"Sometimes, we don't know what we're willing to protect... until the world tries to take it away from us."
---
I remember the day I met them for the first time.
It was summer. The air smelled of sun-heated concrete and distant music. I was playing in the street, like always. No one really listened to me, but that was enough. Passersby came and went like distracted waves. And then...
Then I saw them.
Her, Aenna, with light hair and eyes as clear as a raging river. Riven, who always looked like he was about to crack a joke, but with eyes that had already seen too much. And him... Kairo. That boy who seemed to carry the weight of a forgotten world on his shoulders.
They listened to me. Truly.
And that's when I realized: I wasn't alone.
My name is Lyra.
And once, I didn't believe in bonds.
To me, people were meteors: they blaze into your life with violent light, shine for an instant, and then... vanish.
I had learned to survive on my own. All I needed was my violin, a roof over my head, and the belief that music could fill any void. I wasn't looking for salvation. I didn't want promises. I just wanted to keep standing.
Then I met them.
Not all at once. First Aenna, with her eyes that seemed to know too much and that "know-it-all" attitude that annoyed me to no end. Then Riven, with anger clinging to him like a second skin, his mocking tone, his arrogance—I didn't like him one bit.
And finally Kairo, who spoke little but whose gaze revealed a world constantly on the brink of collapse.
I called him weak.
They were a disaster. A storm of personalities, trauma, and silence. But something in them pulled me in, like my music had finally found a melody worth following.
And I... got lost.
Not like someone who falls. Like someone who finally finds something worth stopping for.
One day, while I was walking, a group of guys pulled me aside. They wanted to go out with me—not with good intentions.
And then I saw them.
Their defiant smiles.
Riven and Kairo had stepped between me and the aggressors, wearing those distinct smirks.
A cocky guy and a quiet one, but in that moment of need, they both had a fierce look in their eyes.
Kairo was the first to reach out his hand to me, gently asking, "Are you okay?"
I saw his face, his smile... or rather, their smiles.
Kind, but beneath that kindness I saw a strength I had never witnessed before.
I was captivated by that strength hidden inside their gentleness.
---
Now, the present.
Tokyo's asphalt trembles.
In front of me, Riven is fighting that thing... that Shadow. A monster made of nothing and terror. A walking abyss.
And he's there.
Aenna holds her breath. I don't. I tremble.
Because every strike Riven lands is a heartbeat lost in my chest. Every time he dodges, shouts, falls, and gets back up... something in me cracks.
It's not just fear. It's not just friendship.
It's something else.
Something that scares me more than the Shadow itself.
Because in the midst of chaos, at the end of the world, I look at Riven... and I don't want to lose him.
Not him.
Not now.
I don't want to lose him.
A claw strikes Riven's arm.
Blood sprays and for Lyra, time stops.
The impact makes Riven lose his balance, and he falls in front of the two girls.
A scream rips through the air.
"RIVEN!"
The creature leaps, ignoring Riven.
It charges toward Aenna, ready to strike.
Its claws whistle.
The creature emits guttural sounds.
Instinct kicks in.
Lyra throws herself in between, pushing Aenna away.
The Shadow roars, ready to strike Lyra.
She closes her eyes, awaiting the inevitable.
Then—nothing. A dull thud. Lyra opens her eyes and sees Riven standing before her, his boken raised, cloaked in a crimson aura.
He turns slowly. The creature has been hurled against a parked vehicle, crushing it.
"Lyra..." Riven smiles with his usual smirk. "...Don't try to die, or I'll come get you even in hell."
Lyra shudders.
He stands before her, just like that time. Where does he get that strength? How does he have it?
Aenna rises, eyes wide.
"Riven, what is that light?" she asks, pointing at the pulsating boken.
Riven doesn't answer. He just smiles.
The creature writhes and rises again.
It growls, locking its eyes on Riven. Its target has changed.
Riven smirks and, without turning, says:
"Girls, run. I've got this."
"Are you stupid? I'm not leaving you," Lyra says, noticing his wound, clenching her fists.
"Yeah, exactly. We're not leaving," Aenna says firmly, gripping her pendant.
"Tsk! You're seriously annoying. If you're not leaving, then at least take cover," he growls, facing the approaching creature. "This will be a good fight... At least I can brag to Kairo, heheh."
"Don't you dare die," Lyra yells, running toward a car. "Or I won't forgive you."
Aenna follows.
Only the two remain: Riven and the Shadow.
Riven points the boken at it, aura swirling around him.
"Oi, filthy creature," he growls, the air crackling. The aura envelops the boken completely. It's dense, dark, but full of resolve. "You tried to hurt my friends. Now I'm gonna beat you to death."
The creature, recognizing the challenge, growls deeply and emits a violet, oppressive aura, creating a shockwave that crackles through the area.
"Oh, you've still got energy, huh..." He changes stance. "I'm coming."
The Shadow snarls.
Not a normal sound. It's like the void scratching, like a thousand voices whispering death in unison.
Riven grips his boken.
The wood pulses with energy, drawing crimson trails with every movement.
— "Wanna dance, ugly bastard? Then come on."
The Shadow charges.
A formless black mass, fast, ravenous. Tentacles of shadow lash out like whips, aiming for Riven's throat, legs, heart.
But he...
He is already moving.
A clean, diagonal strike.
The boken slices through a tentacle, flaming in crimson light.
The Shadow shrieks, recoiling as if it truly felt pain.
Riven doesn't stop. He advances, his blows rapid, precise—fierce like notes in a mad symphony. Each impact bursts with crimson energy.
Another tentacle hits the ground. Another roar.
— "Not used to losing, huh?" Riven smirks, sweat tracing down his temple.
The Shadow grows.
Its form becomes denser, larger. It's absorbing its own wounds.
Streetlamps flicker. The asphalt cracks beneath them.
Then it leaps—a massive, crushing jump.
Riven can't dodge in time.
Impact.
The ground shatters beneath the weight.
A dust column rises between the buildings.
— "RIVEN!" Lyra's voice vanishes in the roar.
Silence.
A hiss.
A crimson line glows between the cracked pavement.
The dust clears.
The Shadow turns.
Riven stands.
The boken, fully wrapped in aura, vibrates on its own.
His eyes shine.
Not with fear. Not anymore.
— "That was good. Really. But not enough."
He readies himself.
— "My turn."
Riven lunged forward with a ferocity that was entirely his own.
Wielding his boken, he struck the creature with four precise, surgical, but brutal blows—pure instinct, pure vengeance.
The Shadow let out a brief groan, then vanished from Riven's view, reappearing behind him with a clawed hand ready to strike.
But Riven was ready. Without even turning, he blocked the blow.
Their strength defied physics. Aenna and Lyra watched the two silhouettes colliding, creating small shockwaves and lifting the wind.
"Riven?" Aenna whispered.
"What are those movements? They're his... but insanely fast," Lyra said, mouth agape.
Gremit, still perched on the rooftop, observed with growing interest.
"Now this is a surprise," he grinned, baring his fangs. "You've got energy to spare, Riven. Alright, time to kick this thing's ass."
The Shadow growled again, this time sharper, more animalistic.
Wounded in its pride. The creature was not used to being repelled—let alone challenged.
Riven clenched his teeth. His arm bled, but his grip on the boken was as firm as steel.
— "Thought you could catch me off guard with that trick?" His eyes burned.
— "I learned to fight in chaos. And you—you're just noisy distortion."
The creature lunged again. Two, three, five shadow strikes—too fast for the human eye.
But Riven was no longer just a boy. He was pure will in motion.
Each blow was deflected with crimson-laced strikes. Their battle was one between monsters, a deadly dance on shattered concrete.
And yet... something changed.
The air... was shifting.
A spark. A pulse. A heartbeat.
Lyra felt it first.
— "Aenna... the air... it feels alive."
The brown-haired girl nodded, eyes wide.
— "That's not just his power. It's something else. Like something inside Riven is awakening."
The creature noticed it too. It stepped back—once, twice.
Riven, by contrast, stood still.
— "You feel it too, right?" He whispered.
— "This heartbeat... it's not just mine. It's from those who believe in me. Those I vowed to protect. And you know what, beast?"
He stomped the ground. Energy burst in concentric rings.
— "I'm not afraid of you."
The Shadow charged, enraged.
Riven did the same.
Two lines. One crimson. One violet.
The moment before impact.
Silence.
Then—the roar.
The air itself bent under the clash of forces. Crimson against violet. Fury against hunger. Human against shadow.
Riven struck first.
The boken pierced the Shadow's abdomen, unleashing a crimson explosion that ripped through the night like a cosmic roar.
The Shadow screamed, reaching for Riven's throat with twisted claws.
But the boy didn't back down.
— "Now you're scared, huh?" Riven hissed, eyes blazing.
— "You're just a fucking shadow. And I... am the light that erases you!"
He snapped the boken upward. A crimson arc lashed like a divine whip.
The Shadow was launched skyward.
Just as it tried to regain balance, Riven jumped.
The Tokyo sky opened. A human silhouette, a sword red as rage, and a shout that shattered every other sound:
— "THIS IS FOR THOSE I LOVE!"
The strike fell like a meteor.
The impact carved a crater in the asphalt. The shockwave shook the surrounding buildings. Dust, sparks, shadow, and light blended into a blazing vortex.
Then... silence.
Only the crackle of fading energy. Only the slow heartbeat of one who had stared death in the face—and denied it.
Lyra and Aenna stepped cautiously from cover.
There, in the center of the crater, Riven stood. The boken embedded in the ground. His chest heaving. His eyes trembling.
The Shadow... was gone.
Not destroyed. Not dissolved. Erased.
— "You..." Lyra gasped. "You won..."
Riven smiled faintly, barely lifting his gaze.
— "Well... couldn't let someone else steal the spotlight in front of Kairo..."
He dropped to his knees, but never fell completely.
Two hands caught him. One from the left. One from the right.
Lyra and Aenna, together.
— "We won't let you fall." — "Not ever again."
Then, the sound of wings.
Gremit appeared before Riven, smiling, but noticed something.
Lyra and Aenna looked at the creature—but it was as if they couldn't see him.
Riven opened his mouth to speak, but Gremit gestured. A sign to remain silent.
Riven rose, looking at the two girls, ignoring Gremit.
"We need to save that idiot—the one who can't die," he smiled with resolve. "Not until he accepts my challenge."
Aenna looked at him and sighed.
"Same old you, glowing boken and all."
Lyra chuckled, worry fading. "C'mon, we've got a nerd to rescue. He's our nerd."
They started running toward that damned intersection.
"Shibuya! Kairo! We're coming!"
---
Meanwhile, Kairo lay on the ground, but his mind had been pulled somewhere else.
Lethe.
Kairo stood before her, still stunned by her words, in a desert of black sand, under a gazebo.
"A choice? What do you mean?" he asked, slowly rising.
He was confused. Unsure if this world was real or just a dream.
Lethe looked at him while sipping tea from a porcelain cup.
"Exactly. A choice. Come with me," she said, snapping her fingers.
The desert began to vanish. The black sand dissolved as plants and flowers started to bloom.
Kairo struggled to stay upright, fighting for balance. Lethe floated gracefully in midair.
The ground settled. Before them, a vast garden appeared. Flowers and plants of every kind grew lushly, carefully arranged with winding paths. A floral scent filled the air.
"Walk with me. I like to stroll here."
Lethe went ahead, leaving Kairo stunned.
"Well? Aren't you coming?" she smiled sweetly.
"Uh... yeah, coming," Kairo said, gathering himself.
The two walked side by side.
Kairo watched her, wary and unsure, but something about her captivated him.
Her necklace.
The hourglass.
He felt a strange sensation, like an echo from the past.
Lethe suddenly turned to him.
"Hey, are you staring at my chest? You perv."
"No! I... I was just—I mean, I was looking at—"
"Haha, I'm just teasing you, Kairo," she giggled.
They continued walking through the immense garden.
Roses, violets, tulips, lotus flowers—hundreds, thousands stretched along their path.
But Kairo broke the silence.
He touched her shoulder.
"Alright, Lethe! I didn't come here to take a stroll with some random girl who shows up in a dream while I'm unconscious on a battlefield. What do you want? What choice am I supposed to make?"
The petite girl paused, not turning.
"You're impatient. I get it. I would be too," she sighed.
"You see, Kairo," she turned, "You're much more than you believe. In this world, you've had a good life. Beautiful memories."
She opened her hand. A glowing thread emerged from her palm.
It was thin, golden, perpetual light. Almost hypnotic.
She handled it delicately, like a fragile object.
She let it float before Kairo, whose mind swelled with even more questions.
"Kenji Kaiaba and Sayuri Kaiaba. Aenna Yuki and her first meeting with you."
The thread opened, showing images of Kairo's dearest memories.
"Aoki Lyra, Riven Testuya, your brother Yuto Kaiaba—they are your foundation. The memories within you."
The images vanished under a glowing pulse.
"The real question is, what will you do when fate takes them away from you?"
Her tone grew serious.
"Kairo, you will soon face a decision—one that could make the world shine again."
A pause.
"Or rot."
The scene began to change.
The flowers wilted. The ground cracked, releasing a strange violet miasma.
In the distance, a massive hourglass rose, its sand running out.
That lovely, harmonious garden became a place of death, full of ominous signs.
Kairo started to pant. His breath shortened.
Lethe began to levitate.
"I'm giving you a warning, Kairos."
Her voice became doubled, more imposing.
"Stop searching for your father, or all you'll find is horror and suffering."
Kairo fell backward, eyes fixed on her.
His breath grew faster. Shallower.
Panic spread inside him.
Then a flood of visions invaded his mind.
Visions he had seen before.
His friends, dead before him. A roar echoing.
"Stop, please stop," his voice broke.
He saw his happiest memories mingled with horrors.
Aenna, laughing—then dying in his arms with a smile.
Riven, joking—then devoured by a strange humanoid-draconic creature.
Lyra, teasing him—then stabbed by a blade of violet miasma.
And him, laughing with them, then embracing a blackened light.
"STOOOOOOOP!" Kairo screamed, sobbing on his knees.
Lethe touched down and embraced him.
"Don't be afraid. Nothing is written. But please, Kairo..."
A tear ran down her cheek.
"Don't make the same mistakes again."
She pulled away gently.
Kairo was still kneeling, stunned.
Lethe approached and sighed.
"Don't make the same mistakes."
She pushed him lightly.
His body began to fall into the void.
He flailed, trying to grab onto something—nothing.
He kept falling.
Deeper.
Even deeper.
Lethe remained above him, slowly fading away.
"Wait! What the hell am I supposed to do? You can't leave me like this!"
"We will meet again, Kaiaba Kairo. Your journey has just begun."
He continued falling until she vanished, and he was left in utter darkness.
And in that darkness, Lethe's voice echoed—gentle, yet full of warning:
"What you love, Kairos, will be your greatest strength... or your next damnation."