The wind was different now.
As Aizen and Lyra stepped out of the shrine, it no longer whispered — it warned. It carried tension, as if something ancient had been disturbed, and the world was holding its breath.
The sky had dimmed, although the sun was still up. Black birds circled above the treetops, silent and slow, like omens.
Aizen still held the lightning core from the shrine in his palm. It was warm to the touch, pulsing softly, as if alive. Every now and then, sparks danced between his fingers. But they didn't hurt.
He was changing.
> I can feel it now... not just inside me... but around me. Like the storm recognizes me.
They traveled in silence, following Lyra's map toward the edge of a nearby canyon. The land was rocky and quiet, with twisted trees and scorched soil — signs of an old battlefield, now forgotten.
Lyra had grown quieter too.
She walked a little behind Aizen now, her expression conflicted. As if something weighed on her more than she dared say.
> "Lyra," Aizen said, breaking the silence. "What aren't you telling me?"
She paused.
> "If they find out I'm helping you… my entire family could be executed. I'll be branded as a traitor forever."
> "Why do it then?" Aizen asked softly. "Why risk everything for someone like me?"
She looked away.
> "Because you don't deserve to be erased."
> "And… maybe because I'm tired of obeying monsters in golden robes."
Aizen said nothing. But his tail swished once — not in annoyance… in understanding.
Their moment was shattered by a sudden, blood-chilling howl.
Deep. Echoing. Inhuman.
From the canyon.
A gust of wind swept over them, and the birds overhead scattered in panic.
> "That… wasn't a normal beast," Lyra said, her eyes scanning the cliffside.
A massive shape moved within the shadows below.
Then it emerged.
A monstrous creature — twice the size of a lion, with twisted metal armor fused to its flesh, glowing runes carved into its hide, and horns spiraling back like a demon's. Its eyes burned red.
> "That's not just a monster," Aizen whispered.
> "It's a Warden Beast," Lyra said grimly. "Empire-made. They use ancient corpses and black magic to guard hidden ruins."
> "It was waiting for us…"
> "No… it was waiting for you."
The creature roared and charged, its claws tearing through boulders like butter. The ground shook. Aizen pushed Lyra aside just in time as the beast crashed down between them, dirt and debris flying.
> "Split up!" Lyra shouted. "I'll distract it!"
She sprinted left, flinging fire bolts from her hand, drawing its attention. Aizen, heart pounding, ran to the right — but his eyes never left the creature.
It wasn't just attacking blindly.
It was watching him.
> It recognizes me… like the lightning did. Like the ruins did.
> Why?
Lightning surged up his arm again, stronger this time, responding to his fear — and his fury.
> "No more running."
He skidded to a stop and turned to face the monster head-on.
> "Let's see what I really am."
He raised both hands. Lightning burst from his fingers, arcing toward the beast. The Warden roared as the bolts struck, smoke rising from its body — but it didn't stop.
It leapt straight at him.
Aizen closed his eyes and focused.
The storm within him… pulsed.
And then exploded.
A massive wave of thunder erupted from his chest, launching the beast backward with a crash that shattered stone. Lyra turned in shock, shielding herself from the gust of raw wind.
> "That… wasn't just lightning," she muttered.
> "It was a lion's roar."
The beast groaned, struggling to rise. Its armor had cracked. Sparks danced across its body. But it was alive.
Aizen stepped forward slowly, his golden eyes glowing brighter than ever.
He wasn't afraid anymore.
Not of the monster.
Not of the Empire.
Not even of the storm inside him.
> "I'm not just a Black Lion…" he said under his breath. "I'm what they tried to bury."
> "And now…"
He raised his hand.
> "I'm waking up."
With a final roar of defiance, lightning surged through the air and struck the beast like judgment. It collapsed, lifeless, the runes on its body flickering out.
Silence.
Smoke rose. Dust settled.
Lyra approached slowly, her expression unreadable.
> "That was the first time… you controlled it."
> "Yeah," Aizen said, breathing heavily. "And it won't be the last."
They looked out over the canyon, the skies above darkening once more.
Something vast was stirring in the distance.
War wasn't coming.
It had already begun.
---
End of Chapter 7