It had been six hours since they left Jenkiora. The moon now hung high in the sky—midnight had come. The trio moved silently west through the darkened forest, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves beneath their boots and the distant howl of night creatures. Senko dragged his feet, exhaustion etched across his face, but neither Shinra nor Arden showed a hint of weariness. Their expressions were focused, unreadable, like warriors on a mission.
Senko, however, carried more than just physical fatigue. A quiet sorrow settled in his chest—the weight of leaving home for the first time. Jenkiora had always been his world. He had never stepped beyond its borders, never walked a path that wasn't familiar. The unknown pressed in on him like the darkness between the trees.
He kept his head down as they walked, eyes locked on the dirt trail, thoughts swirling around the two people he missed most: Leon and Korra. He could still feel the warmth of their hugs, Korra's soft voice in his ear, Leon's steady hand on his shoulder. He missed them already.
Arden walked ahead, steady and silent, leading the way. Senko followed in the middle, and Shinra brought up the rear, her gaze sweeping behind them every so often. They hadn't spoken much since their departure. The forest around them was quiet, and so were they—just walking, hour after hour.
Eventually, Senko broke the silence.
"So… what's at Stillflame Ravine?" he asked.
Arden didn't turn around, but answered over his shoulder. "Stillflame Ravine was just a normal canyon once. But during the Great Revolution War a hundred years ago, it became a key training ground. Warriors went there to master their Hora under extreme pressure."
Senko blinked, startled. "Wait… if people know about this place, then why are we hiding there?"
Shinra folded her arms across her chest, eyes closed as she walked. "Because people don't go there anymore. The Hora energy in that place is too intense. It lingers in the air—thick, heavy. You start hallucinating. Breathing becomes hard. And the creatures that live there now… they aren't weak."
Senko pointed at her dramatically. "So you are trying to kill me!"
They all stopped walking. Shinra simply shook her head, unfazed. "No. I'm trying to toughen you up. A true warrior doesn't let thick air or fear kill them. You die with respect and loyalty—nothing less."
Senko stood there quietly for a moment, then let out a soft chuckle. "You're right," he said with a smile. "I forgot… I wanted to become the Warrior King. Everything that's been happening—I lost sight of my dream."
Arden turned, eyes narrowed. "The Warrior King, huh? That's not a playful title, boy. It's reserved for the strongest of the strong. Achieving it is no easy path."
Senko laughed lightly. "I know. But I'm going to become it anyway."
"I'm not joking," Arden said sharply, eyes piercing into him.
Senko's tone grew serious. "You think I don't know that? Ever since I was little, I never had respect—not even from the Warrior King himself. I know he's the strongest, but I want to be even stronger. Not just in power—but in heart. I want to earn respect. I want to be the best. And even though I found out the former warrior king is my father … I want to surpass him. I wouldn't seal a demon inside my own son's eye. I want to be loved and respected. That's all I've ever dreamed of."
Tears welled up in Senko's eyes. He closed them tightly, clenching his fists at his sides. "So don't tell me the Warrior King is a playful title. I know it's a burden. And I'm going to carry that burden—not just for my friends, but for the people of Jenkiora, and the entire Land of Joy. The Land of serenity. And the Land of freedom."
A silence settled over the trail. Even the trees seemed to listen.
Arden looked down, his voice softer now. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were going through all that. I was wrong."
Senko wiped his tears and smiled faintly. "It's okay. Just… don't think I'm some weird kid. I'm just someone chasing something big."
Shinra said nothing for a moment, but the speech had clearly moved her. She turned her head toward the trees, hiding the emotion in her eyes.
"Let's set up camp here," she said at last. "We've got a long road ahead of us, and we'll need our strength."
The fire crackled gently, its orange glow dancing against the bark of nearby trees. Night had fully wrapped the forest in silence, save for the hum of insects and the occasional snap of a twig. Senko sat cross-legged near the flames, his eyes lost in them, as if trying to find answers in the flickering light.
Arden sat nearby, his sword resting on his knees as he dragged a whetstone across its edge with slow, deliberate strokes. The sound of metal against stone was rhythmic, almost meditative. Shinra, further out, moved quietly among the trees, setting traps in a perimeter around their small camp.
Earlier, they'd found a nearby pond and managed to catch some fish. Now the smell of cooked meat still lingered in the air, clinging to the cool night breeze. Senko reached for one of the skewered fish cooling on a little stack of wood by the fire. The moment he touched it, he recoiled.
"Hot, hot!" he muttered, juggling the fish awkwardly in his hands before blowing on it and finally taking a bite.
The warmth of the food filled him, but the comfort was fleeting. He looked at Arden, then at Shinra—both of them focused, purposeful, hardened by battle. The question tumbled from his lips in a whisper, barely audible over the fire.
"They're both risking everything for me… but why?"
"Because you're still fighting it," Arden said, not missing a beat, his voice calm as he kept sharpening his sword.
Senko looked up, surprised. "How did you hear me?"
"Arden has good ears," Shinra called from the shadows without turning around. "And besides… we're doing this because, as warriors, we want other warriors to die as warriors—knowing their enemy. Not as prey."
Senko blinked. Her words hit harder than he expected. "That… that hit deep," he admitted.
Arden looked over briefly. "So, Senko, tell me what's really been happening. What have you been seeing?"
Senko hesitated, his expression tightening. He lowered his half-eaten fish and looked down at the fire again.
"It started on the second day at the academy. Headmaster Zeph gave me the Sanguivar sword… I spent the whole night training with it. But the next day, during the exercises, something felt… different. I was stronger. I could see my opponent's next move before they even made it. Like the sword wasn't just giving me power—it was unlocking something inside me."
He raised his right hand and slowly covered his eye.
"Then… that night, I couldn't sleep. I went to the pond—the one I always go to, to clear my head. That's when it really started. I began seeing these… visions. My eye started to ache. I closed them, and the next thing I knew… I wasn't at the pond anymore."
Arden paused his sharpening. "You mean… like you entered another realm?"
Senko nodded slowly. "Yeah. Something like that. The sky was burning. Ash fell like rain. The world was red, suffocating. And I could feel my eye glowing—like it wasn't mine anymore. Then… I saw him. There was a man standing behind me."
Shinra turned toward him now, slowly walking back into the firelight. Arden set down his sword.
"A man?" they both asked, voices overlapping.
"Yeah," Senko said, the memory tightening his throat. "He was tall. Black armor, long black hair. His presence was overwhelming. And his eyes… they burned like fire."
Silence fell over the camp like a blanket. Arden's hand slipped—the whetstone dropped from his grasp and hit the dirt. Shinra's expression went blank, all emotion vanishing from her face.
"What… what was his name?" Shinra asked quietly.
Senko looked up, eyes flickering between them. "I think it was… Itami."
Their reactions were immediate. Shinra's breath caught. Arden stood up suddenly, heart pounding so loudly Senko could almost hear it.
"What happened?" Senko asked, eyes narrowing. "Why do you both look like that?"
Arden's voice was grave. "Senko… that man—that's not just anyone. He's not even human."
Shinra finished the thought, her tone heavy. "He's a god."
To be continued…