“There are those who walk into the dark not to return, but to make sure no one else ever has to.”

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

The Sage lowered his gaze.

“He vanished.”

"What?"

“The final battle,” the Sage said, his voice quieter now. “It happened deep inside one of the oldest rifts. No one ever saw him again. Every time he stepped into a rift, I lost all connection to his consciousness. But that time… I knew it was different.”

He looked up, and for a brief moment, his expression softened into something close to grief.

“He succeeded in closing that rift. I felt it. Permanently. But he never came back.”

Ryu stood still, like the air had been knocked out of his chest. His mind buzzed with questions, thoughts spinning like a storm inside his head.

“So… Keal’s brother is my ancestor?”

The Sage nodded. “Yes. You carry that same forgotten blood. That same rare gift. Your body doesn’t follow the usual rules of magic. You don’t circulate mana through channels like most people. You channel it directly through your blood and with the interference of a spirit. It makes you powerful in a way this world has forgotten.”

Ryu’s breath caught. “Then… where did Keal go? What happened to him?”

The Sage gave a faint smile. “You’ll find out. One day.”

Then, his expression shifted. His gaze turned sharper.

“But tell me, Ryu… don’t you feel it?”

Ryu blinked. “Feel what?”

The Sage narrowed his eyes. “There’s something watching you. Right now. Outside.”

Ryu’s heart skipped. A chill crawled down his spine.

He didn’t even have time to ask what that meant—because in the very next moment, everything changed.

The space around him flickered. Light bent. Suddenly, he could see outside his own body—but from within.

It was like he was conscious inside his unconscious self, staring outward like a passenger in his own mind.

What the hell?

Through this strange perspective, he saw Aiden stomping toward him—furious.

Aiden didn’t hesitate. He shouted something, then punched Ryu’s face. Then slapped him. Then—splash!—threw freezing river water over his head.

Ryu flinched, but only inside. Outside, his body remained limp.

Inside, Ryu sighed with defeat. “…Yeah. This tracks.”

Behind him, the Sage chuckled quietly.

“Well,” he said, stretching his arms like he was done with a long shift, “I believe it’s time I take my leave.”

Ryu turned to him, alarmed. “Wait, already?! You’re just gonna leave after all that?!”

The Sage raised an eyebrow. “I’ll still be with you. Inside your mind. Maybe, one day, you’ll learn to hear me even without sleeping.” He smirked. “And maybe you’ll learn to guide yourself, too.”

Still shaken, Ryu looked around nervously.

“Guide me?! You could at least stick around long enough to save me from whatever monster’s waiting outside!”

The Sage laughed, full and carefree. “Oh, that thing? I don’t sense any hostility. Whatever it is, it’s your task to handle.”

With a wink, he raised a hand and—

Snap.

One by one, the floating torches around them blinked out, each one fading in perfect order. Darkness closed in.

And then, in that silence, Ryu heard a voice break through the void.

“Ay, why’d you run off by yourself, idiot?!”

It was Aiden.

“Go with someone! Tell the teach! The whole camp’s in chaos, and I can’t sleep ‘cause of you! I wake up and you’re just standing there, glazed eyes, staring at the damn sky like a broken statue—so of course I had to walk halfway down the river to drag your dumb ass back!”

The rant kept going—loud, dramatic, frustrated. But behind every word was concern.

Then a voice shouted from across the water.

“Aiden! You found him!” It was Mrs. Rosie Quinn, her voice tight with worry. “Bring him back to camp right away—I’ll let the others know!”

Aiden clicked his tongue, clearly biting back a snarky reply. Rosie was one of the few teachers he actually liked, so he held his tongue.

With a grunt, he grabbed Ryu by the collar and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then he stomped back toward camp, still muttering to himself.

Back at camp, it was chaos.

Phones were ringing. Other teachers paced nervously. Some were calling out Ryu’s name, others whispering in their phones.

As Aiden walked in, Rosie caught sight of him—and immediately turned pale.

“What in the world are you doing, you brat?!” she yelled, rushing toward him. “That’s not how you carry an unconscious person!”

Aiden stopped mid-step and gave her a flat look.

Then, without a word, he dropped Ryu.

Flat on the ground.

“AAAHH!” Rosie screamed, running over with her hands flailing. She crouched next to Ryu and started checking his pulse, muttering to herself, calling for medics to bring a stretcher.

Aiden just dusted off his hands, stuck them in his pockets, and walked off like nothing happened.

Inside another tent, he found Ren already lying inside the tent.

Ren looked up. “Shouldn’t you be with him?”

Aiden flopped down beside him, face-first. “Ryu’s thick-skinned. He’ll live.”

Ren gave a long sigh. “That’s not what I meant…”

The next morning, the school trip officially ended.

Everyone boarded the bus. Some were half-asleep, others chatting quietly, while a few just stared out the windows with that end-of-trip emptiness.

They were headed back to their everyday lives—with a one-week break before assessment week.

Aiden slid into his usual spot—the middle row, corner seat.

“This is the bounce-safe zone,” he’d explained during every trip. “Bus hits a bump? You barely feel it.”

He sat back, satisfied with his choice.

Soon, Ryu climbed in and sat beside him. His movements were slower than usual, his joints still a little stiff. But he was up and walking—functional, if not fully fine.

Aiden gave him a quick glance. “So. Alive, huh?”

Ryu chuckled weakly. “Barely.”

They sat quietly for a bit before their conversation slowly drifted—camp pranks, teachers snoring, that one time Ren screamed because he saw a deer in the dark and thought it was a ghost.

Eventually, the chat shifted toward their upcoming assessments... and then, somehow, to dreams.

But the entire time, Ryu wasn’t really there.

His mind kept spinning back to the Sage’s words. The story of Keal. The bloodline. The rift. The Order. It all felt real—but distant, like a dream stitched into waking life.

He must’ve looked spaced out because Aiden suddenly turned to him.

“You good?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah,” Ryu said quickly. “Just tired.”

Aiden studied him for a second. Then leaned back, arms crossed, tapping his fingers lightly.

“…I’ve been meaning to ask,” he said. “Have you noticed anything weird about yourself lately? Like… an aura?”

Ryu blinked. “Aura?”

“Yeah,” Aiden nodded slowly. “It’s familiar. Like something I’ve read about in theory books—ancient bloodlines. Powerful ones. Not the stuff we learn in school. I’ve been getting that kind of feeling from you.”

He paused, then added, “Something like… the Sanctum.”

Ryu froze. His breath caught.

“The… Sanctum?” he repeated, the word echoing in his head.

Aiden gave a short nod. “Yeah. Tied to people with rare, dense magical signatures. Stuff most people wouldn’t even know exists. But from you… I feel it. Something heavy. Like a spell wrapped in a blood seal.”

Ryu remembered the Sage’s words:

“Your lineage doesn’t use mana channels… you harness magic through your blood.”

He opened his mouth—then closed it. He didn’t know what to say.

“W-What?!” he finally stammered. “I-I don’t even know what I know, man! Things have been… really weird lately!”

Aiden raised an eyebrow. “You sound like you just found out you're a unicorn.”

Ryu groaned. “That’s how I feel!”

Aiden chuckled, leaning back again. “Well, just saying—something’s changed. Keep an eye on it.”

The bus hit a bump. Ryu jolted slightly in his seat.

Aiden didn’t move an inch.

“Told you,” he said smugly. “Middle seat’s king.”

Despite everything, a small, tired laugh slipped out of Ryu.

But his thoughts didn’t quiet.

If anything, they grew louder.

Chapter End

.....................................................................................................................................

Dear Readers,

Thank you so much for sticking through the first arc of our journey — Ryu’s awakening and the spark that set everything into motion. Whether you were here for the world-building, the action, or just curious about where this path leads… We appreciate every moment you spent reading.

How did you find Arc 1?

Did anything stand out, surprise you, or leave you wanting more? Feel free to drop your thoughts, theories, and favorite moments—We would love to hear them.

But this is only the beginning.

Arc 2 is on its way. Ryu’s path is about to get a lot harder.New challenges, new characters, and decisions that might just break him—or forge him into something greater.

Stay tuned.The fire has only just been lit.

—Aizu Kin