Post-training arc...
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The forest was still—too still.
No birdsong, no rustling wind. Just silence, and the faint crackle of residual void energy hanging in the air. The group gathered around a small clearing, catching their breath, trying to piece themselves back together.
Yuki leaned against a tree, his body heavy but his mind sharper than it had ever been. Power still coursed through him, but it no longer burned—it hummed in harmony. Fused. Balanced.
Aiko sat near him, hugging her knees to her chest. "You… you fused both powers." Her voice was quiet, awe-struck.
Yuki gave a small nod. "I didn't think I could… but the prison, the pressure… I had to change." He looked at her. "You kept me grounded. I saw you in there, even when I was lost."
A soft blush touched her cheeks, but she quickly looked away, brushing hair behind her ear. "I wasn't going to let you disappear in that place…"
Nearby, Ren watched the interaction, arms crossed, quiet for once. "So. You've awakened. But that kind of power won't go unnoticed."
Himari was kneeling in a corner of the clearing, her fingers brushing against the ground. "This place isn't normal. We didn't just return to our world—we landed in a border zone. Somewhere between the mythic and the real."
Nogitsune glanced over, arms folded, leaning against a tree with that same unreadable expression. "Which means… someone led us here. Or something is waiting."
"Or watching," Haru muttered, still seated on the ground with his hands resting on his knees. His tone was calm, but his aura was tense.
Suddenly, the wind shifted.
A distant, bone-deep sound echoed through the trees—like stone scraping against stone, low and ancient. Everyone stilled.
Yuki's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"
Ren stepped forward, senses flaring. "It's not from this world."
Aiko stood quickly, eyes glowing faintly. "I feel it too. Something vast. Like an ocean with no bottom. It's searching."
Himari's gaze sharpened. "Then it already knows you've awakened, Yuki."
Nogitsune's eyes met Yuki's. "Time's up. Whoever pulled us from the void—whoever tested us—is ready to make a move."
The group instinctively closed ranks.
Yuki clenched his fists. "Then we meet them head-on."
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Night fell softly over the warped forest, casting long, distorted shadows. A strange moon hung low in the sky, glowing a pale silver-green. They were still trapped between realms, but for the first time in what felt like ages, it was… calm.
A small fire crackled in the center of their camp. Not for warmth, but for something human—comfort.
Ren sharpened his blade in silence, his wings folded tightly behind him. His eyes darted toward the treeline every so often, ever-watchful.
Aiko sat close to Yuki, her legs folded beneath her, hands resting in her lap. She glanced at him as he stared into the flames. "How do you feel now?" she asked gently.
Yuki hesitated. "Stronger. Clearer. But it feels like I've opened a door I can't close anymore."
Nogitsune smirked from the edge of the group. "That's what growth is, little brother. The door doesn't close. You just learn to carry what's behind it."
"Spoken like someone who carries too much," Himari murmured as she returned from scouting, brushing leaves off her sleeves. She sat beside Haru without a word, and the two shared a quiet nod.
"We should talk about what just happened," Ren said finally. "Whoever brought us into that void prison… they had a purpose. It wasn't random."
"They were testing Yuki," Haru added. "And us, maybe. Like… seeing how far we could be pushed before we broke."
Aiko's hands trembled slightly. "I saw something in there. Just a glimpse. A figure… tall, shrouded in what looked like chains and shadows. It was watching Yuki. Smiling."
The fire crackled louder for a moment, as if responding.
Yuki looked at her sharply. "Smiling?"
She nodded slowly. "Not with joy. With… hunger."
Silence fell again.
Himari broke it softly. "Whatever it was, it wasn't part of the void. It was using the void as a lens—to peer into Yuki's soul."
Nogitsune stood. "Then it's not done. And neither are we."
Ren rose too, expression firm. "We rest. Tomorrow, we find a way out of this warped realm. And when we do… we prepare. Because this was only the first move."
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