[The Spirit Realm]
"Huff...Huff... I'm sooo tired. You've been training for so long, I feel like I could die."
Akihiro grumbled, gasping for breath as beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.
"Come on, it's only been a day and a half," responded Stella with a teasing smile.
"A day and a half? Let me rest, would you"
"Haha, your body is resting," Stella teased as she observed Akihiro's exhaustion.
Stella lunged forward at Akihiro and threw a punch aiming for his stomach, which he promptly blocked.
"You react faster than your mind could. Hmm, it's the cursed eyes,"
"Argh... they're not even activated," Akihiro protested, visibly struggling as if he were running out of air.
"Okay, enough,"
"Pheww... finally..." Akihiro sighed heavily as he collapsed, panting and exhausted.
"You have improved, but there's a lingering unease," Stella noted, concern shading her voice.
"Huh, what doesn't feel right?"
"Think about it. You have no stigmata. If many find out, they will seek you. Most importantly, you could be a perfect vessel for gods or any strong creatures. Having a body like yours could mean it can handle any soul..."
"Does that mean?"
"Yes, even I can possess your body. It won't break. But enough about that; we have bigger problems to deal with, or we will get killed" Stella shook her head, steering the conversation toward their imminent dangers.
"Yeah... yeah, I will do my best," Akihiro resolved, his thoughts interrupted as his body began to emit a peculiar glow.
"Stella, what's happening?" Akihiro's voice rose in alarm as a bright light enveloped him.
"Time's up. Your body wants to wake up now before your soul gets trapped in here, but remember, keep training," Stella instructed urgently.
As Akihiro's body started to fade, he vanished into the realm of spirits, leaving Stella alone with her thoughts.
"Hmmm... if it doesn't work out, I'll have to take over..." Stella muttered, a concerned furrow marring her brow.
[Fairview - Tom's House]
Richard was engrossed in conversation with Old man Tom, the two men seated together under the shade of a massive tree.
"Yesterday, I felt one of those beasts' presence near where Akihiro..."
"Wait, what? Are you certain?" Tom's eyes widened in alarm.
"Yeah, definitely. It was emitting one of their energy signatures,"
The old man, Tom, appeared troubled by the news. "This is going to be a problem. A lot of strange things have been happening lately. I thought things were getting better, looking at how nature has come to life—plants and animals—since that day you came."
"Definitely. It's starting to become strange. And then there's Akihiro. He's even stranger. He asked me about his parents. I know I kept him in the dark, but still, from what I can tell, he's becoming different," Richard remarked, his brow furrowed with worry.
"Indeed, he asked me about the Codex of the Forgotten," Tom added, clearly perturbed by Akihiro's sudden interest in such forbidden knowledge.
"What?" Richard's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Yes, I didn't know how he knew about it. Maybe you could tell me," Tom implored, seeking Richard's perspective.
"I'm as surprised as you. I never took him to the kingdom or gave him a book about that,"
"If that's the case, I have a hunch. I think someone is behind this,"
"You mean?" Richard leaned in, intrigued by Tom's theory.
"Someone might be manipulating him, or if not, there must be something,"
"But how? He's been with us for so long, And always with Amelia and Noah,"
"Well, who knows. You know what he asked me? The mother of spirits,"
"Nope, that I won't believe. You can't be telling me he might be connected to the Mother of all or has summoned her. You know it's impossible— that theory is preposterous," Richard shook his head, dismissing the idea as fantastical.
"It's just my hunch, though," Tom mused, picking up his cup. "I'm not saying he might be, but a lot of things have been happening to him—his eyes turning red from blue, constantly passing out, or having vision issues. It makes me wonder—asking about the mother of spirits and not having stigmata."
"Yeah, you're right. And that look of his last night... it brought back some memories I've been trying to forget. That face was the same as his father's, the terrifying face of a dangerous man. The first time I saw it, I was still 15. He scared me to the core," Richard shuddered, haunted by the stark memories.
"Indeed, I have no doubt he will become the next Aiden, even if he has no powers," Tom added.
"Well, I don't think so, though. For now, I don't know. Should I tell him the truth?" Richard pondered, torn by the weight of his decision.
"That's up to you, but I think you should refrain from doing that. Let's focus on the beast you sensed. We must do something about it. I hope you haven't gone rusty over the years," Tom urged.
"Like I would. I should ask you the same," Richard retorted in jest, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Old man Tom chuckled, "Well, I guess I should send messages to the others to come back home this instant," but before he could finish, two figures emerged, interrupting their conversation.
"Yo, old man," greeted the black-headed man.
"Eh, Tony and Flex! Talk about timing. I was just about to send out letters," Tom exclaims, visibly relieved by their unexpected arrival.
Flex, a young man with raven-black hair, adds, "Well, we decided to leave the kingdom. It wasn't good at all."
Tony, on seeing Richard, grins widely. "Oh, Richard, long time."
"Yeah, how about you all take a seat, we have serious issues to talk about," Richard proposes, his tone indicating the gravity of the matter at hand.
Flex and Tony nod, settling themselves into seats. "So, what's the situation?"
"There are dangerous creatures known as man-beasts. From their names, you can already tell they are beast-like humans. I sensed one in the village, but it quickly disappeared," Richard explains, concern etched across his face as he elaborates on the perilous circumstances.
"I get it, but you don't have to worry. We are all here. We will protect the village," Tony reassures with a determined nod.
Flex chimes in with a reassuring grin, "As if we would let them."