Night had settled over the Wind Village.
Snow fell gently from the sky, soft white flakes drifting down across the rooftops and quiet streets of the village. The world outside was cold and silent.
But inside the grounds of the Kaze Estate—
it was warm.
A faint, transparent dome curved over the open dining area in the garden. The wind within it moved gently, steady and controlled, forming a protective barrier that kept the snow and freezing air outside.
Beyond the dome, snowflakes fell endlessly.
Inside—
it felt like a calm spring evening.
A table had been set in the garden.
Toru sat at the head of it, relaxed, one arm resting on the back of his chair.
Hana sat beside him, graceful as always, quietly pouring tea.
Kaito sat across from them, calm, listening as the adults talked.
And next to him—
Hina sat proudly on her chair.
Her small legs swung back and forth under the table.
She was holding a dumpling with both hands.
Very seriously.
Then—
bite.
She chewed slowly.
Then nodded.
"…Good."
Kaito glanced at her.
"…That's your fourth."
Hina looked at him calmly.
"I am growing."
Toru snorted.
Hana smiled softly.
Snow continued falling outside the dome.
For a few quiet minutes, the family simply enjoyed the warmth of the evening.
Then—
the air at the edge of the estate shifted.
Toru looked up first.
His eyes moved toward the entrance.
Kaito noticed a moment later.
"…Someone's here."
Footsteps approached through the snow.
Two figures walked through the estate gates.
The moment they stepped close to the wind dome—
the falling snow slid away from them, pushed aside by the flowing air barrier.
Toru stood up.
A grin appeared on his face.
"Well, look who finally decided to visit."
The two figures stepped inside the dome.
An older man.
And an older woman.
The man stood tall and broad-shouldered despite his age. His white hair was tied loosely behind his back, and his presence carried the quiet weight of someone who had lived through countless battles.
But the moment he stepped inside—
his eyes immediately searched the table.
And landed on Hina.
His face lit up.
"HINA!"
Hina looked up.
Her eyes widened.
"GRANDPA!"
Raiden burst into laughter and strode forward with the energy of a man half his age.
Meanwhile, Hana stood up and walked toward the woman beside him.
"Mother."
Aiko smiled warmly.
"Hana."
They embraced gently.
Aiko's presence was soft and calm, her long white hair falling neatly down her back. There was a natural grace in the way she moved.
She looked toward the table.
"And there they are."
Kaito had already stood up.
"Grandfather. Grandmother."
Raiden waved a hand casually at him.
"Yes yes hello hello."
Then he leaned down and scooped Hina right out of her chair.
"MY LITTLE HINA!"
Hina giggled as he lifted her easily into the air.
"You came!"
"Of course I came!"
Raiden held her up proudly.
"I heard my granddaughter became a Guardian!"
Hina puffed her cheeks proudly.
"Yes."
Raiden grinned like a child.
"Ha! I knew it!"
Toru crossed his arms.
"You say that like you predicted it."
"I DID predict it!"
"You say that about everything."
Raiden ignored him completely.
He looked back at Hina.
"So."
His eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Are you strong yet?"
Hina nodded very seriously.
"Yes."
"Oh?"
"I ran three."
Raiden blinked.
"…Three what?"
"Laps."
Raiden slowly turned his head toward Toru.
"…You made her run?"
Toru shrugged.
"It's called training."
Raiden frowned.
"She's three."
"She's a Guardian."
Raiden looked back at Hina.
"…Did you win?"
Hina pointed at Toru.
"He is evil."
Raiden gasped dramatically.
"You hear that?!"
He pointed at Toru.
"You bully my granddaughter?!"
Toru rubbed his temple.
"Oh here we go."
Aiko quietly walked over and sat beside Kaito.
She gently patted his shoulder.
"You've been training hard too, haven't you?"
Kaito smiled faintly.
"Yes Grandma."
Aiko looked toward Hina and Raiden, who were now arguing loudly with Toru.
Her smile softened.
"They grow so fast."
Kaito followed her gaze.
Hina was now sitting on Raiden's shoulders.
Very proudly.
Toru looked like he was reconsidering all his life choices.
Hana returned to the table and poured tea for her mother.
"I knew you two would come."
Aiko accepted the cup.
"Of course we did."
She glanced toward Hina.
"A Guardian appearing in our family… how could we stay away?"
Raiden, meanwhile, had completely taken over the evening.
"HINA!"
"Yes!"
"Tell grandpa everything!"
Hina nodded seriously.
"Okay."
She raised one finger.
"Dad is mean."
Toru slammed his hand on the table.
"I TRAINED YOU!"
Raiden pointed at him.
"STOP BULLYING MY GRANDDAUGHTER!"
Kaito quietly laughed.
Aiko covered her mouth politely.
Hana just shook her head, smiling.
Hina looked very satisfied with herself.
Then she leaned down from Raiden's shoulders and whispered loudly in his ear.
"…But I will beat him soon."
Raiden's eyes lit up.
"That's my girl!"
Toru sighed deeply.
The snow continued to fall outside the wind dome.
Beyond the invisible barrier, the world was white and cold. Soft flakes drifted endlessly through the dark winter sky.
But inside the dome—
the air was warm.
The table was lively now.
Raiden had fully settled in, sitting beside Hina, who had somehow claimed the seat next to him like it had always belonged to her. His booming laughter rose every few moments as he listened to whatever story Hina was trying to tell.
Toru sat across from them, occasionally sighing whenever Hina exaggerated something he had done.
Hana and Aiko spoke calmly beside each other, their conversation gentle and warm.
And Kaito sat quietly, watching it all with a faint smile.
A comfortable family evening.
Just beyond the table—
Kaede stood nearby.
Hands folded neatly in front of her, posture calm and composed as always.
A little further behind her—
Shinju stood quietly.
She kept her hands clasped together, fingers gently intertwined.
Her shoulders were straight, but there was a small stiffness to her posture.
She was trying not to draw attention to herself.
Her eyes moved slowly toward the table.
The Kaze family was laughing again.
Raiden had apparently just said something outrageous.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" he roared.
Hina burst into giggles.
"I pushed him!"
Toru stared at her.
"You did not push me."
"I tried."
Raiden slapped the table, laughing.
"That's my granddaughter!"
Hana shook her head.
Aiko laughed softly beside her.
Kaito leaned back slightly in his chair, watching the chaos unfold.
The moment was so natural.
So easy.
So warm.
Shinju watched quietly.
Her eyes lingered on the scene.
The way they spoke to each other.
The way they laughed.
The way no one seemed afraid to speak.
No one seemed careful.
No one seemed tense.
It was… comfortable.
Her fingers tightened slightly around each other.
They're… really nice.
Her eyes lowered slightly.
Everyone here…
Her gaze drifted to Hana.
The woman had spoken to her so gently earlier.
Then to Kaito.
Calm. Kind.
Then to Hina—
A bright little girl who seemed to fill the entire courtyard with energy.
Even Toru—
who Shinju had been warned about as strict
looked more tired than angry most of the time.
They're all… kind.
The thought sat quietly in her mind.
Then another thought followed.
A quieter one.
Do I… really belong here?
Her chest tightened slightly.
The laughter at the table continued.
Raiden was now telling some ridiculous story about Toru as a child.
"HE FELL INTO A RIVER!"
"I slipped," Toru muttered.
"YOU CRIED!"
"I was six!"
Hina laughed so hard she almost fell off her chair.
Shinju watched them.
Her eyes softened slightly.
This place feels… warm.
Warm in a way she wasn't used to.
Warm in a way that felt almost fragile.
Like something you shouldn't touch too much.
Because it might disappear.
Her gaze dropped again.
Someone like me…
Her thoughts stopped.
Small footsteps approached.
Shinju blinked and looked up.
Hina was standing in front of her.
The little girl held something in her hand.
A small pastry.
Half eaten.
Hina looked up at her.
"Here."
Shinju froze.
"…Huh?"
Hina held the snack up toward her.
"For you."
Shinju didn't move.
Her hands remained clasped together.
Her eyes flickered toward the table.
Then slowly toward Kaede.
Kaede stood a few steps away, watching quietly.
Their eyes met.
Kaede gave a small, gentle nod.
Take it.
Shinju hesitated.
Then slowly reached out.
Her fingers carefully accepted the pastry.
"…Thank you."
Her voice was quiet.
Almost uncertain.
Hina smiled brightly.
Then—
without another word—
she turned and ran back toward the table.
"GRANDPA!"
Raiden turned immediately.
"Yes?!"
"I shared!"
Raiden beamed proudly.
"That's my girl!"
Hina climbed back into her seat like nothing had happened.
The conversation resumed instantly.
Shinju stood where she was.
The pastry resting quietly in her hands.
Her eyes followed Hina.
The little girl was now talking with Aiko, who was listening patiently as Hina tried to explain something using very dramatic hand gestures.
Aiko nodded gently, smiling as she listened.
Hina laughed again.
Shinju watched them.
Her thoughts moved quietly.
What a sweet girl.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the pastry.
She looked down at it.
Then back at the table.
Laughter again.
Raiden was now arguing with Toru about training methods.
"You're pushing them too hard!"
"They're fine!"
"You made her run!"
"She ran three laps!"
"THREE TOO MANY!"
Hina leaned toward Aiko and whispered something.
Aiko laughed softly.
Kaito smiled quietly.
Hana shook her head as she poured more tea.
It was such a simple moment.
But it felt… full.
Alive.
Shinju looked down again.
Slowly—
carefully—
she took a small bite of the pastry.
It was sweet.
Warm.
She chewed quietly.
Then lifted her eyes again.
The Kaze family was still laughing.
And for the first time that evening—
Shinju's shoulders relaxed just a little.
The night grew deeper over the Kaze Estate.
The dinner had long finished.
Most of the dishes had been cleared away, and the garden had grown quieter. Snow still drifted gently outside the wind dome, the flakes gliding slowly through the dark sky beyond the invisible barrier.
Inside the warm space—
the adults had begun speaking more quietly among themselves.
Aiko and Hana sat together at the table, their conversation soft and calm.
Toru and Kaede discussed something near the far side of the garden.
But near the edge of the dome—
three figures sat together.
Raiden.
Kaito.
And Hina.
Hina had somehow climbed into Raiden's lap without anyone noticing.
Kaito sat beside them on the low bench, his arms resting on his knees.
For a while, none of them spoke.
Then Hina leaned back against Raiden's chest.
"…Grandpa."
Raiden grunted.
"…Hmm."
"Tell us a story."
Raiden didn't even look down.
"No."
Hina blinked.
"…Why?"
"Because it's late."
Kaito glanced at the sky.
It was definitely late.
Raiden crossed his arms.
"You two should be sleeping."
Hina tilted her head.
"We will."
"…Good."
"After the story."
Raiden closed his eyes slowly.
"…No."
Kaito spoke calmly.
"We won't sleep until you tell one."
Raiden opened one eye.
"…You're both terrible."
Hina nodded proudly.
"Yes."
Raiden sighed.
The deep, tired sigh of a man who had already lost the battle.
"…Fine."
Hina immediately sat up.
"Yay!"
Raiden leaned back slightly on the bench.
His gaze lifted toward the sky.
Snow drifted slowly beyond the dome.
For a moment—
his voice didn't come.
Then finally—
he spoke.
"You both know that our clan is the Wind Clan."
Kaito nodded slightly.
Hina nodded much harder.
"Yes."
Raiden continued.
"But the Wind Clan isn't the only clan in this world."
Kaito listened carefully now.
"There are many clans," Raiden said.
"Water."
"Earth."
"Forest."
"Shadow."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
"The list goes on."
Hina leaned against his chest again.
"So many?"
"Yes."
Raiden's gaze drifted slowly across the dark sky beyond the dome.
"But among all the clans that have existed…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"There was one."
Even the wind around them seemed quieter.
Raiden's eyes narrowed slightly.
"One clan that every other clan feared."
Kaito's attention sharpened.
Hina looked up curiously.
"Feared?"
Raiden's voice became slower.
Heavier.
"They were not simply powerful."
"They were something else entirely."
He paused.
Snow drifted slowly outside.
And when he spoke again—
his voice carried weight.
"They were the clan born from the deepest part of existence."
"The clan born from the absence of light."
"The clan born from the endless abyss between stars."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"They were…"
He looked down at the children.
"The clan of darkness."
Silence settled for a moment.
Hina blinked.
"…Darkness?"
Kaito's expression had grown serious.
Raiden continued.
"They were the embodiments of darkness itself."
"Just as we embody the wind."
"But their power…"
His voice grew quiet.
"…was terrifying."
Hina's eyes widened slightly.
Raiden's gaze turned distant.
"At random times… members of the darkness clan would lose control."
"They would fall into a state of pure rage."
"A state where reason disappeared."
"A state where they became nothing but destruction."
"Friend or foe."
"It didn't matter."
"When the darkness inside them awakened… they destroyed everything in their path."
Hina slowly leaned closer to Kaito.
"…That's scary."
Kaito didn't respond.
He was listening too closely.
Raiden continued quietly.
"But even with that danger…"
"…they still desired more power."
His voice hardened slightly.
"They always wanted more."
"More strength."
"More essence."
"More dominance."
Snow continued to fall outside the dome.
Raiden's voice lowered again.
"And twenty years ago…"
"…that greed destroyed them."
Kaito looked up sharply.
"…Destroyed them?"
Raiden nodded slowly.
"The darkness clan no longer exists."
Hina blinked.
"They're… gone?"
"Yes."
Raiden leaned forward slightly now.
"Long ago… the darkness clan had one constant ally."
Kaito spoke quietly.
"…The light clan."
Raiden looked at him with a faint smirk.
"Sharp as always."
"Yes."
"The light clan."
"They fought side by side for centuries."
"Together… they waged war against other clans."
Hina looked confused.
"Why?"
Raiden answered calmly.
"To steal something."
"Something every clan possesses."
Kaito already knew.
"…Origin Core."
Raiden nodded.
"Origin Core."
"Origin Essence."
"The core of the creator."
"They believed gathering more would make them stronger."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"And for a long time…"
"…they did exactly that."
Hina frowned slightly.
"That's mean."
Raiden chuckled softly.
"Yes."
"It was."
He continued.
"But one day… something changed."
Kaito leaned forward slightly.
"The light clan changed their mind."
Raiden nodded.
"They realized something."
"That if things continued like this…"
"…the world would never know peace."
"They were meant to protect the balance of existence."
"But instead…"
"…they had become the cause of destruction."
Snow drifted slowly through the night.
Raiden's voice lowered.
"So the light clan proposed something."
"A treaty."
Hina blinked.
"…A promise?"
"Yes."
Raiden nodded.
"They reached out to five other clans."
"Wind."
"Water."
"Fire."
"Ice."
"Magma."
Kaito's eyes widened slightly.
"That many?"
"Yes."
Raiden leaned back slightly.
"The plan was simple."
"They would stop the endless wars."
"Stop the stealing of cores."
"And begin protecting the balance they were meant to guard."
Hina nodded slowly.
"That's good."
Raiden smiled faintly.
"Yes."
"But there was one problem."
Kaito already knew the answer.
"…The darkness clan."
Raiden nodded.
"They had always been allied with the light clan."
"So if the light clan accepted the treaty…"
"…the darkness clan would be forced to follow."
Hina frowned.
"Did they not like it?"
Raiden's voice grew heavier.
"No."
"They hated it."
Snow drifted outside.
The wind dome hummed quietly around them.
"The treaty meeting was arranged."
"All the leaders would gather in one place."
"One village."
Kaito asked quietly.
"…Where?"
Raiden's eyes darkened.
"In the village of darkness."
Hina leaned closer to Kaito now.
"And then?"
Raiden's voice became colder.
"The darkness clan betrayed them."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"They tried to kill them."
Raiden nodded.
"They planned to slaughter every leader present."
"And steal their Origin Cores."
Hina's mouth opened slightly.
"That's bad…"
Raiden's voice became firm.
"But they failed."
Kaito leaned forward slightly.
"…What happened?"
Raiden's eyes sharpened.
"The other clans fought back."
"Together."
"Wind."
"Water."
"Fire."
"Ice."
"Magma."
"And even the light clan."
Hina whispered softly.
"They all fought?"
Raiden nodded.
"Yes."
"And on that day…"
His voice dropped.
"The darkness clan fell."
Snow drifted quietly through the night sky.
Raiden looked down at the children.
"They were wiped out."
"Every last one."
Silence settled around them.
Hina clutched Kaito's sleeve slightly.
"…They're really gone?"
Raiden nodded.
"Yes."
Kaito sat quietly.
His mind turning slowly.
The wind moved softly around the dome.
And the night grew deeper around the Kaze Estate.