The river did not erupt. It breathed, slowly and heavily, as if something beneath it had been listening for far longer than any of them had been there. Yun felt it first, not as fear but as pressure, as recognition. Then the water parted, not violently or chaotically, but with intent, as if it had chosen this moment.
Something stepped out. Not a creature. Not a beast. A man.
His body was not entirely separate from the river. Water flowed along his form, merging with his skin and shifting constantly, as if he existed between two states. He did not look weak. He looked old in a way that had nothing to do with age and everything to do with time. Ancient.
He opened his eyes, and everything stilled.
Even Mirka took a step back. For the first time, she did not look in control.
"You were not supposed to awaken yet," she said quietly.
He ignored her. His gaze fixed directly on Yun.
"You look just like him."
Yun's expression shifted slightly. "Who?"
The man paused, as if searching through something distant. "Your grandfather."
Silence fell, and the word struck harder than any attack.
Yun's eyes narrowed. "You knew him?"
The man did not answer immediately. He looked beyond them, past the trees, as if remembering something far away. "We trained together. Until time took everything from us."
Creighton frowned. "What does that even mean?"
The man glanced at him briefly, then dismissed him entirely. "We were not like you. We had time."
Sharma stepped forward. "Explain."
The man's gaze returned to Yun. "We fought. We trained. We grew stronger. Until we grew old."
The air shifted as his voice lowered. "We lost what you still have."
Yun did not speak, because he understood. "Time."
The man gave a faint nod. "And now… I can feel him."
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
"Lucius."
Even the name felt heavy.
The man's expression darkened. "His power has gone beyond what it should be."
Creighton let out a breath. "So what, we're supposed to fight that?"
The man looked at him again, and a faint, cold smile appeared. "You? No."
Then he looked at all of them. "You will die if you remain as you are."
The truth landed heavily.
Yun stepped forward. "Then what do we do?"
The answer came without hesitation. "You grow stronger. You learn to control your Nak. You find the others."
Sharma narrowed his eyes. "Others?"
"The chosen. And those born with power."
Mirka said nothing, but she listened carefully.
Then suddenly, the man's expression changed. "They're coming."
Sharma reacted immediately. "How many?"
"Three. Strong."
That was enough.
Yun tensed. Creighton's expression hardened. Sharma stepped forward, and his energy surged around him, controlled and sharp, forming a crackling aura like contained lightning.
Creighton smirked. "About time."
Dark energy spread from him, heavy and dense, while flames ignited in his hands, not ordinary fire but something closer to volcanic force.
Yun did not move. He simply stood there, watching.
The man from the river frowned. "Why aren't you using your power?"
Yun answered quietly, "I can't control it."
The response was immediate. "Then you will be the first to die. Focus. Feel it. Let it recognize you."
Yun closed his eyes. For a moment, everything else faded.
Then the explosion came from the forest. Trees shattered. The ground trembled.
And then they appeared.
Three figures stood calmly, yet everything around them reacted. Leaves lifted, the air distorted, even the ground seemed to shift under their presence. A powerful green aura surrounded them, alive and overwhelming.
The one in front stepped forward. "Found you."
Sharma's gaze locked onto him. "Names."
The man smirked. "Dirka. Kora. Mora."
Creighton rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Let's see what you've got."
Kora moved first, fast enough to close the distance instantly. His fist pulled back, then launched forward with explosive force. Sharma caught it, but the impact forced him backward, his feet sliding across the ground.
Kora smirked. "That all you've got?"
Sharma laughed. "Is that supposed to be strong?"
The air exploded as Kora's energy surged violently, and Sharma's aura intensified in response. Then Sharma vanished completely.
Dirka's voice cut through the air. "Behind you!"
Kora reacted instantly, striking backward, but Sharma had already moved. He dodged and countered with a powerful kick to Kora's neck. The impact sent him flying several meters, his energy faltering under the force.
Dirka stepped forward immediately, not waiting. He vanished and struck from below. Sharma's legs were taken out, and before he could recover, a burst of dark energy slammed into his abdomen. The ground exploded, forming a crater as Sharma's energy collapsed.
Dirka moved to finish it.
Then impact.
A volcanic punch.
Dirka was launched backward with overwhelming force.
Creighton stood there, his arm still burning with residual heat. "You talk too much."
Dirka rose slowly, anger burning in his expression. His aura exploded outward as he attacked relentlessly, fists and kicks coming in rapid succession. But Creighton avoided everything effortlessly.
"You're slow," he said calmly.
He didn't counter. He played, dodging, watching, waiting.
Then he got bored.
His energy surged violently. His hair flickered like burning magma, and his speed increased instantly. His fist ignited with volcanic force.
Then he struck.
Direct.
Dirka couldn't react.
The impact dropped him instantly.
Silence followed.
Creighton exhaled. "Finally."
He turned toward Mora, but Mora raised his hand calmly. "Next time, we fight seriously."
He lifted both of his allies and disappeared.
Far away, near the entrance of a distant palace, a presence appeared before him.
Mora froze.
A higher-ranked warrior stood there, watching, judging.
"Lucius does not forgive failure."
Fear appeared for the first time.
Real.
Back at the river, silence returned.
But nothing was the same anymore.
Because now the war had begun.