Beep-beep.
Morning light filtered through the curtains as Rael slowly opened his eyes.
Every muscle in his body ached as though an invisible weight had crushed him during the night. The sound of the alarm dragged him back to reality.
He reached over, turned it off, and sat up slowly.
His grandmother should already be awake.
Last night…
Everything that had happened felt like a surreal dream.
Awakened humans.
That terrifying crimson energy.
Yato.
Even now, Rael still struggled to process it all.
'I doubt those people can find me again…'
Yato had taken the awakened man away afterward, and Rael had no idea what happened next.
'Yato Mugenkami…'
Despite how suspicious he was, Yato had still saved both him and his grandmother.
At the very least, Rael owed him thanks.
Still…
None of Yato's actions made sense.
According to him, he had done everything simply because he found it entertaining.
'But is that really all there is to it?'
Rael clenched his fists.
The feeling of helplessness from yesterday still lingered inside him.
Compared to those awakened humans…
Compared to Yato…
…he was insignificant.
And yet—
Those awakened people were almost certainly connected to his parents' deaths.
Hatred surged through him as fragments of old memories resurfaced.
His hands trembled slightly.
He was afraid.
Afraid of what he might discover.
But he no longer wanted to live in ignorance.
'Bastards…'
'I'll uncover the truth no matter what.'
---
"Obāchan, good morning."
After heading downstairs, Rael found his grandmother sitting on the sofa while quietly watching television.
"Oh, dear, good morning." She smiled softly. "Look at this report. There was an accident near your workplace."
Rael's expression shifted immediately.
"Accident?"
He approached the television.
"Good morning, Kyōtoshu. Last night, an unexpected explosion destroyed several abandoned buildings in the Ha Long district, causing widespread concern among nearby residents."
Rael instantly recognized the location.
'That's where those awakened were fighting…'
Ha Long was the city where he lived, located within the country of Kyōtoshu on the planet Kytherra.
"Authorities have concluded that the explosion was caused by a gas leak related to deteriorated underground infrastructure. Officials also assured citizens that similar systems throughout the city are now undergoing urgent inspections."
Rael sighed internally.
'Just as I thought…'
A convenient lie.
"Rael…" His grandmother looked at him worriedly. "Do you really need to keep working in dangerous places like that? The money your parents left behind is enough for us to survive for a while longer."
"You don't need to worry about me, Obāchan," Rael replied firmly. "I can take care of myself."
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then—
"Rael…" Her voice softened. "When I lost your mother, I thought I had lost everything."
Rael froze.
"But you…" She smiled gently. "You brought me back to life."
"Obāchan…"
"You've always been strong." Her eyes became distant. "But true strength isn't just anger. It's knowing when to hold on… and when to let go."
Rael lowered his gaze.
'I'm not strong.'
'I'm desperate.'
But he couldn't tell her that.
She had already lost far too much.
"Our lives were always difficult," she continued quietly, "but we endured together. Your father helped us more than anyone. He was brilliant. He found a good job, built a company, and slowly changed our lives."
Her expression darkened.
"Until that day…"
Rael's chest tightened.
"Obāchan…" He hesitated briefly. "Can you tell me everything that happened?"
She looked at him silently.
"I know there are things you never told me." Rael clenched his fists. "But I'm not a child anymore."
"…Very well."
Her expression grew heavy.
"You deserve to know."
Rael remained completely still.
"Your parents died during what the authorities called an illegal experiment."
His pupils trembled.
"At the time, newspapers claimed your parents and their research team were conducting dangerous unauthorized experiments." Her voice shook slightly. "The laboratory exploded. Everyone inside died…"
She looked directly into his eyes.
"Except you."
Rael's breathing became uneven.
"They found you unconscious far from the explosion site."
"Illegal experiments…?"
He stood abruptly.
So that was the official story?
His parents had been labeled criminals?
'I don't believe it.'
Not anymore.
"But I never believed those lies!" his grandmother suddenly said firmly. "I knew my daughter. She would never do such things—"
Cough! Cough!
"Obāchan!"
Her body suddenly trembled violently.
She struggled to breathe.
Rael rushed toward her immediately.
"Calm down!"
He supported her trembling body carefully.
"You're an adult now…" she whispered weakly between coughs. "And I… don't have much time left…"
"Don't say that!"
"Promise me…" Tears formed in her eyes. "Promise me you'll keep moving forward…"
Then her eyes closed.
"Obāchan?!"
Rael immediately checked her breathing.
Still alive.
But barely.
With trembling hands, he grabbed the phone and called an ambulance.
"Please…" His voice cracked. "Don't leave me too…"
---
[THIRD PERSON POV]
Rael sat anxiously in one of the hospital corridors.
His foot tapped endlessly against the floor as he waited.
After what felt like an eternity, a doctor finally approached him.
"Your grandmother's condition has stabilized," the doctor explained calmly. "There's no immediate danger."
Rael released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"However," the doctor continued, "she'll need to remain hospitalized under observation."
"…I understand."
---
Hours later, Rael finally returned home alone.
His grandmother remained unconscious, leaving him unable to do anything except watch helplessly from afar.
The moment he entered the house, exhaustion hit him all at once.
But no matter how hard he tried—
He couldn't sleep.
"Damn it…"
Frustrated, he eventually headed toward the basement.
His grandmother stored old family belongings there.
Some of them still carried fragments of happier memories.
---
The basement smelled of dust and time.
Stacks of old boxes filled the room, containing faded photographs, forgotten toys, and remnants of a life long gone.
Memories.
---
"Rael, don't run in the hallway or you'll hurt yourself," a woman's voice sighed helplessly.
"Ah, let him have fun," a man replied with a laugh. "Kids are supposed to be energetic."
Shizuka Kazehiro.
Tetsuya Kazehiro.
Rael's parents.
Quick footsteps.
"Mom! Mom! Look what I found in the garden!"
A young Rael suddenly ran into the room while proudly holding a small lizard in both hands.
"Rael!" Shizuka's eyes widened immediately. "Put that thing down! You'll catch something!"
"No!" child Rael shouted while running away laughing. "I'm keeping him! I already gave him a name!"
"Hahahaha!"
Tetsuya burst into laughter before chasing after both of them.
---
A small smile appeared on Rael's face as he held an old photograph in his hands.
The picture captured the exact moment he had escaped from his mother while proudly carrying the lizard.
His father had taken the photo.
'Dad's laughter…'
'The smell of flowers from the garden…'
'Mom cooking in the kitchen…'
Everything had felt so warm back then.
So safe.
Rael closed his eyes briefly.
Then sighed.
'I should try to sleep.'
As he placed the boxes back into storage—
Crash.
Several boxes toppled over.
"Ah, shit…"
He knelt down and began picking up the scattered papers.
Then—
His hand froze.
[Research Topic: Awakened Humans]
"…What?"
Ring. Ring.
The sudden sound of his phone interrupted his thoughts.
Rael answered immediately, fearing it might be news from the hospital.
"Rael-san?! Thank God—you're alive!"
"Kirishima?"
Rael's eyes widened slightly.
"Rael-san, I need to talk to you immediately!" Kirishima sounded panicked. "After I escaped that night… I came back later because I was worried about you."
Rael stood up instantly.
"And?"
"I found something on one of the dead men."
Rael's heartbeat quickened.
"What did you find?!"
"Meet me at this address. It's safer to explain in person."
The call ended immediately afterward.
Rael stared silently at the papers in his hands.
Then he quickly grabbed his jacket and left the house.
---
After arriving at the designated location, Rael realized it was an abandoned warehouse.
"Rael-san! Over here."
Kirishima quickly appeared from the shadows and pulled him inside.
The warehouse looked completely deserted.
"First…" Kirishima bowed deeply. "Thank you."
Rael blinked.
"If you hadn't helped me that night, I'd be dead." Kirishima looked genuinely emotional. "And… I'm glad you survived too."
"There's no need to thank me," Rael replied quietly. "I just did what I thought was right."
Then his expression sharpened.
"So… what did you find?"
Kirishima reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out two objects.
One resembled a metallic insignia shaped like a sword.
The other looked like a small black triangle.
"I found both in the dead man's pocket," Kirishima explained.
Rael examined them curiously.
"The insignia probably acts as some kind of identification pass," Kirishima continued. "As for the triangle…"
He hesitated.
"It appears to be some sort of communication device."
Then he pressed it.
A blurry holographic figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
Rael froze.
This wasn't normal technology.
It felt… different.
"Listen— ##%%##%#." The distorted voice crackled heavily. "Don't engage him directly. He's a powerful awakened. Try— #$%#@#—"
Static distorted the message.
"Meet us on Varhel Island at the agreed time. Coordinates attached at— ##$#%$####."
The hologram vanished.
"Varhel Island…" Rael muttered.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't locate it," Kirishima said helplessly. "I already tried searching everywhere."
He lowered his gaze.
"Rael-san… I don't want to get involved with these people."
His voice trembled slightly.
"We're ordinary humans. We can't fight monsters like them."
Rael remained silent.
Then—
"Thank you, Kirishima."
He pocketed both objects carefully.
"You helped me more than you realize."
Kirishima's expression changed immediately.
"Wait… Don't tell me you're actually planning to chase them?!"
Rael looked toward the warehouse exit.
"This is the only clue I have."
"Rael-san, it's too dangerous!"
"If I keep running away from the truth…" Rael clenched his fists tightly. "Then how am I supposed to live with myself?"
Kirishima stared at him silently.
For the first time, he realized how heavy Rael's past truly was.
"…I have to go."
Rael turned and began walking away.
Then—
"Rael-san!"
Rael looked back.
Kirishima forced out a small smile.
"Please… be careful."
Rael smiled faintly in return.
"I'll be fine."
---
That night—
"Yato."
Rael stood beneath the moonlight.
"I accept your offer."
A translucent blue screen instantly appeared before him.
[Welcome, Rael Kazehiro]
[The Tower watches its chosen]
[Decision Confirmed]
Rael slowly closed his eyes.
'If the truth exists beyond the reach of ordinary humans…'
Then he opened them again.
Determination filled his gaze.
'…I'll abandon my humanity to reach it.'
[Good luck on your journey, Trailblazer]
---
Far above the skies—
Silver eyes glowed brilliantly beneath the moonlight.
And Yato smiled.