Jin stood frozen on the rooftop, memories crashing into him like waves.
Aira—his disciple. The first to awaken.
The wind stirred her long, dark coat as she stood, her presence both commanding and familiar. She hadn't aged a day, her eyes still sharp with determination, her posture still that of a warrior forged through years of combat. But there was something different—something weighed down in her gaze.
"You remember everything?" Jin asked softly, cautiously.
"I do," she replied, her voice steady. "It returned to me months ago. The memories. The training. The bond we shared. I didn't know where you were—only that I had to wait."
Jin looked away. "You shouldn't have come."
Aira stepped forward, unshaken. "And do what? Ignore the signs? Pretend I didn't hear Aegis' voice break through the veil of that dungeon? He's corrupted, Jin. Twisted by something ancient."
"I know."
They stood in silence. Jin's thoughts swirled—memories of the last battle, of the fall, of the moment he gave everything to protect what remained.
"I've changed," Jin said. "I'm not the same Master you remember."
Aira smiled faintly. "None of us are. But we're still yours. I didn't come here to bring you back. I came to fight beside you—if you'll allow it."
Before he could reply, another presence approached—footsteps, light and graceful.
A tall man with silver hair and calm, calculating eyes stepped into view.
"Lucas," Jin muttered.
Lucas gave a slight bow. "Master."
"You too…?"
Lucas nodded. "I regained my memories not long after Aira. We've been tracking rift movements. Then we sensed… you."
Jin's hands clenched at his side. "So you both knew. But why now?"
Lucas glanced out at the night sky. "Because it's starting. The seals are weakening. The enemy has begun its move."
Jin's jaw tightened. "I saw what Aegis had become. Something's controlling him—something beyond this realm."
"Exactly," Lucas said. "He's just the first. There will be others. We can't let this world fall like the last."
Jin remained silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "But we keep this between us. No one else must know—not yet. In public, call me Jin. Only in private…"
Aira smiled. "We understand, Master."
Lucas gave a single nod of agreement.
Jin exhaled. "Then let's begin again. Quietly. Carefully. We prepare."
He turned back toward the academy lights in the distance, eyes hard with purpose. "We find the last disciple."
---
Somewhere in the Northern Territories
A swirling storm of snow cloaked the mountain peaks, hiding the ruins of an ancient fortress. Deep within, a lone figure trained relentlessly—fist against steel, blade against illusions, mind against time.
Sweat dripped from his brow as he struck once more, shattering the stone dummy into fragments.
He paused.
The air shifted.
A voice echoed in the wind.
"It's time, Ryo."
The figure stood tall, his breathing slowing. He sheathed his blade and turned to the horizon, where the moonlight broke through the clouds.
He didn't speak. He didn't need to.
He remembered.
.