Chapter 2: A New Path

Shiro stood at the edge of a cliff, staring out into the abyss below. The wind howled around him, carrying the scent of the sea and the cold touch of winter. The world felt distant, as if he no longer belonged to it.

For days, Noctis had kept him hidden in this remote training facility—isolated from everything he had once known. A place far removed from the shattered streets of Shadthom, where the rain had washed away everything that mattered to him.

"Are you ready?" Noctis's voice came from behind him, calm and measured.

Shiro didn't answer immediately. Instead, his eyes fixed on the horizon, where the sun was barely beginning to rise. In the back of his mind, his parents' faces lingered—their eyes wide in terror as they fell to the ground. The fury within him still burned, but it was different now. It had purpose. It had focus.

"Ready for what?" Shiro finally asked, his voice colder than he intended. His hands clenched into fists, his nails biting into his palms as he fought to control the anger that threatened to consume him.

Noctis chuckled softly. "For everything. For your future. For the power you'll wield. For the path that awaits you."

Shiro turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he faced his mentor. Noctis had always been mysterious—an enigma wrapped in shadow. He'd offered Shiro no answers, only promises. But with each passing day, Shiro found himself growing stronger. He could feel it in the air around him, in the way time seemed to bend to his will. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more. Needed more.

"I want to learn how to control this," Shiro said, his voice low but filled with determination.

Noctis nodded, his expression unreadable. "Good. But controlling your power is only the beginning. The real challenge is learning how to use it effectively—how to make it an extension of yourself, something that doesn't just bend time but dominates it."

Shiro's eyes flickered, uncertainty creeping in. "And what does that mean?"

Noctis smiled. "You'll see. Follow me."

The journey ahead would test Shiro in ways he couldn't yet comprehend. But he had no choice. Not anymore.

End of chapter 2