---
The morning sunlight broke through the dark clouds over Rosario High, casting long shadows across the empty training grounds. Lio took a deep breath, feeling the morning chill against his skin. He hadn't slept much after the previous night's encounter, but the weight of the Code's secrets now sat heavy in his mind, like a ticking clock that couldn't be ignored.
As he walked toward the field, his thoughts drifted to the dark figure from his vision, the twisted images of Chris, and the fragments of the Code he could barely comprehend. His body felt drained, as if each new discovery chipped away at his energy. Yet there was a fire within him, a determination to make use of what he'd learned and turn it into something tangible, something he could control.
