— Nice to meet you. I'm Raythem. First of all… thank you for coming.
Raythem stood up, his imposing build immediately towering over the table.
Yuta and Ryota instinctively stepped back, while Scarlet remained perfectly still.
Noticing their reaction, Raythem burst into laughter—a hearty, warm laugh that instantly shattered the tension.
— Ahahaha! Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you!
Yuta and Ryota exchanged a glance, thinking the exact same thing.
— What kind of old man line is that…?
Raythem gestured for them to sit down.
Ryota, Yuta, and Scarlet took their seats beside the silent young woman, who hadn't spoken a single word since their arrival, maintaining only a calm, mysterious smile.
Raythem remained standing before them.
— If you're here today, it means you've chosen to trust me. And for that, I thank you.
Now, I will explain who I am, why I wrote to you… and what I expect from you.
His voice was deep, steady, confident.
None of them interrupted. They listened intently, as though each word carried invisible weight.
His gaze drifted for a moment, lost in distant memories.
══ ✦ ══
— I knew the first Éygis.
Stella… and Gloria.
Back then, we worked together. Always the three of us.
Battles, training, speeches… No matter the situation, we were never apart.
Over time, I became their right-hand man.
I was named Raythem, the Elite Sword.
But that title did not last long.
Just like our promise.
They carried a prophecy upon their shoulders.
And despite all their resolve, they had no choice but to accept their judgment.
I… I who had sworn to always stand by their side.
I who had promised to protect them, no matter the cost…
I could do nothing.
Stella was the first of you. The Éygis of Light.
I did not know her in her early days.
Then came Gloria. The Éygis of the Oath.
I sealed a pact with her.
A pact I am bound to honor.
My role is simple: to stand at your side.
I am the only one who fought alongside the Éygis, who witnessed their powers, their strengths… and their flaws.
I know how to guide you.
How to make you stronger.
That is why I called you here.
══ ✦ ══
When he finished his story, Yuta and Ryota remained silent, still in shock.
Scarlet, however, showed no emotion. Neither surprise nor fear.
Raythem then extended his arm.
Before them, a mirror formed, revealing a scene frozen in time.
***
Beneath a gray sky torn apart by violet lightning, two figures faced one another.
One lay on the ground.
The other knelt beside her.
Between them, a seal of light rose, pulsing with intense energy.
The young woman on the ground reached out her hand, her voice weak yet resolute.
"Lead the next of us toward their success…
Until this pact is fulfilled, death shall not follow you."
The man grasped her hand, holding it tightly.
His gaze was empty, drowned in sorrow and despair.
Golden light sealed their pact.
Then the scene vanished.
***
Raythem slowly lowered his arm.
— That is my pact.
I will guide you… you, the last four Éygis.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Then Raythem continued, his tone even graver.
— There is one more thing you must know.
The prophecies.
Each Éygis carries one.
Stella: "You will be the first to sleep, for a future era you will never see."
Gloria: "You will fall to the path your destiny has always drawn."
He paused.
— And now… yours.
I am sorry in advance.
Scarlet: "You will Die alone, in a pool stained crimson."
Ryota: "You will Die in a final duel against your brother-in-arms."
Yuta: "You will Fall for your brothers and sisters, and be reborn for the Universe. "
Evelynn: "You will Rest while gazing upon a Y'onn. But will you be able to witness this new era despite the past?"
Silence fell once more.
Heavier than ever.