The heavy silence enveloped the ancient hall of the Akeron clan, only disturbed by the crackling of the dying flames on the torches fixed to the walls. Arashi stood facing Miyuki, his piercing gaze scrutinizing every minute movement of his mother. The air was thick with tension, a contained storm ready to explode.
"Why... why did you let all of this happen?" Arashi's voice trembled slightly, an emotion rare for him. His fists were clenched, veins bulging on his forearms.
Miyuki, impassive, met her son's gaze with her glowing red eyes. Her silence was an answer in itself, a mute pain that had never been allowed to exist.
"Arashi... you think I was passive, that I abandoned you. But the truth... is that I never had a choice."
A flash of confusion crossed Arashi's face. He was ready to retort, but Miyuki continued in a low, grave voice.
"This clan has never been a mere family. We are the heirs to a power that we barely understand. The Kenrigan (権理眼)... a gift that only a true bearer can wield. And you, Arashi, are the second bearer of this power in millennia."
The young warrior's gaze darkened. "The second?"
Miyuki nodded slowly, her voice breaking slightly under the weight of the past.
"The first bearer was the founder of our clan, the one who sealed our fate in a cycle of power and suffering. His Kenrigan was both a blessing and a curse, a gaze that could rewrite the laws of the world... but also destroy those who could not bear it."
Arashi felt an invisible weight press down on his shoulders. His mother was not just revealing a fragment of history to him, but also a truth that would redefine his existence.
"And me?" he whispered. "What am I supposed to do with this power?"
Miyuki stepped forward, her gaze hardening.
"The Kenrigan belongs to you, Arashi. There is no clan to guide you anymore, no traditions to bind you. But remember..."
She placed a cold hand on his shoulder, her breath grazing his face.
"This power has the potential to reshape reality. It can save... or destroy."
A shiver ran down Arashi's spine. For the first time in a long while, he felt the true weight of his own existence.
Miyuki gave one last sad smile.
"Do with it what you will. But don't forget: every power comes with a price."