The afternoon sun hung high in the sky, its warmth spilling generously over the rolling fields beyond the village. Long shadows stretched lazily across the grass, swaying as clouds drifted overhead. Akitsu Shouga stood atop the familiar hill just outside the village—the same hill crowned by a single old tree that had watched over the land for longer than anyone could remember.

  The tree’s thick roots dug deep into the earth, and its wide branches reached outward like silent, patient arms. Leaves rustled softly as the wind passed through them, creating a gentle whisper that filled the air. From this height, the entire village unfolded before him: wooden rooftops arranged in uneven rows, narrow dirt paths weaving between homes, and thin trails of smoke rising peacefully from chimneys where meals were being prepared.

  Shouga gazed at the scenery, but his eyes weren’t really seeing it.

  “How do I use my powers…?” he muttered quietly, almost afraid the wind might carry his words away. “There are heroes, elves, and powers in this world, so my guess is that there will be an academy used to train and raise heroes, right??”

  Beside him, Seraphine Orion floated effortlessly, her small white kitsune form shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Her fur reflected the light softly, giving her an almost dreamlike presence.

  “That’s true,” she replied calmly. “There are indeed academies that focus on that… and one of them is Fiester Academy. They mostly teach students how to use the sword, but they also teach them how to use their powers—if they have powers, of course.”

  Shouga lowered his gaze to his hands, opening and closing his fingers slowly as if searching for something hidden beneath his skin.

  “Yeah… but it looks like I can’t use my power like everyone else.”

  “Don’t worry,” Seraphine said confidently, her voice carrying reassurance. “Everyone can use their powers if they get proper training from a professional. I can teach you if you want.”

  Shouga shook his head after a brief pause.

  “No,” he said. “I think my powers can’t be controlled or used unless I’m in a specific situation.”

  Seraphine tilted her head, ears twitching. “Oh?? I’ve never heard of a power like that. How does it work?”

  “Well, my pow—”

  The world suddenly went dark.

  Not dim.

  Not shadowed.

  Gone.

  “Huh?” Shouga gasped. “What happened? Orion? Where did you go? Is anyone there?”

  There was no wind.

  No ground beneath his feet.

  No sky above him.

  Only an endless, suffocating darkness.

  Then—far away—a faint light appeared. A tiny glow drifted through the void toward him, slow and deliberate. With every moment, it grew brighter, clearer, until it finally settled on his arm.

  “What’s this…?”

  The instant he spoke, pain exploded through his body.

  His skin began to burn.

  Red spread across his hand, crawling unnaturally fast up his arm like living flame beneath his flesh. The sensation was sharp and overwhelming, sending panic crashing through his thoughts.

  “What’s this!! What’s happening to me!!”

  He tried to swat the light away, clawing desperately at his arm—

  And suddenly—

  He was back.

  Shouga collapsed backward onto the grass, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. He gasped for air, chest heaving violently, as if he had just surfaced from deep water after nearly drowning.

  “OI!! What’s wrong?!” Seraphine shouted. “You just started to panic out of nowhere!”

  Shouga didn’t answer immediately. His eyes were locked onto his arm.

  The redness was gone.

  His skin looked completely normal.

  …Except for his fingernails.

  They were red.

  Only on one hand.

  “What… was that?” he whispered, his breathing slowly calming.

  “What was what??” Seraphine demanded.

  “…Ahh,” Shouga said quietly, a strange understanding settling in his chest. “I think I get it now.”

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  He clenched his fist.

  “It’s warning me about something…? Or maybe it’s threatening me to keep my mouth shut.”

  “What’s threatening you?? What happened?!” Seraphine pressed.

  “Oh, don’t worry,” Shouga replied calmly. “It’s nothing important.”

  “That makes me more curious about knowing what happened!!”

  Before Seraphine could continue, Shouga noticed movement below the hill.

  Kaoru was running toward him, her footsteps quick and light. Her hair bounced with every step, catching the sunlight as she waved.

  “Sorry, Shouga-kun!” she called out. “I took a long time, didn’t I??”

  “No,” he replied. “It’s alright.”

  She reached him and sat down on the grass, slightly out of breath, hands resting on her knees.

  “What did you do that took so long??” Shouga asked.

  Kaoru fidgeted, her fingers twisting together as her cheeks slowly turned pink.

  “Well… I wanted to give you something special.”

  “Oh? Is that so??” Shouga smiled faintly. “What’s so special that you’re willing to give it to me?”

  “Don’t laugh or anything!” she said quickly.

  She reached out and gently dropped something into his hand.

  “Here. It’s a bracelet.”

  Shouga looked down.

  The bracelet was pink, decorated with small charms—tiny flowers, beads, and carefully shaped ornaments, all woven together with clear effort and care.

  “A bracelet, huh?” he said softly. “It’s very charming. Thank you, Kaoru!”

  Her cheeks turned bright red.

  “I… it’s okay since I’m giving it to you. That bracelet means a lot to me since I made it by hand when I was little.”

  Shouga carefully slipped it onto his wrist, adjusting it so it fit comfortably.

  “I’ll take good care of it,” he said sincerely. “Since you cherish it so much.”

  Seraphine floated around them in lazy circles. “This is entertaining!! The two innocent lovebirds!”

  Shouga ignored her completely.

  “Also…” Kaoru said quietly, her voice trembling just a little. “I love you! Shouga-kun!”

  His cheeks flushed instantly.

  “I—I’m still not used to hearing stuff like that,” he chuckled nervously.

  Kaoru grew quiet, her fingers twisting together again.

  Shouga stood up and held out his hand.

  “Let’s go walk around the village one last time before we leave??”

  She took his hand and stood.

  “Okay.”

  They walked hand in hand through the village, the afternoon slowly fading into evening as lanterns began to glow faintly along the paths.

  “Seeing a village reminds me of the past,” Shouga said.

  “What do you mean?” Kaoru asked.

  “I used to live in a village with my master,” he replied. “But then I had to leave for a certain reason.”

  “Oh… now that I think about it,” she said gently, “you rarely mention anything about your past, Shouga-kun.”

  “Oh?? I don’t like to talk much about my past.”

  “That’s fine with me.”

  They continued walking, chatting quietly as the village settled into its evening rhythm.

  Shouga stopped when he noticed a bottle displayed at a vendor’s stall.

  “Excuse me,” he said. “How much for that bottle?”

  “That’s a bottle of this village’s rice wine,” the vendor replied. “It’s costly since it’s hard to get… and I can’t sell it to you since you’re a kid.”

  “Oh? Alright.”

  “What are you looking at??” Kaoru asked, appearing behind him.

  “The bottle of rice wine.”

  “Do you want to try it?? I can buy it for you if you want?”

  “No, no,” Shouga waved his hands. “The bottle is only sold to adults. We’re kids.”

  “Oh… alright.”

  The sun dipped low, painting the sky in deep shades of orange and red.

  “Looks like the sun is about to set,” Shouga said. “Let’s go home.”

  “Alright, let’s go!!”

  They walked back together, hands still linked—unaware that their peaceful days were slowly coming to an end.