CHAPTER-5

A Storm Awakens The Silent Aftermath

The world blurred in fiery orange as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the training ground. The scent of sweat, damp earth, and blood lingered in the air—a silent reminder of the day's brutal trials.

Some recruits lay sprawled on the ground, too drained to move. Others sat in a daze, their minds shattered from the torment they had endured.

Reika lay still. Chest heaving. Muscles screaming. Every inch of her body felt like it had been set on fire.

But she forced herself to breathe through it.

"I have to survive. I have to become the strongest version of myself."

The wind whispered across her skin, almost as if mocking her determination. Pain. Exhaustion. Despair. They clung to her bones, but she clenched her fists against the dirt.

"No. I won't let this break me."

A sharp voice shattered the heavy silence.

"How do you feel after the training?"

Reika flinched but turned her head. A trainer loomed over her, his silhouette dark against the fading sunlight.

She exhaled through gritted teeth. "Mentally? At peace. Physically?" She let out a dry laugh. "I feel like hell."

The trainer smirked, his eyes glinting with approval.

"Pain means growth."

Her nails bit into her palms. The ache in her body was unbearable, but weakness was not an option. Right now, she was just another nameless recruit.

But soon—they would remember her name.

A voice cut through the air.

"Hey, wait."

Reika turned, eyes narrowing slightly as a boy approached. Messy brown hair, thin-framed glasses, too cheerful for someone in this hellhole.

He smiled. "Name's Ishigo Nakano."

She stared. Unmoved.

He scratched the back of his head. "Can we be friends?"

Reika blinked. What?

"Is this guy serious?"

Ishigo laughed awkwardly. "I mean… I feel kind of alone here, and you don't seem to have friends either, so—"

"I'm not interested."

She turned on her heels, fully intending to walk away.

But Ishigo—annoyingly persistent—fell into step beside her. "Damn. Harsh."

Reika sighed. "Why me? There are plenty of people here."

He shrugged. "Tch. They're boring."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "Boring?"

"Yeah. But you? You make people curious."

Her brows furrowed. "I don't care about that."

Ishigo smirked. "That's what makes you interesting."

Reika rolled her eyes. "You're annoying."

"Probably." He grinned. "But I think we'll get along."

She should've shut him down completely, but something about him felt... strangely familiar.

Before she could dwell on it—his next words sent a chill through her veins.

"Do you know about Souta Arakawa?"

Reika's stomach tensed. "The 'I' Rank Kageshiki?"

Ishigo's expression darkened. "You mean Kageshiki no Shinra?"

"Kageshiki no Shinra?" she repeated.

"The true path of a Kageshiki." His voice was quieter now. "The 'I' Rank warriors aren't just strong. They wield power beyond human comprehension. Some control elements. Some manipulate Shikiban. And some… mess with soul energy."

Reika frowned. "Soul energy?"

Ishigo nodded. "The more you use it, the less human you become. That's why only the strongest survive. The rest?"

He let the sentence hang in the air.

A strange unease twisted in Reika's chest.

"Then how do they fight?"

Ishigo's gaze sharpened. "By killing."

Reika's breath hitched.

"When a Kageshiki slays a Shikiban, its body turns to ash, leaving behind an Energy Flame. That flame fuses with the warrior's weapon, making them stronger. The stronger the enemy, the greater the power gained."

Reika's fingers twitched.

"A weapon born from the soul…"

She absorbed his words in silence. But before she could respond—

A shadow loomed at the edge of the training ground.

A tall figure stepped into view. Silver-white hair. A chilling presence.

Souta Arakawa.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "How was your day, Kagetsu-san?"

Reika met his gaze, her blue eyes unwavering. "Well enough."

Souta chuckled. "Good. Because this was just warm-up."

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

His smirk widened.

"Tomorrow, we enter the Kuroyami Forest."

Reika stiffened. Kuroyami Forest?

Her stomach twisted. "You're joking."

But Souta simply turned away, his footsteps slow, deliberate.

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery orange. Long shadows stretched across the training ground, where the air still clung with the harsh scent of sweat, dirt, and blood—reminders of the grueling trials they had just endured.

Some recruits lay sprawled out on the ground, too exhausted to move. Others sat in stunned silence, their minds clearly shattered from the torment. The world felt heavy, suffocating.

Reika remained still. Her chest rose and fell with every ragged breath, her muscles on fire. Every part of her body screamed in protest, but she forced herself to breathe through the pain.

I have to survive. I have to become the strongest version of myself.

The wind swept across her skin, cold and biting, almost like it was mocking her. Pain. Exhaustion. Despair. They clung to her bones, but she clenched her fists into the dirt.

No. I won't let this break me.

A voice suddenly cut through the heavy silence.

"How do you feel after the training?"

Reika flinched, then turned her head to see a trainer standing over her. His silhouette was dark against the fading light, his expression unreadable.

She exhaled through gritted teeth. "Mentally? At peace. Physically?" She forced a dry laugh. "I feel like hell."

The trainer smirked, his eyes glinting with something like approval. "Pain means growth."

Her nails dug into her palms, her body still aching, but the words hit her with a strange clarity. Weakness isn't an option. Right now, she was just another faceless recruit. But soon… they'd remember her name.

A voice broke her thoughts.

"Hey, wait."

Reika turned to see a boy approaching, his messy brown hair and thin-framed glasses making him look out of place in the midst of the brutal training ground. He had an annoyingly cheerful smile, one that didn't seem to fit the atmosphere at all.

"Name's Ishigo Nakano," he said, still grinning.

She stared, unamused.

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Can we be friends?"

Reika blinked. What?

Ishigo laughed nervously. "I mean… I feel kind of alone here, and you don't seem to have any friends either, so—"

"I'm not interested," Reika said flatly, turning to walk away.

But Ishigo was annoyingly persistent. He matched her pace, falling in step beside her. "Damn. Harsh."

Reika sighed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Why me? There are plenty of people here."

He shrugged casually. "Tch. They're boring."

She raised an eyebrow. "Boring?"

"Yeah. But you? You make people curious."

Reika's brows furrowed. "I don't care about that."

Ishigo smirked. "That's what makes you interesting."

She rolled her eyes. "You're annoying."

"Probably." His grin didn't fade. "But I think we'll get along."

Reika didn't have the energy to argue. She should've shut him down completely, but something about him felt… strangely familiar.

Before she could push the thought aside, Ishigo's voice dropped, a sudden seriousness creeping into his tone.

"Do you know about Souta Arakawa?"

Reika's stomach tightened. "The 'I' Rank Kageshiki?"

Ishigo's expression darkened, his eyes turning sharp. "You mean Kageshiki no Shinra?"

"Kageshiki no Shinra?" Reika repeated, her voice laced with confusion.

Ishigo lowered his voice, the usual lightness gone. "The true path of a Kageshiki. The 'I' Rank warriors aren't just strong. They wield power beyond human comprehension. Some can control elements. Others manipulate Shikiban. And some… they mess with soul energy."

Reika frowned. "Soul energy?"

Ishigo nodded, his gaze unwavering. "The more you use it, the less human you become. That's why only the strongest survive. The rest?" He let the sentence hang, heavy with meaning.

Unease curled in Reika's gut.

"Then how do they fight?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ishigo's eyes sharpened. "By killing."

Reika's breath hitched.

"When a Kageshiki slays a Shikiban, its body turns to ash. Left behind is an Energy Flame. It fuses with the warrior's weapon, making them stronger. The stronger the enemy, the greater the power gained."

Reika's fingers twitched at the thought.

A weapon born from the soul...

She absorbed his words in silence, feeling the weight of what he had said sink into her bones. Before she could respond, however, a shadow loomed at the edge of the training field.

A tall figure stepped into view. Silver-white hair. An icy presence that made the air around him crackle.

Souta Arakawa.

He smirked as his eyes met Reika's. "How was your day, Kagetsu-san?"

Reika held his gaze, her blue eyes unwavering. "Well enough."

Souta chuckled, the sound cold and condescending. "Good. Because this was just the warm-up."

Reika's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

His smirk widened, lips curling with dark amusement. "Tomorrow, we enter the Kuroyami Forest."

Reika's stomach dropped. Kuroyami Forest?

Her heart raced. "You're joking."

But Souta didn't laugh. He simply turned on his heel, his footsteps slow, deliberate.

"Let's see if you survive."

The temperature seemed to drop in an instant.

The recruits around her grew silent, their eyes flickering with unease. The name Kuroyami Forest hung in the air like a death sentence.

Reika swallowed hard.

Kuroyami Forest.

The name alone sent a cold shiver down her spine.

No one who entered ever returned the same.