Enchanted objects are more than mere tools or artifacts—they are the product of a delicate bond between the user and the item itself. To wield such an object is not simply to use it, but to forgo a pact, a contract, bound by spira. These items—whether swords, rings, or ancient relics—attune to their bearers and draw upon their spira to fuel their enchantments.
Unlike ordinary items, enchanted objects must be nurtured and maintained, feeding on the spira of their users, like a living thing. The more deeply attuned the object is to its wielder, the more potent its magical abilities become.
These objects are remarkably durable, designed to endure the harshest conditions, surviving both time and the trials of battle. Their resilience is matched only by their rarity. Some are painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans, their enchantments woven into the very fibers of the item, while others are found, seemingly by fate, in places forgotten by history. These relics often have unknown origins, their creators lost to the passage of time, and their true purposes remain shrouded in mystery.
The keep trembled beneath Kai's feet, its stone walls groaning as though protesting their impending collapse. Aiko's limp body in his arms only made each step heavier, her breath shallow against his chest. The upper halls were in disarray—rubble scattered in every direction, some areas still falling, others too large to pass without crawling or climbing. The air was thick with dust, choking him at every turn, but he couldn't afford to slow down.
Kai's boots slipped on a pile of loose rubble, sending shards of rock skittering. He barely regained his balance, muscles aching as he adjusted his hold on Aiko. The ceiling above threatened to cave in at any moment, cracks spreading like veins across the stone. He pushed forward, ducking under a beam that crashed to the floor just ahead of him.
The shrieks of the keep's destruction echoed in his ears—stone groaning and wood splintering apart.
He took a sharp left, working his way around collapsed hallways, following the path that led down toward the main hall, luckily most of the walls were still intact—albeit barely. He could hear the wind howling through the cracks above, a warning that time was running out.
He reached the lower floors, the roof still miraculously holding, though cracks spidered across the walls. Kai didn't stop, but allowed himself a brief moment to breathe—just enough to steady his heart.
The front entrance was just ahead, the doors barely visible through the thick haze of dust and debris that fell down from the upper halls. He couldn't stop—he needed to reach the courtyard before the keep completely gave way.
A deep groan echoed from above as a support beam cracked, splintering and falling toward him. Kai lunged to the side, just barely avoiding it as it slammed into the ground where he'd been standing a moment before.
He was almost there.
With one final effort, Kai reached the door, slamming his shoulder into it. The door buckled, falling forward off its hinges with a resounding crash. The walls of the keep giving way behind him with a groaning crack as Kai stumbled out into the open. A haze of dust billowed from the collapse behind him, swirling around Kai and momentarily obstructing his view. It slowly began to settle, and as it cleared, the courtyard stretched before him—wide, scattered with rubble—and at its center, chaos reigned.
A blur of motion—some kind of struggle just ahead. Dust kicked up by the conflict hung thick in the air, shrouding the figures within.
Kai crept along the courtyard wall, eyes fixed on the fight. He didn't know what was happening, only that he shouldn't draw attention to himself. He'd gone through the trouble of saving Aiko—he ought to get her somewhere safe. Hopefully she didn't wake up mid-escape and try to finish where they'd left off.
The figures came into view as he edged around them. One of them, a blond man wielding a longsword. But the other…
Its shape was wrong. Tall and muscular. Cloaked in shadow, yet each movement was disturbingly elegant—like a dancer caught within the throes of violence. What was it? Where had it come from?
Kai froze. The fight had shifted closer. He crouched low, watching warily as the creature unleashed a barrage of strikes—razor-quick punches, bone-breaking kicks, and the occasional lash of its tail that knocked the swordsman off balance.
Then something slammed into the monster from outside Kai's field of view. The opening let the swordsman and his allies close in, their momentum shifting. That was his chance.
Kai darted past the fray, slipping through a hole in the wall.
On the other side, he found the entrance to a large garden. The orange glow of flames still rose from below, heavy smoke crept up from the lower district. Could he even carry someone through that blaze?
He exhaled raggedly—fatigue dragging at his limbs.
"It seems she didn't listen to me," a voice said nearby.
Kai spun around.
Hawke. The other black mask.
"Not surprising," Hawke added with a sigh.
Kai tensed. "Why are the two of you here?"
"We were conducting research," Hawke said casually, stepping closer. "Employer's orders. Not that it matters now. Someone clearly had it out for this city."
Kai glared at him. "You're saying you're not involved?"
"If we are, no one told me," Hawke replied with a shrug. He gestured toward Aiko. "Not sure why you saved her, but you might want to hand her over. She'll be pissed when she wakes up."
Kai studied him, hesitating—then nodded and set Aiko down.
They stood in silence for a beat, something unspoken hanging between them.
With little effort, Hawke scooped her up. He gave him one last look, as though weighing whether to say more. Then he turned and disappeared into the smoke.
"I guess I should go the other way," Kai said to himself. He vaguely recalled the route he'd taken with Oro—he just needed to retrace his steps, find the train tunnel, and get out.
Turning toward the road, he caught sight of the battle in the corner of his eye, and he froze.
The swordsman from earlier stood there, blade raised in defense. A flash of motion as the creature from before surged forward. Kai's heart skipped a beat.
It was wielding Branlen's sword.
And it knew how to use it.
The clash shattered the swordsman's blade, sending a shower of metal shards through the air flashing in the light of the flames. The swordsman was hurled aside like a ragdoll, skidding across the stones.
With a slow, deliberate turn, the creature began stalking toward its fallen prey.
Kai stared, breath caught in his throat.
Horns—twisted and cruel—crowned its brow, one snapped halfway through. Its frame was inhuman, grotesquely elongated, yet something in its posture, in the way it moved... It wasn't just a monster.
It was a man. Or once had been.
And more than that—it was a miraii.
Not one Kai recognized, but the presence surrounding it was unmistakable. This was a spirit.
Kai stepped out into the open. Sensing him, the creature stopped. Its head lifted, turning toward him.
Rain started to pour down from the murky clouds above.
The miraii took a deliberate step forward, its eyes glowed with a feral, unnatural light.
"You." It's words, an unsettling blend of voices, like a dozen speaking at once—grating, eerie.
"Why are you attacking these people?" Kai asked, voice steady, though his chest felt tight. "It's not safe for you here. There's not enough mana. You'll die if you stay—"
The thing let out a shrill, barking laugh. "Mana? How quaint. The world teems with it—can't you feel it? No… if anyone should scurry back into their hole, it's you, fiend."
Fiend? What was it talking about?
"You're mistaken," Kai said, his tone sharpening. "There's no mana here. Not enough for a spirit like you to survive. You need to leave—before it's too late."
"You won't trick me," the creature hissed, taking another step. "I see what you are. Prepare yourself, fiend. I'll be sending you to meet Lazarus."
And then—it vanished.
No wind. No flash of light.
One moment, ten paces away. The next, right in front of him.
Kai barely saw it move. A whisper of pressure struck his chest—then pain, blinding and absolute, bloomed through his gut.
The blade cut through the raindrops and slammed into him like a battering ram. The impact reverberated through his ribs, down his spine, until the world spun sideways. Air fled his lungs. He hit the ground hard, tumbling across the stone courtyard and skidding into the road beyond.
He lay still.
His body refused to respond. Lungs screaming for air.
Fire raced through his torso. He coughed, and blood spattered against the ground. Every instinct screamed at him to stay down.
But he couldn't.
He clawed at the stone, dragged himself upright. Legs trembling. Ribs aflame. The world spun, but he blinked until it steadied. Hunched, gasping—but standing.
The miraii paused. Watching.
Then, a low, amused hum. "Still alive?" it said, voice layered with echoes. "Impressive."
It approached like a predator at the end of a hunt—slow and certain, savoring the kill.
Kai drew a ragged breath. His spira was low—dangerously low. He could feel the hollowness in his bones.
And yet—
He looked up, blood staining his teeth.
"I'm human," he said, voice hoarse. "Not… a fiend."
The miraii halted. Confusion crossed its grotesque features.
"Human?" it murmured, as if to itself. "No… that cannot be."
Kai's vision blurred, but he saw the hesitation. It was disoriented. Maybe he could reach it—buy himself time. Because if it attacked again, he was done.
"I'm human," Kai repeated, firmer now. "The man you struck down—he's human. This city, this nation—all of it is human."
The creature stared at him, confusion deepening. It looked around, as if truly seeing the carnage for the first time.
"What is this place?" it asked, voice quieter now. Focused.
"This is Brelith," Kai said, taking a cautious step forward, hands raised in peace. "The nation is called Bellacia."
"Brelith… Bellacia…" The miraii repeated the names slowly, tasting them. "I've never heard of such places…"
It fell silent, lifting an arm as if noticing it for the first time. Its expression shifted to something almost childlike—curiosity, awe.
"What am I?" it asked.
"You're a spirit," Kai said, stepping forward again—only to freeze when the black blade rose once more, pointed at him.
"That's right. I'm…" The miraii faltered. Its brow furrowed, confusion twisting into anguish. "I'm…"
It dropped the sword.
Clutched at its head.
A sudden howl tore from its throat, so loud and unnatural it made Kai wince.
While it writhed, Kai edged closer, heart pounding. Edyra had never said what happened to spirits cut off from mana. She had always said that they just 'went away', vanishing from this plane of existence. Was this what truly awaited them? Spirits like his family, his people?
He didn't want to believe it.
With a guttural cry, the miraii gripped its remaining horn—then ripped.
A sickening crack. A splash of steaming ichor.
Kai recoiled, bile rising. How could anyone do that to themselves?
The creature had torn the horn from its own skull. Flesh and bone like wet paper. Blood poured down its face in crimson tears.
"W-What are you doing?!" Kai stammered.
No answer.
It looked down at him, face calm, grotesquely serene, as it picked up the fallen sword. Then it said, "Kai."
Kai didn't back away, though every fiber in him screamed to run. How does it know his name?
"You look tired," the creature said. "We'll stop for today. Pick it up again tomorrow."
It paused, turning the sword in its hands. Then it offered the hilt to Kai.
"But first. Tell me—what do you call this?"
Kai hesitated, brow furrowed. Slowly, he took the weapon. It felt right in his hands.
"It's a tool," he said.
The creature grinned. A terrible, toothy thing.
"Smart lad," it said. "But remember—whatever you call it, the hands that wield it decide what it becomes."
The words hit Kai harder than the blade ever could. His legs wobbled. Tears welled.
"No," he whispered. "It can't be."
"What's wrong?" the creature asked, kneeling down, its voice still a cacophony of tones. "Was the training too intense today?"
Kai stared through teary eyes. "Chief B-Branlen?" he choked.
"Yes?"
Kai didn't know what to do. What could he do? The creature standing before him wasn't just some monster. It was Branlen. The man who had taught him to hold a sword. The man he respected the most. How? How could this have happened? Why here of all places?
Questions churned in his mind—too many.
For the briefest moment, he was reunited with someone he'd thought lost forever… and no words came. Nothing but stunned silence.
But the moment didn't last.
Branlen staggered backward, pain contorting his features again. He clutched at his sides and dropped to the ground, writhing, clawing at the stone in agony. Kai stepped forward to help, but the fiend lashed out blindly—its claws raking the air between them, driving him back.
"Let me help you!" Kai shouted.
The creature froze. The pain seemed to drain from it in an instant. It rose again—slowly, almost mechanically. When it looked back at him, the expression it wore was no longer kind and calm. New horns had sprouted—fresh and gleaming, curling from its skull like twisted branches.
"Help?" it laughed, voice low and cruel. "I am a fiend. Perfection made flesh. What use do I have for a mortal's help?"
Kai's grip tightened on the sword. He could feel the creature's malice bleeding into the air like smoke—thick, suffocating, real. A fight was inevitable. Words wouldn't reach it now.
The fiend lunged. Claws outstretched.
Kai dropped into a defensive stance, channeling the last dregs of his spira into the blade. He braced for impact, ready to fight back with every scrap of strength he had left.
And then—A warmth. Subtle, but unmistakable.
It radiated from the black sword. Not cold or cruel like the creature in front of him, but… familiar. Like the charm around his neck. Like home.
The blade responded to him, but it was more than that. It was as if it recognized him, as though it had been waiting.
The fiend surged forward, the weight of its rage pressing in like a storm on the horizon.
Kai could feel it—so overwhelming that it threatened to drown him. The sword hummed in his grip, drawing him into the rhythm of the fight. His body moved while his mind scrambled to catch up. He sidestepped the first slash, the fiend's claws raking the air where he had been, and in the same motion, countered. His blade cutting the air before it.
The fiend jerked back, a surprised hiss escaping it. Kai pursued, his mind clear and movements efficient. The blade led him, its weight and motion in perfect harmony with the ebb and flow of the fight.
The fiend unleashed a flurry of swipes, each one faster than the last. Kai met the onslaught head-on, his blade flashing as he deflected each blow—its power feeding into his counterattack. With a clean, decisive motion, Kai's strike sliced through the creature's flesh with surprising ease, despite the smooth surface of the blade.
The fiend roared, its half-severed arm hanging useless at its side, dark ichor splattering the stone beneath them. Steam hissed from every drop that struck the ground. It staggered, bleeding steadily from its mangled limb, a flicker of uncertainty in its stance.
Kai pressed forward, the space between thought and motion vanished. His hands knew what to do, the blade acting with a will that mirrored his own.
Its remaining hand rose in a defensively as it let out another roar—though now, there was a ragged edge to the sound. The fiend's head snapped to the side, eyes locking onto Kai's as a cruel, knowing smile spread across its face… in it's eyes lurked something older, darker.
"Foolish," it snarled.
With a twist of his hilt, Kai swung again, this time for the fiend's torso. The blade bit deep, tearing through the creature's skin. The fiend staggered back, clutching at its chest, but didn't fall. Instead, it laughed—a broken, maddening sound.
"Perfection," it hissed. "You don't know what you're facing."
Kai's heart hammered in his chest, but the sword in his hands anchored him, grounding him in the fight. Every strike drained him further. With no spira to draw on, the sword tapped into something else—his body feeling frailer with each passing moment.
"Then let's see how long perfection lasts," Kai gritted through clenched teeth. The world blurred at the edge of sight, but he remained focused on the fiend.
They stood there, locked in a tense silence, each waiting for the other to move. Kai's breath was ragged, his body trembling under the weight of exhaustion. The fiend's glowing eyes bore into him. They were each waiting for the other to break.
Then, with a sudden, horrendous tearing sound, the fiend's back convulsed. Kai's eyes widened as two enormous, feathered wings burst from its body with an explosive snap of joints and muscle. The air was thick with the sound of flesh tearing, black feathers exploding outward like ash swirling in a firestorm.
The fiend flapped its wings, a powerful gust forcing Kai to stagger back. The air grew heavy and violent as the creature rose higher, its laugh echoing deeply, filled with bitterness.
"The end is coming," it hissed. "Not much longer now. I'll destroy the last vestiges myself and bring the end of mana."
With that, the fiend shot into the sky, leaving a trail of black feathers fluttering in its wake. The gusts rattled the ruined buildings, pushing dust and debris into the air. Kai stood motionless, watching its ascent, into the clouds. All that remained were the distant sounds of the dying city and the steady, fall of rain.
Kai's sword hung limp in his hand. His body trembled with exhaustion. The fiend had spared him—not out of mercy, but because it could, its mocking laughter still echoing in his mind.
The city burned around him, and the fiend's cryptic words lingered in his mind.
Kai's chest tightened, the weight of the words pressing against his ribs, cold and unyielding. Was this what became of the miraii? Did they turn into these abominations—these 'fiends'?
The rain intensified, soaking him to the bone as he stood amid the still-burning city of Brelith, the flames defiant against the storm.
After all this time, he still felt no closer to the truth. He was meant to solve the mana crisis, to fix what was broken. But how? Where should he go? What was he supposed to do?
Tears blended with the rain, sliding down his cheeks. Kai's heart sank beneath the weight of it all. He was lost—and terribly alone.