The sun hung low over Yuanjing City, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. In the Unknown District, a chill of anticipation simmered beneath the peaceful evening.
Ryūjin stood by the front gate with Meilin Aiko, watching their children run and play in the garden — laughter like wind chimes in the quiet air.
"…They're growing up fast," Meilin said softly.
Ryūjin's warm eyes watched them, silent. Even though tensions pulsed faintly in the city, he showed no worry. Only curiosity.
A Rift in the Sky
Suddenly, the air vibrated — not violent, but strangely out of place. The sky cracked with a sliver of unnatural light.
"What…?" Kaizen blinked, pointing upward.
A ripple of wind brushed the ground. Even though it was only 0.0000000000000000000000000001% of the family's true potential, something about that anomaly felt wrong to the kids.
No one else saw it yet. No sirens. No rush of guards. But their senses — a level beyond normal humans — told them something wasn't right.
Stranger in the District
In that rift stepped a figure wrapped in a flowing black cloak. His eyes glowed faintly, like stars biased toward darkness and mystery.
People nearby shrank back instinctively. Something about him didn't feel alive in a normal way.
"Who… is that?" Ayame whispered.
Ryūjin didn't move. His face didn't blink.
Only his aura gently stirred, like ripples on a pond. Not enough to reveal his strength — but enough to make even the stranger hesitate.
Dialogue at the Gate
The cloaked figure took slow steps forward. His voice was low… but carried.
"Are you… the ones referred to as 'The Hidden Family'?"
Kaizen, Haruto, and the others instinctively tensed — a tiny trace of awareness, almost subconscious.
Ryūjin stepped forward, calm as a breeze.
"We are a family," he said simply, voice gentle but steady. "But I don't know what you mean by that name."
The stranger's eyes narrowed.
"You must be them. The presence I sensed… impossible."
Meilin stepped beside her husband, protective and poised.
"He's a guest," she stated clearly. "If you have business with us, speak plainly."
The Stranger's Claim
The stranger lowered his hood, revealing eyes that pulsed oddly, not quite human, but not monstrous either.
"I come from beyond our world," he whispered.
"A place where power is measured not by strength or skill… but by existence itself."
A faint breeze whispered through the garden. The children looked at each other, catching a shift in the air — quiet… grand… and unfamiliar.
"What do you want?" Ryūjin asked.
The stranger's lips curved into a slight smile.
"To test the ones I sensed."
Hook to Next Chapter
In that moment, everyone felt a pulse of energy, distant but unnerving — like something was waking in another dimension.
Kaizen glanced at Ryūjin with wide eyes —
"Father… should we tell him to stop?"
Ryūjin didn't respond immediately. His gaze stayed on the stranger — calm, unreadable.
But in his mind…
This visitor has no idea just how small even the strongest beings are in front of us.
And as the light from the rift flickered, the Unknown District held its breath.