For a moment, everything inside Zeo stilled.
His breath grew heavier, uneven, as if something invisible had wrapped around his chest. He already understood—whatever he was about to hear… it would bind him. Not by force, but by expectation. By meaning. And that was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.
Chains didn't always need to be visible.
Shin walked ahead of him slowly, his steps calm, measured, not once looking back. As if he already knew Zeo would follow. As if there was no other path left for him.
Zeo clenched his fists.
There was no escape from this now.
"W… who was it?" he asked, his voice carrying a faint tension he couldn't fully hide.
Shin stopped.
Then turned.
His gaze sharpened slightly—not threatening, but heavy with something deeper.
"The one who held that power before you…" he said slowly, "was the First Creator."
The words landed.
But not the meaning.
Confusion surfaced immediately on Zeo's face. "You mean you?" he asked without hesitation. "Razya said you're the first creator."
A faint smile touched Shin's lips.
"No. Don't let the numbers confuse you. Those are only labels—used to count the creators of the current era."
He paused briefly.
"I'm speaking about the first being… who ever entered this dimension."
Zeo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The first… to enter this dimension?"
Shin inhaled quietly, steadying his voice—not out of uncertainty, but because the story he was about to tell carried weight far beyond simple explanation.
"Long ago," he began, "before this world took its current form… there was a war in the Fairy World."
His voice was calm, but the air itself seemed to listen.
"At that time, this dimension did not exist as it does now. the fairies were in war and they were losing that war."
Zeo listened in silence.
"Desperate," Shin continued, "a group of them attempted something forbidden. A summoning ritual—to call for help from beyond their realm."
His gaze lowered slightly, as if remembering something distant.
"But the ritual failed."
A pause.
"Or rather… it was interrupted."
The space around them seemed quieter now.
"And because of that failure… this dimension was born between two realms. A bridge. What we now call the Imagery World."
Zeo's breath slowed, his focus sharpening.
"They believed they had lost everything," Shin said. "Until… hope appeared."
He looked at Zeo.
"A human."
"One who possessed all elements."
"The First Creator."
The words carried a quiet finality.
"He chose to fight alongside the fairies," Shin continued, "and in him, they saw salvation. Through this world, others were brought in as well… but none like him. Not a single one could wield all elements."
The wind shifted faintly.
"They won the war. Peace returned—to both the Fairy World and this one."
Zeo didn't speak.
He couldn't.
"Time passed," Shin said. "Then came the Second Era… the one I belong to. Lusy. Ben… and others."
A brief pause.
Then his voice lowered slightly.
"And now… we stand in the Third."
His gaze met Zeo's again.
"And I intend for you… to guide the Fourth."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Zeo's mind struggled to keep up, thoughts colliding faster than he could process them. The scale of what he had just heard… was far beyond him.
Still—
He tried.
"So… we help the Fairy World," he said slowly. "That's why this dimension still exists… and why there's a connection between us."
A small breath.
"A contract."
Shin watched him for a moment.
Then gave a slight nod.
"That's enough for now," he said quietly. "Understanding will come with time."
He turned again.
"For now… your training begins."
Zeo didn't argue.
He followed.
As they moved across the open grounds, Zeo's thoughts remained distant—until movement ahead pulled him back.
Three figures approached.
The first to notice was Hussen, who immediately straightened, offering respect to Shin. Beside him, Nihara followed with the same composed acknowledgment.
Clay—
Didn't.
Instead, he waved energetically, practically bouncing forward.
"Oh! Hello, Captain Shin!"
Shin didn't react negatively. In fact, a faint smile appeared.
"I see you've finished your training," he said.
"Yes!" Clay replied instantly. "And I won the running challenge!"
Hussen gave him a side glance.
"Only in running," Nihara added calmly. "In everything else, Hussen ranked first."
Clay's expression cracked. "W-What?! That doesn't count! I'll win next time!"
Shin reached out and lightly patted Clay's head.
"Go and rest," he said. "I have something to attend to."
Their attention briefly shifted to Zeo, who stood behind Shin.
Curious.
But they didn't ask.
Only Clay lingered for a moment longer, eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to understand something about him—but before he could speak, Hussen and Nihara pulled him away.
Zeo watched them leave.
"…Who are they?" he asked.
Shin glanced in their direction, his expression unreadable.
"Try to guess."
Zeo frowned slightly, thinking.
"They're not like you," he said slowly. "Not creators."
A pause.
"But they're not just characters either."
His gaze sharpened.
"They feel… like something in between."
He looked at Shin again.
"I might be wrong."
But Shin didn't tell him .
Instead—
A hint of intrigue passed through his eyes.
"When the time comes, you'll understand," he said. "For now… focus."
Zeo didn't push further.
Soon, they arrived at their destination.
Shin stopped.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Zeo looked at him, but instead of answering, something else surfaced.
"Did you choose me because I'm different…" he said quietly, "…or because I have potential?"
It wasn't just curiosity.
It was doubt.
Shin's gaze sharpened.
"I didn't choose you because you can use all elements," he replied.
A step closer.
"I chose you because you are the only one who can use my element."
A pause.
"The strongest one."
"The most difficult to master."
Zeo's breath caught slightly.
"That is why I chose you," Shin continued. "So I can pass on my techniques… and make you the symbol of a new hope."
The words were meant to inspire.
But to Zeo—
They felt heavy.
Too heavy.
Because the thing he had been trying to escape…
He now stood at the center of it.
And there was no turning back.
A strange weight settled in his chest.
Not fear.
Not yet.
Something else.
Something wrong.
Far away.
In a place untouched by light—
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
His presence was quiet… but suffocating.
Red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, like embers waiting to burn.
He looked up.
Smiling.
"So… it has finally appeared."
His voice was low, almost amused.
"Someone with the potential to become the strongest."
A pause.
"…What was the name again?"
His smile widened.
"Zeo."
The air grew colder.
"Yes… I need him."
His gaze sharpened.
"To destroy the symbol of the Creators…"
"…Shin."
A silence followed.
Heavy.
Final.
Because this—
Was the one who stood behind every unseen tragedy within the Imagery World.
And he had already begun to move.
"Call me…"
His voice faded into the dark.
"Death."