Silence swallowed the forest.
Not the peaceful kind—but the suffocating kind. The wind refused to move, leaves hung unnaturally still, and even the insects seemed afraid to make a sound. At the center of it all, Sora writhed on the ground, his fingers clawing into the dirt as if trying to anchor himself to the world.
His veins glowed faintly beneath his skin, pulsing in chaotic rhythms. Blood leaked from his nose, ears, and the corners of his eyes, dripping into the soil below.
"Sora—listen to me," Lucy said urgently, kneeling beside him but not daring to touch him. "Stop forcing the energy out. Release it… or you're going to kill yourself."
Sora's teeth clenched as his entire body trembled.
"Brother… focus," Rin whispered, his voice shaking. "Please."
A scream ripped from Sora's throat.
"HAAAAAA!"
The ground cracked.
Sora's body lifted into the air, suspended as if invisible hands had seized him. Golden and crimson energy erupted violently from his core, surging outward in unstable waves that snapped branches and flattened grass in every direction. The forest groaned under the pressure.
Pain tore through him from the inside.
From the shadows beyond the trees—
"…Yikes."
A lazy voice drifted out, utterly unconcerned.
A tall figure leaned against a tree, half-hidden by darkness. Long hair swayed lazily behind him as he tilted his head, eyes gleaming with interest.
"That's messy."
He stepped forward just enough for moonlight to brush his face, lips curling into a crooked grin.
"So that's the kid, huh?"
His gaze shifted briefly toward Lucy.
"And that girl…" he muttered. "Yeah. She's dangerous."
The figure stretched casually, hands behind his head, as if watching street entertainment instead of a boy tearing himself apart.
"Mantra flowing backwards. Veins screaming. Demons already sniffing him out…"
He chuckled softly.
"Kid's practically ringing like a dinner bell."
Sora screamed again, energy flaring brighter.
The figure laughed under his breath.
"This town is way more fun than I expected."
He turned away, already losing interest—then paused.
He glanced back once more.
"Sora, was it?"
A grin spread across his face, sharp and knowing.
"Try not to die before we meet properly, yeah?"
And just like that—the presence vanished.
No sound. No trace. As if he had never existed.
Sora's body finally gave in.
The light shattered like glass, the energy collapsing inward. His body dropped hard to the ground, unmoving.
"SORA!" Rin shouted.
Darkness claimed him.
ONE MONTH LATER
"Ouch…"
Sora groaned weakly.
"Why does my entire body feel like it fought a mountain?
He shifted slightly on the bed—then froze.
He felt warmth. Breathing.
"…HAAA—!"
Sora shot upright with a scream. "WHO ARE YOU?!"
"What's wrong?!" Rin yelled, bursting into the room.
Sora pointed at the bed, eyes wide in pure terror.
"WHY IS THERE A MONKEY SLEEPING NEXT TO ME?!"
Rin blinked.
"…Monkey?"
"YES. MONKEY."
Rin squinted, rubbing his chin awkwardly.
"Well… that's Lucy."
Sora stared.
Rin continued, far too calmly.
"But now that you mention it… yeah, she does kind of look like a monkey when her hair's messy."
Lucy stirred.
One eye twitched.
Sora slowly leaned closer to Rin, whispering.
"Rin…"
"Yeah?"
"…look behind you."
Rin swallowed.
"She's… behind me, right?"
Sora's face went pale.
"I'm afraid… it's more than that."
A shadow loomed.
A sharp pressure slammed down—
BAM!
Rin's head was buried straight into the floor.
Dust puffed up as his legs twitched.
"By the way," Lucy said calmly, "how are you, Sora?"
Sora stared at Rin… then back at her.
"…I feel okay, I guess," he replied, lifting his shirt and checking himself. No scars. No wounds. "How long was I out?"
"A month. Maybe two."
Sora froze.
"...A month?"
Then—"A MONTH?!" he yelled. "WHAT ABOUT THE SHIP?!"
Lucy crossed her arms.
"We missed it," she said flatly. "Because of you, foolish."
Sora slumped back onto the bed, rubbing his hair.
"…I still don't get it."
His voice dropped. "I had power. I felt it. So why couldn't I control it?"
Silence filled the room.
Sora hesitated, then looked up.
"Lucy… Before I passed out, you mentioned something… Mantra.
"What is it?" he asked. "And why did my body almost tear itself apart?
Lucy didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she stepped into the center of the room.
"Stand up." Sora obeyed.
Lucy raised her hand.
Instantly, pressure flooded the room.
Sora's knees buckled as if the air itself had grown heavier.
"This," Lucy said quietly, "is Mantra."
The pressure vanished.
Sora gasped, nearly falling.
"…That wasn't even an attack," he whispered.
Lucy nodded.
"Mantra is not power you swing around," she said. "It is power that flows."
She stepped closer, tapping his chest with two fingers.
"Yours didn't flow."
Sora swallowed.
"It exploded."
Lucy's gaze hardened.
"You forced it," she said. "You treated Mantra like anger. Like strength. Like a weapon."
She leaned closer, voice low.
"But Mantra listens to the body before it listens to the will."
Sora clenched his fists.
"…And if I do it wrong again?"
Lucy met his eyes.
"Your veins will burn.Your senses will shatter .
"You won't die in battle, Sora."You'll die by using your power wrongly.
He stared at his trembling hands.
"…Then how do I stop that?"
Lucy turned toward the door.
"You don't learn Mantra by asking questions," she said.
"You learn it by surviving mistakes."
She paused.
"Tomorrow, I'll show you how to listen to it."
Then, colder—"Not control it."
The door closed.
Sora sat alone, heart pounding. For the first time since awakening, he was afraid of his own power.