The torches along the hall flickered as Shino leaned against the stone pillar, arms crossed.
"How was the battle in the western region?" he asked quietly.
Shino didn't even turn fully toward him, just shifted his eyes, sharp as broken glass.
"You speak like you care," Yeager replied. "All you do is wander around acting like life is a game… while I and uncle have been bleeding ourselves out in distant regions."
The tension snapped through the hall like a drawn bowstring.
Before Shino could answer, Uncle Philip stepped between them, raising a hand.
"Now, now," Philip said, voice steady with tired authority. "You know your brother has been keeping an eye on the kingdom while we're out there fighting. Since he's going to be king soon, it's better he starts getting used to the life he's inheriting."
Philip shifted his gaze to Shino, a small smile softening the weight of his armor.
"I heard you're taking some second- and third-rank warriors to hunt down threats roaming the villages," he said.
Before Shino could respond, a cold scoff echoed through the hall.
"Hmph."
Yeager stepped past them, not bothering to hide the disdain in his eyes. "With all that power… and you still can't use it in a real fight."
He didn't wait for a reply. He turned sharply and walked out of the hall, the heavy doors thudding shut behind him.
The room fell silent again.
Philip sighed. "Don't get worked up about what he said."
"I'm not worried, Uncle," Shino said, voice calm
I'm happy you have a calmer attitude," Philip said, placing a firm, warm hand on Shino's shoulder. "Your father would be proud of you."
For the first time that night, Shino's hardened expression softened—just slightly.
"Thank you, Uncle."
He bowed his head. "I should take my leave. I have a journey to start tomorrow."
His cloak whispered across the marble floor as he turned.
Each footstep echoed… softer… softer… until the sound fades into the long corridors of the palace.
"Rest well, Shino," he murmured, almost to himself.
(Lazarus home)
The sun rose with a strange blend of joy and calamity, spilling light over a world that felt both alive and waiting. David stirred as the first rays touched his skin, their warmth tinged with the chill of the morning wind. He rose, each step heavy, deliberate, until his eyes found Lazarus in the distance.
Lazarus sat upon a chopped tree, his body stays calm and steady against the breaking day.
"Good morning, David," he said, a soft smile cutting through the cold air. "Our training starts now."
"Already?" David's voice betrayed a mix of fatigue and caution.
"Yes," Lazarus replied. "Take a seat."
David settled on another fallen trunk, folding his legs like Lazarus, mirroring the stillness.
"Do you remember what I told you about the foundation of using this power?" Lazarus asked, eyes fixed on him.
"Yes," David answered, his voice calm but edged with focus. "You said that in order to understand one's powers, they must first understand themselves—their identity, their nature, and what they truly stand for."
"I'm glad you still remembered. Those words are the foundation to accessing your power," Lazarus said, his voice low, steady as the earth beneath them.
David hesitated before speaking again. "But… what I don't understand is, since my power isn't drawn from the blessed energy, where do I even connect to it from?"
Lazarus looked at him for a long moment.
"Yourself," he said at last.
"Myself…" David echoed, confused. "How do you mean?"
"Unlike those who wield blessed energy," Lazarus began, "who must reach beyond themselves and connect to a divine source… there are warriors who carry their power within them."
He placed his palm lightly against his own chest.
"This kind of power does not descend from the skies or rise from sacred grounds. It is born in the soul. It grows in the flesh. It answers only to the one who carries it."
He lowered his hand and met David's eyes.
"These warriors are rare. They do not need to connect to the source to listen to them. Their body is the altar. Their spirit is the source. And the energy inside you…" Lazarus paused, studying him, "…it feels alike to that path."
A quiet chill crept down David's spine. The wind stirred the leaves around them, as if the forest itself had overheard.
"So I don't connect outward…" David muttered.
"No," Lazarus replied. "You connect inward. And that… is far more complicated.
"For your first training, you will need to clear your mind and tap into your soul. Your mind acts as a controller to every path, and to do that, you must silence it, focus it on one thing. Lucky for you, we are in an isolated region, so you can concentrate fully. Close your eyes… and connect within," Lazarus said, his voice steady, cutting through the cold morning air.
David closed his eyes, forcing his mind inward, reaching for his soul. But all he saw was the vision — the shadowed being, reaching out for him. His body trembled, shivers running down his spine, fear and confusion writhing inside him.
"Calm down. Focus. Take control of yourself," Lazarus' voice echoed, low and commanding, yet soft enough to soothe the chaos within.
Slowly, David's mind began to settle. His breath evened. The tremors faded. His body became calm… and steady.
Then, Lazarus began sensing a faint presence around David, a subtle ripple in the air.
"His growth… faster than I imagined. At this rate, he will master it sooner than expected," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing with quiet pride.
"Continue, David. I'll prepare breakfast for us," Lazarus said, his voice calm, almost a whisper against the soft rustle of the morning.
David remained seated, still focused, still tethered to the first threads of his own energy, as Lazarus disappeared into the house.
(capital of valnic)
Shino stood silently at the side of the palace hallway, armor fitted tight against his frame, a black cloak draped over him like an omen.
The hood cast a shadow over his eyes, masking his expression, allowing him to look more ghost than man. The marble floor beneath him shimmered faintly from the torches mounted along the walls, their flames bending as if bowing to the presence of the palace.
A voice drifted from behind, calm yet carrying the weight of someone who had seen too much and survived it.
"I guess today is the day you set out for the State of Solara."
Shino didn't flinch. He exhaled softly.
"You're really good at sneaking up on someone without being noticed, Uncle Philip."
Philip stepped beside him, his cloak brushing Shino's as they began walking down the long hallway, boots echoing off stone and silence.
Behind them, guards straightened unconsciously. Ahead of them, the towering gate at the far end awaited—gold-lined, carved with the history of Valnic's victories and sins.
"So," Philip said, hands behind his back, "if I may ask… who are the people you'll be working with?"
Shino's eyes narrowed slightly, not out of doubt, but calculation.
"Good thing you asked."
He lifted a finger.
"First on the list is Hiron, a third-ranked knight from the State of Benrin. Exceptional defender. Not the strongest in brute power, but his endurance is unmatched. For the kind of threat we're expecting… he's a perfect candidate."
Philip nodded slowly. "Benrin knights rarely disappoint. Who else?"
"Hera, a fourth-rank nature warrior from Solara," Shino said. "She's a strategist… and a healer. Good in case one of us gets injured."
They stepped out onto the palace grounds, the morning air colder than usual.
Philip's eyes narrowed. "And who is that fella right there?"
Shino tilted his head slightly, spotting the young man standing with his arms crossed beside the stone steps.
"That's Peter. From the state of Helori. Newly promoted thunder user… he'll handle offensive duties."
Philip studied Peter for a moment, nodding.
"Hmm… I see. I guess you know what you want."
Shino's cloak shifted with the breeze as he straightened his posture.
"I chose them carefully, uncle. And we will hunt the ones that threaten our people."
Philip exhaled slowly. "Then may the gods stand with you… shino."
Shino stepped forward.
"Morning, everyone."
"Morning, sir!" they echoed in unison.
Shino's voice carried across the courtyard, sharp and steady.
"Today, we begin our journey to hunt down the threats roaming the states… and most importantly, the one that attacked the village of Berlin and killed two innocent people."
His eyes hardened.
"This act will not go unpunished. We set out, and we will return victorious."
"Yes, sir!" they all answered.
Shino mounted his black horse. The rest mounted theirs immediately, formation tightening around him.
The sound of hooves thundered across the palace grounds as they rode toward the gates.
Up above, through a tall palace window, Yeager watched silently—eyes fixed on Shino as he led the squad out.
A soft voice behind him broke the moment.
"He has gone to battles and come back victorious always."
Yeager didn't turn.
"And what is it, Mother?"
She paused on the stairway, her expression unreadable.
"Nothing… but you know."
Her footsteps faded as she descended the steps.
(Lazarus home)
The morning air around the small house was still—a quiet, breathless hush, as though the world itself waited for something to awaken.
David sat on the chopped tree, eyes closed, his breath slow and unsteady.
Lazarus stepped out from the house, the scent of cooked food drifting behind him. His gaze settled on David—
a boy trying to reach inward, yet chained by something unseen.
"I see you're having a tough time finding the path," Lazarus said, his voice calm, almost echoing through the silent field.
David opened his eyes, frustration dimming them.
"I just can't get past through it."
Lazarus moved closer, the morning light catching the scars across his knuckles.
"When you first made a connection with your powers… what was going through your mind?"
David lowered his gaze, as though staring into memories carved with knives.
"Pain… agony… rage… confusion," he whispered.
"That's all I could recall."
Lazarus's gaze fixed on David—calm, unreadable, yet heavy with something that felt like warning.
"This is going to be hard to ask," he said quietly, "but I want you to gather all those emotions… and let them burn as one."
David's brow tightened.
"All of them?"
"Yes." Lazarus nodded slowly.
"If you do, we might see what's blocking you… or what's trying to reach you."
David inhaled, long and shaky.
"Okay, then."
He folded his legs beneath him, spine straightening as though bracing for impact.
The moment his eyes shut, memories flooded in like a storm breaking its chains,
every wound, every scar, every scream swallowed in years of silence.
He pushed them together… compressed them… forged them into a single burning core
And then the vision snapped open inside him.
David stood in a dark chamber, hands chained to a cold stone wall.
A presence stood before him
its silhouette shifting like a shadow with a heartbeat.
It reached its hand toward him.
David lifted his own, trembling, and when their hands touched
His body was yanked downward through a void that felt bottomless,
the same force that had nearly consumed him before.
Then
A gasp.
Cold air flooding his lungs.
He blinked back into the world and found Lazarus staring at him, head slightly tilted, eyes narrowed as though studying something behind David's soul.
David swallowed.
"What… happened?"
Lazarus lifted a finger and pointed toward David's hands.
David lowered his gaze—
and his breath froze.
Something was moving beneath his skin, racing through his veins like liquid lightning.
Dark… luminous… alive.
"What is this?" David whispered.
"It feels like what happened before."
Lazarus folded his arms, his expression turning grave.
"That is the energy your soul holds. And whether you meant to or not… you've already caused quite a mess."
David's eyes lifted sharply.
"What do you mean?"
Lazarus tilted his head toward the field.
"Look forward, son."
David turned.
A tree—thick, old, and deeply rooted—had been ripped apart from the middle, smoke still curling from its splintered trunk.
The ground around it was carved open as if struck by a silent storm.
David stepped back, heartbeat stuttering.
"I… did this?"
Lazarus nodded once.
His voice dropped low, almost reverent.
"When your spirit made contact, the energy in your body surged. I sensed it was too much for you to contain… and it exploded outward."
David stared at his trembling hands, the strange energy still threading through his veins.