The night after their fateful encounter with Merlyn, the world seemed… quieter. The echoes of the Source Dragon's roars still haunted the back of Kaito's mind, yet the silence around him felt even heavier than the battlefield. The mark that now glowed faintly on Aria's right hand illuminated their path like a lantern, reminding them both of the blessing bestowed upon her.
They had walked back toward the outskirts of Solare in silence, both still too stunned to speak. Only when they reached the safety of the forest clearing where Ryuu lay curled and recovering did Aria finally speak.
"Kaito… did that really happen?" she whispered, her voice shaking as if she feared the memory would shatter if she spoke it too loudly.
Kaito leaned against a tree, crossing his arms. His eyes, cold as ever, softened slightly at the sight of her trembling. "Yes. Merlyn—the Mage of Origin—chose us. Or maybe… he burdened us. Either way, what happened wasn't a dream."
Aria looked down at her glowing mark, tracing it with her other hand. "He gave me power I don't fully understand. I feel like I can bend the world around me, like time itself listens when I think too hard about it. It's terrifying, Kaito. What if I lose control?"
He chuckled dryly, but there was no mockery in it. "That's the same fear I had when Victor first began teaching me to control the darkness inside me. You're not alone in this, Aria. We'll figure it out together."
For a moment, silence. The words together seemed to hang in the air between them like a fragile thread. Aria's cheeks flushed faintly, and she looked away, her usual fire dimmed by a strange vulnerability.
The next day, Kaito met with Victor. Their training resumed immediately, for Victor was relentless. The older mage's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as Kaito explained what had transpired with the dragon and Merlyn.
"So," Victor said, his voice low and commanding, "the Mage of Origin himself has entrusted his legacy to you. That means you're no longer simply my student—you are his successor. But do not let pride swell in your chest, boy. That power will consume you if you treat it like a gift. Darkness isn't a toy to be flaunted. It demands respect."
"I know," Kaito replied, gripping the hilt of his sword. "But… I felt it, Victor. When Aria was hurt, something inside me broke free. It wasn't rage. It wasn't despair. It was… instinct. Like the darkness wanted to protect what mattered."
Victor's sharp grin showed a flash of approval. "Good. You're beginning to understand. Darkness isn't just destruction. It's survival. It's the will to endure when the light falters."
The training that followed was brutal. Victor attacked Kaito with precise, unrelenting strikes, each blow forcing him to channel his mana into defense while keeping his inner shadows in check. The air cracked with violent energy as Kaito's sword clashed against Victor's staff, sparks of black and crimson bursting around them.
"You hesitate!" Victor barked as Kaito stumbled back, panting. "You think you're strong because you survived a dragon, but true strength is discipline. Control. Without it, you're nothing more than a beast lashing out at shadows."
Kaito wiped blood from his lip and grinned. "Then I'll become the strongest beast alive if that's what it takes to tear down this rotten kingdom."
Victor narrowed his eyes. "Arrogant brat." Yet there was no mistaking the pride in his tone.
Later that night, Kaito found Aria waiting by the campfire. She had been training too—experimenting with her new powers. The flames around her flickered unnaturally, bending and twisting as if time itself was warping. When she saw him, she looked almost guilty, like a child caught stealing sweets.
"I tried slowing the fire," she admitted softly. "For a moment, it worked. The flames froze mid-flicker, like they were stuck in a painting. But then I lost focus, and everything snapped back. It… hurts my head when I try too hard."
Kaito sat beside her, watching the fire with her. "You're pushing yourself too quickly. Even I had to crawl before I could run with the darkness."
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "That's rich, coming from you. You never crawl, Kaito. You charge headfirst into everything like you're invincible."
He smirked. "Maybe. But only because I know what it feels like to be powerless. I refuse to go back to that."
For the first time in a long while, silence between them wasn't awkward—it was comforting. They sat there, shoulder to shoulder, listening to Ryuu's quiet breathing and the whisper of the wind through the trees.
Aria broke the silence. "Back in our world… did you ever feel like you didn't belong? Like you were just waiting for something to happen, even though everyone else was content?"
Kaito blinked, startled by how closely her words mirrored his own thoughts. "…Every day. I thought it was just me. I thought I was broken somehow. That's why I buried myself in books, in fantasies of places that weren't my own. And now here I am, in one of those fantasies—but it's darker, harsher, crueler."
Her gaze softened. "I felt the same. I was abandoned too, Kaito. I never told anyone, but my parents… they left me behind when I didn't awaken. Said I was useless. Just like you, I was thrown away."
Kaito clenched his fists, anger sparking in his chest—not at her, but at the cruelty of it all. "Then they were fools. You're anything but useless, Aria."
Her breath caught at his words, and for a moment, she saw something unguarded in his eyes—a rare glimpse of the boy beneath the hardened warrior.
That night, as they prepared for sleep, Kaito found himself staring at the stars. For the first time since arriving in this world, he wondered if perhaps fate hadn't cursed him after all. Maybe it had led him to Aria for a reason.
She, lying beside him, whispered softly, almost as if she thought he was asleep:
"No matter what happens, Kaito… I'll stay by your side."
He didn't reply, but his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, a silent vow echoing in his heart:
And I'll protect you, even if it means tearing this world apart.