"The flames of war may scorch the earth, but it is the fire of the heart that can burn us the most."

Aiden was running—stumbling, breath coming short, ragged bursts—when he finally reached the edge of a riverbank. He bent slightly, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. His eyes flicked around, and then stopped.

Four ancient-looking pillars stood nearby, half-sunk in the ground. Their surfaces were carved with faintly glowing markings, pulsing softly.

Weird.

He didn’t have time to think about that though, because across the river—on the opposite bank—stood Ryu.

“Of course you’re there,” Aiden muttered under his breath.

Ryu wasn’t moving. He stood silently, facing a large, fallen tree. His back was to Aiden, shoulders slack like he was deep in thought… or totally spaced out.

Aiden took one step forward, eyeing the water.

The river was wide, and the current was fierce. One wrong step and he’d be swept away. Definitely not worth the risk.

He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted.

“Ryu! Oi! What are you doing?! Sightseeing?! The teach is gonna kill you—get back here!”

No reaction.

He frowned and tried again, louder.

“Ryu! Hey! You deaf or something?!”

Still nothing.

He shouted a third time, his voice getting hoarse. “I said come back here, you moron!”

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

Aiden groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

He rubbed his temples, exasperated. “Okay! I get it! You’re pissed at me or whatever. I’m sorry! There, I said it! Is that enough?!”

The wind answered him. Ryu didn’t.

Aiden clenched his jaw and muttered, “Why do I always get stuck babysitting this giant child… I just wanna sleep, man.”

Muttering curses, he started moving along the riverbank, searching for a way across. It wasn’t easy—the rocks were slippery, the bushes were thick, and every step required patience. After what felt like a lifetime, he finally found a spot where the river shallowed a little. Still dangerous, but doable.

He took off his boots, rolled up his pants, and stepped in.

The water was freezing.

Aiden slipped more than once, cursed even more, but eventually he made it to the other side—soaked, shivering, and utterly done with the world.

And there it was again: the same tree.

And Ryu, still standing motionless, back turned.

Something was off.

Aiden’s annoyance twisted into something darker—closer to rage. His footsteps grew heavier, breath sharper. His eyes, red from exhaustion, narrowed as he walked forward like a predator with zero patience.

“I’ll kill you...” he muttered under his breath, one eye twitching.

He crept forward. A strange tension filled the air—thick, eerie, like something unspoken was watching.

When he got close enough, he tilted his head to the side, studying Ryu like a hunter eying his prey.

Then he lunged—no hesitation.

“GOT YOU!! RETURN MY SLEEP TO MEEEEE!!”

His fist crashed into Ryu’s face with a sickening thud—a clean punch, full of frustration and sleepless nights.

Ryu’s body flew back like a ragdoll, landing in a heap.

But Ryu didn’t scream. Didn’t groan.

Because Ryu wasn’t really here—not fully.

Inside the silent void of Ryu’s mind, everything felt... distant.

The world shimmered like a dream. He stood in a glowing space without sky or ground, where time didn’t seem to pass. The air was still, and the light had no source.

Standing before him was a figure—tall, cloaked, ancient "The Sage".

His voice flowed gently, like a river that had seen countless seasons.

"You carry a lineage deeper than you know, Ryu," the Sage said. "Blood soaked in struggle… and glory."

Ryu furrowed his brows, uneasy. “Lineage? What lineage? No one in my family was ever a hero. There’s nothing—no stories, no legends, not even bedtime tales. My family’s always been... normal.”

He looked away, voice lowering. “Not even a name.”

The Sage blinked, genuinely surprised. “You never heard about him...? Not even in history records? No scrolls? No old rumors or songs passed down?”

Ryu shook his head, expression hard. “And why should I believe anything you say anyway? You tried to kill me.”

The Sage gave a soft chuckle and shook his head. “I didn’t intend to kill you. I only meant to test you—to confirm what I suspected. You see… I made a terrible mistake once. One that still haunts me. But that’s a story for another time.”

Ryu stayed quiet, his gaze cold.

The Sage smiled gently. “Well then, I suppose it’s no surprise. The man I speak of was reckless. His ambition often outpaced his wisdom. He fell before he ever truly rose. Let me tell you the story of Keal Ardenheart.”

As he spoke the name, the space around them shifted. A wind stirred through the glowing air.

“Long ago, in a time buried under wars and silence, lived a warrior named Keal Ardenheart. He wasn’t born into power or fame—but greatness clung to him like a shadow."

“He was intuitive. Practical. Always moving. Even as a boy—barely ten—he spent his time deciphering old tomes that scholars had abandoned. Books in lost tongues, filled with broken scripts. Where others saw nonsense, he saw patterns. He understood.”

A glowing image flickered nearby—a boy sitting on a floor of stone, surrounded by scrolls and strange glowing glyphs.

“But he wasn’t just a thinker. He was a fighter too. He trained daily, dreaming of standing beside legendary warriors and mages. He had a simple but happy life. A kind mother. A younger brother who adored him. And a father—a respected soldier in the royal guard. A crusader with no elemental affinity… just like you.”

The Sage’s tone softened.

“Keal inherited that same fate. No affinity. Just pure skill, relentless willpower, and a soul that refused to break.”

The light dimmed. The air cooled.

“Then came the invasion. A monstrous assault the world had never seen. I can’t remember the capital’s name—maybe Eryndor—but it was there the horrors struck first. They didn’t come with a roar. They came with silence. Then tore the sky open with screams.”

Shapes loomed in the void—massive, shadowy monsters that barely had form.

“The first attack wiped out half the capital’s army. And among the dead... was Keal’s father.”

Ryu’s eyes widened.

He leaned forward. “Wait—those monsters... you said their first strike? I thought they were just mindless beasts back then? Driven by instinct?”

The Sage turned, gaze sharp but calm. “That’s what the world believes. But the truth is... buried. The beasts evolved. Their madness was only the beginning. After the post-apocalyptic mana mutations, they gained something far worse than rage—intelligence. Tactics. Reason.”

He sighed. “It’s strange you were never taught that. Then again... that history was probably erased.”

He let the silence linger.

“After the attack, Keal and his mother were left alone. The kingdom didn’t care about commoners without magicat that time. People like Keal were seen as meat shields. Disposable.”

Ryu clenched his fists. “That’s disgusting.”

The Sage nodded solemnly. “And it gets worse. Years later, his younger brother was exiled—accused of treason during a chaotic uprising. A scapegoat. And then… came the second wave.”

The light around them dimmed further. The ground trembled.

“The new swarm was smarter. Crueler. They hunted. They wiped the land clean. And Keal… watched everything he loved crumble again.”

His voice dropped.

“He fought back. Set traps. Reinforced their home. Tried to protect his mother. But it didn’t last. The walls fell. His mother died. And Keal…”

The Sage paused.

“He ran. Alone. Starving. Broken.”

Ryu said nothing, only listened—eyes wide, heart heavy.

“And that’s when I found him,” the Sage said, lifting his head slowly.

“You found him?” Ryu repeated.

“Yes. Because the world needed more than magic—it needed resolve. True strength. Not given by birthright. But earned.”

“Why him though?” Ryu asked, confused. “Why not someone else?”

“Because,” the Sage said simply, “this bloodline is different.”

Ryu blinked. “Different how?”

“You don’t use mana channels. Your body doesn’t rely on affinity from birth like others. You pull in mana through blood itself. An ancient trait, unrecognized by modern tests. You all need spirits which aren't as readily available as people like this, or they choose anyone with this affinity type.

"That’s why Keal—and you—were seen as affinity-less. But it was there, hidden inside the very thing everyone overlooked: your blood and a spirit away to harness it.”

Ryu’s jaw tightened. “So even if he had magic, no one could tell?”

“Exactly. It’s one of the rarest forms of magic—dangerous, potent, destructive, and invisible to modern eyes. I saw it. I knew what it meant. But Keal? He didn’t care. He wanted to die. He was done.”

The Sage looked down, pain flickering in his expression. “Those conversations were hell. But I understood. I really did.”

Ryu swallowed and with a small voice asked, “What happened next?”

The Sage straightened slowly. “He gave up his name. Disappeared. Trained like a madman—brutal routines that tore him apart, just to gain control over the power in his veins.”

Ryu stared, completely absorbed.

“He joined the Academy, what was once called sanctums in those times.” the Sage continued. “Blazed through trials. No one could deny his entry. His skill, his strange power—it shocked the instructors.”

“But he had no name. No status. No backing. Just raw talent. Naturally, students avoided him. Feared him. Some hated him.”

“But he didn’t care,” the Sage said, almost smiling. “He moved forward. Always.”

Ryu whispered, “Then what changed?”

The Sage’s expression shifted.

“He discovered the first rift.”

Ryu’s heart skipped. “A rift? Like… dimensional?”

“Yes,” the Sage nodded. “A wound in the world. Rifts appear when concentrated mana tears through the universe’s fabric. They lead to other dimensions… and let horrors in.”

He stepped closer, voice grave. “It broke Earth’s magia system. Monsters poured in. Magic grew unstable. The balance of the world shattered.”

Ryu’s mouth was dry. “And Keal…?”

“He walked into the rift,” said the Sage. “Alone. No army. No fame. He entered a world that should not exist.”

A long pause followed.

“And in that madness… he founded the Order of Nameless Flame.”

Ryu’s breath caught. “The taboo group? Of unregistered mages? I thought that was just a myth.”

“They were real,” the Sage said firmly. “Born in the heart of chaos. Once powerful enough to defy even nature itself. But one by one, they were hunted down. Silenced. Or bound in chains.”

Ryu leaned in. “Then what happened to Keal?”

The Sage lowered his gaze.

“He vanished.”

Chapter End