The cabin's wooden walls creaked softly as the wind swept through the clearing. The air was crisp and dry, and for a rare moment, the forest around them felt calm.
Sakura sat near the doorway, legs folded neatly, watching Akira train with quiet amazement. The boy moved like a sharpened blade—each strike so fast her eyes could barely follow. His special eyes glimmered faintly, catching every detail, every change in the wind.
"He's incredible…" she murmured to herself.
Meanwhile, Xesre leaned against the cabin wall in the shadows, arms folded loosely. He didn't speak. He just observed—cold, analytical, detached. His sharp blue eyes followed every one of Akira's movements.
Reflex time around 0.00001 seconds.Physical conditioning—far above average for this world.He's… strong. But predictable.
There was no envy in his gaze, only quiet calculation.
Later that evening, the three of them gathered around a small campfire outside the cabin. The forest hummed softly, and sparks floated lazily into the night sky.
Akira had been the first to break the silence.
"You two aren't from around here."
Sakura shook her head. "We're travelers. Heading toward the central continent."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "That's a dangerous path. Why?"
"Because someone has to do it," Sakura replied, her voice calm but firm.
He snorted softly. "You sound like one of those saintess types."
Sakura didn't deny it.
Xesre, however, said nothing. He stared into the fire, his expression unreadable. The warm light reflected in his eyes, but it didn't reach them.
The conversation turned casual—mostly Akira and Sakura talking while Xesre stayed silent. But then, mid-sentence, Xesre froze.
His pupils contracted sharply. His breathing quickened.
No… Not now.
In that instant, a wave of traumatic memory crashed into his mind like a tidal surge. The smell of burning. The sensation of chains. Needles piercing his skin. The sound of the saint women's laughter.
His body trembled.His mind screamed.
And then—he snapped.
Xesre's hand shot out instinctively, tearing the air open with a surge of time magic.
"Chrono Reversal — 30 Seconds."
The world shattered like glass around them.The fire blurred. The trees folded inward. Sakura and Akira's voices became echoes.
For 30 seconds, time rewound. The stars in the sky swirled backward like a whirlpool.
When reality snapped back into place, they were all sitting exactly where they had been moments before.
But Xesre was on his knees, clutching his head, screaming.
Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "Xesre!"
Black tears streamed down his cheeks like ink, staining his skin. His hands clawed at the ground as if trying to dig himself out of reality itself.
Akira jumped to his feet, confused. "What the hell just happened?! One second we were talking and the next—!"
Sakura knelt beside Xesre, reaching out. "He used some kind of time magic… but why—"
Then she saw it. When he scratched his face, golden blood seeped from the wounds, glinting in the firelight. The sight made her chest tighten.
"Xesre… what did you do to yourself…?" she whispered.
He didn't answer. He couldn't. His mind was still trapped somewhere between centuries of pain and the present moment.
Akira stepped closer, his brows furrowed. His ego wanted to scoff, but something about the way the boy trembled made his stomach knot.
"Hey," he muttered awkwardly. "Get it together. You're freaking everyone out."
Sakura shot him a glare. "Shut up. Can't you see he's not okay?"
Akira looked away, frustrated. "I'm not good at this stuff, alright?"
He's more broken than I thought, Akira admitted silently.
Sakura focused her holy magic, placing her hand on Xesre's back.
"Holy Magic: Calm Light."
A soft, golden glow surrounded him. His breathing slowed slightly, though the black tears didn't stop.
Hours passed. Eventually, Xesre collapsed from exhaustion. They carried him inside the cabin and laid him on one of the wooden beds.
As Sakura tucked the blanket around him, Akira stood by the doorway, arms crossed.
"What's his deal?" he muttered.
Sakura's expression softened. "I don't think he even knows."
The two of them stood there for a long moment, the only sound the faint crackle of the dying fire. Neither of them noticed Xesre's sharp pupils slowly relaxing as he finally fell into a restless sleep.