(Raym) walked beside (Irene), feeling the air itself slow and grow heavier around him.
There was something unsettling about (Irene). People whispered stories—some claimed he had withdrawn from the ambush effortlessly… others swore he had single-handedly defeated more than ten knights before retreating.
(Irene) spoke calmly, his voice steady yet commanding:
"I have heard of your actions, (Raym). Your courage is undeniable. Standing against one of those knights, protecting the wounded while knowing you were outmatched—such resolve deserves respect."
He paused suddenly. They had arrived.
Darkness seemed to swallow everything around (Raym). His breath grew shallow, sweat pouring down his face. For a moment, it felt like his final seconds had arrived.
"Hey—(Raym)!" (Irene) called sharply.
"What are you waiting for?"
(Raym) stepped inside a place he had never even dreamed of approaching before…
The Supreme Commander's chamber.
Inside stood (Arvela), (Vail), (Daniel), and (Irene), already waiting—
and beside them… a presence unlike the rest.
A man whose aura alone set him apart.
Could it be… the commander himself?
No. This was different. Too calm. Too noble.
(Vail) smiled faintly.
It seems this is your first time seeing him. Allow me to introduce you—this is (Leo), the Vice Commander...
(Leo), Vice Commander of the Army.
Second only to the Supreme Commander himself.
It is said his word carries the same weight as the commander's—and that he is the one man trusted without question.
To stand in the same room as him was to feel both safety and fear at once.
(Leo) stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Forgive me, young warrior. I am (Leo). I have heard much about you, (Raym). You are… intriguing."
The world seemed to go silent around (Raym).
(Leo) continued gently, yet firmly:
"But you know why you are here, don't you?"
(Raym) lifted his head in surprise.
"No… why me?"
(Leo) narrowed his eyes slightly.
"As I thought. (Raym), everyone witnessed the moment you unleashed your power."
"Oh—you mean when I held off the knight?" (Raym) began—
"No," (Leo) interrupted sharply.
"Not that."
The room seemed to vanish from (Raym)'s senses.
"(Raym), you wield something exceedingly rare… no—something believed to be extinct."
He paused.
"(Raym), you are the first person I have ever seen who wields the Element of Light."
Silence crushed the room.
(Raym) stared at his own hand, his breath faltering.
"I… I have an element?"
A sharp pain bloomed in his head.
(Leo) ordered the others to leave—everyone except (Raym).
Left alone with the Vice Commander, confusion overwhelmed him.
Why me? Why stay with someone like me?
But (Leo) had already made his decision.
He wanted to understand (Raym).
To uncover how someone like him could possess such a forgotten power.
"Tell me," (Leo) said calmly,
what do you remember of your past… if anything at all???
(Raym) felt his chest tighten as tension crept in. He struggled to steady his breathing, yet spoke anyway.
"Me…? I feel as if something hidden is blocking me from knowing who I truly am. I can't remember… not clearly."
Suddenly, a distorted memory surfaced.
"Raym… you must live… you must survive for my sake…"
He didn't understand its meaning, but he told (Leo) nonetheless.
(Leo) listened closely, visibly surprised, and asked him to try again.
But the harder (Raym) tried, the more his body betrayed him—sweat forming on his face, his words faltering.
(Leo) sensed something strange surrounding (Raym), yet chose to set it aside for now.
"Enough," (Leo) said calmly. "Leave that for later. What matters now is learning how to use your power. It is far stronger than you realize."
He continued, his tone sharpening.
"Did you know that (Vail) was within the range of your last attack?"
(Raym) froze, hastily trying to explain that it hadn't been intentional—but (Leo) cut him off.
"I know you didn't mean it. But haven't you wondered why (Vail) walked away without a single scratch?"
The question lingered. (Raym) had wondered. Everything had happened in an uncontrolled instant.
(Leo) spoke again, his voice calm yet resolute.
"That is one of your element's traits.
It does not harm those you recognize as allies… as friends.
It exists to oppose darkness itself.
It is pure light."
(Raym) stared in disbelief as (Leo) continued.
"That is why it is considered a treasure—especially in our era… and in this world."
He stepped closer, his presence heavy.
"For that very reason, you are now under scrutiny.
You must understand this, (Raym)—
your life will never return to what it once was."
A brief silence followed.
"I will train you," (Leo) declared. "Until you master this power and comprehend what it truly is. I have never trained anyone before. I have never taken a disciple."
He looked directly into (Raym)'s eyes.
"You will be the first… and the only one."
Then, with a faint but unsettling smile:
"But know this—
I am not as lenient as (Vail).
Prepare yourself for training of the highest order."