The high school Lux attended was not an ordinary one. It was a place where young technique users gathered to learn, control, and refine their abilities. Classrooms echoed with lectures about elemental control, discipline, and combat theory. Training fields behind the school rang with the sounds of clashing techniques—fire sparks, gusts of wind, and the dull tremors of earth manipulation.
For most students, the academy was a place of challenge. For Lux… It was painfully boring.
Sitting quietly through long lectures about technique theory felt like torture to him. While other students struggled to control a small spark or lift a pebble with earth manipulation, Lux had already mastered powers most of them couldn't even comprehend. So naturally, Lux developed a habit. Running away from class.
"Lux! Sit down this instant!" a teacher snapped one morning.
Lux slowly leaned back in his chair, glanced at the open window beside him, and smiled. "Sorry, sir… urgent academic research."
And before the teacher could react— Lux was already gone. The window curtains fluttered gently in the breeze. The teachers had long since accepted their fate. "...He did it again." "Again."
Most of the time Lux escaped to the library, a quiet place that smelled of old paper and dust. One subject fascinated Lux more than anything else: The Battle of Eclipse. He would sit by the tall window, sunlight falling across the pages as he read about the legendary battle where Light warriors and countless technique users had united to defeat the last Dark warrior.
Lux wasn't interested in fame. But he was curious.
"If the strongest warriors in history needed an army to fight that one man…" he sometimes wondered quietly. "Just how strong was he?"
Despite being the strongest Light technique user alive at the moment, Lux had never truly met someone who could challenge him. And that thought intrigued him.
But Lux wasn't the kind of person who stayed quiet and serious forever. Sometimes, when he got bored of reading, he ran straight to the playground. Not to train. To play.
"Lux! You're not supposed to be here!" an older student shouted once.
Lux had already grabbed the ball. "Too late!"
Ten minutes later the teachers arrived. Lux was caught. Again. And yes— He took quite a beating from the discipline staff. But he always returned the next day with the same bright grin. That was simply Lux. And strangely enough… everyone loved him for it.
One evening, after classes had ended, Lux walked casually down the street, enjoying the cool breeze of the approaching night. That's when he spotted Rose. She stood near a small ice cream stall with one of her friends, happily enjoying a cone of vanilla ice cream.
Lux's eyes sparkled mischievously. A dangerous idea had formed. He quietly walked behind her… slowly… silently…
Then suddenly— "AHH!!" "KYAA—!"
Rose jumped in pure shock. Her hand jerked. And the entire scoop of ice cream went flying— Straight onto Lux. His shirt, face, and hair were now beautifully decorated with melting vanilla.
There was a moment of complete silence. Rose stared at him. Lux stared at the ice cream dripping down his face. Her friend burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh my god, Lux! I'm so sorry!" Rose exclaimed, panicking as she grabbed tissues. "I didn't mean to—wait—hold still!"
She tried wiping the ice cream from his shirt, clearly flustered. But Lux gently held up a hand. "It's fine," he said calmly.
Rose blinked. "R-Really?"
Lux nodded thoughtfully. "Yes." Then he crossed his arms with dramatic seriousness. "But since this tragic disaster was entirely your fault..."
Rose nervously tilted her head. "...Yes?"
"You have to buy me an ice cream."
Rose stared at him. Then sighed. "…You're unbelievable." But a small smile appeared on her face.
A few minutes later, the two of them were walking toward a quiet park nearby, each holding an ice cream. They sat on a bench beneath a tall tree as the sky slowly turned orange and purple. For a moment, the atmosphere became calm.
"So…" Lux said between bites, "you're a Fire technique user, right?"
Rose nodded. "Yeah. My father was one of the strongest Fire users in our region. So naturally… everyone expected me to follow the same path." She paused for a moment. "But honestly…" she admitted, looking down at her ice cream, "I always wanted to choose Air techniques."
Lux glanced at her curiously. "Really? Why didn't you?"
Rose quickly looked away. "Ah—well—uh—family expectations and stuff."
Narrator's Note: She was lying. The real reason was much simpler. Once, months ago, Rose had seen Lux casually use a small Air technique to redirect a falling ball during practice. She immediately assumed Lux was an Air technique user. So she decided she wanted to learn Air too. Coincidence? Maybe.
Lux leaned back against the bench, gazing up at the slowly darkening sky. "Well," he said calmly, "you should do what you want."
Rose looked at him. Lux continued quietly. "People will always have expectations. But in the end, you know yourself better than anyone else."
The evening wind moved softly through the trees. Rose smiled faintly. "You say that like someone really wise."
Lux shrugged. "I read books sometimes."
They both laughed. After a while, they stood up and began walking home in opposite directions. Rose waved lightly. "Good night, Lux."
"Night."
She had only taken a few steps when Lux suddenly called out from behind her. "Hey, Rose!" She turned around. Lux grinned mischievously. "You've got some nice legs, you know."
Rose froze. Her face instantly turned bright red. "L-LUX!!"
She spun around and ran toward her house at full speed. Lux laughed loudly, rubbing the back of his head. "Too easy."
To an outsider, it looked like nothing more than playful teasing. But for those who paid attention… There was something there. A quiet spark between them. Not loud. Not obvious. But real. And slowly growing.
The scene shifted. On the quiet outskirts of the city of Meridicus, a lone boy walked along a dusty road that followed the edge of a slow-moving river. The evening sky was dimming into shades of violet and fading gold.
The boy wore a dark hoodie with its cap pulled low, casting a shadow that concealed most of his face. His hands rested calmly in his pockets as he walked with slow, unbothered steps, as if the entire world around him barely existed.
He stopped near the riverbank to drink. Just then, a harsh voice shouted from behind him.
"HEY! YOU BOY!!"
The boy paused mid-motion but did not turn.
"What d'you think you're doin'!?" the man barked angrily. "That water flows straight into Meridicus city! Don't you dare wash your dirty face in it!"
The boy slowly lifted his head. For a brief moment he remained still, then stood up quietly. Without turning around, he spoke in a calm and almost emotionless tone.
"…Sorry."
He stepped away, but the man's irritation had already grown. Without warning— WHOOSH! A blade sliced through the air as the man lunged forward from behind.
The boy moved slightly. That was all. His body shifted just enough for the attack to pass harmlessly beside him. He didn't turn. He didn't even glance back.
"...You dodged that?" the man muttered, surprised. He straightened up with an arrogant smile. "Well then," he said proudly, "guess introductions are necessary. My name is Ray. A Light Technique user."
The boy remained still. Silent. Unmoving.
"You should consider yourself lucky," Ray continued with pride. "There are barely fifty Light users left in the entire world. We are the origin of all other techniques. Earth, Fire, Water, Air… every one of them comes from the power of Light itself."
His expression hardened. "And yet… you managed to dodge my attack."
Ray raised his arm and bright light began gathering along it, forming a sharp blade made entirely of radiant energy. "So now you're going to answer my question. Or prepare to die!"
With a roar, he lunged forward.
"RADIANT BLADE!!!"