He woke up early, trained alone with a wooden stick pretending it was a sword, and every night he returned to the promise tree, staring at the carved initials. But most days, he simply sat there, gazing at the vast ocean.

One sunny day, as Theos lay on the grass with the gentle wind brushing through Kryphos, he stared at the endless blue sky, with only a few clouds drifting by. Suddenly, he felt an itch behind his ear. When he scratched it, he noticed the red-thread bracelet Sophia had given him before leaving.

Theos clenched his fist with determination as memories of her filled his mind. Just as he stood up, loud screams echoed through the village.

He dashed toward the chaos. When he arrived, people were running in every direction, and debris covered the ground. As the smoke cleared, a towering Minotaur, over three meters tall, stood before them.

Theos froze at the sight of the beast, but his eyes caught something else: beneath the wreckage, a child was trapped, dangerously close to the creature. His heart wavered—should he risk his life to save the boy, or stay back?

At that very moment, a hooded man approached the village, hearing the terrified screams.

Theos chose. He sprinted toward the child, sliding beneath the Minotaur’s legs. With great effort, he lifted the heavy wooden beam pinning the boy down. But then, a shadow loomed over him. Theos turned, only to see the Minotaur’s massive arm swinging toward them.

If he dodged, the boy would be crushed.

With all his strength, Theos blocked the strike, holding back the creature’s arm.

“Run now!!” he shouted at the boy.

The beast thrashed violently, shaking Theos left and right until it finally hurled him away. He crashed hard into a wall.

At that moment, the hooded man entered the village, glaring at the monster.

“So, you were the one who attacked the other village, weren’t you? Hideous creature.”

As he spoke, a sword materialized in his hand as if by magic.

With a single swift motion, he cleaved the Minotaur in half.

Theos stared in awe. He had never witnessed such power before.

“Are you alright, boy?” the man asked.

Theos, eyes sparkling with admiration and a wide grin, replied,

“How did you do that? That was amazing!!”

“You still haven’t answered my ques—”

Before he could finish, Theos collapsed unconscious.

The man sighed.

“Never mind… that’s answer enough.”

Lowering his hood, he revealed his face—a tall man over 1.80 meters, broad-shouldered and strong, with medium-length black hair, a short beard, and eyes of deep amber.

He picked up the unconscious Theos and began searching for his home.