Ren staggered to his feet, holding his chest like something had burst open inside him.
"What happened to me? What is that?" Ren said, his amazed face and furrowed eyebrows showing deep thought.
His thoughts were spinning too fast.
His hands trembled slightly.
"Brother... brother, are you okay? What happened to you?" Mira shouted, worried about Ren. She was running toward him. After the creature disappeared, she ran to him with a worried and amazed expression.
Behind her, Watson was also chasing after them.Watson followed close behind, breath quick, trying to keep up.
Ren looked at both of them.
His lips parted, but no words came out.
He didn't know.
The school's students and teachers were slowly coming out of the bus.
One by one, they all surrounded Ren. The team members and some witnesses who had seen the incident also gathered around him.
Everyone was looking at him with confusion and amazement. Some were curious about him, and some were talking, saying things like, "A new mage has awakened," or "A new type of magic has been discovered."
A few men in uniforms with badges on their coats. Some held scanning devices. Others were recording footage. Everyone was staring at Ren like he was something strange. Something important.
He heard whispers.
"Did you see that? The mana reacted to him."
"No one else could move except him. What did he do?"
"I've never seen anything like it. Maybe it's a new kind of mage."
"He didn't even use a focus. No glyph. No chant."
"He's just a student, right?"
Among the murmurs and stares, one figure stood still at the edge of the group.
A tall man. Late thirties, maybe older. Long silver coat trimmed with blue lining. His eyes were sharp and distant, the kind that seemed to see past the surface. His presence alone quieted some of the crowd.
Yato Ridai.
One of the Great Magicians of Elaris.
One of the first humans to be bonded with artificial mana.
He stepped forward slowly, hands in his coat pockets, his gaze fixed on Ren like he was reading a puzzle written in a foreign language.
Ren didn't recognize him at first. His mind was still clouded. Mira had her hands on his shoulders, trying to steady him. He leaned into her slightly, still catching his breath.
Yato stopped a few steps away and glanced down at the boy.
No words yet. Just a long, searching stare.
Watson stood protectively near Mira, unsure whether to speak or not.
Then Yato finally spoke.
"What did you feel, just now?" His voice was low, steady. Measured. "When that creature appeared. What happened inside you?"
Ren looked up at him.
He didn't answer right away. His thoughts were still disorganized. But there was something behind his eyes now.
"I don't know," he said quietly. "But it wasn't the first time I've seen it."
Yato's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You've seen a mana-beast like that before?"
"In my dreams," Ren said. "Over and over."
The crowd around them grew more silent.
Yato didn't move.
For a moment, nothing did.
Then he looked around at the witnesses, then back to Ren.
"Clear a path," he said calmly to the nearest teachers. "The boy needs rest. And we need answers. But not here."
A few authority figures began to step in, guiding back the onlookers. One teacher tried to say something but stopped when Yato raised a hand.
Ren swayed slightly on his feet.
Mira held him tighter.
"Are you taking him somewhere?" she asked, nervous.
Yato met her eyes and gave a small nod.
"Just to ask a few questions. Nothing else. He'll be safe."
Mira hesitated.
Watson leaned in.
"I'll come too," he said.
Yato didn't object.
Ren looked toward the empty spot where the creature had vanished.
In his chest, something was still warm. Still humming. He didn't know what it was.
But he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
And that whatever had woken inside him was not going to sleep again.
Yato, Ren, and Watson walked together toward the empty spot where the strange creature had disappeared. The air still felt heavy, like the ground remembered what had happened there.
Before they moved, Yato turned to one of his team members.
"Hira," he said, "get some water for the boy."
Hira Risaki, a tall woman with short black hair and a white jacket, nodded quickly. She walked toward the nearby van where supplies were kept.She used the swift magic for fast movement.And in sudden onset of time she disappeared like she was never their.
Ren said nothing. He walked slowly, still holding his chest. His legs felt weak, but he didn't fall. Watson stayed close beside him, watching him carefully. He looked worried but didn't speak either.
When they reached the spot, Ren stopped.
"This is where it vanished," he said quietly.
The street had cracks where the creature had touched the ground. The stone was blackened, like it had been burned. But no fire had been seen.
Ren knelt down and touched the ground. It was cold.
Yato looked around, scanning the area.
"No mana trace," he said. "Strange. A beast like that should leave something behind."
Ren slowly stood back up.
"I felt something when it disappeared," he said. "Something left me."
Yato turned his head.
"What do you mean?"
Ren shook his head. "I don't know. It's like… it came from me. Or through me."
Just then, Hira returned and handed Ren a bottle of water. He took it and gave her a small nod.
"Thanks."
She smiled softly. "Drink slowly."
He did.
Watson crossed his arms and looked around the spot again.
"Do you think it'll come back?"
"No," Yato said. "Not here. Not now. But it was not a normal creature. And it wasn't summoned by any spell I know."
He looked back at Ren.
"It reacted to you. That much is clear."
Ren lowered the bottle.
"Why me?"
Yato didn't answer right away.
Instead, he asked, "How long have you been seeing these dreams?"
Ren thought for a moment.
"About two weeks. But they've been getting clearer. Stronger. Last night… I saw chains. A boy trapped. Voices calling him a ruler."
Watson blinked.
"That's what you meant earlier. That's what you saw."
Ren nodded.
"And when I saw the creature today… it felt like part of that dream came alive."
Yato's eyes narrowed.
He looked serious now. More than before.
"You need to come with me. Just for a short time. We need to scan you. Talk more. These dreams may not be dreams at all."
Ren looked unsure, but he nodded.
Watson stepped forward.
"If he goes, I go too."
Yato glanced at him. Then at Ren. Then nodded.
"Fine. You're both coming. Your sister can return home. She's safe."
Yato, Ren, and Watson walked back toward the crowd.
The spot where the creature had vanished was still quiet, but more people had gathered now. Students were standing in small groups. Teachers were speaking to emergency workers. Some people were taking pictures, while others just stared at Ren as he passed.
Mira ran up to him as soon as she saw him.
"Brother!" she said, grabbing his arm. "Are you okay now? You didn't even answer me earlier."