The sun slowly rose over the horizon, casting a warm golden light across the open road. The world felt calmer… almost too calm.

Lucio, Ella, and Johan drove in silence.

The quiet hum of the engine filled the space between them, but something felt off.

Ella glanced sideways at Lucio.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Lucio… what happened to you?”

Johan’s gaze shifted briefly, catching the bruises along Lucio’s jaw and the faint marks on his arms.

Lucio looked out the window for a moment before answering.

“…I ran into some trouble on my way home last night.”

Ella leaned forward slightly. “Trouble?”

Lucio exhaled slowly.

“Three of them jumped me. Cloaked… moving strangely. They knew my name.”

Johan’s expression darkened, but he remained silent.

“…One of them wasn’t like the others.”

That caught Johan’s attention.

Lucio’s voice lowered.

“It was Hans.”

The car fell into silence.

Ella’s eyes widened. “Hans…? Your friend from the orphanage?”

Lucio nodded faintly.

“He’s… not himself. Something’s controlling him. He tried to warn me… but then more of them showed up.”

Lucio’s gaze dropped.

“They called me something strange…” he continued. “Awakener.”

The word felt strange even as he said it.

Johan tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“…And you got out alive.”

Lucio opened his eyes again, staring ahead.

“Barely.”

The car continued down the long stretch of road, the rising sun offering warmth that didn’t quite reach them.

Lucio’s hand tightened into a fist.

Awakener…

The word echoed in his mind.

Something about it didn’t feel like a mistake.

It felt like a warning.

Lucio’s eyes slowly closed, his body relaxing as the quiet rhythm of the road pulled him into unconsciousness.

Darkness.

But not the kind that suffocated.

This one felt… natural. Almost welcoming.

A distant voice echoed through the darkness.

“Why do you reject me…?”

Lucio turned sharply, his eyes scanning the endless black.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?” His voice hardened. “I want answers!”

From the darkness, something began to form.

A coil of light and shadow twisted together, slowly shaping into something almost human — a face barely visible within it. Its eyes glowed with an overwhelming power.

Lucio froze.

That presence…

He remembered it.

The same crushing sensation from before.

“You have grown stronger…” the voice murmured, calm yet unsettling. “Yet fear still lingers deep within your heart.”

The figure shifted, its gaze piercing straight through him.

“Tell me… are you afraid of your destiny… or perhaps afraid of me?”

Lucio clenched his fists, but his body refused to move.

“Seek me out…” the voice continued, now echoing from all directions.

“Or be devoured, my beloved child.”

The darkness suddenly twisted—

“Lucio.”

His eyes snapped open.

The warmth of sunlight replaced the dark.

Johan’s voice cut through the haze. “We’re here.”

Lucio blinked, steadying his breath as reality settled back in.

The car had come to a stop.

Ahead of them, the mountain stood tall, its peak cutting into the morning sky.

They had arrived at the foot of it.

The group gathered their luggage and prepared for the hike ahead.

Before they began their ascent, Johan spoke — his tone stern, yet edged with concern.

“Once we go up, we don’t come back down easily. Lucio, Ella… are you prepared for what lies ahead?”

Lucio and Ella exchanged a glance, then looked back at him.

“Yes.”

The path ahead was unforgiving.

Wild animals. Venomous snakes. Poisonous insects. Uneven terrain.

One mistake… and it could all be over.

They moved carefully, navigating the mountain with caution, avoiding unnecessary risks as they climbed for hours.

“Ella, watch out for the spiders—”

“Eek!”

She instantly grabbed onto Lucio, clutching his arm. “W-where is it?!”

Johan let out a soft chuckle, shooting Lucio a quick wink.

Ella froze… then slowly realised.

Her face flushed red.

“G-Grandpa! Don’t scare me like that!”

Lucio couldn’t help but laugh.

The sun was slowly setting as they made their way toward the summit.

After hours of climbing, they were suddenly greeted by a familiar figure.

A towering brute of pure muscle.

Lucio and Ella instantly dropped into a fighting stance.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Lucio growled, teeth clenched.

Johan casually stepped forward, unfazed, and greeted the giant with a firm handshake.

“Bran.”

He glanced back at Lucio and Ella.

“I’ll explain later. I asked my friend here to help us out.” His eyes locked onto Lucio. “For your sake.”

Bran stepped forward, his heavy footsteps pressing into the ground. His eyes scanned Lucio from head to toe.

“This kid… really defeated our Chief?” he muttered, disbelief laced in his voice.

He cracked his neck, a grin forming.

“Hey, Johan… the deal was, if I help, I can go all out, right?”

Johan’s expression darkened slightly, but he gave a slow nod.

Ella stepped forward instinctively. “G-Grandpa, we need to help—”

Johan gently took her hand and shook his head.

“Ellie, this isn’t our fight. Best we stay out of it.”

A renewed hunger for battle ignited within Bran.

He stepped forward, rolling his shoulders as his presence grew heavier.

“Lucio!” he called out, a grin stretching across his face.

“If you want to go any further…”

His clenches his fists.

“You’re going to have to get past me.”

Lucio glanced at Johan and Ella, half-expecting this to be some kind of joke.

“Old man… you can’t be serious. We just spent the whole day climbing. Can’t we postpone this until tomorrow—”

The sentence never finished.

Bran launched into the air, the ground cracking beneath him as debris scattered in all directions.

Like an eagle diving on its prey, he came crashing down.

The impact sent Lucio flying backward.

“I’ll bury you myself on this forsaken rock!”

Lucio struggled to his feet, dazed — but Bran showed no mercy.

He leapt again, his fists crashing down with brutal force. The blow drove the air from Lucio’s lungs, forcing blood from his mouth.

Bran grabbed him by the collar and hauled him up from the dirt.

“This weakling defeated our Chief?” he growled. “I don’t believe it!”

Ella’s voice broke as tears welled in her eyes.

“Please—stop! You’re going to kill him!”

Bran paused for a moment, glancing toward her — faintly recalling the power she had unleashed against him before.

A grin spread across his face.

“When I’m done beating your boyfriend into the ground… you’re next.”

Before he could move—

Lucio’s hand snapped up, gripping Bran’s forearm with sudden, unnatural strength.

“Your fight… is with me,” Lucio said through clenched teeth. “Leave her out of this.”

More tears slipped down Ella’s cheeks.

“Lucio…”

The air around him shifted.

Something changed.

Lucio’s body trembled as a surge of rage erupted from within. A scream tore from his throat—

And the sunglasses began to manifest across his face.

In an instant—

Bran was blasted backward.

Dust and wind exploded outward from the impact.

Bran steadied himself, a grin forming as he wiped blood from his lip.

“Amazing…” he muttered. “So this is your power.”

This was no longer a fight.

Something deep inside Lucio had snapped.

With relentless force, he took control of the battle.

Lucio and Bran clashed without restraint, neither holding back.

The fight was brutal.

Blow after blow echoed across the mountainside, each strike heavier than the last.

From the sidelines, Johan watched closely.

“Bran… are you satisfied?” he called out.

Bran paused briefly, rolling his shoulder.

“I am. Guess he passes the test—”

Before he could finish—

Lucio appeared in front of him.

A crushing punch slammed into Bran’s face.

Johan’s eyes widened.

“Kid, stop!” he shouted. “That’s enough — this was only a test!”

But something was wrong.

Johan’s voice didn’t reach him.

Lucio moved again.

And again.

Each strike more violent than the last.

Bran was being beaten down mercilessly, unable to recover.

“Lucio, please stop!” Ella screamed, her voice breaking.

For a brief moment—

He paused.

But only for a second.

The assault continued.

Even Ella’s voice couldn’t reach him.

Lucio stood over Bran, his expression empty… cold.

Not anger.

Not rage.

Something worse.

Judgment.

Bran lay motionless on the ground, barely conscious.

A faint glow began to gather in Lucio’s right hand.

Light… condensing.

Power… building.

The air trembled.

Lucio raised his arm, aiming downward.

To finish it.

“Mirage Break.”

Before Lucio could finish—

An elderly woman appeared behind him, as if she had always been there.

She smiled softly, her eyes closed.

Gently, she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you satisfied, young man?”

Her words didn’t reach him.

Lucio’s gaze shifted.

His focus locked onto her.

A new target.

The woman let out a quiet chuckle.

“Oh my… you youngsters have far too much energy,” she said calmly. “Forcing an old lady like me to step in.”

She cast a brief glance toward Johan, her smile warm… knowing.

Lucio moved.

He swung with a surge of gleaming energy — the force behind it devastating, tearing through the air with violent intent.

Impact.

The strike detonated on contact, erupting in an explosive burst that carved a shallow crater into the ground.

Dust and debris filled the air.

As the clouds slowly settled…

The elderly woman was nowhere to be seen.

A soft voice echoed behind him.

“I think you need to take a nap.”

Before Lucio could react—

She appeared behind him.

A swift, precise strike to the neck.

Lucio’s body went limp.

But before he could hit the ground—

She caught him gently.