Meanwhile, deeper in the estate, the orphans gathered in the refurbished training hall. Today, Ji Seol-Hwa had assigned them a new task, group sparring in pairs that constantly rotated.
Chul-woo dodged a sweeping kick from Dae-hyun, pivoted, and caught his arm, flipping him to the mat. Min-ah barked a laugh from the side as she sparred with Su-yeon, who was improving, but still tripped over her own feet more often than not.
"You're getting better, little miss," she said as she helped him up.
"Ji Seol-Hwa said I'm moving faster," Min-ah replied proudly, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Don't let it go to your head," Chul-woo said, stepping past her. "Pride gets you killed."
Dae-hyun pulled himself up and rolled his shoulders. "He's right. Learn fast, but stay humble."
Though they bickered and clashed, a sense of quiet cohesion had settled over them. They no longer moved like lost children, they moved like a unit. Still green, still growing, but bound together by fire and ash.
