Present Time

Cloud planted his feet. He twisted, curling his fingers into a fist, channeling everything into this one strike. His entire body coiled like a drawn bow.

With a roar, he swung.

His fists landed at the side of the creatures face if it could be referred to as such. The phantom swirled in the air and crashed to the ground, small traces of black blood trickling down the side of its maw.

Cloud also landed roughly on his shoulder, “Ahh”

He cursed under his breath and got up on one knee, his head still down before hearing soft footsteps approaching him. He saw straw sandals and sighed with relief knowing it wasn’t a phantom at the very least.

“I told you not to move didn’t I?”

Cloud raised his head and glanced at Kai, his arms crossed, seemingly mad but disappointed even more so.

“Sorry, I thought it was…”

“Yes, yes,” Kai interrupted, with a condescending tone, “you thought it was a woman. But that’s not the point… you didn’t listen. You could’ve died.”

Cloud put his hand on his knee and pushed himself up. “I know, but if you were wrong someone else could’ve died… And besides, I thought you said you didn’t care if I died.”

Kai smacked the back of his head.

“Ow”

“I wouldn’t care if you died, but that doesn’t mean I want you to die.”

Cloud raised an eyebrow under his mask as he turned to Kai. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

The phantom on the ground shook it’s head and slowly got back to its feet.

Both Cloud and Kai turned to it as a gentle swayed the grass between them.

“What now?” asked Cloud.

Kai’s hands abruptly enveloped in flames…

“Now, you stay back.”

Kai lunged forward into a sprint with a blink of an eye, the phantom doing the same in response.

Just as they closed the gap between them, the phantom swung its claws with immense speed. But Kai quickly arched back just enough to evade, he slid under its arms and shifted into another stance seamlessly. He drove a flaming fist into its spin, sparks coming off the collision.

A small crack whispered through the air.

Without a moment wasted, the phantom whirled and swung again into the space where Kai had just been. But he was gone, lunging back out of range effortlessly.

…

As the fight went on, Cloud was in such awe, not just because of the fight he was witnessing but because he barely saw what was going on. Their speed was faster than what he could perceive or understand, it terrified him but felt exhilarating at the same time.

**

A Few Weeks Earlier

Takahiro took off his bucket hat, revealing his shoulder-length, spiky dark hair. The dying light of the evening cast a golden hue over his sharp features, accentuating the quiet intensity in his gaze.

“What now?” asked Cloud, his voice carrying a hint of uncertainty. He shifted his shoulders, uncomfortable, his small frame still tense from the day's events.

Takahiro scratched the back of his head, his expression thoughtful. “Huh? What now?.. Well, that’s up to you. I can train you, or you can go back to the orphanage. How old are you again?”

“I’m 14, almost 15, at least I think so. I’m not sure how old I am. I’m small for my age, I guess. But I was the oldest there.” Cloud's voice was soft, as if admitting it made the reality of his situation more tangible.

Takahiro darted his eyes away for a moment, his jaw tightening. “Right... So you can take care of yourself, though you probably haven’t had the right environment to grow stronger and bigger at a children’s orphanage.”

Cloud chuckled softly, a quiet, melancholic sound. “Yeah. Ms. Chie wouldn’t let me leave. I’ve been there for as long as I remember. Even though I outgrew the children there, she wanted me to get along with them, to play and run around, but I had outgrown that too.”

Takahiro met his eyes, his voice firm yet understanding. “There’s a reason you didn’t get along with them, other than the age difference. You’re a foreigner, but you also have foxfire inside you, so you’re also Auranthian. You have mixed blood, either from your father or your mother.”

Auranthia was the realm in which the thirteen clans and its people resided—a land of tradition, power, and mysticism.

“Your foreign side is what makes you so different—your accent, your weak foxfire, it’s all a result of that. This does mean that you will probably have to work much harder than the average person to grow strong… But luckily, I’ll be the one teaching you, so it won’t affect your progress too much... So, are you going to stay here, Cloud?”

Cloud hesitated. The thought of staying felt daunting. He barely knew this man, and he would be leaving behind the only home he had ever known to chase something that seemed beyond his reach.

Would Ms. Chie be disappointed? Would he even have a place to return to if he failed?

But if he walked away now, he knew he’d regret it forever. Even if it was just a sliver of hope, he had to see where this path led.

He gave Takahiro a slight nod, determination flickering in his blue eyes.

“It’s settled then. You are my student. But I’m afraid you will have to do most of the early training yourself. I have to go and figure out why the Yami Clan decided to close off their routes,” said Takahiro with a sigh as he stood up.

Cloud scoffed, crossing his arms. “So you dragged me all the way out here just to leave me alone?”

Takahiro chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, that wasn’t the plan, but judging from those two boys earlier, the situation must be serious elsewhere. I’ll be leaving a few days from now, to Stormcradle and see if I can find some information there. I’ll show you how you’ll be training while I’m gone in the morning. Get some rest for now.”

**

Present Time

Cloud stood still, mesmerized by the battle before him.

…

“Time to end this,” Kai whispered as he tried catching his breath.

He stood a few paces away from the creature as he raised his arm in front of him and opened his palm.. small sparks began erupting repeatedly, faster and wilder with each second that passed. With a final burst, he unleashed a torrent of flames over the entire area, the phantom screech slicing through the air.

Cloud stumbled back, his eyes wide under his mask as he witnessed what seemed like a wall of flames consuming the battlefield, blinding… the phantom’s twisted silhouette thrashed within, it’s agony echoing in his hears. A truly terrifying sight.