The Author's POV

"How pathetic..."

Looking back at those two emotionless eyes, Jin's mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

...Though he tried, no words came out from his mouth.

-Thud!

Kneeling on the ground, Jin lowered his head and stared at his blood-soaked clothes.

Those words hit him straight into the heart.

No matter how much he wanted to refute...he couldn't.

He couldn't even defeat a bunch of nobodies, and yet he dreamt of people erecting statues of him?

'How pathetic'

...No other words better matched how Jin felt at the moment.

Expresionesly staring at Jin's sorry figure, Ren spoke

"Is this all your pride amounts to?"

"..."

Staring at the ground, Ren's words went from one ear to the other...the world around Jin became dyed black and white, and all sound around him became faint.

Seeing Jin's state, walking next to him, Ren looked down on him

"So this is the real Jin Horton huh?"

An insecure brat with an overly inflated ego.

That's who Jin Horton was...

Only in his darkest moment did his true personality become evident.

People around him thought of him as a genius and a prodigy.

They lauded his talents and efforts continuously...but in the end, all that did was fuel his ego and insecurities.

Just like a castle made out of cards, all it took was a simple push, and everything came crashing down.

-Bam!

Staring at Jin's sorry figure for a couple more seconds, Ren raised his foot and kicked him in the stomach.

"kaahhh.."

Feeling a strong force on his abdomen, Jin curled on the ground as he gagged multiple times.

"To think your pride only amounted to this much...all it took was a couple of setbacks and this is the result...pathetic"

Walking over to Jin, Ren grabbed him by the hair and dragged his face towards his.

"You disappoint me"

-Pa!

Slapping Jin on the face once, Ren released his hair and flung him to the side as if he was a piece of garbage.

"I honestly couldn't care less if you died, but..."

Looking at Jin's pathetic figure for a couple of more seconds, Ren turned around and headed towards the exit of the room.

As he left, in an almost inaudible voice, he mumbled

"...I didn't want to discard such an important chess piece"

Watching Ren's figure leaving, leaning against the wall, Jin looked up and weakly said

"Y-ou y-our that guy called Ren Dover right?"

"..."

As if he didn't hear Jin's voice, Ren kept walking towards the exit of the room.

smiling, Jin looked down and

"It's you isn't it?"

haha.

thought another person stronger

extent of his power, he knew he killed those two black-clad individuals

he, someone who specialized in

even he couldn't react to it, didn't that mean

room, Jin covered his eyes with

happening to me? What

his pride took another

when he thought he was closer to his goal, another obstacle showed up to screw up his

-Bang!

the ground,

Why is this happening to

hysterical screams, Ren's footsteps halted. Looking back at

be happening to

Jin glared at

do you know! you

at Jin, Ren opened his

do to make yourself stronger?

"What ar--"

his mouth to refute,

others had to sacrifice in order to get to where they were now? You keep comparing yourself to Kevin, but do you even know what he went through to get to where

had their own

fought with his life on the line, Amanda was alone for the most part of her life...Emma and Melissa too had their very own setbacks that shaped who

those setbacks, they fought through it

Jin?

did

family shielding him, Jin comfortably lived his life as a rich second-generation young master that was continuously

easy life with no setbacks or reality checks that helped him mature. He was merely an

have to be prideful and claim to be

Ren's words, Jin fiercely glared at

telling me all

shed when he trained? All the days where he would sacrifice his

looking at Jin, Ren looked at the room. Pointing towards the black-clad

was useful or not? In the end, you're the one that almost got killed by a bunch

a mess, Jin looked at the corpses of the black-clad individuals in the room

nonsense since coming here,

with the aid of

to get to where I am. How much effort I put to

time, jin walked

as if you know anything about me? What do you

closer he got to Ren, the more

you to criticize me when you hide your power

as he slowly moved closer in his direction, Ren's

a once of anxiety nor fear on his

as if you know

time, Jin slowly made

-Halt

at him straight into the

me like that when you

was only a few inches away from him, Ren extended his hand forward and grabbed his

"uh?--kghhh"

body in the air, Ren coldly

someone who acts all mighty all the time, you don't seem

"Khhhh...let go!"

air by Ren, Jin struggled to speak as he swung his legs in the

"It's useless..."

looked at him in

doing whatever you are doing...I want you to remember this moment...I want you to remember my hand at your throat as you

emotionlessly looked at Jin who kept trying to free

"Khhh...damn it! Let go!"

do, he couldn't free himself from Ren's grip. All he could was

"khhh"

strength of his grip to shut Jin up,

that stupid pride

moment...this humiliation...remember the moment where your pathetic self almost lost to a

more he listened to Ren's powerful

stopped struggling

had he ever felt

strong grip on his neck, Jin realized at this moment how truly weak he

Ren spoke, the more Jin wanted to deny what he was saying. He wanted with all his being to release himself from