The next morning, the academy was abuzz with speculation. Rumors had spread of strange phenomena overnight—faint tremors, shimmering lights, whispers in the corridors. Few could explain it, and fewer dared investigate. Izumi, however, already knew the truth: the boy he was, the shard he carried, and the memories of countless lives had begun to attract the attention of forces far beyond the mortal realm.
He walked with Jack and Aria through the morning mist in the academy gardens, the air crisp and tinged with magic. The shard pulsed faintly, sensing nearby mana currents that were irregular, almost foreign.
"Do you ever feel like… the world is just a chessboard?" Jack asked, eyes wide. "And we're all just pieces being moved around?"
Aria shook her head. "No, Jack. Not everyone. But Izumi… yes. He sees the board. And he's starting to see the players."
Izumi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains. Every thread of energy in the academy, every ripple of mana, every whisper of destiny—it all pointed toward the same conclusion. He was being tested.
> "The Ten Great Gods are aware. Their interest in you grows."
The shard pulsed violently in agreement. Memories surged: a throne of light, betrayal, battles with godlike beings, and the taste of countless failures. Each flash of memory was a warning, a lesson, a piece of the puzzle.
Izumi clenched his fists. "Then I will prepare. I will awaken fully, and I will not falter."
Suddenly, the ground trembled, faintly at first, then violently. Trees swayed, stones shifted, and the mana around the academy pulsed in chaotic waves. A rift in the air appeared—a fracture of reality, shimmering with colors no mortal eye had names for.
From the rift, a figure emerged, radiating an aura of impossible power. The shard within Izumi roared, recognizing a presence far older and more powerful than anything he had yet encountered.
> "This… is only the beginning," Izumi whispered, gold-flecked eyes blazing.
Aria stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Whatever happens next… we face it together."
Jack gulped. "Yeah… together. Let's just hope we survive long enough for dinner, okay?"
The figure descended, landing with a force that rippled through the courtyard. The ground beneath him cracked, energy flaring in violent arcs. He gazed at Izumi, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
> "Izumi… you have begun the path that will challenge gods."
Izumi straightened, the shard pulsing in his chest like a heartbeat of golden fire. "Then let them come. I will not falter."
Above, unseen, ancient eyes watched the boy who had survived lifetimes. The awakening had begun. The first threads of his destiny were unraveling.
And in the distance, the Ten Great Gods stirred.