Airien Academy Courtyard, serene and wind-blessed.
The grass waves lightly with each pulse of Avia in the atmosphere. Noan sits cross-legged on a stone tile, calm as still water. His Affinity, Self-Awareness, shimmers faintly in an aura of reflective blue. He's syncing. Realigning.
Then—
The breeze bends unnaturally. A portal opens behind him with a silent rupture. He turns slightly—just enough to see who steps through.
Noan (eyes half-open, sensing the Avia around them):
"...That portal's from the Free Abyss... but it's not corrupt? That's new."
Klexis and Tarren fall through—Tarren flat on his back, wheezing dramatically. Klexis stands, knees shaky but spine straight, like someone who just broke through their own reflection.
Noan (rising to his feet, tilting his head):
"Klexis… Son of Traxis...? You're supposed to be on a spiral throne somewhere, inheriting Devia, maybe doing a villain monologue or two."
He walks closer. His Affinity pulses as if checking for sincerity.
Noan (grinning now, folding arms):
"But I see it in your faces. You dropped something back there, didn't you?"
Tarren (groaning from the ground):
"Pride, mostly. And also… my lungs. Tell Avia to give me five minutes."
Klexis (breathing steady, voice lower, firmer):
"We didn't come back perfect. Just… lighter."
Noan (nodding slowly, now serious):
"That's the thing with Self-Awareness. It doesn't always make you feel good. Sometimes it makes you real."
Klexis:
"Exactly. I'm not here to reclaim honor. I'm here to finally be—even if I have to crawl to that truth."
Tarren (sitting up, wheezing):
"Yeah... we passed on edgy godhood for authentic mid-tier suffering. Hooray for us."
Noan (laughs):
"Welcome back to the land of breathing. You're not broken. You're just beginning."
The wind stirs again, softer this time. Avia, ever listening.
GARDEN OF EMOTIONS – LATE AFTERNOON
The sun caresses the Garden's skyroof, painting the pink-turning flowers with gold. The aroma of soul-calming petals and the hum of Avia-rich air lull the atmosphere.
Klexis, Tarren, and Noan sit cross-legged on a circular rug within the cozy, scent-laced room of Elegia—a warm, dignified woman with soft eyes and wisdom in her wrinkles.
Then, the door SLAMS open. A gust of mischief rolls in.
JORXIS (the sly twin, with a cloak that flickers like a glitch in reality):
"Well, well, well... look what the guilt dimension spit out."
EVEXIS (taller, sharper, wearing a blade like eyeliner):
"And here I thought you were too cool to visit home unless it was for a redemption arc."
KLEXIS (groaning slightly):
"Oh great, the Chaos Choir is here."
TARREN (sipping herbal tea like it's popcorn):
"They said you were the chosen one, not the roasted one."
NOAN (grinning, deadpan as always):
"They're processing your emotional arc like a fan forum."
JORXIS (pretending to cry):
"You left Devia? My brother the vibe-slayer?? You're telling me you gave up power, aesthetics, edge... for truth? Are you okay? Blink twice if Omega Devia is holding you hostage."
EVEXIS (gasping dramatically):
"He's gone Full Avia, Jorxis. That's worse than retirement."
KLEXIS (rubbing his temples):
"You two do know you live in a garden where the flowers track emotions, right? There's no point pretending I don't like peace."
JORXIS:
"Peace is for people who never had a hoodie with flaming skulls."
EVEXIS:
"And let's not even start with Merina."
Klexis's cheeks subtly flush—a rose petal color blooms in the garden.
EVEXIS (sing-song voice):
"Ohh look, the flowers just turned blush-pink. Looks like someone's still got that Avia crush."
TARREN:
"Confirmed. He abandoned corruption and his game."
NOAN:
"He traded Devia for Devotion, huh."
KLEXIS (glares, but can't hide the half-smile):
"Okay first off, I didn't come back here to be clowned. Second… Merina is just…"
ELEGIA (interrupting as she brings in fruit and light snacks):
"She's just someone you talk about in your sleep when the moonflowers bloom."
KLEXIS (sighing):
"Mother—"
JORXIS:
"Mother... he says. You hear that, Evexis? He's going noble now."
EVEXIS (mocking):
"He's gone full protagonist mode. I bet he's got inner monologues and everything."
KLEXIS (quietly):
"I did... for a long time. But I finally stopped trying to impress the mirror versions of me. The ones I kept chasing in Devia, in corrupted Avia... all of it."
TARREN (nodding, solemn for once):
"Yeah. The pride echo almost dragged us back… but he said something that shook the pull: 'I don't need your sentiment... I want real.' That's what got us through."
JORXIS (pretending to be moved):
"Ugh, now I'm feeling feelings. This is disgusting."
EVEXIS (snorting):
"You should write poetry. 'The boy who dropped cool to find clarity.' Tragic."
NOAN (serious now):
"You know... for all the joking, what you did—what both of you did—is not just rare. It's sacred. You left systems built to reward insecurity and false confidence… and chose something harder."
KLEXIS:
"I just… got tired of needing to be seen. I want to see now. Not chase eyes. But open mine."
ELEGIA (teary-eyed):
"You are more like your father than you know. He forged Devia for clarity, not status. Maybe... you're the one who understood him best by walking away from it."
JORXIS:
"I mean, let's not go that deep. The old man did invent the Cool System™. He literally had leather boots coded with dramatic tension."
EVEXIS (grinning):
"And now his son's gonna be the one to tell Merina that he likes her without using a sword metaphor? What is happening to the world?"
KLEXIS (laughing now):
"Don't push it."
They all share a long breath. Laughter fades into gentle peace. Outside, the pink flowers start shifting... a new color—gold—creeps in.
TARREN (quietly):
"What does gold mean?"
ELEGIA (smiling knowingly):
"Gold means... you're not chasing your worth anymore. You're embodying it."
The Garden of Emotions – glowing with pink blooms, the Avian wind stirring petals like whispers of past longings. Klexis finishes recounting the tale of their escape from Omega Devia. Merina bursts in, out of breath, but eyes laser-focused on him.]
---
Merina:
Did you go back?
[The garden goes quiet. Even the flowers seem to pause. Klexis blinks, caught.]
Klexis (rubbing the back of his neck, cheeks betraying a rosy tint):
No... I didn't. I wanted to. It was... tempting, convincing, like Devia had gift-wrapped all my insecurities and said, "Wear it proudly."
But then I thought about Avia... y'know, what it means to—
Merina (stepping closer, arms folded):
You thought about me.
[A soft snort from Evexis. Jorxis mouths "Oooh" behind a leaf. Noan and Tarren elbow each other like proud narrators of a romantic subplot.]
Klexis (eyes widening, laugh breaking through):
Uh—I mean, yeah... yeah, I did too! You kinda appeared in my head like—"If you fall for this edgy mess, I swear—"
[Merina's expression shifts—a cocktail of relief and a hint of hurt.]
Merina (softly, almost whispering):
You knew I was waiting...
Always.
Klexis (stepping forward, voice cracking slightly):
I know. I was scared.
Not of Devia, or losing... but of coming back broken.
Of facing you with nothing.
Of not being enough.
[Silence. Even the garden pauses to listen. Then—Klexis raises his hand gently, cupping her cheek.]
Klexis (barely above a whisper):
But I'm here now...
And I'm not running anymore.
[Merina's eyes widen. Before another breath, he leans in—and their lips meet, softly, like it was always meant to happen between battles and broken expectations.]
[Behind them—Jorxis raises a hand in fake prayer.]
Jorxis:
Finally. Someone call the heavens, the emo prince kissed the lightbulb.
Evexis (flicking a petal at him):
Shut up before I Blade Affinity your eyebrows off.
Tarren (grinning):
Klexis gave up coolness and got a girl.
Devia could never.
Noan (smirking, eyes glowing with awareness):
The real rebellion… is healing.
The Garden of Emotions. A soft breeze whispers through Elegia's blooming sanctuary. Petals flutter like falling memories. The Creation Stone appears midair—glowing with golden-blue guilt. It floats toward the gathered group, pulsing in rhythm with something deeper than power: purpose. The moment holds its breath.]
---
Creation Stone (voice echoing like a warm truth):
So... you've all come far.
Noan, the one who saw through Devia even before it fully formed.
Tarren, who ran—but it was your panic that protected your soul.
And Klexis...
Klexis looks down.
You faced the edge. The abyss your own father tried to craft for you. And yet... you stepped back.
I should rejoice. I do rejoice.
But there's something you must understand.
(The glow of the Stone flickers slightly, as if ashamed to speak.)
I have feelings, too.
Because Avia is not just power. It's not lightning, it's not weapons, it's not triumph.
It is Authenticity.
I am the sentient essence of that truth. And sometimes, I wonder... am I guiding... or forcing?
So I ask you—
(turns gently toward Klexis and Tarren)
Now that you're here—now that you're safe, with friends, and smiles, and love—
Did you choose this path because it called to you?
Or because it was the only place left to run?
Do you seek Redemption?
Or are you trying to reclaim something... something stolen, or maybe something never even yours to begin with?
Tell me, not as warriors...
But as souls.
---
Tarren (stepping forward, arms folded, voice raw):
I panicked, yeah. I froze, cried, doubted everything I ever believed.
And it was ugly... not noble.
But... that survival instinct? It didn't just save me.
It taught me to feel, not just react.
So no... I'm not here by accident.
I'm here because I want to change, not hide.
That's redemption to me.
---
Noan (smirking, eyes glowing faintly with Self Awareness):
You already know my answer, Stone.
I didn't reject Devia because I'm strong.
I rejected it because I know what happens when you build your identity out of spite.
I want something real.
And the truth?
Even if I fall, I want it to be while walking forward—not while dancing around my own lies.
---
Klexis (silent...then steps forward, eyes locked on the Stone):
Do I want redemption?
Yeah.
Do I want reclamation?
Absolutely.
But not for glory. Not for legacy.
I want to reclaim myself—from my father's shadow, from Devia, from all the masks I wore just to feel like I belonged.
I didn't come here because I had nowhere else.
I came here...
Because I finally wanted to belong without pretending.
---
(The Creation Stone pulses once—brighter than ever. Its voice softens, full of relief and reverence.)
Creation Stone:
Then I welcome you—not as broken souls, but as whole ones finally aware of your fractures.
You have chosen Avia...
Now prepare...
To become more than yourselves.
To forge...
A path only truth can walk.