The morning air was crisp heavy with dew and the scent of pine that drifted lazily from the hills.

When Khael opened the old wooden door of their lodging, the hinges creaked softly, greeting the dawn.

The breeze kissed his face. It was cold, alive, the kind that made you remember you were still breathing.

He took a step outside, his eyes catching the faint shimmer of sweat glinting in the yard below.

There, beneath the fading stars, Juno was training.

His movements were sharp, deliberate every punch carving through the mist, every breath forming clouds in the pale light.

Khael said, his voice still half-drowsy,

"Juno…"

The boy stopped mid-swing, panting, wiping the sweat from his brow.

He turned, surprised but not startled.

"Khael, you're awake already?"

"It's so early…" Khael said, stretching slightly as his eyes followed Juno's rhythm. "Looks like you're practicing something."

Juno nodded slowly. His hair stuck to his forehead, his expression somewhere between fatigue and quiet fury.

He took another breath before answering.

"Master Vince is missing…" he said, voice trembling faintly. "And my mind's a mess."

He steadied his stance again, fists clenching.

"Master Vince once said… when your mind is clouded, train your body. The body doesn't lie."

Khael's gaze softened. He stepped closer, leaning against the nearby wooden post, arms crossed.

The faint rays of sunrise painted gold across his eyes.

"He said that to me too once."

Juno looked up.

"Really?"

Khael smirked faintly. "Yeah. Back when I couldn't even channel Shinrei without blowing up half the yard."

That earned a small laugh from Juno, the first one since they left the academy.

Khael continued, voice calmer now.

"Training's good, Juno. But don't mistake motion for progress. Sometimes… standing still takes more strength than punching shadows."

Juno stopped, breathing hard, staring down at his hands.

"I just… can't sit still knowing he's out there. Master Vince never loses. Never. So why—"

Khael interrupted gently,

"He's not lost."

"But—"

"He's out there fighting something we don't yet understand," Khael said, his tone gaining steel. "And if we waste strength worrying, we won't have any left to help him."

For a moment, the only sound was the wind brushing through grass, rustling leaves, carrying the faint song of a distant stream.

Juno closed his eyes. The tension in his shoulders eased just a bit.

"You sound like him when you say things like that."

Khael chuckled softly. "Let's hope I don't start looking like him too. My back's not ready for that kind of wisdom."

That made Juno laugh genuinely this time.

Khael pushed off the post, walking past him into the open field.

"Come on," he said. "Show me your form again. Let's see what you've got."

Juno blinked. "Wait, you mean—"

"Yeah." Khael grinned, taking his stance. "If training clears the mind, then let's clear both ours."

The two faced each other.

The early light broke across their figures one calm, one burning.

And as the wind swept across the Tashi plains, the sound of their fists meeting echoed like drums announcing the beginning of something far greater.

From the small hill overlooking the clearing, Ceyla, Andromeda, and Matthew stood side by side, watching the clash unfold below.

The air shimmered faintly with Shinrei pressure gold streaks from Khael's strikes, earthen ripples from Juno's counterforce.

Each collision stirred dust and light together, like thunder trapped inside sunlight.

The villagers of Tashi, simple farmers and craftsmen, had gathered nearby murmuring in awe, clutching baskets and tools, their eyes wide as they watched the two warriors move like living storms.

Children whispered excitedly.

"They're Veinwalkers!"

"No, no look at the one with black long hair, that's the Dragon Knight!"

Ceyla stood silently, her long white scarf fluttering behind her, eyes locked on Khael.

Her lips pressed thin, her heart uneasy.

(Khael… don't push yourself too hard…) she thought, fingers curling around the strap of her gloves.

(You always act calm, but I can feel it, that storm inside you… the one that's getting louder.)

Beside her, Matthew Lomwel folded his arms, his calm gray eyes reflecting the glow of the fight.

His voice carried both pride and weight.

"As expected of Khael," he said, low but firm. "He really is the disciple of Master Isen — the strongest human in the world."

The name alone made some of the villagers gasp. Even in Tashi far from the Veinwalker academies, Master Isen was legend.

The one who single-handedly sealed the Dragon of Emotion. That dragon is the strongest of all Dragon.

Andromeda Ban, meanwhile, tilted his head slightly, squinting at the two fighters. His polished white gloves gleamed under the light as his dog Junjun barked twice in encouragement.

Andromeda smirked.

"Well…" he began dramatically, tapping his chin, "if Khael's Master Isen's disciple, then I suppose that makes me…"

Ceyla sighed.

"Don't say it."

"…the strongest side character in the world!" he finished proudly, spreading his arms like he'd just delivered the punchline of the century.

There was silence. Not even Junjun barked this time.

Ceyla blinked. Matthew exhaled through his nose.

A nearby villager tilted his head and whispered, "Side… character?"

Andromeda deflated a little. "…Tough crowd."

Matthew finally spoke, deadpan. "You should've stopped at 'strongest'."

Andromeda sighed, brushing imaginary dust off his spotless coat. "Comedy is wasted on geniuses."

Ceyla chuckled softly, shaking her head. "More like inflicted."

Then, her gaze returned to Khael the gold glow of his Shinrei now steady, but… darker at the edges.

(There it is again, that flicker… like something clawing behind his soul.)

Juno's final strike came hard and fast but Khael dodged with effortless precision, his counter a light tap to Juno's wrist.

Enough to disarm, not to hurt.

The villagers broke into applause.

Children cheered. "Dragon Knight! Dragon Knight!"

Ceyla smiled faintly but it didn't reach her eyes.

Matthew watched in silence.

Andromeda muttered under his breath, "Looks like the legend's still alive…"

As the clash between Khael and Juno settled into calm silence, a warm breeze rolled across the plains. The villagers dispersed, murmuring in awe while a few children lingered, still pretending to spar like the heroes they had just seen.

Khael helped Juno up with a small grin.

"You've gotten faster."

Juno smirked, panting slightly. "You've gotten annoying."

Ceyla smiled at the banter, shaking her head as she and the others approached.

Then, from the edge of the crowd, an old man walked forward hunched slightly, robes patched with years of dust and travel. His eyes, sharp and steady, studied the young Veinwalkers with a mixture of respect and weariness. A wooden pendant of Rokuen's sun hung around his neck the mark of the village elder.

The elder stopped in front of them and cleared his throat.

"Are you all done eating?" he asked suddenly.

Everyone blinked.

Andromeda, ever the first to ruin solemn moments, raised his hand and said seriously, "Not yet."

There was a beat of silence.

Then thunk! Matthew's elbow landed squarely in Andromeda's ribs.

"Ow—!" Andromeda gasped, clutching his side. "You barbarian! That was a delicate organ!"

Matthew muttered, "You don't even have delicate organs."

Juno rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… sorry, elder. We didn't realize—"

But the elder only chuckled a raspy, dry sound that carried the weight of someone who'd seen far too much.

"Good. If you've got room to joke, then you've got room to listen."

Ceyla stepped forward politely. "We're here under the order of the Veinwalker Corps, sir. You must be the village elder?"

The old man nodded, his smile fading. "Aye… name's Erun Tashir. I've been waiting for you lot."

Khael's eyes narrowed slightly. "Waiting?"

Erun's gaze drifted toward the northern ridge where the forest grew twisted and blackened, the ground scarred like something had torn the world apart.

"Three weeks ago," he said softly, "a battle happened there. The sky turned red. The earth burned without fire."

Juno's fist clenched. "Master Vince…"

Erun nodded grimly. "Aye. Him. And two others, twins, they were. Dressed in black, faces pale as ash. They commanded shadows things that screamed but had no mouths."

Ceyla shivered. "Voidborn…"

Erun's eyes turned to Khael, studying him carefully.

"You're Khael Corzedar, aren't you?"

The murmurs among the villagers grew louder.

The Dragon Knight… the Crimson Veinwalker… the disciple of the Keiryuu himself!

Khael scratched his head awkwardly. "I… suppose that's me."

Andromeda leaned toward Matthew and whispered, "If I introduce myself as the Paper Knight, do you think people will—"

Matthew didn't even look at him. "No."

Erun sighed heavily, leaning on his cane. "If you're here, Dragon Knight, then maybe there's hope left for this place after all…"

Khael's expression darkened. "Tell us everything you saw, Elder."

The old man nodded and slowly began to recount the story of fireless light, of screaming shadows, and of a one-armed man who vanished into the mist, dragging the broken insignia of a Veinwalker commander.

And as he spoke, even the breeze of Tashi seemed to still.

The petals that danced in the wind moments ago hung heavy in the air as if the world itself held its breath.

To be continue

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