Chapter 2: The Return of the Past

The words wouldn’t leave him.

What should be his greatest strength…

…will become his main weakness.

Joshido kept walking. Mechanical. Automatic. As if moving forward was

the only way to outrun something that lived inside him.

So much so that he walked right past two of his friends without even

noticing them.

The first was Mozir. Nine years old, dark skin, slender build. His curly

brown hair and black eyes, always alert, followed Joshido with an

expression that wavered between confusion and concern.

Beside him stood Heliya. Ten years old, pale skin, emerald green hair

that caught attention from afar. Her light brown eyes had that

particular calm of someone who is always processing more than they say.

Both stood watching as Joshido walked away.

-Did he just ignore us? -murmured Mozir, tilting his head.

Heliya frowned slightly.

Something about Joshido’s attitude didn’t sit right with her. Without

saying a word, she stepped forward and, without asking permission, did

what had always bothered Joshido.

She used her telepathy to listen to his thoughts.

Mozir hesitated a few seconds before leaning toward her.

-Hey… -he murmured cautiously-. Maybe you shouldn’t listen to his

thoughts. You know he doesn’t like that.

Heliya crossed her arms.

-If we want to know what’s going on with him, this is the only way -she

answered-. If we ask him, he won’t say anything. He never does.

Mozir opened his mouth to reply.

Heliya raised a hand in front of him.

-Shh. Be quiet. I need to concentrate.

She closed her eyes.

Joshido’s mind was not a clear or orderly place. Overlapping thoughts,

incomplete sensations, words that repeated without context. A labyrinth

of fragments that never quite fit together. Even so, Heliya managed to

grasp the essentials.

It didn’t last long. Long enough to understand.

When she opened her eyes, she let out a small sigh.

-I know what’s going on with him -she said-. It’s because of something

Dogma told him… and it has to do with a creation. Nokio is involved.

Mozir blinked.

-Nokio…? The Illusory Scientist?

A pause.

-And who is Dogma?

-I won’t go into details. But whatever it said… it left him quite

unsettled. Much more than he wants to admit.

Without wasting any more time, both of them headed toward him.

They positioned themselves right in front of Joshido, blocking the path.

But Joshido kept walking, completely absorbed in his thoughts, as if

there were no one in front of him.

Heliya stepped forward.

-Joshido.

He stopped abruptly. He blinked, coming back to the present.

-You shouldn’t pay attention to something that was created -said Heliya

bluntly-. And even less so if Nokio created it.

Mozir brought a hand to his forehead.

She definitely could have said that differently.

Joshido remained silent for a few seconds. His expression changed

slowly, until something clicked.

-…Did you listen to my thoughts again? -he asked, with a frown.

Heliya didn’t answer immediately.

But her gaze was enough.

-I’ve told you many times -Joshido continued, visibly annoyed-. Stop

doing that. It’s weird, very weird.

Heliya’s expression hardened instantly.

-Weird? I was just trying to help you.

-Well, it doesn’t seem like it -he responded, raising his voice

slightly.

The atmosphere between the three of them tensed in an instant.

Mozir stepped forward, visibly nervous but determined.

-Hey… enough. There’s no point in fighting over this.

Joshido turned his head toward him.

-What about you? Are you defending her because she’s your girlfriend?

The comment landed like a blunt blow.

-What did you say? -Mozir shot back, tensing his jaw-. Don’t talk

without knowing what you’re saying.

-I was just trying to calm things down -he continued-. But I’m not going

to stay quiet if you start saying nonsense.

The tension kept rising.

And then, a different presence made itself known.

Firm steps. Decisive. The kind of steps that don’t ask permission to

interrupt.

Yasahi.

A female outsider. Her long reddish hair fell naturally over her back.

Hazel eyes that didn’t need to raise their voice to convey what she

felt.

Without raising her voice, she positioned herself beside Joshido. The

tension in the atmosphere shifted immediately.

Yasahi extended her hand with the intention of resting it on her son’s

shoulder. But Joshido reacted on instinct: he pulled away in a sharp

movement and turned, giving her his back.

The gesture was enough.

Yasahi’s face hardened. Her expression filled with a contained fury that

was, somehow, more intimidating than any shout.

-How dare you… -she said slowly, with a voice loaded with something

that went beyond irritation- treat your mother this way?

Joshido’s body tensed completely.

He swallowed.

And slowly, he turned to look at her.

At a certain distance, Haito, Yasudo and the others watched the scene in

silence.

-Are you thinking of intervening? -asked Haito in a low voice.

Yasudo shook his head slowly.

-No. If I do, I’ll get hit.

Haito nodded.

-…Even I feel chills.

Joshido tried to speak, lowering his head slightly.

-Mom… calm down. You’re amplifying your presence too much.

Yasahi didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

-Give me your hand -she ordered, pointing precisely to the one he had

pulled away.

That was when Yuzo and Eldren arrived at the scene. Yuzo observed it for

a moment and let out a nervous sigh.

-Here we go again…

Joshido raised his hand slowly. Yasahi took it firmly. Just when

everything seemed to indicate that something painful was about to

happen, Joshido spoke.

-I’m sorry.

Simple, direct, sincere.

The change was immediate.

Yasahi’s expression softened. The fury disappeared from her face as if

it had never been there, replaced by a kind smile that left no trace of

what it had been a moment before.

-It’s alright -she said calmly-. Go eat, the food is already ready.

She let go of his hand and turned around.

As if nothing had happened.

Heliya exhaled slowly.

-…Yasahi is really scary -she said in a low voice.

Mozir nodded with an uncomfortable grimace.

-She and my mother are quite similar in character. When she gets angry,

there’s not much you can do.

Around them, all those present had gathered with their respective

families. Small groups conversing in low voices, without hurry, while

waiting for the moment to eat.

Near the center stood the Grand Intellectual Yemon, and at his side,

Zurame. Her mere presence inspired calm and kindness. It was not

difficult to forget, however, that she was also the master of the metal

element.

Yemon stepped forward with the clear intention of addressing a few words

to those outsider beings who had arrived at his territory twelve years

ago. But as he scanned the gathering with his gaze, he frowned slightly.

-It seems we are not yet complete… -he murmured.

He turned then toward Nioromi, whose violet eyes were impossible to

ignore.

-I don’t know, Grand Intellectual. They went a little further north to

help Naiden strengthen his fire element. It shouldn’t have taken them

that long.

No sooner had she finished speaking than several gazes turned toward the

path leading from the north.

That was when two figures appeared among the trees.

-Sorry for the delay -a voice was heard to say.

Zaidan.

Tall, slender build, pale skin. His gray eyes were very similar to his

father’s.

Walking beside him was his son.

Nine years old, pale skin, short straight black hair. The same violet

eyes as his mother. Despite the visible tiredness in his body, his

expression reflected an enthusiasm he couldn’t quite hide.

-We got distracted longer than expected -Zaidan continued with a slight

smile-. But we’re here now.

Nioromi released the breath she seemed to have been holding and

approached them with quick steps.

The Grand Intellectual spoke.

His words, though simple, carried a weight that seemed to wrap around

everyone like a warm breeze. The silence that accompanied them was not

empty, but the kind that settles with respect.

At his side, Zurame stood with her hands clasped in front of her. Her

faint smile was not only kindness, it was something harder to name,

something that spread through the place without her seeking it, calming

even the most restless thoughts.

Among those called outsiders, the reactions were subtle but significant.

Yasudo lowered his head slightly. Yasahi closed her eyes for a moment.

Zor maintained his firm but serene posture. Nioromi’s violet eyes

gleamed slightly, and for a moment she sought Zaidan with her gaze

before refocusing on Yemon.

The younger ones reacted differently.

Naiden frowned slightly, with a bright curiosity in his eyes. He

couldn’t fully understand everything that was being said, but he felt it

was important.

Heliya lowered her gaze for a few seconds. An unexpected warmth flooded

her chest.

Near them, Mozir, Yuzo and Joshido remained attentive. No explanation

was needed. Everyone shared something invisible, a thread that united

those who had arrived as outsiders with those who had been born there.

And in that instant, time seemed to suspend.

Only for a few seconds. Long enough for each person to feel, in their

own way, that they belonged to the same place.

After Yemon’s speech, everyone gathered to eat, without much noise. Only

the quiet calm of those who share a table knowing that something

important has just been said.

The next day dawned gray.

A fine rain tapped against the rooftops and leaves of the trees, lulling

the village with an almost peaceful rhythm. Each family took shelter in

their home, enjoying the calm left behind by the previous day’s meal.

At the top of the hill, Haito was with Eldren and Lizena, sharing a

quiet moment while listening to the patter of rain against the roof.

That was when something caught his attention.

The wind.

It wasn’t stronger than usual. But Haito felt it differently. As master

of the wind element, he knew every movement, every whisper of the air

that surrounded the village. And what he felt now was not familiar. The

gusts seemed disordered, loaded with a tension he didn’t remember having

felt before.

Without saying a word, he stepped outside.

The rain soaked his hair and tunic immediately. Eldren approached

cautiously and Lizena clung to his arm. But Haito barely noticed them.

His eyes rose to the sky.

And what he saw left him breathless.

A gigantic spaceship floated above him, covering the sky like a colossal

shadow. Its light gray surface was marked with red and white lines that

glowed faintly in the gray morning light. The magnitude of the ship, the

sense of power it emanated, made Haito take a step back without

thinking. His instinct told him this would be different from anything he

had ever seen before.

Before he could react, two more ships appeared from other points in the

sky, positioning themselves strategically over the village. Just as

immense, the same pale gray, the same red and white lines. They floated

with an ominous calm that contrasted with the chaos already felt in the

air.

Haito remained motionless.

He observed every movement. His breathing accelerated, though not from

fear, but from something different. It was the first time he had seen

something like this, and he knew every instant was crucial.

Eldren and Lizena looked at him with enormous eyes, unable to comprehend

the magnitude of what was approaching.

And then, without warning, the shots began.

Bursts of red energy streaked across the sky like crimson lightning,

cutting through the curtain of rain before exploding against rooftops

and ground. Each impact lit up the village with violent flashes, lifting

the water in whirlwinds of steam and light.

Haito extended his hands, trying to anticipate the wind, channel it,

turn it into something useful. But the magnitude of what was falling

upon them overwhelmed him.

Eldren held onto him.

Lizena covered her face with her arms.

The Intellectual territory changed in an instant.

The calm of the previous day, the laughter, the shared meal, the

unhurried rhythm of the village… all of it had disappeared. Replaced

by something no one expected and no one was prepared for.

Haito raised his gaze to the sky.

The three ships dominated the horizon with absolute coldness, as if the

entire village were nothing more than a target marked on a map. And amid

the roar of the wind, the rain and the echo of the shots, a single

thought cut through everything with icy clarity.

This has only just begun.

He had never been more right.

And never more afraid.