The first rays of morning stretched across Hoshigawa, washing the valley in pale gold. Mist clung to the fields, curling around the huts, but Raizen barely noticed. His thoughts were elsewhere, tangled with sparks and shadows, with questions that had no answers.
He had learned one thing over the past nights: the strange power that had saved him—the surge in his chest, the clarity in his hands when danger pressed—was unlike lightning, yet somehow part of him. He did not understand it. He could not control it. And yet, it had awakened when he had needed it most.
'I need to know what it is,' he thought as he trudged toward the ridge behind the village as usual, where the forest deepened and the mist seemed to hum with quiet energy. There nobody would bother him.
Raizen stopped mid-step. Something felt different today. The usual rustle of leaves, the distant call of birds, even the soft whisper of the wind felt… sharper, deliberate. He raised his hands, sparks dancing unconsciously.
After that incident with the wolf he had learned to always pay attention to his surroundings. Moreover, he had taken this path so many times to notice even the smallest details.
"Who's there?!" he called loudly. His voice was steady, though his heartbeat thudded in his chest. He prayed it wasn't another wolf. If it was he wasn't certain that he could survive the encounter a second time.
Fortunately, his worst nightmare didn't come true.
A figure emerged from the mist in front of him, moving with grace and quiet certainty. A woman, cloaked in flowing dark robes, stepped into the clearing. Her hair was black as midnight, cascading down her shoulders, and her eyes… ruby red eyes that seemed to hold the weight of countless storms, fixed on him. She radiated calm, a presence so powerful that Raizen's sparks flared instinctively, responding to her Enerugī.
"Who… are you?" He asked, looking at the woman suspiciously. With a glance he could already tell that she was not a villager from the village. Considering that it was a very small village he would have at least cross path with her if she was. Hence, he stood his guard.
The woman's lips curved faintly. "I could ask the same of you, boy. But I already know." Her voice was soft, yet carried a depth that seemed to echo through the valley. "You are the storm-child, are you not?"
Raizen froze. The stories, the whispers, the fearful glances of the villagers—they all converged here, in this moment, in her gaze.
"I… I don't know what that means," he said, his voice uneven.
She tilted her head, studying him. "Perhaps you do, in your way. You survived last night because something within you chose to awaken. You felt it. Did you not?"
Raizen swallowed. She knows… she knows what happened. He took a step back in fear. Was she here for him? Is this what the old man was warning him about? He hasn't even left the village and trouble already came looking for him.
Her eyes softened when she saw his reaction, a faint glimmer of amusement touching their depths. "Its alright I won't hurt you."
Before Raizen could respond, the forest trembled. A thick branch, weakened by frost, creaked and cracked above him. Raizen's instincts screamed, but he was a step too late.
Just as the thick branch was about to hit him a faint ripple of energy swept through the air, subtle but undeniable. The branch stopped midair for a heartbeat, then fell harmlessly aside.
Raizen froze, staring at his hands. The sparks had danced, yes, but something else had intervened. The air had shifted, responding to him in a way he could not explain.
She stepped closer, her presence serene but commanding. She extended a hand—not toward him, but toward the branch. A soft pulse of light shimmered from her fingers, guiding the fallen wood aside.
Raizen marvelled at her ability. He had never seen anything like that before. It was then that it hit him. The reason that the branch ha missed him at the last second was because of her.
'She's just like me!'
Excitement welled up inside of him. He wasn't alone anymore.
"Your instincts," she suddenly said, "are sharp, but uncontrolled. You react, and the world responds in kind. That is a beginning. But it is only a beginning."
Raizen's mouth went dry. "You… can you teach me how you did that?"
The thing he wanted most right now was someone who could teach him how to use his power. Maybe then the villagers would no longer be afraid of him and treat him better.
The last blinked then her lips curved slightly in amusement. "I mean to guide you. Every morning, at this same place, I will be here. you can come if you like. You will learn to listen… to feel. The rest will follow in time."
Raizen nodded, there was no way he was going to miss the opportunity. Any suspicion he had about the lady was thrown out the window , the only thing that matter was learning to control his power.
"Oh right, what do I call you?"
"Hmm" The mysterious lady adopted a thinking pose, falling silent for a few seconds before replying. "You can refer to me as lady ardyn"
"Lady ardyn?" Raizen repeated the name. That was a strange name. Another indicator that she was not from around here.
Lady ardyn nodded finding his reaction to her name somewhat amusing.
"Then I will see you tomorrow, lady ardyn" Raizen nodded before returning back to the village.
Lady ardyn watched him leave with a strange look on her face. How would he have reacted if he knew that she was the one who caused the branch to fall on him.
"What a strange kid"
She had prepared a lot of ways to convince him but to her surprise he didn't even question as soon as she accepted to teach him.
However, she underestimated just how lonely he felt after being isolated almost all his life for being different. Her sudden appearance was a blessing in disguise.
After spending a few more seconds looking in the direction he left she turned around and walked into the fog vanishing into it.
Raizen however returned to the village with a wide grin on his face.
Tomorrow was going to be a great day. He couldn't wait. That night he had a lot of trouble sleeping