The others—Ryuu, Hana, Tetsu—returned to the academy in silence. Though victorious in their mission, their thoughts were elsewhere. Each step they took through the polished halls was heavy with the image of Kael once again walking away, disappearing into the shadows with Kyoushiro—no, Raizen Kurai.
Hana stood near the window of the dorm lounge, watching the snow fall silently across the academy grounds. Her breath fogged the glass as she whispered to herself, "Why does he always walk away alone?"
Tetsu dropped his bag onto the couch, eyes closed. "Because that's what Kael does… takes the hardest road for the people he cares about."
Ryuu didn't say anything. He just clenched his fists and looked toward the training field. "Next time, I'll be strong enough to walk beside him."
Meanwhile, far beyond the walls of the academy—deep in the hidden mountains of the Northern Rift—Kael stood across from Raizen Kurai atop a floating stone platform surrounded by streams of golden energy. The training ground was ancient, suspended in a timeless pocket between dimensions. Time passed slower here. A minute in the outside world could be hours inside.
Raizen stood tall, arms behind his back. "Today, Kael… I'll teach you how to warp. But not just teleportation. This is different."
Kael tilted his head, curious. "What do you mean?"
"This technique allows you to shift part of your body—or all of it—into another dimension for a brief moment. It's not like stepping from one place to another. It's like existing… in two places at once."
Raizen raised his hand. In a blur, his arm vanished, reappearing behind Kael and tapping him on the shoulder before returning to normal.
Kael blinked, stunned. "You warped your hand?"
Raizen smirked. "Yes. Into a sub-dimensional pocket. It's called Phase Warp. Useful for dodging attacks, catching enemies off-guard, or slipping through barriers."
Kael's eyes lit with awe and hunger to learn. "Teach me."
Raizen stepped forward. "First, you must feel the space between dimensions—the thin film of energy that holds the world together. Close your eyes."
Kael did as instructed.
"Now, push your Will outward, not forward or up. Push it between."
Kael gritted his teeth. At first, nothing. But slowly, a strange pressure tickled the edge of his perception. It was like standing at the border of a dream and reality.
"I feel it…" Kael muttered.
"Good. Now focus it into your hand."
Kael concentrated—and his hand flickered, not vanishing but shimmering like ripples in water. Then suddenly, it disappeared.
"Whoa—!" Kael yelped as his arm vanished up to the elbow.
He looked beside him—and his hand emerged from the air a few feet away.
Raizen nodded. "You did it. Crude, but effective. You'll refine it with practice. One day, you'll be able to warp your whole body from one end of the world to the other."
Kael stared at his own hand in disbelief, then clenched it.
"I'm going to master this," he said, eyes burning with new resolve. "Not just for me. But for everyone."
Raizen smiled faintly. "Good. You'll need this power soon. War is coming, Kael. And it's not just the corrupted Wielders we must fear."
Kael glanced up sharply. "Then I'll be ready."
As the dimensional winds howled around them, Kael took his first steps into the forgotten art of dimensional manipulation—training for battles no one else could fight but him.