He plucked a stick from the ground and started drawing lines in the dirt as they walked.
"Welcome to the Imperial Void Sanctuary—home to war, murder, betrayal, and some truly awful cuisine."
He jabbed the stick northward. "Up here—the Northern Tribes. Fierce, wild, proud. Ice in their veins and iron in their bones. Not friendly. Unless you're into axe-hurling cannibals."
Mira blinked. "...How many axes?"
"Too many.", Zach replied.
Then he shifted the stick westward. "Now this... This is Light Order territory. Western zone. Boring, religious zealots with shiny armor and superiority complexes. Dozens of kingdoms. They hate fun. Also magic. Also Mira."
She hissed on reflex.
"Exactly," Zach said approvingly.
He scratched toward the east. "And this—this is your future in-laws, Renji. The Dark Order. Evil incarnate, or so the Light Order claims. Demons, warlords, ancient bloodlines. And something worse pulling the strings. Think hell, but with better aesthetics."
Renji didn't comment. His eyes just lingered on that mark a little longer.
Zach's stick circled south. "Ah, now this... this is where it gets weird. The South. The wildcard. Unclaimed. Unexpected. Home to rogue sects, blood cults, wandering beasts, and whispers of something ancient sleeping beneath the dunes."
Renji arched a brow. "Something ancient?"
"Yup," Zach said. "Big. Hungry. Might wake up and decide to reset the board."
"Fun," Mira muttered.
Finally, Zach slammed the stick into the center. "And here, smack dab in the heart of madness... The Grand Exile. Massive. Dying. Cursed. It's being torn apart, piece by piece, by all sides. Everyone wants it. No one owns it. It's where kingdoms fall and monsters rise."
He looked up, serious now, "And it's where we're going."
Mira looked between the drawn map and the path ahead. "So... we're walking straight into a land-grab war zone full of angry murder people and cursed dirt?"
"Exactly," Zach said cheerfully.
"Awesome." She grinned. "Can I steal from them?"
Renji smirked despite himself. "Only if you don't sit on my face again."
"No promises," she said, skipping ahead.
By the time they reached near the blood river, it was already getting dark. They put up a small camp fire in front of a small a rock cave.
The fire crackled softly beneath the canopy of dying trees, casting long shadows that danced like ghosts around the camp.
Mira had already curled up by a mossy log, a chunk of stolen bread in one hand and her tail swaddled around her like a blanket. She was out cold—dreaming, probably, of food or stabbing things.
Renji stared into the flames. Silent. Stoic. But the way his eyes flickered—not just from the firelight—spoke volumes.
Zach sat across from him, legs lazily stretched out, silver hair tousled by the wind. He'd been holding back all day, but now… now was the moment.
"You ever wonder why you're really here?" he asked, voice low. "Why the hell a guy like you—some random kid from Earth—got dragged into this?".
Renji didn't flinch. "All the time."
Zach leaned forward, tossing another branch onto the fire. Sparks flared like dying stars.
"Alright then. No more riddles. It's time you knew... who you are."
Renji didn't reply, but his fingers curled tightly around the hilt of his blade.
Zach continued. "Your mother wasn't just anyone. She was the Queen of the Dark Order. The first. The original. The one who bound the flames of Hell and made demons bow."
Renji's eyes widened.
"And your father?" Zach said, voice sharp like a knife cutting through fate. "He was from the Light Order. A general. A hero. A man who broke every law and belief of the West to love her."
Renji's breath caught. "They were... together?"
"They were more than that," Zach said, gaze distant. "They didn't just love—they forged an empire. Right here, in the center of the Imperial Void Sanctuary. The first and only united realm between Light and Dark, with Divine backing. A golden age. Peace. Power. Balance."
He sighed.
"Then... you were conceived. A child of two cosmic opposites. A miracle. A threat."
Renji felt something twist in his chest—like something ancient shifting in its sleep.
Zach's voice dropped to a near whisper. "Your birth was prophesied to either bring salvation… or destruction. That much power in one being? It terrified the Orders. Fear led to betrayal. Betrayal led to war. Civil war."
Renji looked at the fire, seeing ruins and blood in its dancing light.
Zach stabbed the stick into the ground. "The empire fell. The Divine favor shattered. The land was cursed. The center—their utopia—became what it is now: The Grand Exile."
He turned to Renji.
"And when your mother knew the end was near, she made a desperate choice. She buried half your soul in the Exile. Locked it away. Sealed it with ancient rites to suppress your full potential. To protect you. To protect the world."
Renji didn't speak. His mind reeled. The shadows seemed to lean in closer.
"Why now?" he finally asked. "Why am I here... now?"
Zach's smirk returned—but this time, it was tinged with sadness.
"Because, my friend… the Exile is waking up. And so are you. The Exile is getting weak and it needs your help before it gets claimed from across all directions and burned to ashes.", and with that he went back to sleep without another word.
Renji sat there, lost in deep thoughts, gazing at the magical sky above his head.
He knew there was something inside him, strange, waiting to be awakened.