In a vast, open green land, filled with vibrant, colorful flowers, the bright sun rays gently fell through the branches of a large tree as a little red-haired girl roamed the field, her eyes sparkling with delight.
She laughed joyfully as she chased butterflies, her laughter echoing through the air.
She ran through the vast flowerbed, her small hands outstretched, trying to catch the delicate creatures fluttering about.
The golden sunlight danced on her bright red hair as she giggled, her bare feet brushing against the soft, cool earth beneath her.
"Zanu! Come back, it's time to return home!"
Suddenly, a voice called out from the side. The little girl stopped in her tracks and turned towards the voice.
A bright smile spread across her face, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Papa!!"
Zanu's voice rang out as she began running towards the man standing under a large tree.
The man had a warm, gentle smile, but his face wasn't clearly visible, as if bathed in the shadows of the tree's branches.
The man kneeled down, his arms wide open.
Zanu rushed into his embrace, her tiny arms wrapping around him with all her strength.
"Papa!! Zanu wants to play more! Come play with me!"
She exclaimed, her voice full of youthful enthusiasm.
The man chuckled softly, his hands gently brushing through her hair.
"It's getting late. We need to head back. We can play again sometime soon, I promise."
He stood up with Zanu in his arms, her face instantly falling.
The smile she had worn so brightly moments ago turned into a soft frown, her eyes showing signs of disappointment.
The man looked at her, his expression tender as he gave a reassuring smile.
"Don't be sad. I promise, once the task is done, I'll play with you all day long."
Zanu's face lit up again, her eyes sparkling with hope as she clung to his neck.
"Really!? Promise to Zanu?"
She looked up at him with a hopeful gleam, her innocence shining through.
The man smiled warmly, patting her head affectionately.
"Of course, it's a promise."
"Thank you, Papa!!"
Zanu's voice was full of joy again, her face bright with happiness as they began to walk toward the distant hill, hand in hand.
But suddenly, the world around them began to change.
The lush green fields and vibrant flowers twisted into a haunting, barren landscape.
The ground turned to a deep, blood-red, the air heavy with an oppressive silence.
Smoke billowed from distant fires, casting an eerie glow across the landscape.
The sounds of destruction echoed as the sky darkened.
Zanu found herself standing alone in the middle of this devastation, her small figure dwarfed by the destruction around her.
She looked frantically around, her heart pounding in her chest.
Tears began to gather in her eyes as she stumbled through the charred remains of the once-beautiful land.
"P-Papa!?"
She called out desperately, her voice trembling with fear.
She wandered aimlessly, her tiny feet crunching on the burnt earth, the tears streaming down her face.
"W-where are you? Z-zanu is scared! C-come back to Zanu! You promised, Papa!"
Her voice cracked as she called out again, her words lost in the overwhelming silence of the destruction.
She kept walking, her steps faltering as the weight of the scene crushed her.
"W-where are you!? Please, don't leave Zanu alone! You promised you'd play with me... Please, Papa, come back..."
She stumbled, her foot catching on a rock, and she fell to the ground, her tears mixing with the dirt as she sat there, broken and sobbing.
"P-Papa... Papa...!" she cried out again, her small body trembling with grief and fear.
Suddenly, the vision began to blur.
Zanu's cries faded as everything around her became distant, the world collapsing as darkness closed in.
"P-papa...!" She whispered one final time before everything went black.
.
.
.
Back in the real world, Zanu tossed and turned in her sleep, her face contorted in distress.
Her body trembled as she clenched her first in pain.
Suddenly, three dark lines appeared on her forehead, their eerie glow pulsing with dark energy.
The energy swirled around her, gathering like a storm about to break.
Her body trembled as the darkness began to consume her.
"Zanu!? Zanu, wake up!!"
A voice broke through the air, filled with concern. Ryuu and Seichii stood before her, their faces filled with worry, sweat trickling down their brows.
Zanu's wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto Seichii. She stretched out her tiny hands, reaching for him, her voice shaky and desperate.
"P-papa!"
She cried, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ryuu's and Seichii's heart sank as he rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her.
Seichii gently cradled her in his arms, pressing her head to his chest as he spoke softly.
"Z-zanu!? What happened? Did you have a bad dream? Are you scared?"
Zanu clung to him, her small body shaking with sobs.
"W-why did you leave Zanu? You promised! You promised to Zanu!"
She cried, her voice full of pain and confusion.
Seichii's heart broke at the sound of her words.
He could feel the raw emotion in her voice, the deep, unhealed pain. He stroked her back softly, trying to comfort her in any way he could.
"I'm right here, Zanu. I'll never leave you. I promise,"
He said, his voice full of sincerity.
"I'll make sure to keep that promise, this time. Always."
Zanu clung tighter to him, her sobs quieting a little as she began to calm down.
"Thank you, Papa,"
She whispered, the words barely audible as she rested against him.
Seichii gently laid her back down on the bed, his movements careful and tender.
Ryuu stood beside them, a deep sigh escaping his lips. The silence between them was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts.
.
.
.
Some time passed, and Zanu finally drifted back to sleep, her eyes red from crying.
Seichii stood slowly, walking to the balcony where Ryuu stood, staring at the moonlit sky.
Seichii sighed deeply, rubbing his face with one hand.
"So, what are you going to do?"
Ryuu asked, his voice calm as he turned to face Seichii.
Seichii glanced at him, his face full of exhaustion.
"Haa! What could I have done? You saw how much pain she was in! I had to say something to comfort her..."
He trailed off, his voice trailing into a frustrated sigh.
Ryuu turned toward the black sky, his expression unreadable.
"That's true, but... I don't understand what happened. Why did the black pattern on your chest glow like that?"
Seichii went silent, the weight of the question hanging between them.
The air seemed to grow heavier, and for a long while, neither of them spoke.
.
.
.
Earlier, when the black lines had appeared on Zanu's forehead...
Seichii's chest glowed with an ominous light as dark energy surged through his body.
The pain was excruciating as the black energy twisted around him, his body wracked with agony.
Ryuu woke suddenly from the intense pain-filled scream that tore through the air. His heart raced as he saw the glowing black pattern on Seichii's chest.
"Seichii!?"
He shouted, his voice filled with urgency and fear.
(What is this? Why is this happening? What is the meaning of this seal on his chest? Is this the same dark power that mysterious figure left on him?)
Ryuu turned to look at Zanu, her tiny body trembling as the same black energy gathered around her.
The lines on her forehead pulsed ominously.
(W-what's going on!? Why is Zanu crying?
What is this dark power surrounding her, too?
Did she... did she trigger this energy in Seichii?)
His mind raced, but he knew he had to act fast before things spiraled out of control.
Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind—a flash of clarity. The Azure flame which saved him when the demons dog attacked him.
"I have to do this. It might work. It has to work."
He closed his eyes and focused, sweat dripping down his face as he joined his hands together, his whole body straining with the effort.
"Come on!"
He thought desperately.
"Something, anything, please!"
He focused harder, but nothing happened. Panic began to rise, his thoughts becoming a whirlwind of doubt and fear.
"Do it, Ryuu!"
A voice suddenly rang in his mind, clear and strong. It was a girl's voice, and it filled him with a strange sense of resolve.
Suddenly, images began flashing in Ryuu's mind—memories he didn't recognize, faces and places he couldn't place, but all of them felt strangely familiar.
His mind was overwhelmed by the flood of images, and with it, a piercing pain shot through his head.
"Aah!!! Why is this happening again!? What are these images!?
Who are these people?!"
Ryuu screamed, his hands clutching his head as the pain intensified.
His vision blurred, blood began to trickle from the corners of his eyes, and his body shook with the force of the overwhelming sensations.
But then, in the midst of the chaos, something ignited deep within his chest.
"Come on, come on, focus!"
Ryuu thought desperately. He gasped, and then, with a sudden clarity, a surge of heat spread through his chest, igniting like a flame that had been waiting to burn.
"Azure Flame..."
Ryuu whispered, the words coming from somewhere deep within him.
The flames flickered in his heart, and in that moment, everything changed.
His eyes snapped open, their color now a glowing azure, shining bright against the night's darkness.
The air around him seemed to stabilize as if the very atmosphere shifted in response to his awakening power.
He stepped toward Seichii and Zanu, who were still shrouded in the dark energy.
With each step, the energy around them began to dissipate, as if the power of the Azure Flame was cleansing the dark influence that had consumed them.
Ryuu raised his hand, his body now fully in control of the strange power pulsing within him.
The dark energy swirling around Seichii and Zanu shrank and vanished into the ether, as though it never existed.
The black lines on Zanu's forehead faded away, and the mysterious seal on Seichii's chest dissolved into the air like smoke.
The moment the energy disappeared, the oppressive feeling in the room lifted, leaving only a calm silence in its wake.
Ryuu lowered his hand, exhaustion suddenly catching up to him.
He swayed for a moment before collapsing to the ground, the intense drain of the power leaving him physically weak.
A wave of fatigue washed over him, and his body screamed in protest.
He grabbed his head in pain, his mind still reeling from the exertion.
"Ah! What was that? Why is my head aching so much?"
Ryuu muttered, feeling disoriented as he sat up slowly, clutching his forehead.
But then, a wave of relief washed over him when he looked over at Seichii and Zanu. Both were still there, safe and unharmed.
"They're safe... but what just happened?" Ryuu thought, his heart pounding in his chest.
Seichii slowly opened his eyes, his body sore from the dark energy that had overwhelmed him.
He blinked, his vision still hazy from the intensity of the moment. When he saw Ryuu standing over him, his expression was a mix of confusion and concern.
"What... what are you doing?"
Seichii asked weakly, his voice groggy as he tried to sit up.
Ryuu, still catching his breath, didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he motioned to Zanu, who was still lying on the bed, her tiny face streaked with tears.
"Look at Zanu!"
Ryuu shouted, urgency in his voice.
Seichii's gaze followed Ryuu's direction, and when his eyes landed on Zanu, his heart clenched.
"What happened to her!? Why is she crying?"
Seichii asked in disbelief, his voice filled with concern.
"I don't know..."
Ryuu muttered, his brow furrowing as he stared at the girl.
"But whatever happened... I think we stopped it. For now."
.
.
.
The balcony was silent for a moment as both Seichii and Ryuu looked at night sky.
"Why is this happening to us?"
Seichii finally whispered, his voice heavy with confusion and frustration.
Ryuu let out a small sigh, his gaze still fixed on Zanu as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Who knows,"
Ryuu said softly, his voice calm despite the uncertainty that clouded his thoughts.
"But this is our reality now. There's no turning back.
All we can do is keep moving forward, searching for the truth."
A faint smile tugged at Ryuu's lips, a rare moment of quiet resolve.
Seichii snorted, shaking his head as he turned toward Ryuu, a smirk forming on his face.
"Why are you always so damn optimistic, man?"
Seichii said, a tired chuckle escaping him.
"But... I guess you're right. There's no going back now."
They shared a brief laugh, the tension in the air slowly dissipating.
It was a fleeting moment of peace amidst the chaos, a brief respite before they would have to face whatever came next.
As the two of them walked back into the room, their laughter echoed softly, but the weight of their journey still lay heavily upon them.
Whatever had just happened—whatever power Ryuu had tapped into—was only the beginning. And the truth was still out there, waiting to be discovered.
But for now, all they could do was sleep, heal, and prepare for the challenges ahead.
Ryoko, who was standing on the top of building of looking at them this whole time. A faint smile appeared on her face as she turned and returned to her room...