Life slowly returned to Kuroko. The sun rose, birds sang, and the village people began to smile and return to their daily work. The air was filled with hope, but beneath that quiet bustle the team's hearts were still heavy with the loss of Don and John.
In Morgan's house, Novan, Des, and Ban gathered around Mortis, who stood steady, his eyes fixed on each of them. Liberty was beside him, shifting between dog and girl forms, and the room's silence was dense.
Des, voice broken and charged with grief, began to speak about her friends: "Don… his heart was kinder than it seemed. He always knew when someone needed a word of encouragement and walked with us every step of the way… John… he always tried to find the good even in darkness… their loss… makes every day harder than the one before."
Novan, staring at the floor, said quietly: "Their laughter… the touch of their hands… everything reminded me why we fought… and why we must carry on."
Ban added, trying to hold himself together: "Even in absence, their presence remains with us… their strength will inspire every step we take."
Mortis, with a calm, confident voice, broke the silence in the room: "It's time you learned the truth about Korva… about powers that go beyond what you know. Here the system is different — it's not like the psychic strength you're used to."
Novan asked, curious: "What makes them different from any enemy we've faced?"
Mortis smiled coldly: "In Korva there are seven ranks of power: 7. Murth 6. Iris 5. Kozmar 4. Vitrax 3. Niorath 2. Velora
1. Orfis
I have personally only met Murth, Iris, and Velora. All those siblings share the same past… each is bound to the others in a strange way, and when one of them dies, the world turns upside down."
Novan whispered in astonishment: "If it's that grave… one wrong step could cause huge chaos."
Mortis added: "They had an eighth brother, Alverath, who was slain by the Drako faction. After his death they attacked Drako — they killed its leader — but they all returned with severe wounds. This power isn't merely numbers… it's brotherhood, history, and a shared will."
Des sighed and looked away from everyone: "Even through the pain of loss, we must understand… and learn. Don and John taught us so much… and we won't let who they were fade."
Ban added: "Understanding Korva's true power isn't about ranks… it's about the bonds between them. Every move you consider now, every preparation you make, will determine your fate against these ranks."
Novan, looking at Mortis with eyes full of awe and curiosity, said: "If the ranks are tied like that… then every future encounter means far more than we imagined."
Mortis concluded in a philosophical tone: "Remember… victory is not decided by battle alone. Understanding, patience, and knowledge can be weapons stronger than any physical or psychic power. The secrets you uncover will change everything."
The atmosphere grew tenser; everyone's hearts beat with a mix of awe and curiosity, aware that what awaited them was not just a fight but a string of revelations about Korva's true system of power and the seven ranks that shape fate.
After Mortis finished at Morgan's house, the scene shifted to Korva itself. There, in a square draped with black banners, the six remaining ranks gathered to mourn Murth. The place was heavy with sorrow and reverence, as if the whole region bowed to the soul of the departed.
Eyes were downcast. Yet amid that thick silence one person stood apart. Orfis — the first rank — stood firm, eyes shining with a chilling detachment, as if the funeral had left him unmoved.
Iris, tear tracks still visible on her face, tried to steady herself amid the grief. Suddenly Orfis cut the silence with a deep, sharp voice: "Iris… you're to blame. Murth died because you were weak. You failed your duty as his elder sister."
Iris slowly raised her head; her voice trembled but held a suppressed fury: "I was protecting him… I tried until the last moment… Murth chose his path. Don't pin everything on me!"
Orfis stepped forward, his tone like a slap across the face: "He chose? Or did you let him fall? Our father didn't raise us like that. He taught us the elder protects the younger at any cost. Do you think, if he learns what happened, he'll punish only you? No. He'll punish me too, because I left you to handle it."
The air in the square grew colder. The four remaining ranks exchanged silent looks, then began to depart one by one, as if they knew the exchange between Orfis and Iris would escalate into a larger conflict.
Iris clenched her fist; a tear slipped down her cheek, but her voice grew stronger: "Orfis… you speak of responsibility as if you're innocent. You weren't here when we needed you. You've always been at the summit, looking down at us… forgetting that each of us fought to keep ourselves and one another alive."
Orfis gave a sardonic smile that hid something deeper: "The summit? The summit is not a place to spectate. From the summit I see everything. But you haven't learned the lesson, Iris. Power isn't tears or regret. Power is preventing the fall before it happens, not crying after it."
Iris, low and laced with hatred: "Murth was my brother… I loved him… but I swear to you, Orfis, this will not go unanswered. I will avenge him… even if it costs me my life."
Orfis smiled enigmatically, then turned and left: "Your revenge won't bring Murth back… but it may lead you straight to your own end."
He walked away slowly and calmly, while Iris stood in the middle of the square, body trembling between anger and remorse.
The whole region felt like a cracked mirror; grief had become more than emotion — it had become the seed of a larger conflict inside Korva, a conflict that would determine the fate of the six ranks and whatever power remained among them.