Chapter 1

Three years after my forced amputation, I stayed locked inside my room, refusing to face the outside world.

Chloe, my so-called best friend who claimed she self-studied psychology, insisted on putting me through "exposure therapy."

And just like that, the three childhood best friends who had once sworn to take care of me for the rest of my life changed.

They began withholding food and water from me.

They claimed it was the only way to awaken my will to survive.

Whenever I broke down emotionally, they locked me in a dark closet.

They said it would cure my codependency on them.

Then, on a hiking trip up the mountain, they even stripped away my prosthetic leg.

"Andie, you lost your leg pulling Ethan, Liam, and Noah out of the earthquake rubble."

"They've taken care of you for three whole years. You can't just wallow in your trauma forever and drag their lives down."

So, they abandoned me halfway up the trail and told me to crawl to the summit lodge.

As the four of them walked away, I looked down at my bleeding, mangled stump.

Tears burned the corners of my eyes.

After a moment of silence, I dialed the coach who had never stopped calling me.

"I'm in. Sign me up for the closed training camp."

By the time a kind stranger helped me up to the summit lodge, my right stump was raw and bloody.

The moment Chloe saw me, she clapped her hands in delight.

"See? I told you Andie could make it up here on her own!"

"You guys babied her way too much. That’s why she's been playing the helpless victim for three years."

Ethan laughed along. "Chloe really knows best. Andie finally took that first step."

Liam nodded with rare relief in his voice. "Yeah. Listening to Chloe was the right call."

Noah smiled softly. "Chloe, you're amazing."

All three showered her with praise.

Not a single one noticed the state I was in.

I let out a bitter laugh. "So... can I go home now?"

"No way, Andie." Chloe's smile vanished instantly. "This is just the beginning. You can't quit halfway."

"My leg..."

I rolled up my pant leg.

After miles of stumbling and dragging myself across the jagged stone path, the socket interface had torn my skin open. Blood was dripping down.

Their expressions shifted at once, guilt and hesitation flickering in their eyes.

Liam spoke first. "You did amazing today, Andie."

Ethan reached out. "I'll carry you down."

Noah was already digging through his backpack for gauze. "Let's clean that wound first."

Chloe cleared her throat from the side with a pointed cough:

"Are you going to carry her for the rest of your lives? Do you want her dragging you down forever?"

All three froze.

The air died in an instant.

Ethan’s outstretched hand hung in midair. Liam’s furrowed brow slowly smoothed out. Noah stopped unzipping his bag.

They wavered.

"If you want what’s best for everyone, listen to me."

"Even if she has to crawl, she needs to climb to the top."

With that, Chloe turned around and kept walking up the trail.

The three men followed right behind her. "It’s for your own good, Andie."

Ethan walked on her left. Liam shielded her right. Noah trailed close behind, carrying her jacket and water bottle.

I gritted my teeth, stepped back onto my bruised leg, and dragged myself forward.

Every single step felt like walking on broken glass.

Clutching the icy metal railing, I forced myself up.

Chloe let out a tiny gasp.

Ethan grabbed her arm immediately. "Careful."

Liam stepped beside her to block the wind. "Take it slow. No rush."

Noah supported her back. "Don't worry, we've got you."

All three crowded around her.

Someone in the crowd bumped into me, and I lost my balance completely, crashing hard against the stone steps.

My stump slammed violently against the sharp edge of the rock. A jolt of sickening pain shot through me, turning my vision black.

I lay flat on the cold stone, unable to get up for a long time.

Looking up through the strangers passing by, I saw Liam finally glance back at me.

"Andie, Chloe is right. You need to push yourself. Stop being so fragile."

"It's just a scrape. Don't make a scene, and stop making us worry all the time."

Just a scrape.

Stop making them worry.

I lay frozen on the ground as blood slowly soaked through my clothes.

Back then... I was the one who dragged the three of them out of the collapsed school building.

I was the one whose leg was crushed to save their lives.

And now, I was the one left bleeding behind them, while not a single one turned back.

I lowered my head and let out a faint laugh.

The sound was swallowed by the mountain wind. No one heard it.

I pulled out my phone and dialed that number I hadn't touched in three years.

The line clicked open. After two seconds of silence, a deep voice broke the quiet: "Have you made up your mind?"

Leaning against the stone steps, I watched the three figures fade into the distance.

"Yeah. I'm coming back."

"Sign me up for the Para Games."