The sun hung low over Zimala, casting golden light across the cobblestone streets. With yesterday's conflict behind them, the Judgment Squad's patrol was light, more ceremonial than necessary. The squad walked side by side through the winding path that led between the outer neighborhoods, their chatter a mix of teasing and comfortable familiarity.
"Maybe if you weren't so annoying, we'd actually take you up on your duels," Azumi said, eyeing Knoxx with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.
Tsuki watched as Knoxx stuck out his tongue in response, his expression playful but sharp. "Maybe if you weren't so stuck up, guys would actually like you!"
That did it. The two stopped mid-step, turning to face each other, noses inches apart. Sparks practically flew between their glares.
Geo sighed dramatically, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Shut it, you two. Geez."
Tsuki couldn't help but laugh at the dynamic. "Geo the Enforcer," she said, nudging his shoulder.
Then, with a sly smile and glint of mischief in her eyes, she added, "Geo… you're so attractive when you're leading."
Geo's face lit up red instantly. "Wha—what are you talking about?"
Hatori, ever the straight man, smacked Geo lightly on the arm with a grin. "Geo… little red there, aren't ya?"
"No I'm not!" Geo barked defensively, flustered.
"Sure are," Knoxx chimed in, grinning like a fox. "Tsuki's got you on a string, buddy."
"Shut your damn mouth!" Geo snapped, but his voice cracked halfway through.
The group burst into laughter, the tension melting into easy camaraderie.
Down the road, Geo spotted a familiar figure. "Hey, it's Tona!"
They all looked up to see him walking, clearly lost in thought.
"Tona! Hey!" Tsuki called out, waving.
Tona looked up from his sidewalk stare and blinked in surprise. "Ah, hey Judgies."
He approached at a slow, casual pace, hands tucked in the deep pockets of his baggy white pants. His tall frame moved with the quiet confidence that had become second nature, and around his neck, resting above his scarf, hung the Ghost mask.
Hatori crossed his arms with mock solemnity. "Not even trying to hide it anymore, are you?"
Tona raised an eyebrow. "Nothing gets past you big guy."
"That's right," Knoxx said with a grin. "Hatori's super observant!"
Hatori shot him a glare. Knoxx simply whistled and looked away, hands behind his head.
Tsuki's eyes lingered on the mask. It was strange seeing it out in the open now, like a myth that had suddenly become flesh and blood.
"No point hiding the mask anymore," Tona said, noticing their glances. He tapped the edge of it. "Everyone knows now, so it'll stay here. Right above this scarf."
"Understandable," Geo said with a nod.
Tsuki stepped forward, her voice quiet but clear. "Hey, Tona… we've got some down time. So, could you train me?"
Tona blinked. That caught him off guard. "Where'd that come from?"
Tsuki shuffled slightly, her gaze meeting his. "Well… you're the strongest. And your Solena control was insane during the battle. I was hoping… maybe you could help me with mine."
"Me too!" Knoxx jumped in. "I feel like I'm not pulling my full potential."
Tona rubbed the back of his neck, clearly thinking.
"Alright. I can help you out. Sure."
The squad erupted in cheers. Knoxx and Tsuki high-fived. Azumi grinned, though it was more likely due to being around Tona than his agreeing to teach.
"Well, what do you want to know?" Tona asked. The question hung in the air for a moment. Tsuki hadn't actually thought about any specifics. Knoxx would hardly think this far ahead either.
Knoxx broke the lingering silence. "Uhh... How about everything?"
Tona laughed until he saw Knoxx's serious expression. He gave a quick cough before speaking.
"Let's start with the basics then," Tona said, voice settling into something more instructive.
He turned to face them all. "Now… how often do you speak to your spirits?"
They stared at him blankly.
"Y'know, the source of your Solena?"
Still nothing.
Tona laughed, almost in disbelief. "Didn't know I was dealing with a bunch of newbies. Damn."
"Hey, dickhead," Hatori said, his tone light, "maybe explain before roasting us."
"Fair." Tona raised a hand in surrender, then began pacing slowly.
"Well, for beginners, the ability we have isn't our alone. It actually comes from a spirit, based in the Celestial Realm. Every ability user has a spirit. I'm assuming you've at least heard of that?"
They all nodded.
"Though I thought it was just a legend," Tsuki admitted. "Didn't know it was real."
"Oh, it's real," Tona said. "Very real. I can travel there, if you want to see it sometime."
He gave them a thumbs-up and a cheeky grin.
"Anyway," he went on, "these spirits each have their own unique abilities. They can live separately from humans—but if they do, they burn out. Literally. If they choose to bind with a human soul, the two become one being. That person gets the spirit's ability. And once they're bonded, it's permanent."
He paused and gave Knoxx a pitying look. "Unlucky for your spirit."
Knoxx groaned.
"Just messin' Knoxx. Sorta."
"So," Geo said slowly, "the spirit chooses the person?"
"Exactly. They sense the nature of a soul. For example, a spirit that manipulates solar energy might seek someone peaceful, hopeful. Meanwhile, something darker—like voodoo or destructive arts—might pick someone a little more... chaotic. It's a compatibility thing. A perfect match."
Hatori raised a brow. "When did you learn all this? And why the hell didn't I know?"
"You never asked," Tona said with a smirk.
"Good point," Hatori muttered.
"So," Azumi asked, brushing her bangs aside, "do you talk to your spirit often?"
"All the time," Tona replied.
"How?"
Tona paused. "That part's… different for everyone. I contact Severus—my spirit—directly in the Celestial Realm. He won't respond any other way. But he can reach me any time. I just can't call out unless I'm there."
"So how do we figure out how to reach ours?" Geo asked.
Tona's lips curled into a sly grin. "Guess I'll just take you to the Celestial Realm."
The squad blinked in stunned silence.
"You can actually take us?" Azumi asked.
"Sure can. If everyone's ready?" Tona said.
He raised his hand, opened a gate, and conjured a glowing solena-formed hand that beckoned them forward.
"Just kidding," he added with a grin. "I don't care if you're ready."
A large barrier made of solena proceeded to shove the squad into the gate. Screams filled the scene as the members fell into the Celestial Realm.
They didn't fall downward so much as inward—drawn through some unseen fold of existence.
Then, silence.
The world reformed around them into an expanse of indescribable beauty. A cosmic sea stretched in all directions, swirling with purples, indigos, rose-golds, and soft pinks that blended like watercolor suspended in clear water. There was no ground—yet something beneath them carried their weight. Trails of shimmering stardust rippled and curled like smoke, responding to unseen tides.
Star-like motes drifted past—some glowing steadily, others flickering like beating hearts. Their movement was slow, dreamlike, as though time itself had relaxed here.
The Judgment Squad floated in open space, bodies weightless, eyes wide in awe.
Knoxx reached out lazily toward a drifting light.
"Whaaaat are these pretty little thingies?" he asked, voice somewhere between reverence and mischief.
Tona floated upside-down beside him, hands behind his head, as if lounging midair. A small laugh escaped him.
"The ones not moving? Souls of people back in Solen. The little flickering ones darting around? Spirits." He pointed casually toward the clouds of shifting light. "You'll notice the colors, yeah?"
They all nodded, captivated.
"Each color matches their host's Solena," Tona continued. "Like me—Severus burns violet. So my Solena glows violet too."
Geo's arms were folded, though his expression betrayed unease.
"…I feel strange," he muttered. "Like something's pulling me."
Tona's grin widened just slightly.
"That's your spirit. It's reaching out—trying to commune."
Tsuki gasped softly as her feet began to drift forward—though she hadn't moved them.
"Same here… my body's moving on its own."
One by one, the currents of the realm claimed them.
Hatori drifted away in silence, drawn in another direction entirely.
Azumi was caught in a slow current beside him, trying to stay composed.
Knoxx spun through the air doing carefree somersaults, laughing as the stars scattered around him.
And Tsuki—
Tsuki was being pulled faster.
The lights thinned and the colors darkened.
A tear in the cosmic field began to open, like a black iris widening at the center of the realm.
Before she could resist, a shadowed force yanked her through. The vibrant world vanished completely.
She landed with a soft gasp into utter darkness. No ground. No horizon. No sound. Just void. Then. A brief deception of light.
A small black flame with white outlines flickered ahead, casting the faintest glow into the darkness behind it. Slowly, the flame spread, illuminating a tall, elegant silhouette standing perfectly still.
An ancient presence watching her every move.
Tsuki swallowed, breath trembling. She was no longer alone.
A voice drifted through the darkness—soft, calm, resonant. Feminine.
"Tsuki…"
The sound seemed to echo not through the void, but through Tsuki herself. She stood still, tense yet composed, watching as her eyes slowly adjusted to the faint flame ahead.
"It's been a long time coming," the voice continued.
Tsuki drew a slow breath. "You… are you my spirit?"
The flame fluttered, almost like a subtle laugh.
"Yes," the figure replied. "I chose you long ago. I have watched everything you've done. I remember more than you do. I hear what you hear. I live in you."
A chill ran down Tsuki's spine. Her expression tightened.
"That's… honestly kind of creepy."
The figure's silhouette shifted—almost as though smiling.
"I know. But I am a part of you. So if it's strange, it's strange for both of us."
A nervous breath escaped her—half sigh, half laugh. Her shoulders eased as her arms lowered.
"Alright then…"
She tried to gather her thoughts, but before she could speak, the voice cut in gently.
"I already know your questions. Allow me to answer them."
The white outline of the black flame seemed to slowly expand.
"You can commune with me from your realm. The stronger our bond becomes, the stronger your abilities will grow."
Tsuki raised an eyebrow. "Wait… my strength depends on us being close?"
"Exactly." The voice was patient, instructive. "Your power is Solena pulled from me—pulled from here. I don't control how much you receive. But if we connect, truly connect, I can guide how it travels through you. I can help you shape it—strike harder, react faster, conserve more."
Tsuki blinked, stunned. "So I've… only been using a fraction of what I could do?"
"Most people do," the spirit said. "Most never even realize we exist. They believe they were simply 'blessed' at birth." A soft laugh resonated through the void. "If only they knew."
Silence fell. Tsuki took it in piece by piece, the weight of it grounding her.
Slowly, her voice softened.
"What's your name?"
The flame swelled, illuminating the figure fully—a tall, elegant silhouette draped in flowing shadow. "Chiumali."
Tsuki repeated it under her breath, letting it settle inside her.
"Chiumali…"
She lifted her gaze.
"Alright. How do I reach you—from my realm I mean?"
Chiumali closed her eyes, folding her hands before her. The void seemed to listen.
"Your shadows," she answered.
Tsuki stared. "…My shadows?"
"Yes," Chiumali said gently. "Enter through them. Focus your Solena. Calm your mind. Speak my name. From there—" her eyes opened, bright and steady, "—you'll find your way to me."
Tsuki crossed her arms, trying to sound confident.
"…That sounds easy enough."
Chiumali's eyes opened with a knowing, amused flicker.
"Do not be cocky. Balancing Solena is not like flexing a muscle. It is meditation. Discipline and intention. You will likely fail… at first."
Tsuki exhaled sharply. "Great. Very encouraging."
"It is necessary," Chiumali replied, voice gentle and unyielding. "If you wish to rise above the enemies you face… if you wish to protect those around you… our bond must deepen."
Tsuki stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Her heartbeat felt louder than her footsteps.
"I'll do it," she said. "When we leave this place, I'll train. I'll reach you. No matter how long it takes."
Chiumali's expression softened—not with warmth, but recognition. Respect. Her form faded slowly back into the darkness, her final words folding gently through the void.
"So be it. Prove yourself worthy, Tsuki… my chosen one."
The shadows around them peeled away like smoke unraveling under a rising sun. Chiumali's black flame dimmed to a quiet ember behind Tsuki—still present, but resting.