The earth trembled.
Mizu stood at the edge of a crumbling cliff, the sky above him smeared in ominous grays. Thunder rumbled like an ancient beast waking from slumber. Behind him, the others gathered—Rika with clenched fists, Sayos adjusting his scarf in the wind, Honkai silent as always, and Lucy in her wolf form, ears twitching nervously.
They had arrived at the outskirts of a place locals only whispered about—the Rift of Kesshō. A canyon so deep, the bottom had never been mapped. Where the third crystal was rumored to rest, untouched by sunlight.
Mizu's hand tightened around the blue pendant on his chest.
"Are you feeling it too?" Rika asked beside him, her voice quieter than usual. There was a flicker in her eyes—not fear, but concern. For him.
He nodded. "Something's down there. Something… wrong."
Sayos kicked a loose stone over the edge. They all waited. It never hit bottom.
"Well, if this is the worst place yet, I say we get it over with," Sayos said, forcing a grin. "We've survived worse."
"Barely," Honkai murmured.
Before they could descend the narrow path carved into the rock wall, a sudden gust of wind howled up from the abyss, carrying a deep whisper—like voices from the dead.
Lucy growled. "We're being watched."
Mizu took the first step downward.
The descent was treacherous. Each step brought them deeper into darkness, lit only by faint bioluminescent veins along the cliffside. The deeper they went, the heavier the air felt—like something was pressing down on their lungs.
"Anyone else feel like they're being... squeezed?" Sayos asked.
"It's the energy," Rika said. "This place is saturated with corrupted essence. The deeper we go, the stronger it gets."
Suddenly, Lucy stopped, sniffing the air. "Hold."
They froze. From the shadows above, something uncoiled—a serpentine creature made of obsidian and smoke. Its eyes glowed violet. Ranshin's creation.
"Ambush!" Honkai shouted.
The creature struck first, its tail whipping through the air. Mizu leapt forward, water coiling around his arms. He met the creature midair, fists blazing with blue energy.
Sparks flew as Mizu clashed with it, blow for blow. Its body twisted unnaturally, phasing between solid and shadow. Sayos shot gusts of wind to force it back, while Rika ignited a torrent of flames toward its center.
"It won't hold still!" Rika growled, dodging a strike.
"That's because it's not trying to kill us," Honkai realized. "It's testing us."
"For what?" Sayos shouted.
A pause.
Then… the creature hissed: "The gate awaits."
Before they could react, it dissolved into mist, vanishing into the canyon wall.
They reached a hidden archway carved into the stone. It pulsed with dark symbols and a single glowing orb in the center.
"The Whispering Gate," Honkai murmured. "I've read about it. Only those who are ready can pass."
"What does that mean?" Sayos asked.
"It reads your heart," Lucy said softly.
Rika stepped forward—and the gate rejected her, throwing her back with a pulse of red.
"What the hell?!" she snapped, rubbing her arm.
"It's not about strength," Mizu said. "It's about truth."
He took a deep breath, stepped forward—and the orb began to glow blue. The gate shimmered… then opened.
One by one, the others followed.
Only Sayos hesitated. He looked back up the cliff, then at the orb. Slowly, he stepped through.
Inside was not a tunnel—but a vast chamber of mirrors.
Each one reflected… not the physical, but the soul.
Sayos stopped before his. A younger version of him stared back—smiling, happy, innocent.
Then the image darkened. His father's back turned. Cold words. Disappointment. "You'll never be enough."
Sayos clenched his fists. "I'm not that kid anymore."
Behind him, Rika was frozen in front of her mirror. Her parents, the flames… the village burning.
Lucy nudged her gently. "You're not alone anymore."
Mizu stepped in front of his. A mirror without a face—just water, endless water. It shifted. A burning village. Blood in the river. The blue flame in the center of the chaos.
But then… a flicker of orange.
A silhouette, cloaked in fire and shadow. Watching him. A voice echoing through his mind.
"Mizu… your fire was never meant to destroy."
Mizu stumbled back. "Who—who are you?"
The flame figure did not answer.
Only whispered: "We will meet… soon."
Suddenly, the chamber began to shake.
Cracks spread through the mirrors. The floor split open. Rika shouted, "Run!"
They sprinted as the chamber collapsed. The exit was ahead—a narrow opening. One by one, they dove through, Lucy barely making it before a wall of stone sealed the path behind them.
They landed in a hidden grove—dimly lit, calm… but eerie. A black tree stood in the center, and hanging from it…
A glowing crystal. Deep violet.
Honkai stepped forward, eyes wide. "The third crystal."
Before he could grab it—a figure appeared in the shadows.
Not a beast. Not a monster.
A man.
Tall, armored in black and red. His eyes burned with elemental rage. A mark glowed on his chest—the same one Mizu wore around his neck, only inverted.
"You should not have come here," the man said.
Mizu raised his fists. "Who are you?"
The man smiled, sad and cold. "I'm the one who was meant to be chosen. And you… you are the mistake."
He drew a blade of dark fire.
"Let me correct it."