Deep within the secluded forest, where mist lingered year-round and the towering trees stood like ancient giants, lay a place untouched by human presence. Wild beasts roamed freely, and danger lurked in every shadow. Yet, this was also the land where the earth's energy was most abundant.
This was the training ground Ray had chosen for them.
On the first day of training, they learned nothing.
"Sit down. Close your eyes. Don't force it," Ray's voice was calm and steady, devoid of emotion. "Feel the flow within you. Feel the earth, the air, the water, and the light around you. True power comes from sensing, not from using."
Roddy sat upright, his fists clenched tight. Though his eyes were closed, his brows were furrowed in concentration. In the past, he would have complained or grown impatient. But now, he was silent. The departure of Aina seemed to have taken away his restlessness, leaving behind only determination.
Tarrio, on the other hand, was clearly struggling. His fingers drummed against his thigh, and sparks of electricity danced between them. He was a warrior who thrived on action, not someone who could sit still and "feel" invisible forces.
Barely three minutes had passed before Tarrio opened his eyes, frowning. "I don't feel anything."
"That's because you're not quiet enough," Ray replied, unhurried. "The elements within you are screaming, but your mind is too noisy to hear them."
"I'd rather have a three-on-one training match," Tarrio muttered.
"You already lost that one," Roddy retorted without opening his eyes, his breathing steady.
"That was me going easy on you," Tarrio shot back, his tone defensive. Then, unable to resist, he asked, "Hey, do you guys actually feel anything? Because all I feel is my butt going numb—"
"Shut up," Cain said quietly.
Tarrio froze but didn't argue. Though he was often loud and brash, he inexplicably listened to Cain.
Roddy smirked slightly and said softly, "I think I feel… a kind of flow? Like water, spreading outward from inside me and connecting with the… the energy around us."
Ray's cold voice cut in, "That's not a feeling. It's your element attempting to connect with the outside. Don't think about it. Let it come naturally."
Cain remained composed as ever, his hands resting on his knees as he breathed steadily. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a warm glow on his face. He could feel the familiar warmth of the light, but the radiance that had awakened during his battle with Ray remained elusive, like morning mist dissipating with the dawn.
"How did I do it?" The question churned in his mind, but he forced himself to push it aside.
A gentle breeze swept through the forest, lifting petals and fallen leaves into the air. Milena sat cross-legged, her silver-white hair swaying in the wind. She could feel the direction of the breeze, its texture, and even the faint breaths of other living beings carried within it. Her eyes quivered slightly, and a smile graced her lips. This connection with nature was far deeper than she had imagined.
Suddenly, a faint click came from the nearby bushes.
Everyone's heads turned simultaneously to see a translucent creature poking its head out. It was a Luna Wing Beast, its moonlit skin faintly revealing delicate veins beneath. Its head was large compared to its small body, and its silk-like wings shimmered with a soft glow. The moment it noticed the group, it flapped its wings with a quiet whoosh and soared into the air, disappearing into the sunlight after a few flickers.
"What… was that?" Tarrio's eyes widened.
"It's the child of wind and light," Milena said softly.
"It's called a Luna Wing Beast," Ray added. "If your energy isn't stable, it wouldn't have come near you."
"So, does that mean… we've been acknowledged?" Roddy asked, looking up at the sky.
Ray didn't answer directly. "This is only the first step," he said.
Lorne had been set aside for individual training with Ray. Ever since she lost her ability to sense the elements, she could no longer "hear" the voices of the spirits as she once had. But Ray told her, "Power doesn't always take the same form. Start by understanding yourself."
He instructed her to observe herself, to listen to her own thoughts and emotions, piecing herself back together like a shattered mirror.
On the second day of training, Tarrio tried to split an ancient tree in half with lightning, only for Ray to dispel the flash of electricity with a single palm.
"You're not here to vent," Ray said coldly. "You're here to learn control and harmony."
Tarrio rubbed the singed spot on his forehead, grumbling as he sat down. "I was just trying to cook some fish…"
Milena walked over and pulled a pouch of dried fruit from her waist. "We still have these, don't we?"
"I'm not eating rabbit food," Tarrio huffed, but he still reached out and took a handful.
That afternoon, while fetching water from a pond at the forest's edge, they encountered a Luminous Scale Eel gliding gracefully through the water. It was a large aquatic creature with a green, eel-like body and mist-like gills that floated around it. The creature, capable of sensing energy changes, didn't flee. Instead, it circled them twice before releasing a cool mist onto Milena's hand and sinking back into the depths.
"Was that… a friendly gesture?" Milena asked, wide-eyed.
Ray glanced at her and, for once, nodded. "This pond is its territory. You didn't make it feel threatened. Instead, you became someone it was willing to share with."
That night, Tarrio had an unfortunate encounter with a swarm of Ember-Shadow Beetles—creatures that looked like a fusion of obsidian and firelight. The nocturnal swarm clung to Tarrio's back, their flickering lights making him scream and run through the camp, convinced he was being haunted.
"They're a mix of fire and shadow elements. They're drawn to static electricity," Milena explained, barely suppressing her laughter.
"You're saying I attract them?! That's just great!" Tarrio groaned.
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and they began deeper training. Their energy flows stabilized, and their movements harmonized with the environment. Cain still couldn't find the source of the light from his battle, but his senses had sharpened to the point where he could discern faint disturbances in the wind and grass from afar.
Ray occasionally observed him with a complex expression in his eyes.
He wasn't one to give praise easily, but he knew these youths were changing, slowly but surely.
Far away, in the desolate ruins of a wasteland, a squad in black-gray uniforms moved through the rubble. On their chests gleamed the golden wings of the Empire's emblem.
The soldiers wore gas masks, their footsteps steady, each equipped with advanced sensors and reconnaissance devices. They were no ordinary search party but members of the Empire's covert operations unit.
They combed through the wreckage, ensuring all equipment and remains were destroyed, leaving no evidence behind. They showed no pity for the dead beastmen, nor were they surprised by the destruction of the outpost.
"Arrived at the site. The outpost has been destroyed. The timeline matches our predictions," one soldier reported into his communicator.
"Confirmed. This was the origin of the signal… but we're already too late," another said, crouching to examine the ground. The device in his hand beeped. "These energy remnants belong to our Series IX Power Core. Even the circuits are standard issue."
"Those beasts didn't even know how to use it properly, yet they dared to activate it," someone scoffed. "Serves them right."
"Damn stench. The air itself feels rotten," another muttered, kicking aside a beastman corpse. "They finally managed to destroy themselves."
"Enough with the commentary," the squad leader said, striding toward the charred remains of the central control room. His gaze was sharp. "We received the signal before they lost control. The energy spike was too high—something the beastmen couldn't have caused."
"…You mean, it was him?" a younger soldier whispered.
"Yes. Ray. He's alive. And he escaped."
A heavy silence followed.
"What will command do about it?"
"Do? This isn't just a matter of doing anymore." The leader's eyes narrowed as he looked out at the barren wasteland. "He knows too much. If he reveals the truth… the entire Central Research Division will go down with him."
"But he's lost his elemental power."
"Even as a remnant, he's more dangerous than we can imagine."
One soldier bent down and picked up a charred piece of fabric. The burned emblem of the Granche Training Camp was barely visible on it.
"We've found them."
"Notify command. We know where they are."
Deep in the forest, Cain and the others remained unaware. Immersed in their training, their connection to nature grew stronger, and their movements became fluid and instinctive. They no longer relied solely on instinct but resonated with the energy around them.
They knew they had changed. And all of it was thanks to the guidance of the mysterious prisoner.
Ray stood atop a high rock, gazing down at them. His eyes were deep, hiding a sharp intensity. His gaze would sometimes focus, sometimes drift.
He should have rotted away in the Empire's iron cage, reduced to a silent relic. But these youths had awakened something in him—something he thought he had abandoned long ago.
He remembered the spirits drained of life, the children subjected to experiments. He remembered his countless petitions against it, all of which led only to imprisonment and the stripping of his power.
These machines, these beastmen, this shadowed war—all of it stemmed from the Empire he had once served.
Now, what he wanted to protect were these children before him. He would not let history repeat itself.
These youths were far more resilient than he had imagined. He had once thought that both he and the world's hope had been locked away in that prison. But now, he began to wonder—
Perhaps these children were the dawn of something new.
Closing his eyes, he murmured softly, "I've already lost too much… but maybe, for you, there's still time."
His gaze turned toward the distant horizon, toward the Empire—the place where betrayal had begun.
"Where will you go from here?" he whispered, as if speaking to himself, or perhaps, to the entire world.