The cave trembled violently, each quake rolling like the final breaths of a dying man. Dust rained from the ceiling, cracks spread like veins across the walls, and the air itself pulsed as though alive. Amid the chaos, Hakari lay sprawled on the stone floor, his body drenched in blood that refused to stop flowing. His chest barely rose, each breath sharp, ragged, a war between life and death. By the looks of him, he should already have been dead.
Around him, the corpses of monsters littered the ground. One lay close, its jaw torn apart. Beyond it—another, then four more, then dozens. The deeper his eyes strained into the darkness, the more he realized—there weren't dozens. There weren't hundreds. There were thousands. Their twisted remains stretched as far as the dim light allowed, a graveyard of beasts, all fallen by his hands.
Then it came.
A sound that cut through the silence.
A breath.
It echoed through the cave like the rattling gasp of a man at death's edge. But it wasn't a stranger's breath. It was his own. Hakari's chest heaved, lungs forcing air in and out as if waking from a nightmare. His breaths thundered, bouncing from wall to wall, filling the cavern with the rhythm of his struggle. Slowly, painfully, he opened his eyes.
His body refused him. His arms trembled but would not rise, his legs numb, stone-heavy. I can't even move… he thought. So this is it. My journey ends here. Yet despite the agony, despite the certainty of death, a faint smile curled on his lips. Tears welled in the corner of his eyes as he whispered, voice weak but honest—
"I saved someone important to me."
But another voice tore into the silence, sharp and cold.
"No. You haven't saved anyone… not until you save yourself."
Hakari's heart jolted. His eyes darted weakly across the cave, searching. Out of the lingering fog, a silhouette formed. Tall. Broad. Long hair flowing like a shadow in the mist. Hakari strained, blood burning in his veins, desperate to see who stood there.
"Who… who are you?" he rasped.
The figure stepped forward slightly, though never enough to reveal his face. His voice carried calmness, but beneath it was something else—something sorrowful, almost mournful.
"Your name. Say it."
"What?" Hakari blinked, confusion wrapping around his mind. "My… name? Why? Who are you?"
The figure's voice deepened, slow and deliberate.
"My name," he said, "you gave."
Hakari's thoughts scrambled. What is he talking about? My name… I gave? What does that mean?
"You're not making sense," Hakari said, voice cracking.
"Keep calm," the figure replied, still shrouded in fog. "I am not here to harm you. I was never meant to be seen. But perhaps… this is dynasty. Fate. Time itself."
The words cut deeper than any wound. Hakari's breath quickened. "You keep speaking in riddles—I don't understand!"
"You will," the voice softened, dropping to a whisper that echoed like a secret carved into the cave itself. "You will, Hakari. You will… Commander."
The fog swirled violently. And then—he was gone. The man faded as if he had never existed. Hakari's lips parted, a trembling "Wha…" spilling out before his strength broke. Darkness swallowed him whole, and he fell unconscious.
---
Meanwhile, far from Hakari's struggle, Yushi stood frozen. His eyes locked on Weller, his body rigid with disbelief. Words trembled from his lips, his voice uneven, fearful.
"Y-you… you're the Prince of Doer…"
Weller did not flinch. His gaze dropped to the ground, and when he finally spoke, his voice carried a weight so heavy it felt like stone sinking in water.
"Yes," he admitted, though there was no pride—only sorrow. "But I do not want to be a prince… not one born of disgrace." His voice cracked, raw with anguish. "While my mother suffered—while she endured the torment of being violated—the man responsible still breathes, free, unpunished. And I… I am left to wear the crown of shame he gave me."
His tone twisted, grief boiling into rage. His teeth ground together until his jaw ached. "While she suffers, he still lives! With no consequences!" The words roared in the night like fire catching dry wood.
But then, silence. Weller closed his eyes, forcing his fury down. When he spoke again, his voice steadied, colder, clearer.
"…But enough. Hakari and Kage are still out there. Whatever my revenge may be, it can wait. Our first duty is always to save those in need." His fists clenched. "But when the time comes—I will come for him."
---
Outside the cave.
Kage staggered alone through the desert, every grain of sand beneath his boots like fire. His body screamed with pain, yet he forced his legs forward. Step. Stumble. Fall. Again and again. Each time he hit the ground, it felt harder to rise. His lips cracked, his vision blurred, the merciless sun burning everything it touched.
Hakari was wrong… the thought stabbed at him with every failed step. I can't do anything. Not out here. Not without strength. Even if by some miracle I found help… what would it matter? The cave is gone. Lost. Maybe forever.
His hope bled away into the sand. His beliefs faltered. The desert's endless heat gnawed at his spirit, and doubt took root in his chest.
Perhaps… it would be easier to give up.
But then—something surfaced. A memory, faint, but bright enough to pierce the haze.
Faces. Three of them. A girl—Heena. Two others, their features blurred like unfinished paintings. He frowned, staggering, clutching at his skull as if it might split open.
"Wh… who are they?" he whispered to himself. "I know them… don't I?"
His throat burned. His vision played tricks. A shimmer appeared in the desert, a lake glistening like salvation. His cracked lips parted. "Water…" He fell to his knees, scooping sand into his hands, shoving it into his mouth. But the illusion dissolved—just grit, choking him, scraping his throat raw.
"No… no, no…" He collapsed backward, grabbing his head, trembling. His heart ached more than his body.
"Why?!" he screamed into the endless sky. "Why are they coming to me now? Who are they?!"
And then, tears. Hot, unstoppable, streaming down his cheeks. His chest convulsed with sobs as the truth clawed its way up from the depths of his memory.
His voice shook, but the words came, torn from his soul.
"I remember…" His eyes widened. "I remember! You—I remember you all…" His voice broke into a whisper. "Akami… and my brother… Hakari."
The desert wind howled, carrying his words into the void.