Chapter 6: Touch of Purity
Scene 1: The Weight of Shadows
Nero stirred, his eyelids fluttering against the sterile glow of the infirmary. The scent of antiseptic burned his nostrils. His mother, Luna, slumped asleep in a chair beside him, her fingers still knotted in prayer.
Alive. They're all alive.
A voice slithered through his mind—smooth, mocking.
"Reckless as ever, little bravo."
Nero stiffened. The room blurred, replaced by a void where three thrones loomed—one gold-white, another streaked with crimson and shadow.
"You nearly killed us all," the voice hissed. "But worry not. I'll keep your secrets… for now."
Nero jolted awake, sweat cooling on his skin. Luna's arms encircled him instantly, her tears warm against his neck.
"Promise me," she whispered. "No more heroics."
Nero nodded, though his pulse thrummed with the memory of blue flames.
Scene 2: The King's Debt
The door creaked open, and King Fernando swept in, his crimson cloak trailing like spilled blood. Nero bowed awkwardly from the bed.
"Rise, boy," the king said, his voice a rumble of distant thunder. "You saved my daughter. Name your reward."
Nero hesitated. Gold? Land? Safety for Mother?
Before he could speak, General Arata entered—a titan in obsidian armor, his presence crushing the air. The king's gaze hardened. "We'll resume this… later."
As they left, Nero exhaled. That man… he smells of graves.
Scene 3: Whispers in the Dark
Princess Ayumi burst in next, her composure crumbling as she flung herself at Nero.
"You idiot!" she choked out. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
Ledger leaned against the door, smirking. "Careful, Princess. He's fragile."
Nero peeled her off, cheeks burning. "I'm fine. Really."
But Ledger's smile faded. He cast a silence spell, the air thickening. "The attack wasn't random. Someone broke the seals before Ayumi arrived."
Ayumi paled. "But I took the book from Father's—"
"No such book exists," Ledger interrupted. "You were lured. And Nero…" His gaze sharpened. "They know about your soul."
Scene 4: The Lunic Shades
Ledger's warning hung in the air like smoke.
"Aryavarta's Seven Generals," he said. "The Lunic Shades. Each could level armies. Avoid them."
Nero's mind flashed to General Arata—the way his eyes had lingered, hungry and cold.
Not soldiers. Predators.
Scene 5: Trial by Fire
The priest academy buzzed as Nero returned. Nobles sneered; commoners whispered. His new friend Yoshito—a gangly boy with ink-stained fingers—leaned close.
"Kenta's class is next. Brace yourself."
The training ground trembled under Kenta sensei's grin. "Today's lesson: survival!"
Keisuke, a hulking noble, cracked his knuckles. "I'll go easy, rat."
Nero sighed. Arrogance. Always the same.
Keisuke charged. Nero sidestepped, fingertips brushing the noble's chest.
Touch of Purity.
Keisuke froze, eyes widening as corruption bled from his soul—a writhing black mist. He collapsed, purged.
The class erupted.
"Cheater!"
Nero raised his hands. "It's not magic. It's… clarity." He met Kenta's probing stare. "Weakness hides in anger. I merely exposed it."
Scene 6: Bonds and Betrayals
After class, Ayumi cornered Nero. "You lied to Kenta. You killed that beast."
Nero's smile tightened. "Ledger's the hero. I just… passed out."
She narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
That night, Yoshito walked Nero home. "Why avoid the Princess? She likes you."
Nero glanced at the moon. "Royalty and rats don't mix. It's safer this way."
At his doorstep, Luna greeted them—her face gaunt but radiant. Yoshito froze.
"You're the woman from the shrine. Praying to the Nameless One."
Luna's smile wavered. "You've seen me?"
"Every dawn. You… glow."
Nero's chest tightened. What are you hiding, Mother?
Scene 7: The Unseen Blade
Elsewhere, Ledger crept through the High Priest's forbidden archive. A parchment crinkled in his grip:
"Kill the Namakami. Burn their line. Darkness must rise."
Footsteps echoed. Ledger vanished, the words searing his mind.
They're coming for Nero.
Chapter End: Veiled Threats
In the abyssal depths, a figure caressed a crystal orb. Nero's face flickered within it.
"Soon," the figure crooned. "Your flames will be mine."