—???—
Light footsteps echo across the endless field. The only visible path stretches out in a straight line, seemingly infinite. Panic distorts the boy's face—panic that doesn't feel human. His breath is ragged, his feet burn from having run for what feels like eternity on a road that leads straight into hell.
He wants to scream, but he doesn't.
He wants to cry, but he doesn't.
He wants to hide, but he can't.
The sky begins to brighten, turning golden. Polished stone columns start rising along the sides of the path. At first, they appear at the same pace as his run. Then, they begin to overtake him. Even after looking back and seeing nothing behind him, he keeps running. His vision blurs. The solemn columns begin to fall in his path.
He tries to dodge them, but he realizes he won't reach the end. He doesn't even know what awaits there, but his expression says it all—he wants to reach it with every ounce of his being.
A deafening crash.
One of the columns hits him.
It crushes him completely.
He's dead.
—???—
A girl stands in front of him. Shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black dress that looks like something a servant or a slave might wear. Her expression is blank, but there's a strange warmth radiating from her.
The first words in this entire strange scene echo through the infinite blackness surrounding them:
"Continue your journey, young soul. This world is far more macabre than what your eyes can see. My guidance will lead you deep into its heart."
A smile appears on her face.
Then, everything fades to black.
'What a strange dream…'
Staring at the ceiling of the small room where he had fallen asleep, Fri tries to recall the details of that bizarre vision.
"That girl... none of the things I've seen in my dreams have ever left such a strong impression."
He looks at his own hands. They're trembling. Even though it wasn't real, it affected him in a very real way.
"Now that you're both here," Mirra said, pulling off the cloth that had been covering the table, "you can see what I've been working on all night."
On the table were two weapons. One was a relatively long wakizashi, extremely thin, as if the blade itself were only an illusion—a ghost of what should be a deadly tool. The other was a revolver, lined with red markings along the barrel. It was longer than average, and instead of a standard bullet cylinder, it had a mechanical wheel engraved with a strange symbol—its style reminiscent of something you'd see in a webtoon or a fantasy story.
'They're not ordinary. There's something... familiar, a kind of glow…'Fri's thoughts were interrupted by Mirra's voice.
"Though I retired many years ago, im still and Awakened. My specialty was forging. What you see in front of you are Ascended Weapons. They can only be used by someone with a core—someone who has Awakened. But they'll also work for those who are close to awakening... and that includes the two of you."
Goren's eyes widened like saucers. It seemed like something he had dreamed of having, but never had the chance.
"This... do you know how much pieces like these would cost? This is a fortune!"
'From what little I know, you can only find these in Ominis, or have them forged by someone with serious skill. Just who is this woman?'
Mirra smiled softly, pride evident in her eyes—but also a tinge of nostalgia, as if she missed doing this more often.
"The revolver is for Goren. It doesn't need bullets. It draws power from your own strength to create its shots. The stronger you get, the more powerful and numerous the bullets become. As for Fri's sword, it's light as a feather. Its wielder's speed will increase dramatically. Just like the revolver, the blade grows in strength as you do."
"Why would she give me something this valuable? Does she not know I tried to kill Goren? Even if it was self-defense... she doesn't even know me."
"I've also prepared new identities for you both," she added. "From now on, you'll be completely different people. I recommend using them once you reach Ominis."
"Reach? What does she mean... 'we'?"
"Fri, the price you'll pay for your weapon is this—when the two of you Awaken, you'll take Goren with you to Ominis."
Her tone made it clear this wasn't a request. A kind of maternal protectiveness clung to her words.
'Isn't he a bit old to need a babysitter?also he is really strong for a non Awakened. Then again, a mother's worry never fades, no matter how old her child gets i guess.'
"As long as he's not dead weight," Fri said, "I'm willing to accept that."
Goren had remained silent from the moment Mirra mentioned the fake identities. He didn't even react when she explained the deal. It was as if he already knew what was coming—or at least suspected it—and had no interest in arguing.
'Looks like I'll be stuck with him for the next couple of months... I'm going to lose my mind, but the reward is worth it, with this i will be able to fight against other Awakeneds, at least in the real world where they are not as strong.'
"Fri, our plan today is to gather as much information as possible about Alexander and his accomplices throughout the city," Goren said, his voice steady but with a spark of excitement. "I already have some reference points. We'll split up—if anything goes wrong, we regroup here and leave everything behind. It's crucial that we don't draw attention."
He seemed more animated than usual—maybe it was the weapon, maybe the prospect of heading to Ominis. After all, that was the dream of every Awakened: to earn riches, fame... Anything was possible there—as long as you made it back alive.
The sky stretched out in a clear blue canvas above Cassio. The sound of the ocean crashing against the distant coast added a calm rhythm to the day. It could've been a beautiful morning—if words of Alexander's death hadn't started spreading.
You could hear people whispering excitedly in the streets, some even cheering—though the moment they realized the Royal Guard might be listening, those cheers quickly faded into silence. The street where Alexander had lived was now swarmed with people, but no real clues had been found. It seemed their original plan—to make the death look like anything but murder—hadn't worked as intended.
'What exactly am I supposed to find here?' Fri wondered, walking through the crowd. 'At least Mirra gave us each a storage ring. Carrying that sword around openly would've drawn way too much attention. An unidentified Awakened, visibly armed? That's never a good sign.'
Just then, a familiar figure appeared before him—her hair a mix of gold and chestnut, falling over a dark red, armored dress.
It was Effie, it was the source of information he needed.