About three months later
Three months have passed since Gerald and Kevin's first interaction, the time moving alongside the shifting seasons across Nahata. The first flurries of snow have begun to fall, marking the official beginning of the winter season.
Across Mystic Mountain's forest sits a small, abandoned church dedicated to the practice of Ancientism, a religion practiced by few royal families and other select people. A young Samantha, wearing a vibrant blue dress, quietly stared at the Realm God's mural painted atop the church walls. She reached into her pocket, revealing a small, scrappy book labeled "TALE OF THE REALM GOD" in bold letters. Releasing a sigh, she opened the book and began to read out loud.
Thousands of years ago, the ancient world was plunged into chaos due to the dangerous influence of entities. Wounds of fear were inflicted on the population's majority, most believing the fate of death stood inevitable for all of civilization. Despite the story of the Ancient Symbols, one specific power named Will of Freedom had blossomed within a frail, timid man who refused to give up. Using Will of Freedom's immense power derived from the four pristine entities, he created courage among those he saved and those who were informed of his stories - but his glory didn't persist.
An opposing power named Thirst for Despair was also on the rise, creating tension between the two men who wielded these mythical ancient powers. The first battle concluded, and the Will of Freedom's loss returned the ancient world back to the despair they were determined to move past. Despite this climatic turn of events, Will of Freedom's power managed to triumph over Thirst of Despair, returning the ancient world back to its former glory and beginning the Ancient Golden Age. The man wielding the Will of Freedom was later nicknamed the Realm God, and the opposing force wielding Thirst of Despair was nicknamed the Sky Splitter. Following their deaths, their powers faded into time alongside the other ancient powers wielded by the Ancient Symbols.
Repeated clanking sounded from the large, glass doors, almost instantly capturing Samantha's attention. Curious, she glanced towards the door to see her father, delighted to see her studying Ancientism.
---
"Seems like Samantha has finally submitted to her inevitable fate!" her father sung to her mother, whose face lit up upon the news. "Being an entity hunter is just going to get you killed, Sam!" she claimed, gently stroking Samantha's brown hair and smiling. "The Realm God was a special hero, people like us should just stay studying him instead of striving to be like him!"
Samantha glumly looked away, hiding a small pamphlet labeled "ENTITY HUNTER ACADEMY SIGNUP FORM" under the tablemats. "What is it with you guys and entity hunting?" she spoke up, slamming both her hands against the table angrily. "You're hiding something, I just know it! So go ahead and TELL ME!"
Her scream's echo faded into the home's walls, leaving seconds of silence between her and her family. "WE'RE NOT GOING TO WATCH YOU DIE LIKE YOUR SISTER DID!" her father screamed, angrily slapping her across the face and pushing her against the wall. "You're all we have left, Samantha! If you share the same fate with her - then we won't know what to do anymore!"
Samantha pushed her father's hands off, rushing out the house while wiping off her angry tears. "I'm not your stupid puppet!" she shouted. "Not now, and NOT EVER!"
The door loudly slammed seconds following her tantrum.
---
Flurries of snow stuck to the metal blades partially engraved within the ground in the Sword Graveyard. Within these sacred grounds traveled Samantha, still partially caught in her emotions due to her parents' claims. "You didn't let them mold you, Reza!" she cried, halting upon the sight of a small tombstone with her sister's name labeled. "From Crystal City to the Grand Province, you never gave up when it came to dreams, even when people like our parents strive to discourage us from ever achieving them!"
She fell to her knees, desperately restraining another wave of tears from releasing. "That book you gave me, Tale of the Realm God… Thank you for bestowing something so powerful among me, I'll make sure I use it to my best ability to not only become an entity hunter, but figure out the truth about Ancientism!"
Every other week, Samantha stops by the Sword Graveyard in order to communicate with her deceased sister. After every operation Team ENTITY endured and aside from entity hunting, Samantha would usually stop by the grave to leave another message for her sister. Despite her being deceased, she was told everything from the day of her burial to the present.
"Coming all the way out here without a jacket?" a voice bloomed from the distance. "You're gonna catch a cold again if you keep doing that, Samantha." Samantha's head turned back towards the voice, revealing a familiar face wrapped in a light-blue scarf. This man was known as Le, professional entity hunter employed at the Crystal City Entity Hunter Academy, and also frenemies with Samantha's father Marty.
She brought her knees closer to her chest, slouching her head in the center. "They're so fixated on making me a normal girl, Le…" she complained, her hands damp from her tears. "Reza may be dead, but just because she died in the line of duty doesn't mean I'll share the same fate if I become a hunter aswell!"
Le lifted her head, pulling her back within the graveyard's beauty and neutralizing her emotions. "As a pro myself, there are many friends I have lost in the line of duty as well. We put our lives on the line for civilians, yet chances of death always linger in the distance…"
He smiled, stretching his hands out and observing the descending snow resting against his palms. "Think of it like flurries of snow," he continued. "Once they descend from the ground, they lose the opportunity to ascend - it's like engaging in an entity confrontation spelling out certain death for all."
Her anger persisting, Samantha rested her head against Le's shoulder. "It isn't long until worldwide entity breakouts reach their peak. That's why I'm willing to step in to fight for not only Crystal City, but the world."
Le grinned, wrapping his arm around Samantha's shoulder and enveloping her in a tight embrace. "Don't worry, Samantha. You'll make a very good entity hunter, and that's a fact. There's only two weeks until the Entity Hunter Academy reopens, so I'll attempt and talk to your father regarding everything."
Samantha quietly celebrated, now fully one with the soothing snow sticking to her brown hair. "I'll live for not only my sake, but Reza's too. Until we significantly restrain entity threats across the world, I won't die!"