The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the sky painted in fading shades of violet and gold.
Inside the small house, a warm fire crackled softly, casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls.
Alfie sat on the floor with Rebekah and his younger brothers, still excitedly recounting everything that had happened.
"And then it just happened. The Dark Renshi turned into weapons, a hammer, a sword, even a shield. I barely had to think about it. It just did whatever I wanted."
He grinned.
"Isn't that amazing?"
"Don't get too excited," Rebekah replied. "Renshi isn't always a gift. Some people see it as a curse."
Alfie blinked, and his brothers fell silent.
"When someone awakens Renshi, their aura can be sensed by Darkside Spirits. They'll come looking for you. That's why many people have no choice but to enter the Shinra Academy."
She paused before continuing.
"Some people dream of becoming Shinras even without innate Renshi. They enter the Shinra Mage Academy instead. But for others, becoming a Shinra isn't a dream. It's the only way they can survive."
Her expression grew solemn.
"Renshi can change your entire life, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. You're lucky, Alfie. Things seem to be going your way, but not everyone is that fortunate."
"Hmm…"
Alfie scratched his head.
"You mentioned something earlier. What's the Shinra Mage Academy?"
Rebekah blinked.
He actually remembered that?
She smiled faintly.
He may act like a goof, but he's genuinely curious.
"Mages are people who don't possess innate Renshi. They use special objects fused with Renshi to cast spells and activate techniques."
"Fused with Renshi?"
"Yeah. These objects are usually created by Renshi-smiths or sometimes given to them by high-ranking Shinras."
She paused.
"With enough training, a skilled mage can even surpass someone who was born with Renshi."
Alfie's eyes widened.
"So you can fight like a Shinra even without Renshi?"
"Exactly."
"That's pretty amazing, girl. You really know your stuff."
A deep voice suddenly came from the hallway.
They all turned.
Marco stood beside the doorway with his arms crossed.
"Mr. Shinra." Alfie stared at him. "You've been there the whole time?"
Marco smirked.
"You didn't notice me?"
"No I didn't, Is that one of your Renshi abilities?"
"Not everything is about Renshi, boy."
Marco chuckled.
"You'd be surprised what you can accomplish with nothing but instinct and experience."
Rebekah nodded quietly.
Marco's expression grew more serious.
"How do you know so much about Shinras and Darkside Spirits?"
Rebekah took a slow breath.
"My grandfather was a Shinra. He died before I was born."
She lowered her gaze.
"My father didn't possess innate Renshi, so he never became a Shinra. Honestly, though, it wasn't something he wanted anyway."
She paused.
"But when my older brother was born, something changed."
Alfie and his brothers leaned closer.
"A connection between them awakened the Renshi hidden inside my father's body."
Marco's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The Shinras sensed it immediately. They came for my brother and took him to the academy shortly after he was born. They said it was for his safety."
Rebekah's fingers tightened around her clothes.
"My father tried to stop them, but he wasn't strong enough, even after awakening his Renshi."
She gave a small, bitter smile.
"They offered him a place in the academy too, but he refused."
"Why?" Alfie asked quietly.
"He said he didn't want to fight a war that would never end."
Rebekah stared at the fire.
"He had a family to protect."
The room grew quieter.
"But that didn't stop the Darkside Spirits from coming after us. Mostly Betas. My father fought them whenever they appeared."
She swallowed.
"Eventually, he discovered an ancient spell that could seal away our Renshi, but it didn't work."
Her voice softened.
"He even experimented on defeated Darkside Spirits, hoping to find a way to extract Renshi from them. But those experiments only caused more pain, especially for my mother."
Rebekah looked down.
"She eventually left him."
Alfie remained silent as she continued.
"Even after she left, my father never stopped loving her. But when she was eventually killed by a Darkside Spirit…"
A tear formed in Rebekah's eye.
"Something inside him broke."
The fire crackled softly.
"He gave up on everything else. All he had left was us."
She wiped her eye before continuing.
"We were on our way to the Shinra Academy when countless advanced Beta Darkside Spirits attacked us in the forest."
Her voice trembled.
"My father gave his life so I could survive."
She paused.
"My brother too…"
A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I've spent most of my life running."
She took a shaky breath, then lifted her head.
"But I think I'm done running now. It's time for me to choose my own path."
Alfie looked at her for a moment.
"I'm sorry about your family."
His voice was quiet and sincere.
"Really."
Rebekah smiled faintly and wiped away her tears.
"Thanks."
She glanced toward the fire.
"But I'm still here, aren't I?"
Her smile grew a little stronger.
"That means I still have a chance to honor them."
Marco stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"That's one hell of a story, girl."
Rebekah looked up at him.
"Your father fought fate with everything he had."
His voice softened.
"Don't let his sacrifice go to waste. Carry it with pride, and give it a purpose."
Rebekah nodded.
"Yeah."
Marco turned toward the fire.
If only he'd come to me.
I could've taught him a proper sealing technique.
His expression darkened slightly.
But fate doesn't always bring us to the people who need us most.
The room fell silent once more.