Kairo stepped through the veil with Faran and Cyran at his sides—
and the world snapped.
His eyes opened.
They were back in the city.
No shimmering staircase.
No nebula sky.
No cosmic garden.
Just Velronia.
The ordinary, surface-level Velronia he thought he knew.
Kairo spun around instantly.
"…huh…"
The castle—
the floating rings of stardust,
the lunar crest,
the cosmic waterfalls—
all of it…
Gone.
Not hidden.
Not cloaked.
Not distorted.
Gone.
Where…?
Kairo slowly reached out with his hand, expecting to feel the invisible barrier—
some texture, a shimmer, anything.
His fingers pressed gently against empty air.
Nothing.
Not a wall.
Not a ripple.
Not even the faintest hint that something had ever existed there.
As if the castle had never been built in the first place.
Kairo whispered under his breath:
"…It's really gone…"
Faran laughed lightly behind him, arms crossed over his chest.
"I don't blame you, kid. Most people react the same the first time."
He stepped forward, glancing around the street.
"On the surface, the city of Velronia looks completely normal."
Cyran's voice drifted beside him—soft, elegant, almost amused.
"Normal…" he echoed.
Then his expression shifted, eyes narrowing toward the empty space where the castle had been.
"Normal… yet it hides a megastructure its citizens can't even see.
A construct so vast the ordinary eye can't process its form or presence."
He offered Kairo a small, knowing smile.
"You weren't meant to see it until now."
Kairo stared at the empty street.
At the buildings.
At the way the world pretended nothing existed behind the veil.
His breath caught for a moment.
"…How… can something so huge just disappear?"
Cyran clasped his hands behind his back.
"With magic that rewrites perception," he said calmly.
"Vivian's magic."
Faran snorted.
"And her magic is a pain in the ass to explain, so don't bother asking."
Kairo didn't answer.
He kept staring into the emptiness where the castle should have been—
at the invisible colossus that sat in the heart of Velronia, unseen, unfelt, unknowable.
As they wandered through the city—
CRASH.
A shockwave tore through the streets as a man slammed into the ground from the sky.
Rocks scattered.
Wind exploded outward.
People screamed—
Not in fear.
In excitement.
Kairo instinctively covered his eyes from the dust, coughing once as the debris whipped past his face.
He squinted up through the haze.
Faran lifted a lazy hand in greeting.
"Well, well… if it isn't the strongest Guardian."
Cyran stepped forward with elegant composure.
"How do you do, Guardian Lucan?"
The dust began to settle.
Kairo's eyes widened.
A man stood there—
not in armour, not in robes—
but in a full black suit, perfectly tailored, a dark cape draped behind him like a shadow of authority.
His physique was unreal.
Every muscle sculpted, every proportion balanced, tall and breathtakingly handsome.
Cheers erupted around them as the crowd gathered—squealing, shouting his name in disbelief.
THUMP.
Lucan took a single step forward and smiled.
"How are things, Guardian Cyran?
And retired soldier Faran… Your presence in Velronia isn't very common."
His tone was calm, warm—effortlessly noble.
Then his eyes shifted.
Straight to Kairo.
"Ah. And you must be the guest I was told about."
Kairo's breath caught.
He swallowed.
His hands curled into tight fists.
What the hell…
This overwhelming strength… this pressure…
It's a whole different level.
I can't breathe…
I can't breathe…
I can't breath—
A hand touched his back.
Warm.
Steady.
Grounding.
"There," a voice said softly. "How's that?"
Kairo gasped—
air flooding back into his lungs.
Lucan had placed a hand across his shoulder.
And suddenly Kairo could stand.
He could breathe.
He could think.
The suffocating pressure vanished like a weight lifted from his ribs.
Kairo's eyes darted around, stunned.
Lucan smiled gently.
"I forget my presence can be a little… heavy."
"Sir Lucan…!"
"Sir Lucan!!" an old man shouted, nearly tripping as he waved both arms.
"Sir LUCANNN!" another voice yelled.
"We love you!!" a woman screamed, shaking with pure happiness.
Cheers spread across the street like wildfire.
THUMP.
Lucan turned back to Kairo, expression softening.
"My apologies," he said gently. "But I must get going."
FLOOM.
And just like the moment he arrived, he was gone—
launching into the sky with a sudden burst of wind that lifted the dust from the ground.
Kairo blinked hard as the clouds rippled open from the force of Lucan's departure.
He stared upward.
"…So," he whispered to himself.
"That's what the strongest Guardian is like… huh."
The crowd scattered instantly, squealing as they sprinted after Lucan's trajectory—
calling his name over and over like he was their long-lost lover.
Faran burst out laughing, nudging Cyran with his elbow.
"Hey, Cyran. Where's your fanbase?"
Cyran chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear.
"Lisa is the only audience I need."
Kairo smiled faintly, staring at the vanishing crowd—
FLOOM.
A violent gust ripped through the street.
Dust exploded upward.
Rocks skittered across the bricks.
Wood fragments whipped through the air.
Kairo flinched.
"…the hell—?"
He covered his eyes again until the wind faded.
When he opened them—
Lucan and Faran were doubled over laughing hysterically.
And kneeling in the center of the street, head bowed deeply, was Lisa.
Her hair fell like a curtain across the ground, posture perfect.
"Ready for your command, my Lord," she said calmly.
Kairo blinked.
He looked at Cyran.
Then at Lisa.
Then back at Cyran.
He exhaled softly.
"…Well," he muttered, "there's your audience."
"Kairo!!"
"Kairooo!"
"KAIROOO!"
Kairo blinked and squinted toward the distance.
A small figure sprinted toward him—
short, pink hair bouncing wildly,
a bright smile stretched across her face,
and a tiny golden crown sitting crookedly on her head.
The sunlight struck the crown just right, scattering gold across her hair with every step.
Her footsteps were soft, gentle—
almost too gentle.
Despite how fast she was trying to run,
she looked slow.
Behind her was a young man Kairo didn't recognise.
Who's that…?
THUMP.
The boy shouted between breaths:
"Mister Cyran!!"
Both of them finally reached the group, panting as if they'd sprinted across the entire city.
Kairo took a small step back, eyes narrowing slightly as he analysed the young man.
—short black hair, rough but well-kept
—lean athletic build
—full black compression suit
—deep blue cape rippling behind him
—grey eyes sharp but honest, protective
Kairo tilted his head slightly.
Lisa bowed gracefully to Cyran, one hand over her chest.
"If you'll excuse me—my Lord."
FLOOM.
And she vanished in a burst of wind, gone as quickly as Lucan.
Cyran turned toward the panting boy.
"Noah. How do you do?" he asked softly.
Faran stretched his arms overhead and yawned.
"Well… how was the city, Elyra?"
Kairo's eyes moved between them.
So his name's Noah…?
Then his mind flicked back to breakfast.
Elyra had been devouring her food like she was on a time limit—
all to meet someone named "Noah."
Kairo blinked once.
Ohh.
THUMP.