Finally, Nina spoke, her voice gentle but firm. "Visions show possibilities, not certainties. You know this, Shion. The future isn't written until we make our choices."
"I know." Shion's voice was barely above a whisper. "But some possibilities feel more real than others. And this one..." He shook his head. "Never mind. It's probably nothing."
"It's not nothing if it's bothering you," Itsuki said. He stood up and walked over to his friend. "But we can't let fear of what might happen stop us from trying. Right?"
Shion managed a weak smile. "When did you become the wise one?"
"About three seconds ago. Don't get used to it."
That earned a small laugh from the group, and some of the tension broke.
Kaito rose from his seat, his presence commanding attention without him having to raise his voice. "Listen. All of you. Today you'll face the first real test of your abilities. Not just whether you're strong enough to pass some trials, but whether you understand what strength actually means."
He looked at each of them in turn...Takumi with his barely controlled excitement, Kairo with his calculating calm, Shion with his troubled visions, and finally Itsuki with his hidden doubts.
"The Beyond Order doesn't just recruit powerful warriors," Kaito continued. "They recruit people who understand that power without purpose is just destruction. They want explorers who will venture into the unknown not to conquer it, but to understand it. To protect what needs protecting and learn what needs learning."
"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Kairo observed.
A shadow passed over Kaito's face...something old and painful that he quickly pushed away. "I was tested once, for the Beyond Order. Years ago, before Itsuki was born."
"You were?" Itsuki stared at his father. "You never told me that."
"Because I failed." Kaito's voice was matter-of-fact. "Not the trials themselves...I passed those. But the final evaluation, where they measure not just your ability but your character. They found me lacking. Too focused on proving myself, not focused enough on the mission."
"What happened after?" Takumi asked.
"I grew up." Kaito allowed himself a slight smile. "Met your mother, started a family, learned that there are many ways to be strong. Many ways to protect what matters. The Beyond Order is one path, but it's not the only path."
Nina moved to stand beside her husband, slipping her hand into his. "What your father is trying to say, in his roundabout way, is that today isn't about passing or failing. It's about discovering who you are and who you want to become."
Itsuki felt something settle in his chest...not quite confidence, but something close to it. Purpose, maybe. Or just the realization that whatever happened today, he wouldn't be facing it alone.
"We should go," he said. "The trials start in two hours, and I want to see the other candidates before things begin."
"Now you're talking!" Takumi's enthusiasm came roaring back. Flames danced around his hands as he headed for the door. "Time to show Zenkai what we're made of!"
As they prepared to leave, Nina pressed something into Itsuki's hand. A small crystal pendant that pulsed with gentle warmth.
"For clarity," she said softly. "When doubt clouds your mind, remember that you were meant for this path. Trust yourself."
"Thank you." Itsuki slipped the pendant around his neck, feeling its warmth against his chest.
The four friends stepped out into the morning air of Mistfall. The town was fully awake now, with merchants setting up their stalls and children running through the streets on their way to morning lessons. Essence-powered wind chimes created gentle melodies from the eaves of houses, and somewhere in the distance, a forge hammer rang out in steady rhythm.
Other young Virelians moved through the streets, some heading in the same direction...toward the dojo district where the trials would be held.
"Look at them all," Shion murmured, his notebook already open as he sketched the scene. "So many candidates. So many different abilities."
"More competition," Kairo said, but he didn't sound worried. If anything, he seemed energized by the challenge.
"Competition is good," Takumi declared. "Makes us push harder. Besides, if we can't handle a few trials, what makes us think we could handle exploring the Beyond?"
"The Beyond," Itsuki repeated softly, looking toward the horizon where the town ended and the wild lands began. Somewhere past Silverstone's borders, past the mapped territories of Astralyn, lay the endless expanse that even the Trueborns had not fully explored.
That was where he wanted to go. Into the unknown, to discover what lay beyond the edges of their maps. To become strong enough that the darkness in his dreams couldn't touch him.
"Earth to Itsuki," Takumi waved a hand in front of his face. "You're doing that thing again where you get this intense look and stare into the distance like you can see the future."
"That's my thing," Shion protested mildly.
"Sorry." Itsuki shook himself back to the present. "Just thinking about what comes after today."
"First survive today," Kairo advised. "Then worry about tomorrow."
They walked through the familiar streets, passing places that held years of memories. The fountain where they used to train in the summers. The bakery where Miss Etta would sneak them sweet rolls when their training sessions ran late. The practice yard behind Sensei Laen's dojo where they had spent countless hours learning the basics of combat and Essence control.
All of it leading to this moment.
As they neared the dojo district, the crowds grew thicker. More candidates, more families seeing their children off, more nervous energy crackling in the air like static before a storm.
"There," Kairo pointed to a massive structure looming ahead...the coliseum where the trials would take place.
It was built from pale stone that seemed to glow in the morning light, its walls covered in intricate carvings that depicted legendary battles and famous warriors from Astralyn's history. Guards stood at the entrances, checking credentials and directing candidates to their designated areas.
"Suddenly feeling very small," Takumi muttered, his earlier confidence wavering.
"You are small," Kairo said. "We all are. That's the point."
"Thanks. Very helpful."
Itsuki studied the other candidates gathering near the entrance. He recognized some faces from other training dojos in Silverstone...Inara with her connection to plant life, Drayce with his devastating kinetic strikes, Sayaka whose reputation for tactical brilliance had reached even their small dojo.
All of them looked confident. Prepared. Like they belonged here.
And here he was, still not entirely sure what his ability even did.
"Hey." Shion appeared at his elbow, his voice low enough that only Itsuki could hear. "In most of the visions where we succeed, you're the one who leads us through. Just thought you should know."
"Me? Why me?"
"I don't know." Shion closed his notebook. "But in the clearest visions...the ones that feel most real...you're always the one who makes the difference. So whatever doubts you're carrying, maybe put them aside for today."
Before Itsuki could respond, a loud voice echoed across the courtyard.
"All candidates for the Zenkai Dojo trials, please proceed to the main entrance for registration!"
This was it. The moment everything changed.
Itsuki looked at his three friends...Takumi trying to hide his nerves behind false bravado, Kairo assessing every angle with tactical precision, Shion clutching his notebook like a lifeline.
"Ready?" he asked them.
"No," Takumi admitted. "But we're doing this anyway."
"That's the spirit," Kairo said dryly.
Shion nodded.
Together, they walked toward the coliseum entrance. Toward their futures, whatever those might be. Toward the first step on a path that would lead them beyond everything they knew.