They left Kaibetsu at dawn—Akuzai, his mother Miyako, father Kaien Arashi, and the three remaining blades: Aditya, Abhishek, and Anuj. For the first time in years, the group walked together, though grief still echoed behind each footstep.
Their destination: truth.
And maybe… a miracle.
Their path took them first through Renhira, a coastal village where time shimmered unnaturally. Fishermen spoke of dreams being eaten before dawn. Then to Utsuro Valley, where the air itself had grown thin, and even memory felt lighter. Finally, they crossed the frozen spires of Tenshikai, where ancient guardians whispered riddles into the wind.
Each place told fragments of a larger truth—rumors of a name that couldn't be recorded: Veyrix.
In a secluded chamber beneath Tenshikai, Akuzai knelt beside an old script etched in forgotten dialect. As he ran his fingers over the stone, Miyako placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You're not asking the right questions," she said gently.
Akuzai looked up. "Then help me. Because every step forward feels like I'm losing something."
Kaien approached slowly, arms folded. "You don't remember it, but you were born during a rift storm. Your fate was never tied to one timeline."
"What does that mean?" Aditya asked, frowning.
Miyako took a breath. "It means the laws of death and life… don't apply the same to your circle."
Akuzai stood, heart hammering. "Say it."
His father met his eyes. "Tanishk is alive."
The room fell silent.
"He died," Akuzai whispered. "I watched it. Rivan—"
"He died here," Kaien interrupted. "But his essence was pulled… diverted. Your friend isn't gone—he's been cast into another timeline. One that is now bleeding into this one."
Abhishek's voice dropped. "And Rivan?"
Miyako hesitated. "I don't know how… but he's on Earth. This Earth. He survived. Whether as a man or a ghost, we don't know."
Anuj stepped back, breath short. "That's why I couldn't summon Tanishk. He wasn't lost… he was elsewhere."
Akuzai clenched his fists. "Why didn't anyone tell me this before?"
"We weren't allowed to," Kaien said. "The Fifth Blade's fate was locked until the Bloom pulsed again."
Akuzai turned away, the weight of the revelation crashing down like thunder.
He remembered Tanishk's fire. His laughter. His loyalty.
Not gone.
Just waiting to be found.
Suddenly, a soft voice echoed in the back of his mind.
> "You weren't supposed to remember me, brother. But I always remembered you."
His knees nearly buckled.
Aditya grabbed his arm, steadying him. "So… what now?"
Akuzai breathed deep.
"We find him," he said. "Both of them. We break into that timeline if we have to. Veyrix can wait."
Because if Tanishk was alive…
Then so was hope.