The chamber didn't feel like a room. It felt like a gaping mouth, stones and shadow swallowing sound and warmth alike. The ceiling was high enough that darkness gathered in layers; torches did not burn here, instead oblivion crystals glowed almost periodically, the feeble glow struggling against the overwhelming darkness. Five figures stood in formation, not because they were ordered to but because their young bodies had become accustomed to the laws of this place.
In front of them stood Noctyra and Miastra, their gazes analysing the children in front of them. It used to make Magneta uneasy, someone with closed eyes who still made you feel as if you were being watched. However, the children had learned the difference between Noctyra's gaze and Miastra's. Noctyra's gaze was like a blade, while on one hand, Miastra's gaze felt more like a helping hand. Miastra moved among them quietly now, adjusting a shoulder here, smoothing a stray strap there, the way a parent would fix a collar on their child's uniform before sending them to school. She never smiled at the world, but she did smile to her babies, or maybe it wasn't a smile, maybe it was just the smallest gesture that whispered to the children that they belonged to her.
Noctyra observed them silently, her expression unchanging. Then she spoke. "You deserve to know what you are." Her voice did not echo; it didn't need to. "Not because it comforts you," she continued, "but because ignorance gets weapons killed." Giozan's mouth twitched like he wanted to laugh. Magneta swallowed deeply. Shadow's expression became warmer. Vhaleria's gaze sharpened slightly. Rael's fingers flexed once, then stilled. Noctyra let the silence stretch until it began to suffocate.
"Let's start with us," she said. "The one that holds you." She lifted her hand slightly, palm facing upwards. The air thickened. It wasn't elemental energy; it was something older. Something that did not belong in the same category as elements such as fire and air. Magneta felt like a weight had hit her bones. Shadow's lips parted slightly. Giozan's pupils narrowed, instinct tightening. Vhaleria's shoulders eased the way a predator relaxes when it recognises a familiar kind of violence. Noctyra's voice was steady.
"Oblivari." Miastra's head tilted, like she was listening to a sound only she could hear. Noctyra didn't look at her sister. There was no need. Their thoughts aligned when it truly mattered. "We are not elementals," Noctyra said. "Do not confuse the two." Magneta's brows furrowed. "Then what are you?" Noctyra's eyes flickered to her, assessing the child. " A calamity lineage." She continued, her tone unchanging. "Elementals are forces of nature given form. We are something else." Noctyra's fingers curled slightly, and the oblivion crystals across the room began to move unnaturally. "We manipulate destruction," Noctyra said, " death, and the slow collapse of all things. Entropy. "We do not master elements," she went on. "We master death and destruction." Giozan finally spoke, his voice low and amused." So you're saying, we are distant cousins." Noctyra looked at him for a second too long. Then she answered flatly. "I am saying we are incompatible." A small shiver ran through Magneta's spine. Shadow's gaze lowered in deep thought. Noctyra's tone remained calm. "Oblivari grow stronger through annihilation. When destruction happens, when life meets its end, we are rewarded." Rael's eyes narrowed slightly. "Rewarded?" Noctyra didn't smile. "Killing induces pleasure. Power. Euphoria. Magneta flinched at the honesty. Giozan bared his teeth unconsciously in fear. Shadow's hands twitched as if his body understood the statement before his mind finished comprehending it. Noctyra's gaze turned to Shadow. "Especially for him." Shadow met her gaze. Noctyra continued, almost like a teacher reciting the school rules. "The high does not fade immediately; it lasts for a while, filling the blood and sharpening your instincts. She paused. "And then it fades," Miastra spoke softly for the first time, voice quieter than Noctyra's but heavier in a different way. "And we return to ourselves." Magneta's eyes drifted to Miastra. "Is that why you..... keep your eyes closed?" Silence. Miastra turned her head slightly, as if she could see Magneta perfectly even without opening her eyes. "It helps," she said. "When you are born with unsatisfiable hunger." Noctyra's gaze shifted to the group of children as a whole. "Do not romanticise it," she said. "We are not heroes or cursed angels." Her tone sharpened. "Our family is a mistake. We were made to end things." Magneta swallowed again. Giozan rolled his neck, restless. Rael remained still, and Vhaleria's eyes glowed faintly. Shadow's expression remained unreadable, but something inside of him leaned forward. Noctyra lowered her hand, and the pressure eased just enough for breath to feel normal again. "Shadow," Noctyra said. He lifted his gaze. "You are Oblivari," she said. "Our youngest blood sibling." Shadow didn't react outwardly, but Magneta saw it; behind Shadow's eyes, something began to move. Miastra's voice came again, softer, more intimate. "You are all my babies." Magneta's head turned sharply. Miastra's lips curled. "All of you." Then, with a quiet firmness, she added, "Shadow is simply one born from the same blood as me." The words struck the room in a different way than Noctyra's. Noctyra's truth was a sharp blade, whereas Miastra's truth was a claim. Shadow's posture didn't change, but something inside him settled, as if he was being secured. Magneta felt a strange feeling of relief she wasn't used to or understood. Giozan clicked his tongue and muttered, "So we're adopted." Miastra's head tilted towards him. "You are chosen." Giozan's eyes narrowed. "Same thing." Noctyra cut in before softness could grow.
"Now." Her tone made the whole room snap back into focus. "You are not only ours." She pointed towards Giozan. "You." Giozan's grin widened, "Finally." Noctyra's gaze hardened. "Your father is the Tiger," she said. Giozan's grin faltered for the smallest moment. Noctyra continued. "A Divine Elemental Beast. Apex Psychic predator. Dominion over instinct, mind, dominance." Giozan's eyes flashed with pride and something feral. "And your mother," Noctyra said, voice tightening just slightly, "is the Phoenix." The chamber's temperature dropped. Magneta looked at Miastra, whose posture remained calm, but her aura, which was usually warm towards them, tightened like a protective animal hearing a threat. Noctyra's tone sharpened, as if the word tasted bitter. "The Phoenix embodies rebirth," she said, "and flame so absolute it becomes renewal through annihilation." Giozan's jaw tightened. Noctyra's gaze did not soften one bit. "You survived," she said, "because you took after your father." Giozan's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, big sis?" "It means," Noctyra said, stepping closer, "that if you leaned more towards your mother's lineage, if the Phoenix blood had surfaced in you the way it does in her offspring...." She stopped. The pause was deliberate. The room held its breath. Noctyra finished quietly and easily. "I would have killed you myself." Magneta's blood froze. Rael's hands shook. Vhaleria's eyes narrowed, not surprised but alert. Giozan's grin was nowhere to be seen now. "Why?" Noctyra's gaze did not falter one bit. "Mercy is not extended to the Phoenix blood." Miastra didn't speak, but the displeasure was there in the way her presence tightened around the children like a shield. Giozan stared at Noctyra, blinking repeatedly as if trying to wake up from this nightmare. Then, quieter, almost as if he didn't want to ask, he said, "You hate them." Noctyra smiled. "Yes," she said simply. She turned away before the conversation could become anything other than meaningful.
"And you," she said, pointing to Magneta. Noctyra's gaze swept over her like a weapon appraisal. "You are the daughter of the Sword god." Magneta's heart thumped hard in her chest. Even Shadow's eyes shifted slightly at the title. Noctyra spoke with restrained contempt. "A hero turned tyrant. A man who worships strength and power because he cannot bear weakness." Magneta's lips pressed together. "No divine blood," Noctyra continued. "No beast lineage, either, just your father's obsession forced into you. I can see that you possess extraordinary affinity, magnetism, structure, pressure, and force. Your body was born for warfare." Magneta lifted her chin. "I know all of this already; however, I am still here." Noctyra's eyes flickered down dismissively. "Yes," she said. "You are still here." Her gaze sharpened. "You are too pure, too innocent." Magneta blinked. The comment was so small, yet the displeasure behind it was unmistakable. Miastra's head turned slightly towards Magneta, as if she could feel her heart pumping faster. Giozan smirked again, trying to shake off the heaviness. "Our newbies are too innocent. What a crime." Noctyra didn't look at him.
Her attention shifted to Rael. Rael met her gaze without flinching. Noctyra spoke like a judge. "God gene." The children's eyes widened in unison. Noctyra continued. "God genes are inherited fragments of the most powerful elementals' DNA." "Its rarity approaches absurdity. One elemental per a billion will inherit the God gene." Giozan whistled quietly. "Lucky." Noctyra's eyes cut to him. "Most carriers die before awakening. Their bodies cannot contain what they were given." Her gaze returned to Rael. "Some fortunate ones do awaken," Noctyra said, "And become... powerful." Rael's smile was faint, controlled. "What about me?" Noctyra's voice did not soften. "Your potential is astronomical." Rael didn't say anything, but for the second time in his life, his eyes flickered with hope. "It is a shame you are nothing but a broken vessel," Noctyra continued. "Fate is truly cruel." "But you are still precious, and you're not alone, Rael," Miastra interjected quickly. The hope in Rael's eyes died. Magneta's chest felt heavy. She didn't know why, but she felt the urge to step between them. Vhaleria squeezed Rael's hand, trying her best not to look at the tiny line of blood at the edge of Rael's nostril. Rael wiped it away quickly, but Noctyra saw the blood. Of course she did. She didn't comment; there was no need to. Her attention shifted to Vhaleria. The room subtly changed. It wasn't fear exactly, it was respect with a mixture of caution. Noctyra's voice was quieter now, like she even knew the name she was about to describe wasn't something to be spoken lightly.
"Void Clan." Vhaleria's crimson eyes refused to blink. Noctyra carried on. "Relatives to the elementals, older than most remember. Pre-elemental forces." Magneta felt her skin prickle. Noctyra's voice remained even." Anti-matter. Gravity. Void." Vhaleria's lips curled faintly, almost amused. Nocytra's gaze tightened. "You," Noctyra said, "are royalty." Vhaleria didn't deny it; she couldn't help whether she wanted to or not. Noctyra's voice turned cynical again. "A princess." Silence moved through the chamber. Noctyra's gaze held steady. "One of the greatest potentials I have ever seen." Magneta's eyes widened. Shadow's gaze flicked to Vhaleria as if he was seeing her for the first time. Giozan's grin returned slightly. "So our little princess here is special." "You are all special," corrected Miastra. Noctyra stepped back. "You know what you are now," she said. Magneta's heart hammered. Giozan's grin wasn't playful anymore. Shadow's eyes looked even darker. Rael's expression was calm, far too calm. Vhaleria's eyes glowed faintly like something deep inside her had acknowledged the truth and accepted it. Miastra's voice came, gentle. "My babies," she said softly," remember this." Her closed eyes tilted towards them all. "You are not alone." Noctyra's voice cut in, colder. "And that is the only mercy you will be given."
The dojo smelled like wood and smoke, and the faint salt of Yokohama's bay carried on by the wind. The lantern's light painted soft shadows across the tatami floors. It felt like a different universe from Noctyra's chamber. Not because it was safer, but because it was more honest in a different way. Ashyra sat with her knees drawn close, staring at her hands as if they might betray her again. Her brown hair with a reddish amber tint fell over her shoulders. Her eyes glowed warm, like coals that could flare up at any moment. Nyssara sat beside her, posture straight, hands resting calmly on her thighs. Long dark hair flowed down her back, her deep blue eyes shining with energy. Water flowed faintly at the edge of her fingertips, not spilling, just showing loyalty to Nyssara's intent. Sensei stood near the open doorway, looking out at the city lights. He didn't look like a saviour. Nor did he look like a villain. He looked like a man who had made choices and refused to apologise for surviving them. He finally spoke without turning around. "You felt it today," he said. "The world is shifting." Ashyra's voice was quiet. "The Wardens." Sensei hummed. "Yes." Nyssara's gaze narrowed. "They're.....everywhere." Sensei turned then, walking back into the room. His cane tapped against the floor. "A correction," he said. "They are here. They were always capable of being here." Ashyra swallowed. "Then why now?" "Because someone forced the issue," said Sensei. "Awakenings don't usually happen like this," Sensei continued. "Not all at once, or across age groups and especially across continents. Nyssara's lips parted slightly. "So Someone.." "Yes," Sensei said. "Someone moved." Ashyra's fingers tightened. "Is that... good?" Sensei's expression didn't soften. "Good," he repeated, as if tasting the word. "You're still thinking from a human perspective." Sensei continued. "I will tell you, girls, something. Something you need." He sat down across from them, posture relaxed, but his presence heavy. "I chose every path I walked," Sensei said. "I have destroyed civilisations." Ashyra's eyes widened. Civalisations. Cities. People. Cultures. Lives. Nyssara's expression remained calm, but her fingers twitched slightly. Sensei's voice didn't waver. "I do not regret it," he said. Ashyra's throat closed up. "How can you say that?" Sensei's glaze held hers. "Because it was my choice," he said. "That matters more than morality." Ashyra's brows furrowed. "That's.." "Hard?" Sensei offered. "Yes." He leaned forward slightly. "You think regret makes you good?" Sensei asked quietly. "Regret is a luxury for those who still believe the universe rewards softness," Nyssara spoke, voice calm. "Then what does matter?" Sensei's mouth twitched, almost with approval. "Consequence," he said. "And the ability to live with it." Ashyra looked down at her hands again. The blue flames in her palms flickered faintly. Sensei's voice softened, not gentle but less sharp. "You want to know your origins," he said. "You want to understand what you are." Ashyra's breath caught, whilst Nyssara's gaze focused.
Sensei looked at Ashyra first. "Ashyra," he said. Ashyra's heart thudded. Sensei's gaze turned.....strange. Not distant but familiar. Like he was seeing someone else layered over her face. "Phoenix," he said. Ashyra flinched. Sensei continued, his voice quieter now. "People speak of her like she was wrath personified." He shook his head slightly. "That's not what she was," Sensei said. "Not to those she loved," Ashyra spoke, her voice trembling. "You.....knew her." Sensei didn't answer directly. Instead, he looked out towards the night, as if the ocean wind carried memories. "The Phoenix was fierce love," he said. "The kind that burns the world down if it has to, just to protect what matters." Sensei's gaze returned to Ashyra. "And the Tiger, your father," he said. "The Tiger is dominance," Sensei continued. "Not loud. Not emotional. Absolute. A mind sharper than flame." Sensei's eyes narrowed slightly. "You take after your mother." Ashyra's breath caught. Nyssara's eyes flickered to Ashyra, concerned. Sensei's voice lowered. "And that," he said, "is dangerous." Ashyra frowned. "Why?" Sensei looked at Ashyra right into her eyes. "The Oblivari," he said, "will hate you for it." Ashyra's heart dropped. "Oblivari....?Are they the ones with Rael?" Sensei didn't confirm names; he didn't need to. He continued. "Phoenix blood is not tolerated by certain lineages." Ashyra's hands clenched. Sensei's gaze was heavy. "Be careful," he said simply. The warning wasn't dramatic. That made it worse.
Nyssara spoke quietly. "And me?" Sensei's gaze slid to Nyssara, and his expression changed to more of a measuring look. "You have the God gene," Sensei said. Nyssara didn't flinch. Ashyra's eyes widened. "You knew?" Nyssara's voice was calm. "I suspected." Sensei nodded once. "God genes are rare," Sensei said. "One per billion." Ashyra's mouth ran dry. Sensei continued, "Most carriers die before awakening. Bodies fail. Nervous systems collapse. Organs reject what they can't contain. Their brain dies, and their heart stops pumping. Nyssara's eyes didn't move. "You are stable," said Sensei. Ashyra blinked. "Isn't that... good?" Sensei's mouth twitched faintly. "Stability," he said, "is more dangerous than power." The water around Nyssara's hand started to spill on the floor before calming itself again."Because it lasts," replied Nyssara. Sensei nodded. "Yes," he said. "Because it can grow without breaking you." Ashyra stared between them, air stalled in her lungs. Sensei's voice softened again. "You two are being shaped," he said. "By me. By the world. By enemies you haven't met yet." He leaned back slightly. "And somewhere else," Sensei said, "other children are being shaped by a different philosophy." Ashyra's eyes narrowed. "Miastra." Sensei didn't say the name, but his silence confirmed enough. Ashyra drew a quick breath."What's her philosophy?" Sensei's eyes turned cold. "She teaches removal," he said. "Remove limits. Remove mercy. Remove the parts of you that hesitate." Ashyra's stomach lurched. Sensei's voice lowered. "I teach something else." "Surpassing," said Nyssara.
Sensei nodded. "Surpass your limits," he said. "Not by cutting yourself apart, but by choosing." "You will not be clean," Sensei continued. "You won't be innocent either." Ashyra tensed. "But your will would still be yours," Sensei finished. "If you do not let anyone else take that choice away." Nyssara's voice was very soft, almost a whisper. "And if we fail?" Sensei's eyes hardened. "Then the universe will not care," he said simply. "But I will." A rare thing. A dangerous thing. Ashyra's eyes welled with tears. Nyssara's water shifted faintly, like it recognised the weight of the statement. The two girls embraced Sensei tears in their eyes, and Sensei patted their heads softly as he looked at the night sky, as the moon hung over Yokohama. The same world. Two different rooms. Two different philosophies. Two futures are being sharpened. Somewhere in the city, Noctyra watched her weapons train. Here, Sensei watched his girls breathe. Neither side understood how expensive the future would be. They were not born equal.
And the world will pay for that.