At Home, the Night Before
Kaen returned late to the apartment he shared with his older sister, Sakina. The dwelling, clinging to a lateral platform of Kuzari, seemed fragile against the vertigo of the suspended city. From the window, the arches cut sharply into the dark sky, casting the city in a halo of flickering lights.
Sakina was seated on the floor, focused on a communication module she was repairing, her fingers deft over the circuits. She barely looked up.
"You're late," she said, her voice calm but sharp. "Almost got yourself cut by an unstable Senshi again?"
Kaen gave a small, wry smile. "Not this time. But tomorrow… I face the Sanuya trial."
Sakina froze. She fixed him with a gaze filled with worry she tried to contain.
"Want my advice?" she said softly. "You don't need to be ready. You just need to be true. Sanuya doesn't seek warriors. It seeks those who know why they fight."
Kaen furrowed his brow slightly. "And if I don't know yet?"
She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then you'll find out there. But never forget: the power you carry… it's not a curse. It's a memory. And it chose you for a reason."
She paused, her gaze serious. "One day, I'll tell you more. But not yet. First, return from this trial. You need to be strong… to bring your brother home."
Kaen blinked, surprised. "Brother…? You mean Denken? Where is he?"
Sakina turned away, pressing her lips together. "I wish I could tell you… but not tonight."
"You can't tell me now?" Kaen insisted.
She sighed. "That's your problem. You pretend to be patient… but inside, you burn with impatience in moments like these. I'll tell you. But not this time."
Kaen let out a faint, resigned smile. "As you wish."
The Departure
The next day, the group gathered before the resonance gateway in a sealed hall of the Senshi center. The circular arch pulsed with a bluish light, stabilized by crystalline modules fixed to the floor. The air vibrated with flows of Ni, as if every particle awaited the signal to release its energy.
The Commander observed them in silence, his dark eyes calm. Then his voice, firm yet measured, broke the quiet.
"Sanuya is a parallel world, woven in pure resonance. Once there, you will be alone. No ranks. No statuses. Only you… and what you truly are."
Floch cast a sidelong glance at Kaen. "We'll see if your improvisation holds up there."
Kaen offered a small smile. "And we'll see if your certainty does too."
Astou, her tone grave but assured, added: "We cross this threshold together… but each of us will face our own mirror."
Activation of the Gateway
A low rumble resounded as the portal opened. Flows of Ni aligned, vibrating like a cosmic string pulled to its limit. The ground shimmered with a translucent glow, and each step echoed like a heartbeat.
Akiriho shivered. "It's like walking inside a memory… but this memory isn't mine."
Ishikawa cast one last look at Kaen. "Whatever happens there… stay yourself. And I stay with you."
Kaen inhaled deeply, feeling the portal's frequency envelop him. The bluish light absorbed him, dissolving his body into purely spiritual vibrations. The contours of the tangible world disappeared.
Sanuya welcomed them in absolute silence. Here, there were no missions, no orders. Only truths awaited.
Kaen advanced, each step resonating in his mind. The world seemed to adapt to his presence; every whisper of wind and every shimmering light spoke to his Ni.
He instinctively knew that this threshold was not just a passage to another place. It was a mirror. And soon, he would discover his truth.
To be continued…