After that incident, Sasaki became increasingly wary of his Essence.
Eventually, his parents made the decision to seal it away until he learned how to properly control it.
For a while, everything was peaceful.
Until one day...
Something spoke to him.
Sasaki walked along the path toward his cabin.
The sun was beginning to set as he made his way home.
He was stopped by a shopkeeper standing beside a small cart filled with trinkets.
"Hello there, Young Master! Care for some trinkets?"
Sasaki looked over the items.
"Sure. How much for two?"
"Usually, they're twenty bronze coins each."
The Toy Man smiled.
"But I'll make you a deal. Two for thirty. How about it?"
Sasaki nodded.
"Yeah. Thanks."
He handed over the coins and took the two trinkets.
As Sasaki continued walking home, something suddenly felt wrong.
A strange sensation stirred inside him.
It was familiar.
The same feeling he had experienced when he was blasted away from the cabin.
Sasaki stopped.
"...Not again."
He quickly placed a seal over his Essence.
Then he continued walking.
For a few moments, nothing happened.
Then—
Thump.
Sasaki froze.
Another surge of power began building inside him.
His breathing became strained.
Thump.
A sharp gasp escaped his lips.
"...?"
Sasaki suddenly coughed.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
He staggered forward before slowly crouching to the ground.
"This..."
He coughed again, blood staining his hand.
"...hurts a lot."
His vision began to fracture.
Flashes appeared before his eyes.
Fire.
A lone figure.
Countless corpses.
A blood-red sky.
Then...
Nothing.
A massive burst of wind erupted from Sasaki's body.
The entire forest shook.
Trees bent beneath the force.
Sasaki's eyes widened.
Then everything went silent.
He opened his eyes.
But he was no longer in the forest.
He stood within his subconscious.
Darkness surrounded him.
A voice echoed through the emptiness.
"I am the Coalescent."
Sasaki froze.
"You are my successor."
"...What?"
"The Calamity..."
The voice grew heavier.
"You must stop its incarnation before it is too late."
Sasaki looked around, desperately searching for the source of the voice.
"How do I do that?"
Silence.
"..."
Sasaki waited.
Nothing.
"Hello?"
Still nothing.
Suddenly—
The darkness swallowed him.
Sasaki's eyes snapped open.
He was back in the forest.
"Ugh..."
He struggled to breathe.
"Sasaki!"
A familiar voice called out.
Shigura rushed toward him.
"You good, bro?"
Sasaki looked up at him.
"Yeah..."
His voice was weak.
"I'm fine."
Shigura crouched beside him.
"No, you're not."
He turned around and crouched down.
"Come on. Let's get you to the infirmary."
Shigura lifted Sasaki onto his shoulders.
Sasaki didn't resist.
"Okay..."
As they began walking toward the capital, Sasaki's eyes slowly closed.
The world around him began to fade.
And before they could reach the gates—
Everything disappeared into darkness.