The silence between Genji and the man who had just saved him was heavy, broken only by the rustling wind brushing past Makabashi Street. The man with glasses—Kazuya—stood still, eyes locked onto the red pendant hanging from Genji's neck.
"Are you… Naomi's son?" he asked again, his voice barely more than a whisper, but loaded with emotion.
Genji nodded slowly. "She died… protecting me."
Kazuya closed his eyes. His jaw clenched, and when he opened them again, they shimmered with moisture he didn't let fall.
"So… it's true," he murmured. "She really did it. She defied the clan… and lived on her own terms."
Genji frowned. "Clan? What are you talking about?"
Kazuya gestured toward the restaurant. "Let's go inside. There's a storm behind those eyes of yours… and I think you deserve answers."
Inside the back room of the restaurant, warmed by a single hanging lantern, Kazuya poured Genji a cup of tea. The smell of ginger and honey curled into the air.
"Your mother, Naomi Takashima… she wasn't just anyone. She was a prodigy of the Maoshinara clan—our clan. We are the inheritors of the Phoenix Blood martial arts, passed down for centuries. A sacred art, said to be born from the ashes of warriors who refused to die."
Kazuya sat down across from him, his tone grim. "The clan has one law above all: Never bear a child outside the bloodline. It was said such a child could not inherit the true Phoenix Flame… or worse, it could awaken something… unstable."
Genji clenched his fists. "And she broke that rule for me?"
"She didn't just break it. She burned it to the ground," Kazuya said with pride. "Naomi fell in love with a man from outside the clan. Your father. She believed love and freedom mattered more than blind obedience. So she fled. The elders hunted her, declared her traitor. I was the only one who helped her escape."
Genji stared down at the red pendant. "She hid this from everyone. Even me."
Kazuya smiled faintly. "That pendant… is not just a keepsake. It holds a seal of the Phoenix Flame. A martial energy that only awakens when inherited by someone truly worthy."
Genji looked up. "So what now?"
Kazuya's eyes narrowed, firm. "Now? You train. You awaken what your mother died to protect. You come with me. To the old estate. To your true bloodline. You meet your grandfather… and your cousin."
Two days later – Deep in the mountains near the old Maoshinara estate
The estate sat nestled among sharp ridges and hidden paths, shrouded in mist and pine trees that whispered secrets with every breeze. As they approached the large wooden gate engraved with flames and wings, Genji felt something in his chest stir—some deep, dormant instinct that knew this place.
A teenage girl stood with arms crossed in front of the entrance. Her short jet-black hair moved with the wind, and her piercing eyes studied Genji sharply.
"This is Asumi," Kazuya said. "Your cousin. She's the top disciple of Zakachi Maoshinara."
"Genji," he introduced himself, wary of her cold gaze.
"You're the outsider," Asumi said bluntly. "The 'bastard son' the clan whispers about."
Genji clenched his teeth but stayed calm. "Call me whatever. I'm here to get stronger. For my mom."
Just then, the massive doors creaked open. An elderly man with a long gray beard, clad in loose robes dyed in fiery hues, stepped out with a cane that looked carved from dragon bone.
Zakachi Maoshinara.
His eyes scanned Genji with scrutiny. "Naomi's flame lives in you," he said.
"Grandfather?" Genji asked.
Zakachi nodded once. "The Phoenix does not care about rules or blood purity. It chooses warriors who burn with purpose."
Asumi stepped forward. "Sensei, let me train him."
Genji blinked. "You? Train me?"
"I want to see if you're really worthy of that pendant," she smirked. "Or if it'll burn you from the inside."
Zakachi stroked his beard. "Very well. The trial of Embers begins at dawn."
That night, under the stars
Genji sat in the courtyard, staring up at the sky. Kazuya joined him with two bowls of miso soup.
"You did well today," Kazuya said. "But don't take Asumi lightly. She's been trained since she could walk."
Genji sighed. "She's strong. I can tell."
Kazuya looked into the distance. "So was your mother. Naomi had the heart of a warrior and the soul of fire. She wasn't just my sister—she was my hero."
Genji held the red pendant in his hand, fingers trembling. "I'll make her proud. I'll survive this trial… even if it kills me."
"No," Kazuya said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You'll live through it. Because the flame in your heart… it's not just from Naomi. It's yours. And it's time the world saw it burn."