The city of Neo-Kashi never truly slept.
Even at dawn, the skies glowed with streams of Spirit Rails stretching between floating transit platforms suspended above the city. Massive crystal towers reflected golden sunlight while countless rune-powered vehicles moved through the streets below.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Dominion had been a world of kings, beasts, and ancient magic.
Now it was a world of innovation.
Spirit-powered communication networks connected continents.
Al Chemical reactors supplied energy to entire cities.
Rune-engineered transportation crossed thousands of kilometers in hours.
Children studied dimensional mathematics alongside magical theory.
The old and the new existed together.
Magic and technology had become inseparable.
At least...
For most people.
"AARUSH!"
A thunderous voice echoed through the marketplace.
Merchants immediately stepped aside.
Shopkeepers shook their heads.
Several children started laughing.
Because they already knew what was coming.
A blur shot through the crowd.
"COME BACK HERE!"
A young boy sprinted between market stalls.
Black hair.
Dark eyes.
School bag hanging from one shoulder.
Half-eaten bread still in his mouth.
Aarush Vayu.
Sixteen years old.
Future student of Dominion Academy.
Current disaster.
Behind him charged an enormous Spirit Goat.
Its curved crystal horns sparkled blue.
Its eyes glowed with spiritual energy.
And it looked extremely angry.
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"
Aarush shouted.
The goat disagreed.
Violently.
It lowered its head and charged.
CRASH!
A fruit stand exploded.
Oranges flew everywhere.
Three merchants screamed.
Someone dropped a crate of fish.
A small child started cheering.
"Again?" a nearby shopkeeper sighed.
"This is the third time this week."
"Fourth," another corrected.
Aarush jumped over a cart.
The goat followed.
The cart did not survive.
BOOM!
Wooden planks scattered across the road.
"WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?"
Aarush yelled.
The answer was simple.
Animals liked him.
Too much.
Since childhood, strange things happened around him.
Birds landed on his shoulders.
Street dogs followed him home.
Cats slept outside his apartment.
Even wild beasts rarely acted aggressively toward him.
Instead...
They acted strangely familiar.
Almost as if they recognized him.
Unfortunately, nobody considered that useful.
Especially not Dominion Academy.
The entrance exam measured:
•Magical Affinity
•Spirit Resonance
•Alchemical Potential
•Combat Ability
•Rune Compatibility
Aarush scored average in everything.
Painfully average.
No special affinity.
No legendary talent.
No royal lineage.
No exceptional power.
Just average.
Which made his acceptance into Dominion Academy even more surprising.
CRASH!
A watermelon struck his face.
Aarush stumbled.
The goat finally caught up.
The crowd gasped.
"This is it."
"He's dead."
"No way he's surviving that."
The goat raised its massive head.
Spiritual energy crackled around its horns.
Then...
It stopped.
Completely.
The creature stared at Aarush.
Aarush stared back.
Neither moved.
For a moment the entire marketplace became silent.
Something passed between them.
Not words.
Not magic.
Something older.
Instinctive.
The goat's glowing eyes softened.
Then...
To everyone's shock...
The beast lowered its head.
And sat down.
Peacefully.
As if nothing had happened.
The crowd blinked.
"What?"
"What just happened?"
Aarush blinked too.
"I have absolutely no idea."
The goat nudged his shoulder.
Almost affectionately.
Then began eating vegetables from a nearby stall.
The owner nearly fainted.
"That's my inventory..."
Aarush sighed.
"Sorry."
The merchant looked at him.
Looked at the goat.
Looked back at him.
Then threw his hands into the air.
"Just pay for the vegetables."
"Fair."
Ten minutes later...
The crisis was over.
The goat was calm.
The merchants were paid.
The market survived.
Mostly.
Aarush sat on a bench near the central fountain.
The Spirit Goat remained beside him.
Chewing happily.
"You know..."
Aarush said.
"Normal people don't spend their mornings negotiating peace treaties with livestock."
The goat ignored him.
"Rude."
The goat continued chewing.
"Very rude."
A small smile appeared on Aarush's face.
Despite everything...
He liked animals.
Always had.
People were complicated.
Animals weren't.
Animals never lied.
Never pretended.
Never judged.
They simply existed.
The goat suddenly stopped eating.
Its ears twitched.
Then it turned toward Aarush.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
Its glowing eyes locked onto his.
And for the briefest moment...
Something strange happened.
Aarush felt...
Recognition.
Not from himself.
From the goat.
As though the beast was looking at someone else.
Someone hidden beneath his skin.
A shiver ran down his spine.
The goat lowered its head.
A gesture that looked strangely similar to respect.
Then it stood.
Turned.
And walked away.
Without looking back.
Aarush remained frozen.
"What..."
"...was that?"
For some reason...
The moment felt important.
Like a memory he couldn't quite remember.
Like a dream fading after waking.
The feeling lingered long after the goat disappeared into the crowd.
High above Neo-Kashi...
Dark clouds gathered.
Rain would come tonight.
And with it...
The beginning of a story that would change Dominion forever.
Because tomorrow...
Aarush Vayu would enter Dominion Academy.
Tomorrow...
He would stand before the ancient Shivling Relic.
Tomorrow...
The relic would see something no one else could.
And somewhere deep beneath the academy...
Hidden behind seals older than history itself...
Something sleeping would stir.
Not because of power.
Not because of destiny.
Not because of prophecy.
But because after one hundred and fifty years...
A familiar echo had finally returned.