Crown of Thorns

Chapter 5: The Seed of Vengeance

Ji-Hoon stumbled through the dark, narrow corridors of the underground labyrinth, each step a reminder of the torment he had endured. His body ached with every movement, a symphony of pain that echoed in his bones, his muscles, and the very core of his being. The transformation had left him leaner, stronger, but it had also left him with a raw, throbbing agony that refused to fade. It was as though his body was still trying to adjust to the changes forced upon it, and every nerve screamed in protest.

But even as the pain consumed him, another sensation began to take root—a burning, relentless anger that threatened to swallow him whole. His mind, once clouded by fear and desperation, now focused on a single, overwhelming thought: revenge.

His father had done this to him. The realization hit Ji-Hoon like a punch to the gut, driving the breath from his lungs. His father, the man who was supposed to protect him, to guide him, had instead cast him into this living nightmare. He had been the one to order Ji-Hoon's descent into this hell, to break him down, to reshape him into something unrecognizable.

The memories came flooding back, sharp and clear, despite the pain. The cold, detached words of his father as he was led away, the final look of indifference on his face as Ji-Hoon was dragged into the dungeon. There had been no hesitation, no remorse—only the cold, calculated decision to turn his own son into a tool, a weapon molded by suffering.

Ji-Hoon's vision blurred with tears, but this time they were not tears of fear or sorrow. They were born of rage, of betrayal so deep it cut through his very soul. How could his father have done this to him? How could he have condemned him to this fate without a second thought?

The pain in his body was nothing compared to the searing agony in his heart. He had once loved his father, looked up to him as a figure of strength and wisdom. But now that image was shattered, replaced by a cold, hard truth: his father saw him as nothing more than a pawn, a piece to be sacrificed in his grand game of power.

Ji-Hoon's hands clenched into fists, the nails digging into his palms as he fought to keep his emotions in check. But the rage was too strong, too consuming. It burned through him like wildfire, igniting every fiber of his being with a single, blinding purpose.

He would make his father pay.

The thought gave him strength, a dark resolve that steadied his trembling limbs and cleared the fog of pain from his mind. He would not be broken by this. He would not be the helpless victim his father had intended him to be. He would rise from this pit of suffering, stronger and more determined than ever before, and he would make sure that his father paid for every moment of agony he had endured.

Ji-Hoon continued to push forward, his steps growing more sure, more deliberate. The pain was still there, gnawing at him with every breath, but it was no longer his master. It had become fuel, feeding the fire of his anger, driving him onward with a single, unyielding purpose.

He would return to the surface. He would face his father. And when he did, he would not be the broken, helpless boy who had been cast into this nightmare. He would be something else entirely—something stronger, something ruthless.

The corridors seemed endless, the darkness stretching out before him with no sign of escape. But Ji-Hoon did not falter. He had endured too much, come too far, to turn back now. He would find a way out of this labyrinth, no matter how long it took, no matter how much more pain he had to endure.

And when he emerged, he would not be the son his father had sent into the depths. He would be the harbinger of his father's downfall.

The thoughts of revenge coursed through his veins, intertwining with the pain, until the two were indistinguishable. The agony in his body was a constant reminder of his father's betrayal, but it also sharpened his resolve. Every step he took was a step closer to vengeance, every moment of suffering a promise that he would repay tenfold.

Ji-Hoon's mind raced with plans, with the cold, calculating thoughts of how he would bring his father to his knees. He would return to the palace, but not as the prince who had left. He would return as a force of reckoning, a shadow that would haunt his father's every waking moment.

But he knew he could not rush. He was still weak, still in pain. He needed to gather his strength, to learn the full extent of his newfound abilities. The transformation had made him stronger, more resilient, but he had yet to understand the true nature of what he had become.

As he pressed on through the darkness, his mind began to clear, the fog of pain lifting just enough for him to think more clearly. He would need allies, resources, and a plan that would strike at the very heart of his father's power. He would have to be patient, to bide his time until he was ready to strike.

But when that moment came, he would show his father the true cost of betrayal.

Ji-Hoon's lips curled into a grim smile as he envisioned the moment of his revenge. It would be slow, meticulous, a dismantling of everything his father held dear. He would strip away his power, his influence, and finally, his life.

For now, though, Ji-Hoon had to focus on survival. The darkness still pressed in around him, and the pain still gnawed at his every nerve. But beneath it all, there was a spark of hope, a flicker of light that refused to be extinguished.

He would survive this ordeal. He would escape. And when he did, he would become the instrument of his father's destruction.

The seed of vengeance had been planted, and as Ji-Hoon pushed forward into the unknown, that seed began to take root, growing stronger with every step. His father had created a monster, but it was a monster that would turn against him with a fury he could never have anticipated.

Ji-Hoon's transformation was far from complete. But as he continued his journey through the darkness, he knew one thing for certain: he would emerge from this hell, and when he did, his father would regret the day he had ever dared to betray him.