That night, Shane stood beneath the starless sky—drawn by something in her chest. The others were still shaken by Emi's awakening and the scroll.
But she needed air.
As she stepped into the moonlit field behind the school, her mark began to glow faintly.
And then…
the world tilted.
Wind roared—visions flooded in.
Long ago.
A girl stood atop a battlefield soaked in rain and flame—her silver hair flowing, sword drenched in blood.
Shane.
But not the Shane of now.
She was called Shanyin, the Saint of Mind and Blade.
Beside her stood ten warriors—half in human form, half transformed into their beast forms. Rio, Haru, and the others—fighting at her side.
They weren't just guardians.
They were her family.
And he—Rio—was her heart.
But then came the betrayal.
A trusted ally, cloaked in mirrorlight, struck her down while her back was turned.
The Mirror Saint.
As she fell, her eyes met Rio's—he screamed her name, unleashing the full wrath of the Dragon's Flame.
But it was too late.
Shanyin's body fell into starlit water.
Now.
Shane collapsed to her knees in the field, gasping.
Behind her, Rio appeared silently, like he'd known where she'd be.
He offered his hand. "You remembered… didn't you?"
Tears filled her eyes. "I died protecting all of you. And you…"
"I lost everything that night," Rio whispered. "And even now, I can't forgive myself for not saving you."
Their hands touched.
And for a moment, the wind held its breath.
Meanwhile, in a distant part of the school, Haru helped Kio with her project—while the soft glow of her mark danced across her neck.
And in the music room, Aya blushed as Linyin accidentally brushed her fingers tuning a piano.
One by one, the threads of fate tightened.
To be continued…