The room was dark, lit only by a faint, golden glow coming from the man standing in the middle. His blond hair shined like sunlight, perfectly brushed, not a strand out of place. His eyes glowed bright gold, and if you looked close enough, you could see tiny stars swirling inside them.
He smiled a cold, proud smile. "So, you want to know who I am?" His voice was calm but sharp, like a blade cutting through silence. "I'm Maestro Prenz. The best there is. The strongest. The one everyone will fear soon enough."
He took a slow step forward, hands behind his back. "I don't waste time with small talk. I'm the one who controls what's happening with the knights. You see those corrupted knights? They're my puppets. Every move they make, every sword they swing, it's because of me."
Maestro's eyes burned brighter. "I don't fight like others. I don't need to get close and dirty. I'm a long-range power. Light beams, precise and deadly. I don't just hit I destroy. You try to get near me, and you'll see what panic looks like. I don't do well in close fights. It's my one weakness, but it doesn't matter. No one's fast enough to get that close."
He laughed, low and harsh. "I've watched plenty try, fail, and die. They all think they're tough. They all think they can beat me. But I'm always one step ahead. Always."
His hands moved, brushing through his golden hair again, making it shine even more. "Perfection is what I live for. Everything has to be just right. That's why I never lose. That's why no one can touch me. I have my ways. My little tricks. You might call it OCD, but I call it focus. I'm not just strong—I'm smart."
Maestro paced slowly, voice dropping to a quiet but sharp tone. "This world thinks it knows power. It thinks it knows what it means to be strong. But I'll show them. I'll show everyone. I'll break their spirits, tear apart their hopes. And in the end, I'll be the one standing on top."
He stopped and looked straight at the darkness, as if staring into the eyes of his unseen enemies. "I don't care about being liked. I don't care about being a hero. I don't care about anyone except myself and my goals. If you stand in my way, I will destroy you."
The glow from his eyes pulsed, a warning. "Remember this name: Maestro Prenz. You might not understand me now, but soon... soon you will know fear."
The moment Maestro Prenz raised his golden hand, the air lit up with deadly beams of light.
"Let's see how perfect you all really are," he said, golden hair shining like fire under the burning sky. His eyes those glowing star-like eyes glared at each of them, full of mockery and pride.
Kajala charged first, whip in hand, using his speed and agility to dart around the battlefield. "You're not the only one who can dance!" he shouted, swinging his whip around.
Maestro didn't even blink. A light beam zipped through the air and hit Kajala straight in the shoulder, spinning him midair. He crashed down hard, rolling across the ground with a scream. He tried to get up but Maestro appeared in front of him instantly, boot slamming down hard on Kajala's tail.
CRUNCH.
Kajala let out a horrible scream, his voice breaking as he clutched his tail. Maestro then stepped down even harder, not even looking at him. "That scream wasn't perfect," he muttered. "Try again."
Then came the second beam directly into Kajala's arm. A sharp snap echoed through the air. Kajala stopped moving, his arm twisted wrong, face pale.
"Kajala!" Rika shouted, racing toward him with her twin daggers.
Maestro spun, forming a dozen small beams around him in the shape of a crown. "No interruptions," he said. They fired all at once Rika dodged most, but one clipped her leg, another hit her shoulder, and a third slammed into her head.
She dropped like a stone. No scream. Just a dull thud as her head hit the ground, her eyes fluttering, breath shallow. Elyra tried to rush to her side, casting a healing spell, but the magic fizzled. Her hands shook.
"Don't worry," Maestro said smoothly. "I didn't kill her. Yet. Maybe that brain of hers will wake up… in a week."
Regulus charged in, gripping his axe, fury burning in his eyes. "You bastard!!"
"Oh, now this one looks like fun," Maestro laughed. "Big and slow."
Regulus leapt swinging with all his strength but Maestro bent backward slightly, and the axe whooshed past his face. With one hand glowing, he jabbed Regulus in the stomach with a burst of light, then again, and again.
CRACK.
Regulus flew back, ribs shattered. He couldn't scream he just wheezed, body curling in on itself as he collapsed. He didn't get up.
Rei's mind raced. His whole team was broken every one of them down in seconds. Blood soaked Kajala's clothes, Rika's head bled, and Regulus couldn't even breathe. Elyra was trying to keep them alive but couldn't get close.
Maestro turned his eyes toward Rei.
"You're still standing. Barely," he said, smirking. "What's your name again?"
Rei gritted his teeth. His body was tense, already sore from earlier missions, but he couldn't back down. "I don't care what your name is. You hurt my team."
"You'll remember it soon enough."
Rei dashed forward with a shout, sword in hand, swinging low and fast.
Maestro raised a hand and the next moment, Rei was flying.
The beam had hit him straight in the chest, blasting him into a building nearby. He smashed through two wooden walls, then a thin concrete one. His back hit the last one hard, and he dropped to the ground in a pile of broken bricks and dust.
He couldn't move.
Blood dripped from his mouth. His hands shook. His sword was broken. His vision was blurry. His body was a wreck.
Maestro walked toward him slowly. Not rushing. Not worried. Just… enjoying it.
"This is the best part," he said, brushing his golden hair back as he stepped through the hole in the wall Rei had made with his crash. "The moment when hope fades. When the hero realizes he's not enough."
Rei tried to sit up but couldn't. His ribs burned. His legs wouldn't move. His entire world was spinning.
"You're not dead yet," Maestro added. "That's good. I want you to live long enough to see everything fall apart."
And then he was gone. In a blink, a flash of light and silence.
The night air returned. The wind blew gently through the broken street. Elyra crawled toward Rika, her hands shaking as she tried again to heal her. Kajala was breathing, barely, teeth clenched in pain. Regulus hadn't moved, but he was alive.
Rei stared up at the stars, blood in his mouth, chest on fire, and only one thing in his head.
They needed to get stronger.
This wasn't a fight they could win. Not yet.
Rei lay on the cold ground, staring up at the stars through the shattered roof above him. His body was numb, shaking, blood pooling around him. He didn't know how long he'd been there—minutes, hours, it didn't matter.
Kajala's scream. Rika's fall. Regulus' broken body. All of it played again and again in his head like a cursed memory.
And he couldn't stop it.
Maestro was too strong. Too fast. Too perfect. One man had torn down everything they had worked for, and Rei… Rei was the only one still breathing.
Barely.
His fingers twitched and touched something—his broken sword, cracked in half, its edge jagged like glass. He looked at it for a long time. Blood stained the metal. His blood. His friends' blood. It was all over him.
"I could just… go back," he whispered.
He'd done it before. Died, and the world rewound. Time bent for him. It always did.
Rei slowly dragged himself to his knees, ribs groaning in pain. His vision doubled, and his breath came in broken gasps. His body didn't want to move—but his mind wouldn't stop.
If he went back, he could change things.
Maybe warn everyone sooner. Maybe avoid the fight. Maybe train harder. There were a lot of "maybes," but there was also the truth—
They didn't stand a chance.
"I'm useless," he muttered. "Even with all my years… I still couldn't stop him."
His hands shook as he picked up the broken blade and turned it toward himself. The jagged edge touched his throat. Cold. Sharp.
His heart pounded. This wasn't like being killed in a fight. This was… a choice.
To die on purpose.
To force time to turn back.
He hesitated.
"I'm just running away," he said, voice hoarse. "A coward."
But the image of Kajala's crushed tail and broken arm… Rika lying unconscious… Regulus not breathing… It tore at him like knives.
He gritted his teeth.
"I have to go back. Even if it hurts."
His hand trembled as he pressed the blade against his neck, blood already beginning to trickle.
He paused again.
What if it doesn't work this time?
What if I just die?
He shook his head. "I have to try. I won't let them suffer again. I won't let him win."
With one last breath—he pulled the blade across his throat.
A burst of pain.
And then—darkness.
---
There was no sound. No feeling.
Just… nothing.
Then slowly—light.
A flicker.
Then warmth.
Then—air.
Rei gasped and sat up with a choking breath, hand flying to his neck. It was fine. No blood. No wound. Just sweat and shaking.
He looked around.
He was back.
The hut. The bed. Morning light coming in through the windows.
It worked.
His chest was heaving, breath uneven. He touched the floor with both hands, trying to steady himself. His body felt fresh—unbroken—but his mind was still reeling.
He looked to the side. Kajala was stretching near the door. Regulus was snoring, still half-asleep. Rika was brushing her hair, annoyed as usual. Elyra was meditating by the window.
Alive.
All of them.
Rei didn't speak. He just stared.
A moment later, Kajala noticed. "Hey," he said, blinking. "You okay? You look pale."
Rei opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first. He swallowed hard. "Y-Yeah. Just… bad dreams."
Kajala tilted his head. "You sure?"
Rei forced a nod. "Yeah."
But inside—he was screaming.
He had to do everything again. The travel. The mission. The fight. But this time… he wouldn't lose.
He couldn't.
He clenched his fists and looked at the others again.
This time, he'd keep them safe.
Even if it meant dying a thousand more times.