As the dark figure vanished into the shadows, the group stood frozen for a moment.
Kai: "It’s already getting late... Everyone, let’s continue searching tomorrow. We need rest."
Everyone silently nodded, the eerie silence of the night replacing the earlier tension.
Later that night – Kai’s RoomKai lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, mind racing.
Kai (thinking): What was that thing… and what was it trying to say?That night, Kai slipped into a vivid dream.
He stood alone on the old bridge again. But this time… it wasn’t the figure.It was Zoya.Tears streamed down her face as her voice trembled.
Zoya: “Kai… please listen. I’ve been captured… by the Verak. They need my power for a forbidden ritual… something that grants them strength far beyond imagination. Please… find me… before it’s too late.”
The moment she reached her hand out—Kai jolted awake, drenched in sweat.Kai (panting): "What the hell was that…?"A sudden voice from the shadows startled him.
Mina: “It wasn’t just a dream.”Kai (jumping): “AHH—Mina!? You nearly killed me!”
Mina (serious tone): “Kai, listen. That wasn’t a normal dream. Zoya was communicating with you… through magic.”
Kai: “Magic!? But how—why?”Mina: “She’s strong. Stronger than she ever let on. It’s risky, but she managed to reach you.”
Kai: “She said… she’s been captured by something called Verak.”Mina’s eyes widened, and her expression turned grave.
Mina: “…Verak? You’re sure?”
Kai: “Yeah. Why, what is it?”Mina (sitting down): “Verak… they’re creatures from the Zero Dimension. A realm that was completely destroyed by them. If they’re here… it means they’re preparing to destroy our world next.”
Kai: “…This is insane.”Mina: “Did she say anything else?”
Kai: “Yeah. Something about a forbidden ritual. They need her to complete it… and gain power beyond imagination.”Mina (standing up): “…Then we have about seven months.”Kai: “Seven months? Until what?”Mina (smiling faintly): “Until your training begins.”
Kai (voice trembling): "What can I even do…? I’m not strong enough. Those Verak things… they sound like monsters from a nightmare."
Mina (calm but firm): “Kai, do you remember that VR game ? Kai (confused): “Huh? Of course I remember?”
Mina: “Think back to the moment when everything changed in that game. The power you unlocked—the one called ‘Peace Was Never an Option’… that wasn’t just part of the game.”Kai (eyes widening): “…You mean—?”
Mina: “That game was a test. A hidden simulator designed to reveal your true potential. It didn’t grant you power—it only showed you the power that already lies within you.”Kai (stunned): “So… that ability… I really possess it?”
Mina (nods slowly): “Yes. But raw power is useless without control. To truly awaken and master it… you’ll need intense training. Normally, it would take at least a year.”Kai (determined): “…But we don’t have a year, do we?”
Mina: “No. We have seven months. That’s all the time we have before Verak begins the ritual… and once they do, not even your hidden power will be enough.”
Kai (clenches fist): “Then I’ll train. No matter how painful it gets… no matter how far I have to go—I’ll do anything to save Zoya!”Mina smiles, just slightly, the flicker of admiration in her eyes clear.
Mina: “Good. Then starting tomorrow… your training begins. And Kai—this power of yours... it’s not just strong. It’s terrifying.”
Kai (softly): “Good. Because if Verak is planning to bring chaos... then I’ll become the storm that stops them.”The room falls silent as the first light of dawn breaks through the window.
Kai: “Mina, before we even start training… did you forget about Zoya’s mother? She’s probably still crying, waiting for her daughter to return.”Mina (smirking confidently): “Relax. I created a temporary summon that looks exactly like Zoya. It’ll keep her mother calm until we’re ready.”
Kai (blinking): “Wait—what?! You can do that too?! Just how powerful are you?!”Mina (grinning): “Let’s just say… I trained under someone dumber than you.”Kai (sighs, half annoyed): “That’s not very comforting…”
Kai turns to the others—Yuki, Kaoe, and Toie—standing silently beside him.Kai: “Yuki, Kaoe, Toie… you guys don’t have to come. This fight—this training—it’s for me.”
Yuki (firmly): “Master, if your friend is in danger… then our friend is in danger. We’re not letting anyone face this alone.”Kaoe and Toie (nodding with conviction): “Mhm!”
Kai (touched): “…You guys…”Mina (crossing her arms): “Besides, when I turned them human, I gave them a special connection to you. As you grow stronger… so will they.”Kai (grinning): “Damn, Mina—you’re kinda amazing.”
Mina (playfully): “Only kinda?”Kai (curious): “So… what exactly is my first training task?”Mina (her tone suddenly serious): “You must learn to summon your weapon.”
Kai: “Okay… but how?”Mina (walking behind him): “Through desperation. Through instinct. Through the raw urge to survive.”
Kai: “Wait, what do you—”A portal of swirling shadows opens behind him.Mina (with a mischievous smile): “Survive this.”Before Kai can react, Mina shoves him into the portal.Kai (falling): “W-WAIT—MINAAAAA!!”
Deep within a haunting forest
Kai lands hard on the forest floor, panting. The sky above is crimson. The trees twist unnaturally.
Glowing eyes peer at him from all directions—eyes that blink, shift, and step forward… revealing monstrous silhouettes.
Kai (looking around, heart racing): “Where the hell… am I…?”Something snarls in the distance.Kai (to himself): “…Okay. No sword. No plan. Just me and a bunch of creepy monsters.”
Kai: “…Zoya, I’m coming for you. Whatever it takes.”
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