Ren could feel his pulse pounding in his ears. The weight of the vision—the battle, the beasts, the overwhelming presence of Kaelir—was still fresh in his mind. The air felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if the line between reality and his dreams had begun to blur permanently. He hadn't even realized he was gripping the railing so hard that his knuckles had turned white.
Mira stepped closer, her presence steady and composed, like she had expected this. Maybe she had.
"You can't ignore it anymore, Ren," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Kaelir's power is awakening, and it will continue to grow. But without control, it will tear you apart. And when that happens, the things you saw—those creatures—will come for you."
Ren swallowed, trying to shake off the aftershocks of the dream. "Why now? Why is this happening now?"
Mira's eyes were unreadable as she gazed at him, the calm expression on her face betraying none of the tension Ren felt radiating from her. "Because something has disturbed the balance. The gods who were forgotten by this world—who once ruled it in silence—are beginning to stir. You are not the only one who has awakened."
Ren's stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"
Mira glanced at the darkening sky, her silver hair catching the last rays of sunlight. "There are others, gods who are waking from their slumber, just like Kaelir. But not all of them want to return things to how they once were. Some seek chaos. Destruction. They'll come for you because you're the key."
Ren shook his head, stepping back. "You keep saying I'm Kaelir, but I'm not—"
"You are." Mira's words cut through him like a blade. "Whether you accept it or not, Kaelir's power flows through you. You carry his memories, his strength, his purpose. Denying it won't change what's happening."
Ren's mind swirled with confusion, frustration, and fear. He could still feel the weight of the sword in his hand, the clash of steel ringing in his ears, but that wasn't him. He was Ren Akihara, just a regular high school student, not some ancient god from a forgotten age.
"I don't know how to control it," Ren finally admitted, his voice low and strained. "I don't even know where to start."
Mira's gaze softened, and she took a step closer to him, her presence a strange mix of warmth and authority. "That's why I'm here. I'll teach you. But you need to trust me, Ren. If you don't, then you won't survive what's coming."
Ren hesitated, the weight of her words settling over him like a lead blanket. Trust her? How could he trust someone who knew more about his life than he did? Someone who spoke of gods and battles as if they were part of everyday life? And yet, deep down, something told him that Mira wasn't lying. The things she spoke of—Kaelir, the forgotten gods, the looming danger—they resonated with the strange, primal part of him that had been awakened by the dreams.
And the truth was, he didn't have a choice. If what Mira said was true, if these other gods were coming for him, then he needed help. He needed answers.
"Okay," Ren said quietly. "I'll listen."
Mira gave him a small, approving nod. "Good. Then we should start immediately."
Ren blinked. "Start what?"
Mira's eyes gleamed with a mixture of determination and something else—something deeper. "Your training. If you're going to survive what's coming, you need to learn how to harness Kaelir's power. And I'm going to show you how."
That night, Ren found himself in a secluded park on the edge of town, standing beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient oak tree. The air was cool and damp, the scent of rain still lingering in the breeze. The city lights twinkled faintly in the distance, but out here, it felt like they were a world away.
Mira stood a few paces in front of him, her pale figure almost ghostly in the dim light. She had led him here after leaving the school, explaining that the place was shielded from the prying eyes of both humans and gods. A safe space, she had called it. Though Ren couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"You're nervous," Mira observed, her voice cutting through the stillness.
Ren shifted his weight from one foot to the other, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not exactly used to… whatever this is."
Mira gave a faint smile, one that barely touched her lips. "It's understandable. The power inside you isn't like anything a normal human can comprehend. But you're not alone in this, Ren. You have me, and together we can control it."
Ren wasn't sure how much comfort that brought him. "So, what now? What am I supposed to do?"
Mira stepped closer, her expression growing serious again. "First, you need to feel the power within you. Right now, Kaelir's strength is buried deep, suppressed by the part of you that still clings to your human identity. You need to let go of that fear and allow the power to surface."
Ren stared at her, unsure of how to respond. "And how exactly do I do that?"
Mira raised her hand, her fingers drawing a symbol in the air, one that seemed to shimmer with a faint, ethereal glow. "Close your eyes. Focus on the core of your being—the part of you that resonates with Kaelir's name. It's like a well of energy, hidden deep inside you. Once you find it, you'll know."
Ren hesitated, but with a deep breath, he closed his eyes. The darkness behind his eyelids was immediate, but he did as Mira instructed, trying to focus on the place within him where he had felt Kaelir's power stir during the dreams.
At first, there was nothing but silence. The faint rustle of the wind in the trees. The distant hum of the city. But then, deep within him, he felt it—a faint pulse, like the rhythm of an ancient heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there.
Ren's brow furrowed as he concentrated, trying to reach for that pulse, to connect with it. His breath quickened as he felt the energy start to build, like a reservoir of power just waiting to be tapped. It was wild, untamed, and it burned hot beneath his skin, begging to be released.
Suddenly, a flash of light exploded behind his eyes, and Ren gasped, his body jerking as the surge of energy flooded through him. He could feel it—Kaelir's strength, raw and overwhelming, coursing through his veins like fire. His skin tingled with the force of it, and for a moment, he felt invincible.
But then, just as quickly, the power turned on him.
The surge became a torrent, overwhelming his senses, and Ren's vision swam. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the energy burned too bright, too fast. It was too much. He couldn't control it. The raw force of Kaelir's power threatened to tear him apart from the inside.
"Stop!" Ren cried, his voice strained.
But Mira didn't move to help. She watched, her eyes sharp, assessing. "You have to control it, Ren. Don't let it consume you."
Ren gritted his teeth, his body trembling as he struggled to rein in the surge of power. He fought against the overwhelming energy, his heart racing as he tried to contain it, to force it back into the depths of his being.
It took every ounce of strength he had, but slowly, the torrent began to recede. The heat subsided, and the burning pressure in his chest eased. Ren collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat.
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Then Mira spoke, her voice calm but firm. "You're not ready yet. But you will be."
Ren didn't have the strength to respond. He lay there, staring up at the sky, trying to comprehend what had just happened. The raw power he had felt—it was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It had been both exhilarating and terrifying, and now more than ever, he understood the danger it posed.
Mira knelt beside him, her expression unreadable. "We'll continue tomorrow. But remember this, Ren: You are Kaelir. The power inside you is yours. The more you resist it, the harder it will be to control. You must learn to accept it."
Ren stared up at her, his mind spinning with questions he didn't have the energy to ask. He wasn't ready. Not yet. But deep down, he knew she was right.
The power was his. And sooner or later, he would have to claim it.