legend of the seven swards

October 9, 2020 The morning sun rose over Delhi, painting the city in shades of gold and orange. Cars filled the roads, vendors prepared their stalls, and students hurried toward their schools. Among them was a sixteen-year-old boy named Jin. Jin walked quietly along the sidewalk with a worn backpack hanging from his shoulders. His black hair was messy, his glasses slightly crooked, and his school uniform looked older than most of the other students'. He wasn't tall, strong, handsome, or popular. In fact, if someone were asked to describe him, they would probably struggle to remember anything remarkable about him. Jin was small for his age and physically weak. He had never been good at sports and rarely spoke to anyone unless necessary. Most students considered him strange. But what hurt most wasn't being ignored. It was being noticed for all the wrong reasons. Every day, he became the target of bullies. As he approached the school gate, his heart sank. Three familiar figures were standing near the entrance. Joy. Leo. Fin. The three boys were taller and stronger than most students in their grade. They enjoyed making fun of weaker students, and Jin was their favorite target. "Look who finally showed up," Joy said with a grin. "The four-eyed genius," Leo laughed. Fin stepped in front of Jin and blocked his path. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked mockingly. Jin lowered his eyes. "I... I'm going to class." The three boys burst into laughter. "Oh, he's going to class!" Joy said dramatically. "What a surprise!" Leo added. Fin grabbed Jin's backpack and pulled him backward. The force nearly knocked Jin off balance. "Maybe you should stay home instead," Fin said. More students walked past them. Some watched. Some laughed. Most ignored what was happening. Nobody helped. Nobody ever did. After a few moments, the bullies finally let him go. "See you later, loser," Joy said. The three walked away laughing. Jin adjusted his glasses and picked up the notebook that had fallen from his bag. His hands trembled slightly. But he didn't say anything. He never did. After years of bullying, he had learned a painful truth. Fighting back only made things worse. So he simply walked through the school gates and headed toward his classroom. The first bell rang. Students filled the room with noise and laughter. Groups of friends talked excitedly about games, movies, and weekend plans. Jin quietly walked to his seat near the back corner. As usual, nobody invited him into their conversations. As usual, nobody cared that he was there. The teacher hadn't arrived yet. That meant the students had plenty of time to entertain themselves. Unfortunately, Jin was often their source of entertainment. "Hey, Jin!" Someone called from across the room. Several students looked over. "What happened to your hair?" The class laughed. "It looks like a bird built a nest on your head." More laughter followed. Another student spoke up. "Maybe he spent all night studying." "Nah," someone replied. "Who studies that much?" "He probably doesn't have any friends." The room exploded with laughter again. Jin stared at his desk. Every word felt like a knife. But he remained silent. What could he say? If he defended himself, they would laugh harder. If he got angry, they would enjoy it even more. So he simply sat there and endured it. Like always. Eventually the teacher entered the room. The students returned to their seats. Class began. Mathematics. Then science. Then history. Jin focused carefully on every lesson. Studying was the one thing he was good at. When he read books, solved problems, or learned something new, the world around him seemed quieter. For a little while, he could forget everything else. The bullying. The loneliness. The feeling that he didn't belong anywhere. Hours passed. Finally, lunch break arrived. Students gathered into groups. Friends shared food and stories. The classroom quickly became lively again. Jin stayed at his desk. He opened his lunch box and quietly ate alone. Just as he expected. Then a shadow appeared beside him. He looked up. A girl was standing there. Her name was Hella. She was one of the most respected students in the class. Unlike most students, she didn't make fun of others. She treated everyone kindly. Especially Jin. "Good morning, Jin," she said with a smile. Jin blinked. "Good morning." "You seem sad today." "I'm fine." "You don't look fine." Jin looked away. He didn't know how to respond. Hella sat down in the empty seat beside him. "You know," she said softly, "you shouldn't listen to what they say." Jin forced a small smile. "It's okay." "No, it's not." For a moment, silence filled the space between them. Then she opened her lunch box. "Want some?" Jin immediately shook his head. "No thanks." "Are you sure?" "Yeah." Hella sighed. "You always say no." Jin didn't answer. The truth was simple. He didn't understand why she was kind to him. Everyone else ignored him or laughed at him. Why was she different? Sometimes he wondered if she simply felt sorry for him. Maybe she pitied him. Maybe she saw him as some helpless kid who needed protection. The thought bothered him. A lot. He didn't want pity. He wanted respect. He wanted friends. He wanted a normal life. But those things felt impossibly far away. "Jin?" He looked up. Hella was watching him with concern. "You should smile more." Jin almost laughed. Smile? There wasn't much to smile about. Still, he nodded. "I'll try." "Good." For the first time that day, a small genuine smile appeared on his face. The afternoon classes passed slowly. When the final bell finally rang, students rushed out of the classroom. Everyone was eager to go home. Jin packed his books and prepared to leave. As he walked toward the school gate, he couldn't shake a strange feeling. Something felt different. The air itself seemed unusual. Heavy. Almost as if something important was about to happen. He stopped and looked around. The sky was clear. The streets looked normal. Everything seemed ordinary. Yet the feeling remained. A chill ran down his spine. Unknown to Jin, this ordinary day would become the turning point of his life. Very soon, he would discover a secret hidden for centuries. A secret connected to seven legendary swords. A secret that would drag him into a world of power, danger, and destiny. And before long, the weak boy everyone laughed at would begin a journey that could change the fate of the entire world. But for now... Jin simply adjusted his glasses and started walking home, completely unaware that destiny had already begun moving toward him.