The Ashes of Dawn

The morning rose slowly, a pale light illuminating the ruins around Haruka. The clarity of dawn brought no comfort. It was merely a promise of more suffering to come. Haruka stood, staring at the devastated landscape. The air was dry and heavy, almost as if the very earth itself was groaning beneath the weight of recent events.

Keiji sat farther away, his gaze distant, his hands tightly gripping his knee. He hadn’t slept. Haruka knew why. The merchant—no, the collector—who had revealed the truth about Ryosuke had done more than sow doubt between them. He had also opened a path that Haruka was unsure he wanted to take. War, alliances, betrayals… everything was muddling together in his mind.

Haruka sighed, feeling frustration building inside him. Every moment spent in this world was becoming harder to bear. If, in the past, he had deluded himself into thinking he could control his fate, he now understood one crucial thing: in this world, control was a privilege reserved for the powerful. And he was not yet strong enough.

“Haruka,” murmured Keiji, his voice hollow. “Do you think this will really end like this? That everything we’ve done up until now… will have been for nothing?”

Haruka turned slowly, meeting his friend’s gaze. The young man looked weary, as though each passing day in this world was eating away at him more and more. Haruka had no ready answer, no comfort to offer. But he knew one thing: he could not afford to give up. Not yet. Not now.

“We’re not dead,” he replied simply. “And we’re still here for a reason.”

Keiji nodded, but it was clear he wasn’t convinced. The situation was becoming increasingly untenable, and the tensions between the factions were rising. Each day, a new threat loomed on the horizon.

Then, a figure emerged from the ruins below—a person seemingly stepping out of the shadows, a familiar face. Haruka squinted. It was Ryosuke.

The young man approached, flanked by two others. Their imposing presence and cold expressions confirmed that this group was not here for a friendly chat.

“Haruka, Keiji, you’re still alive,” Ryosuke said in a calm, almost amused tone.

Haruka straightened slowly, his gaze hardening.

“What do you want, Ryosuke?”

Ryosuke’s smile widened. He had not lost his confidence, despite the unspoken threat in Haruka’s voice. He seemed to savor each moment, as if this war were a game whose rules he understood better than anyone.

“Oh, nothing in particular. Just seeing where you stand in this little game. Looks like you’ve managed to survive so far. But for how long?” he asked, his eyes lingering on Keiji.

Keiji lowered his gaze, feeling the weight of Ryosuke’s stare. Haruka could sense the tension in the air, the palpable threat. Ryosuke was a predator, and they were his prey.

“What do you mean by that?” Haruka asked, a thread of anger lacing his voice.

Ryosuke shrugged, as though speaking of something trivial.

“I haven’t told you everything yet. But the end is near. The system is changing, and your powers won’t be enough anymore. Time is running out. You can feel it, can’t you? The countdown in your interfaces.”

Haruka didn’t respond immediately. He knew time was their common enemy, but he had never imagined that Ryosuke could know so much.

“You’re lying,” Haruka said, shaking his head. “You’re just a manipulator.”

“Maybe,” Ryosuke replied with a smile, “but that’s not all. Kaëron has plans, Haruka. He’s testing everyone—even me. But those who fail… will be eliminated. No second chances.”

Keiji sprang to his feet, fists clenched. He turned to Haruka, searching for reassurance in his eyes.

“This guy is crazy! He just wants to scare us!”

Haruka fixed Ryosuke with a newfound intensity. The truth was right in front of him, striking and undeniable: this world, this game, had only one rule. Survival. And to survive, one had to be prepared to do anything. Ryosuke understood that well.

“So, what do you propose?” Haruka asked, his tone turning cold.

Ryosuke’s smile widened even further.

“A piece of advice… or rather, a warning. The artifact… you know what it is, don’t you? It’s not just a legend. Whoever obtains it will have everything they desire, but at what cost?”

Haruka couldn’t help but feel a growing unease deep within him. The artifact—this rumor that hung in the air like an ominous fog. Ryosuke spoke of it with a knowledge that Haruka didn’t dare to probe.

“The artifact is an illusion,” Haruka said firmly. “And even if it weren’t, I have no intention of being corrupted by an object.”

“Oh, you’re mistaken, Haruka. It’s not the object that corrupts, it’s the desire for power. And believe me, there is always a price to pay.”

Keiji, still on edge, stepped closer to Haruka.

“We don’t need your artifact or your threats, Ryosuke. We have no intention of following your path.”

Ryosuke hissed, amused, and turned to his two companions. With a satisfied smile on his face, he slowly walked away, his words hanging in the air like a curse.

“Fine. I see you’re stubborn. You’ll change your mind soon enough. We’ll meet again, be sure of that.”

As they withdrew, the anxiety that had overtaken Haruka only grew stronger. This conversation, this encounter with Ryosuke, wasn’t just another skirmish in the war. It was a cruel reminder. The end of this world was coming.

And Haruka would have to choose. Choose between the shadow of power… and the glimmer of true freedom.