The son of Cragar flinched and took a step back as the entire landscape began to take shape with greater clarity.
He stared intensely at his double, trying to read the soul hidden behind that illusion of himself. The scene around them was breathtaking: a lush garden stretched out, fading into a whitish mist woven with dreamlike patterns. The grass was green, shimmering with morning dew, and the melodious song of birds filled the air.
A path of white marble wound through the greenery, the smooth edges of the gleaming stones reflecting the light. The road led to a summer residence—an elegant villa with Doric columns and wide arched windows overlooking the garden. Colorful flowers, carefully arranged in well-kept flowerbeds, added touches of red, yellow, and purple to the landscape.
Shirei felt a familiar warmth on his face—the sun kissing his skin with a tenderness that seemed to come from another time. Even though he was aware that he was inside an illusion, everything appeared extraordinarily real. The scent of cut grass was strong, almost intoxicating, and the warmth seemed to seep deep into his bones, urging him to seek shelter in a shaded area.
Shirei looked around, his heart pounding in his chest. Every detail of the landscape seemed to evoke fragments of his forgotten past.
His double moved in perfect sync, like a reflection in a mirror, and their eyes met again. There was a strange awareness in those identical irises, a connection that went beyond words.
The son of Cragar felt a sense of nostalgia, a feeling of belonging he couldn't explain. The garden, the marble path, the summer residence—all seemed wrapped in an aura of mystery, part of a chapter of his life that had been torn away. And yet, every time he tried to grasp those memories, they slipped away, leaving him with a sense of emptiness and unsatisfied curiosity.
"Should I repeat it?" his double asked rhetorically.
"Who are you?"
The figure with his same appearance raised a finger and pointed it at him. "I am you… and you are me."
What does that mean?
Before Shirei could respond, the figure added, "However, we are not the same person, truth be told."
The son of Cragar remained silent and, rather than worry about the mysterious self, let himself be distracted by the landscape in search of some clue.
"Yes, this is born of the memories locked in your mind," the false Shirei confirmed.
The boy tried to understand why he was experiencing this now, after three long years in which he had waited to catch a glimpse of his past.
That place was the first hint he'd had of his life—of memories that had been removed from him, or that he had erased of his own free will.
But why now? What triggered all of this?
"Instead of staying silent, you could ask me why you're here. Sometimes all it takes is asking the right questions, rather than thinking through every possibility and blurting out stupid ones."
The background of the vision, dream, or whatever it was that was happening began to shift.
Suddenly, it was no longer morning.
The sun was on the verge of setting, painting the scene in warm hues and lending everything a more nostalgic air.
The figure of his interlocutor began to waver and morph, as though composed of swirling mist. Shirei watched, astonished, as his mirror image transformed. The familiarity of the face remained, but the hair shortened, and the height diminished, giving the new double a younger, more inexperienced look.
Shirei was no longer staring at a replica, but at a younger version of himself, dressed in a black military officer's uniform. Shiny buttons and violet lines adorned the simple outfit, and even the fabric's quality was impeccable. The younger Shirei's eyes were alive with youthful fire, filled with suffering and ambitions yet unrealized—emotions submerged and drowned beneath a layer of calm.
The landscape around them remained mostly the same, but the presence of that younger figure added a new layer of meaning to the scene.
Shirei felt a wave of conflicting emotions. He experienced a strange melancholy, as though watching a shadow of his past—the version of himself that carried faded promises and hopes on his shoulders.
He felt a knot tighten in his throat.
He looked closely at the youth, trying to absorb every detail, every nuance of that image that seemed almost tangible in his mind. And yet, beneath that surface of order and discipline, he could see the turmoil of emotions that had marked his youth.
"In case you hadn't realized, we don't have much time before you regain consciousness."
The young Shirei cast him one last glance before starting to walk toward the villa's gate. The son of Cragar was forced to follow, trying to drag forth the memories of that place and that time.
"Don't bother," said the replica apathetically, "it's not worth retrieving these memories. Be thankful you're free from any evidence of pain and suffering."
The two passed through the gate of the mysterious residence. Shirei looked back for one last glance at the home, only to find with sadness that it had already vanished into nothing.
"Who are you really?" he asked immediately after.
The young Shirei closed his eyes. "I've already answered that question. Try something else."
The son of Cragar returned to his thoughts as they continued walking downhill, toward a place still blurred by the whitish, dreamlike mist.
After what felt like endless minutes of reflection, he asked, "Why am I here?"
"Finally."
Shirei's replica stopped in perfect synchrony with the sun vanishing beyond the horizon. The son of Cragar's head throbbed slightly, forcing him to hold it in his hand and close his eyes.
When he opened them, the landscape had changed once again. His false self was still in front of him, but this time he was no longer wearing the uniform.
A pitch-black armor encased his body as if it were a second skin. It was a masterpiece—a perfect fusion of function and beauty. Its sinister details shimmered, reflecting a myriad of hues.The dark metal was streaked with purple veins and inlaid with microscopic symbols glowing in a spectral green. The greaves and bracers were just as elaborate, with delicate violet spines tracing their edges, giving the armor a look as lethal as it was elegant.
The joints were covered by flexible plates designed to allow freedom of movement without compromising protection.
As Shirei stared at his replica, he noticed something extraordinary: under close observation, the armor seemed to move, as though it were made of living matter. The veins pulsed in a rhythm akin to slow, steady breathing. The engravings appeared to animate and glow, as if they were coming to life.
He was tempted to step closer and try to determine whether his eyes were deceiving him. He paused a moment, considering the possibility that the armor was more than just a battle garment.
It's as if he's transformed into a Tenebrae…
After tearing his gaze from his alternate self, Shirei focused on the new setting crafted by his subconscious.
Only then did he realize he recognized the place.
The Blendbreed stood near the banks of the Uchia River—the River of Memory. The landscape around him was wrapped in impenetrable darkness, a shadow that seemed to rise from the very heart of the Underworld.
The warmth of the sun, which had just kissed his skin, had vanished—replaced by a sinister cold that seeped into his bones. The air was thick and heavy; every breath seemed to carry a fragment of despair.
The waters of the tributary flowed clear and calm before him, a startling contrast to the surrounding environment. The steady current was transparent like liquid crystal, its motion soft and hypnotic, carrying with it an unnaturally serene feeling.
On the river's surface danced faint reflections, casting pale glimmers that lit the area with a ghostly glow.
The light seemed to come from another dimension—fragments of pure white telling forgotten stories and lost memories. Each ray reflected moments of the past—faces and scenes that seemed to float just beneath the surface of the water, like shadows of memories ready to resurface.
It was as if the river itself were a silent guardian of all the lives it had touched.
That tributary of the infernal lake was the root of most of his troubles.
He had returned to the place where the old Shirei had died—the same place where he had opened his eyes for the first time.
The surface of the Uchia illuminated the face of his counterpart and his dark armor, revealing both were stained with blood.
The young man's gaze was hollow, as if he were far away. His eyelids were nearly closed, revealing the agonizing, murderous calm that had once defined him.
Behind the replica, an ethereal and majestic figure appeared out of nowhere, immediately drawing Shirei's attention.
It was a Tenebrae with angelic features, suspended in the air by white wings that floated gently, supporting him as though he were weightless. The armor he wore was of exquisite craftsmanship, yet shadowed in tone, forged of plates black as night.
Every detail was perfect, as if the armor had been crafted not by human hands, but by those of a god.
Probably only Corgi could forge something so flawless, the Blendbreed observed.
The pauldrons were sculpted into the shape of stylized wings, extending slightly beyond the shoulders, adding an extra layer of magnificence. The helmet—smooth and pristine—covered almost the entire face of the angel. The lack of visible features added an aura of inviolability to his presence, rendering him a being of enigmatic identity.
The wings, broad and majestic, were pure white. They moved with grace, each beat silent and nearly hypnotic, as if the angel drifted through the air without effort. Each feather seemed to emit a soft glow, radiating light across the area, creating a surreal contrast with the darkness of the Underworld.
Shirei understood that the appearance of this figure was no coincidence. The angel was there for a reason—summoned to remind him of something specific.
The scene froze in a moment of silence. The Uchia River flowed quietly behind his replica. The angel hovered midair, waiting.
He's the Tenebrae Marina told me about…
"Your thoughts are correct. That is Venorias, the Tenebrae summoned during Salix's assault on Lilies Park—my Aterdux."
Aterdux?
Shirei repeated in his mind, though the word seemed to echo everywhere.
That confirmed his suspicion: he was inside his own head.
"It translates to "dark general." It's the title given to your most powerful Tenebrae—the one who binds irreversibly to your soul and can command your army."
The son of Cragar could only partially follow the explanation, yet his counterpart went on.
"You should at least know that. But the real problem is you know absolutely nothing, and that makes you weak."
"I'm not weak."
"Yes, you are," the younger Shirei snapped back, wiping blood from his face with a hand. "You can't hope to face what's coming without understanding your powers. You care too much about what happens around you instead of recognizing what really matters."
"Is it that bad?"
The young Shirei grimaced. "If you haven't figured it out yourself… In your current state, your enemies would crush you."
The son of Cragar froze. He wasn't arrogant enough to believe he was more powerful than every mortal or Blendbreed, but he wasn't falsely modest either. Shirei knew he was powerful—more than most.
Why does everyone treat me like I'm an idiot?
An inexplicable itch spread across the boy's neck—perhaps a sign he was about to wake up, or something else entirely.
"Annoyance," his counterpart replied. "You're feeling annoyance—the same feeling others mask in your presence."
"I don't understand."
"Do you really not understand?" the other asked provocatively. "Don't you hear a voice in your ear telling you you're wasting time?"
The son of Cragar stepped back, struck by the tone of his interlocutor.
"You've come this far only through the muscle memory locked in your body. You've always known how to use Spectral Travel since the moment you emerged from the Uchia. You never struggled to create the Tenebrae or to control them—you barely even understand how they work. Was mastering your Ethereal Pulse truly that hard?"
Shirei paused to reflect on those words, letting the replica finish.
"This is the annoyance others feel when they look at you."
"So the Blendbreeds in the park are jealous because I'm more powerful than they are?"
The younger version sighed. "How many times does it need to be said?" he asked rhetorically. "You're not. You've never made any effort to reach the strength you now possess. There have been no real obstacles in your short life," he pronounced. "That has made you weak… and you can't afford to be."
"The Blendbreeds you've met can't stand how effortlessly you can do things that are impossible for them. You're not on the same level as the others, that's true—but that also means you shouldn't compare yourself to them. You have a far greater role to play."
The dark angel behind the young Shirei vanished, and the boy stepped closer to him.
"When you wake up, strive to become more powerful—and truly strive. Your skill in battle is unmatched by common Blendbreeds, but you're using only a fraction of your potential."
The figure of the boy flickered with a tremor.
"There's more. Much more you can do with your powers."
The entire scene began to fracture, and the background collapsed in on itself like a wave reaching the shore.
Shirei wanted to know more. He wanted to understand what his subconscious was trying to tell him.
"What exactly do I have to do? How can I get my memories back?"
The ground beneath them cracked, and the entire vision began to shake violently.
The son of Cragar crouched, trying to lower his center of gravity and stay stable, while his false version hovered in the air.
"Use the remaining Rifts to better understand your powers. Learn to manipulate both aether and mana simultaneously. Study the Tenebrae and try to realize the true extent of your power…"
The strange cracks traveled upward from the ground to Shirei's manifestation, slicing through the air.
"Become who you're meant to be. Stop merely appearing in a story where you're the protagonist. Embrace the role spoken of in the prophecy…"
"What prophecy?"
The replica was overtaken by the fractures and began to disintegrate into thousands of shards.
"Seek help from the bearer of darkness. Walk the path of—"
Shirei was struck by a tremendous sound that forced him to curl in on himself and cover his ears. His head spun as his body was flung from side to side.
And then—everything stopped.
The sunlight began to gently press through Shirei's closed eyelids, forcing him to wake slowly.
The Blendbreed opened his eyes, feeling the familiar warmth of the sun on his skin.
For a moment, everything was blurry and confused, but then the contours of reality began to take shape.
The battlefield stretched out around him, a wasteland scarred by signs of recent conflict. He lay in the dust and debris, his heart still pounding in his chest as if he'd just been torn from an otherworldly vision—which, in fact, he had.
The sky above was a deep blue, scattered with a few white clouds that seemed to silently witness the scene below.
Havel and Ada were crouched beside him, their faces etched with worry. The expressions in their eyes reflected a mixture of relief and anxiety as they stared at him intently.
Ada, her brows furrowed and eyes glassy, looked on the verge of saying something but hesitated, as if she feared he might still slip away.
Havel, his face marked by visible exhaustion, leaned toward him, hands steady on his axes.
He remembered the darkness of the Underworld, the sinister chill, and the Uchia river,
but now, with the sunlight warming his skin and solid earth beneath him, those visions felt like a distant dream—almost unreal.
Shirei inhaled. "I'm back."
The son of Cragar did his best to sit up and reached for Reno's consciousness through his mind—but the Tenebrae did not respond.
Could he be my Aterdux?
His head still spun.
No.
The words of his double, coupled with a strange sensation, told him it wasn't so. His general had not yet revealed himself—but somehow, he felt they had already met, somewhere.
"Can you stand?"
Ada extended her hand toward the son of Cragar, pulling him from his thoughts. Shirei appreciated the gesture and allowed her to help him to his feet. Then he scanned their surroundings once again.
The Rift had vanished, a sign that all the monsters inside had been destroyed. Their bodies had already disintegrated, leaving the battlefield free of corpses.
They're probably already on their way to the Overworld.
Shirei turned to his companions, still visibly worried for him. His counterpart had mentioned the annoyance others felt toward him—but perhaps those words had been tainted by the mysterious past whose memories remained faded.
Ada and Havel didn't despise him.
Neither does Marina, he thought.
"Shirei…" Ada didn't know how to begin, so she went straight to the point. "What happened to you?"
The Blendbreed with violet eyes looked down at his fingers, sensing the mana swirling around his body.
"I'll explain on the way."
Havel, still on the ground with one leg bleeding, let out a weak sigh of relief.
"Finally! We're going home."
The son of Sidal glanced at the boy, and his expression shifted, causing a ripple in the area of his cheek marked by the distinctive scar.
"We are going home now, right? Because the more I look at you, the more it feels like that's not the plan."
Shirei stepped closer. "We need to head to the remaining Temporal Rifts and close them as soon as possible."
"Temporal… Rifts…" Ada's eyes widened. "Anyway, the Blendbreeds from the Daffodils Academy will take care of the other outbreaks. We've done our part. There's no reason to stay."
"We're only three. There's no way we can handle more—at least, that's what Elaine would say," added Havel. "We took a big risk today. I won't drag you two back into the eye of the storm without any hope of surviving."
Is he blaming himself? Shirei wondered, then shook his head.
"It doesn't matter. I'm going either way," he replied, locking eyes with the leader of the Equinox Flowers. "Whether you come or not, I can't afford to back down."
Havel inhaled sharply, trying to stay calm.
"I don't give a damn what you want to do. I'll make you back down if I have to. I'm in charge here."
Ada stepped between them, trying to defuse her companion's rising anger.
"Shirei, did you have a premonition? What's really at stake?"
The sunlight illuminated the violet in the son of Cragar's eyes, making the myriad of shades within them glisten.
"The destruction of Lilies Park and Daffodils Academy."
The son of Sidal swallowed, then turned to his companion and said,
"Ada, send a letter to Elaine and tell her to confer with Lyceum."
"You want me to tell them we're not coming back?"
"We need the divine Aena to intercede for us—and have all the Blendbreeds return."
"I don't like how you're phrasing that. What are you really saying?"
"We're going to deal with all the outbreaks," declared the blond. He pushed himself upright with difficulty and walked over to Shirei, using his axe like a cane.
"Hope Fate's on our side, Violet—otherwise we'll be spending eternity together in the Underworld."