With Raviel back, the cave had grown quieter—calmer, it would seem, as if the ancient stones finally settled after having witnessed a ritual not seen for centuries. Yet inside this silence, Richard felt the rustling of a deeper storm preparing to rise. The air around Akumo trembled faintly; threads of aura still swirled around his shoulders, a smoke forged from old memories.
Richard stood before him, still in shock from the sight of Raviel's full-form summoning. He had seen monsters, spirits, and weapons called from other realms-but never a whole being fully awakened, fully armed, and fully alive. His own pulse had not yet steadied, his breath escaping in short, shaken clouds.
Akumo leaned against a stone pillar worn smooth by time. Yet seated in this young body of Richard's, he felt far older, older than the very earth beneath their feet.
Finally, Richard stepped forward.
