Year 3000.
The world had already turned into a graveyard of ancient and forgotten secrets. The sky no longer carried its old blue—it lingered in a dull gray, heavy and unmoving.
That morning, the grounds of Arcanis Tempest were filled with the sound of footsteps.
Kashikari stood among the others.
Silent. Unnoticed. Hidden behind a name that was not his.
But this was not just another test.
Something had already begun.
The students formed lines across the training grounds as glowing magical symbols rotated slowly above them. Instructors stood at the front, calling out names one by one.
"Team 12: Kashikari Lior, Nyari Caleth, Bren Vos, Helin Tare."
The reaction was immediate.
"Nyari? From the royal line?"
"Who's Lior?"
"Did the system mess up?"
"That quiet one… something's wrong with him."
Kashikari didn't move.
He didn't react.
Only his eyes shifted slightly—and for the briefest moment, a faint violet-blue flicker passed through them, gone before it could be noticed.
The mission began without further explanation.
The Poisoned Forest.
A dense fog swallowed the surroundings as they stepped inside. Visibility dropped instantly, and the air itself felt heavy.
The first attack came without warning.
Roots burst from the ground, twisting and striking like living things.
Bren froze.
Helin reacted, flames cutting through the roots before they could fully surround them.
Nyari didn't move.
Her magic relied on light.
But in a place like this—light distorted direction, bent perception. It made things worse.
For a second, she hesitated.
That was enough.
Kashikari stepped forward.
No signal. No hesitation.
His foot struck the ground, and the earth cracked beneath him. Without using Jinwi, without revealing anything, he forced a path open through sheer physical force.
"Move," he said.
"Quickly."
They followed.
Not because they trusted him—
Because there was no better option.
The forest thinned as they reached the final obstacle.
A narrow magical bridge stretched across a deep drop, its structure unstable, flickering with fading energy.
They stepped onto it.
Halfway through—
It broke.
The structure shattered without warning.
Nyari lost her footing.
Her hand slipped.
A short scream escaped her—
But she didn't fall.
Kashikari's grip caught her wrist mid-drop.
Firm. Precise. Unshaken.
"There's poison below," he said calmly."I'd rather you didn't die. Not yet."
Her eyes trembled slightly.
But no words came out.
For the first time—
Someone saved her without making her feel weak.
They reached the other side.
The test ended.
But something didn't.
Later that evening, near the dormitories, Nyari found him again.
"…Thank you."
Kashikari didn't stop walking.
"No need."
"You saved me."
"You falling would have made things inefficient."
Silence.
"…That's all?"
He didn't answer.
He just kept moving.
But inside—
A thought remained.
There had been an instinct.
To protect.
He didn't know where it came from.
That night, sleep didn't come.
The room was quiet, filled with the steady breathing of others.
Kashikari stared at the ceiling.
Then Jinwi spoke.
"That girl will weaken you."
"No. She's just someone I don't know."
"When you touched her, your heart changed. You suppress it… but I am still here."
"Be silent. She is not my enemy."
"But she is not your ally either."
For a brief moment, something dark flickered in his eyes.
Not tears.
Something heavier.
Then it vanished.
Elsewhere, in the same building, Nyari sat alone.
Her thoughts refused to settle.
That boy… those eyes…
There is something broken in him.
Something dark.
But I wasn't afraid.
For the first time… I felt seen.
The night deepened.
High above the academy, Kashikari stood alone on the tower.
The wind moved around him, cold and constant.
Beside his shoulder, Jinwi manifested briefly.
Silent.
Watching.
"Was that weakness?" Kashikari asked quietly.
A pause.
Then Jinwi answered.
"No."
Another pause.
"Humanity."
"And that… is your greatest curse."