Location: Hidden Waterfall of Resonance, deep within the Hero city region.
The waterfall roared like a guardian beast, casting a curtain of silver mist over the ancient rocks. Beneath it, four figures sat cross-legged, the rush of falling water soaking their training clothes, their auras dimming and surging in waves.
Diana Flamesoul sat at the front, perfectly still. Her breathing was measured. Her aura flickered gently in sync with the natural world around them.
Behind her sat Inavy, Darius, and Rose—all in meditative positions.
"Let the world speak to you," Diana had told them. "Don't force your power. Listen to the earth. Feel its rhythm. Let your aura blend with it."
They had been sitting in silence for nearly an hour.
Suddenly—
A faint glow surrounded Darius.
Then it pulsed.
His body twitched, and he opened his eyes, stunned.
"Whoa… what is this?" he whispered.
He stood up slowly, golden aura shimmering around him in gentle spirals.
"I can feel… everything. My senses are sharper… like ten times better! I feel like my energy just won't run out!"
Rose opened one eye, narrowed at him. "Quiet down, genius. You'll lose the flow."
But then her body trembled. Her crimson aura began to swirl, merging with the mist around them. Steam rose where her energy touched the wet rocks.
Her eyes opened slowly. "...I feel it too."
Darius looked at her in awe. "Whoa, Rose, you—"
But then—
Thunder cracked.
All three turned.
Inavy sat still, but his expression was contorted—brows furrowed, mouth tense.
The air around him began to change. Not the same calm harmony as Darius or Rose.
No.
Something violent stirred.
Crimson lightning cracked from the ground beneath him.
The sky above darkened suddenly.
Diana's eyes snapped open. "Inavy…?"
Subscene – Inavy in Conflict
Inavy remained still, but his body trembled violently. His breath hitched. His aura wasn't blending—it was boiling.
Flashes erupted from the ground—deep red lightning, unnatural and angry.
Visions tore into his mind.
A desolate battlefield. Ruins engulfed in flame. Blackened skies. Endless thunder.
And at the center—
Ray Stormbreak.
Fallen.
Lifeless.
Inavy gasped, voice barely a whisper.
"…No… Ray…"
Rose and Darius bolted upright.
Diana stood immediately, alarm flashing across her face.
"He's not connecting with the planet," she said sharply. "He's being overwhelmed!"
BOOM.
A thunderclap split the sky.
Crimson lightning erupted around Inavy like chains snapping open. His hair rose, his eyes flickered red, and the air turned dense with pressure.
Rocks floated.
The waterfall reversed, drawn upward against gravity.
Rose clutched her chest. "What the hell?! These lightning bolts… they're not like Ray's at all!"
Darius backed up slightly, awe in his voice. "They're way stronger… and darker…"
Diana didn't hesitate. She dropped to one knee, placed her hands on the earth, and yelled:
"INAVY! Focus! Come back to us!"
The waterfall roared louder. The sky turned blood-red for an instant.
Inavy's eyes shot open—blazing crimson. He screamed—but it was controlled. A final burst of energy erupted, then…
Silence.
The energy settled.
The crimson storm faded into a soft hum.
He fell to his knees, drenched and shaking, surrounded now by a calm, glowing red aura that pulsed gently—like thunder restrained.
Subscene – The Voice of Chaos
Inavy gasped for breath, still on his knees. Then—
A voice echoed deep in his mind. Rough. Ancient. Powerful.
??? (distant voice):"It's not time yet, boy."
His eyes widened. He looked around wildly. "Who said that?!"
Rose stepped forward cautiously. "Said what? Are you okay?"
Darius blinked, confused. "Dude, if someone talked to me, I must've been asleep. I didn't hear anything."
Inavy looked at his hands. They still trembled with red energy.
"I… I heard a voice. Inside my head. A man. He called me 'boy'… like he knew me…"
Diana said nothing at first. But her eyes narrowed with growing concern.
Something had changed in Inavy.
Something was waking.