The cold morning wind blew softly, and the silence seemed to scream — as if the previous night had never existed.
Kevin walked toward the Dome, eyes half-closed, alert to the slightest sound.
"Strange kind of peace here… the gates are closed," he muttered, pressing his ear against the icy metal.
After a few seconds, he frowned.
"Yeah, there's no one here. Damn… I need to eat something."
He raised his right hand and formed a small sphere of pale-green energy.
"Let's see if this opens."
He threw it at the gates. The explosion echoed through the valley; dust rose, and when it cleared, the entrance stood wide open.
Inside, the air was dense, heavy with rust and ash.
The stained walls seemed to scream in silence, as if they still carried the last echo of a tragedy.
After a few minutes, Kevin found a table with scraps of food.
"Bread… bread! Finally something to eat!"
He grabbed a piece and bit into it without hesitation, chewing slowly while scanning the room.
"This bread isn't stale… people were here not long ago. But where did they go?"
Then, a mouth formed on his right cheek.
Melissa's voice came through, soft and almost maternal:
"In my time, when survivors were brought to the Domes and the situation calmed down, everyone was taken to the Capital."
Kevin swallowed the last piece of bread.
"So that's where I'm going… but first, I need to sleep. Hard to keep my eyes open, sis…"
"Sleep. I'll take you," her voice sounded like a gentle embrace.
A blue glow surrounded his body, and slowly, his features began to change.
The figure of Ketlyn emerged, replacing Kevin.
Melissa smiled as she saw her reflection in a cracked window.
"It feels so good to be back…" she whispered.
She raised her hands, and a beam of blue light enveloped her, lifting her into the sky as she left the Dome behind.
---
The dawn painted the horizon in shades of gold and blue.
Far away, the Capital of Hestia awakened.
The palace bell rang three times, its sound echoing through the marble gardens and gilded corridors.
Inside the Royal Meeting Hall, the silence was almost sacred.
The king, seated on his dark-stone throne, studied a map of the kingdom.
Red marks covered the entire border with the former Ninja Kingdom — each one marking a destroyed city.
Before him, four figures knelt.
"We only know that Ray managed to recover his fragment of soul," the king began, his voice grave. "Thomas, fearing his rise, sent his experiments against him… and we all know the outcome.
Does anyone wish to add something?"
Luis stood and gave a brief bow.
"Your Majesty, before Ray vanished, when I had the chance to kill him… he gave up the fight. Before leaving, he handed me this."
He held up a small silver ring that gleamed with a cold light.
"And in the city destroyed by the dragon, I found a masked man who gave me another ring, identical to this one. I believe he and Ray knew each other."
The king frowned.
"Guards, bring the rings."
One of the soldiers took them and handed them to the king. He studied them for a few seconds, then declared:
"This stays between us. These rings may conceal something far beyond appearances."
He put them away and turned to Luna.
"As the Third Sentinel, Ryane Dinark, has returned to active duty — and for your loyalty — you are hereby promoted.
From this day forward, Luna, you are the new Fourth Sentinel of Hestia."
Luna rose and replied calmly,
"It's an honor to serve, Your Majesty."
"Kira," the king called.
She stood slowly, her eyes still marked by sorrow.
"I know the fall of the Ninja Kingdom was a heavy burden, but under our alliance treaty, you and the survivors will be integrated into Hestia.
From now on, you are our Fifth Sentinel."
Kira gave a faint, restrained smile.
"At your command, my King."
Suddenly, the doors burst open.
A guard ran in, pale and breathless:
"Your Majesty! The prisoner… Thomas… he's dead!"
The king immediately stood.
"Meeting adjourned. First and Second Sentinels, with me."
Accompanied by Luis, Augusto, and two guards, he descended the stone stairs toward the underground cells.
The air was cold and heavy. Blue torches flickered, casting long shadows across the damp walls.
When they arrived, silence reigned.
Thomas's body was there — intact, but without eyes… without blood… without life.
"Cause of death?" Luis asked.
"We believe it was suicide, sir. The prison is impenetrable."
The king examined the body.
"Perform an autopsy. Did he say anything before he died?"
"Only one phrase…" the guard swallowed hard.
'He's coming back… beware.'"
The king frowned.
Without another word, he turned and climbed the stairs. Luis remained for a few seconds, staring at the corpse, overhearing the guards whisper:
"If the First and Second Sentinels had been here, none of this would've happened…"
Luis clenched his fists. Voices from his past echoed in his mind:
"You're the only one who can protect us."
"If not you… then who?"
"Help everyone… it's your duty."
He took a deep breath and walked away in silence.
---
Outside, the king spoke to his Sentinels:
"Rest while there's still peace."
When he left, Augusto crossed his arms.
"Those rings… I felt something from them. There's power hidden there."
Luis replied,
"And maybe it's linked to Thomas's death. The body shows no signs of suicide."
Ruby, who had been silent, finally spoke:
"The aura left in that cell wasn't unfamiliar. It belonged to a masked man… a former ally of Thomas who turned against him."
"And you knew this?" Augusto questioned.
Luis placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Better keep this to ourselves. Ruby… that man wore black, didn't he?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Augusto looked toward the golden horizon.
"Something big is coming. Whatever it is… we need to be ready."
"What will you do now, Luis?" he asked.
"Find Julian, Ray's vessel. Then Sebastian.
I'm building a team — to hunt the ghosts and monsters still roaming this world."
Augusto smiled faintly beneath his hood.
"And what if your cousin Kevin ends up as my successor?"
Luis let out a short laugh.
"No problem. He'll love that… if you can find him."
Ruby crossed her arms.
"No one's seen him for a day."
Luis replied with quiet certainty:
"He's alive. The question is where."
Augusto nodded once.
"Alright."
In a flash, he leapt into the air, flying upward until he vanished into the clouds.
Luis and Ruby followed the main road leading away from the castle, the wind sweeping through Hestia's towers.
---
Atop the highest tower, Kevin watched everything.
The guards, the people, the rebirth of the kingdom. A faint smile formed on his lips.
"Found you, brother…" he murmured. "Your aura's too strong. Even from here, I can feel it."
He stepped forward to the edge of the tower.
"Here I go."
He jumped, wrapped in an explosion of green energy.
The sky opened before him — and so did destiny.
Soaring above the ruins and broken rooftops, Kevin watched the world below — cracked streets, dust in the air, people exhausted as they tried to rebuild what was left.
The cold wind struck his face, tossing his ash-covered hair.
Down below, walking through a half-destroyed plaza, he spotted two familiar figures: Luis and Ruby.
The place, once vibrant, was now just an open space surrounded by shattered columns and burned benches.
Water from the old fountain trickled slowly, forming dirty puddles.
The air felt still — almost reverent in its silence.
Kevin narrowed his eyes.
"I'll hit him by surprise… if I land a direct blow, he'll realize how strong I've become," he thought, adrenaline coursing through him.
But before he could move, a wound opened on his forehead — forming a mouth.
"Don't even think about it, Kevin," Melissa warned. "Attacking him without notice isn't a good idea."
He ignored her completely, eyes blazing.
"I'm the problem… they were right. If I'd been there, none of this would've happened. I'm the strongest. The only one who can end this kingdom's chaos," Luis thought, lost in his own conviction.
Ruby, walking beside him, broke the silence.
"Where are we going? Another mission?"
"We're taking a break…" he replied with a light, almost false smile. "Thought we'd visit the hot springs. Coming?"
"Sure, why not," Ruby said, relaxing.
But then… Luis stopped abruptly. A chill ran down his spine.
He turned his gaze left. Ruby, puzzled, looked too — and saw it: Kevin diving from the sky, fist clenched, aiming straight at his cousin.
The impact never came. Luis dodged the strike with almost inhuman ease.
Kevin hit the ground on one knee, sprang up again, and rushed forward.
But when their eyes met, he hesitated.
"H-Hagan? Why do your eyes look so empty…?" Kevin murmured, not realizing that moment of hesitation would cost him dearly.
Luis raised his hand, and reality itself seemed to twist.
"Neo Jutsu: False Reality — Dimensional Maw!"
The air vibrated. A black rift opened above Kevin.
From within, a colossal creature emerged — its body made of liquid shadows.
All sound vanished — only Kevin's heartbeat echoed.
"So… this is how I die?" he thought, frozen. "Not by a monster, but by my own family…?"
Melissa's voice whispered in his mind:
"I warned you. He's the First Sentinel for a reason."
The creature descended from the sky, jaws wide open, ready to devour him.
Kevin trembled, gathering his last ounce of strength.
"Melissa… one last push. Let's go!"
He focused his celestial blue-light essence and green healing energy into his right hand.
"Neo Jutsu: Radiance of Purification — Celestial Strike!"
A burst of pure light shot forward, tearing through the air.
The beast absorbed the attack without flinching. Kevin closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
"This is the end…"
Suddenly, a sharp sound split the air — a crack, followed by a wall of translucent ice rising in front of him.
The creature crashed into the barrier, and a white explosion illuminated the day, scattering shards of snow and crystal in every direction.