Everyone was panicking. Chaos wrapped around us like smoke—thick, choking, impossible to escape. No one knew what to do. Even Wisdom stood frozen, deep in thought, unable to find a path forward. We looked to her like always, but this time... there was only silence.
But not from Faith.
She stepped forward. Tall. Unshaken. Radiant.
Her voice cut through the noise. Calm but commanding.
"Guys," she said, "stop panicking. This isn't helping. We're running around like we've already lost. But we haven't lost anything—not yet. Believe in yourselves."
She walked into the center of our circle and turned slowly, meeting each of our eyes.
"Together, we are the Divine Heart of God. We're not just fragments—we're the very will of the heavens! What can one shard of the devil's heart do to us if we stand united? We're stronger together."
She took a breath, then shouted with fierce conviction:
"So believe!"
It struck me like lightning. Her words lit something inside me—something deep. The flame that had been burning in my chest suddenly surged, brighter and hotter than ever before. I felt it rising, wrapping around me, becoming something greater.
I wasn't just encouraged.
I was transformed.
I was unstoppable.
We were ready.
Ready to fight.
Ready to face whatever evil waited.
Ready to show the enemy what divine power looked like.
Everyone's eyes blazed with the same energy—everyone except Fearlessness, oddly enough. He stood still, brows furrowed, arms crossed. But I didn't think much of it. I was too charged, too ready. I took a step forward, ready to sprint into battle when—
I woke up.
"WAKE UP!" my mom shouted from the doorway. "You're going to be late for school! Come on, get up! I'll drive you!"
At first, the disappointment hit me like a punch. The world around me felt too quiet, too normal. But something strange happened.
That flame?
It didn't go out.
It still burned.
Most people would've rolled over, groaning, and dragged themselves out of bed. But not me. I got dressed with purpose. The fire still roared in my chest. It didn't matter if I was in a dream, a battle, or a boring school day. I had something inside me now. Something powerful.
Mom waited by the car. But I rushed past her, grinning.
"Sorry, Mom! I just want to run to school today, okay?"
She blinked after me, baffled. "What a weirdo…"
The day zoomed by. My heart raced through every class, every conversation, every moment. I couldn't sit still. After dinner, I went to bed early, eager to return to that place—to that fight. But sleep wouldn't come.
My body was too wired. My soul too alive.
So I ran.
Out the door, into the night. Streetlights flew by as I sprinted harder and faster than ever. One hour passed. Then two. Still, I couldn't rest.
When I returned, my parents were already asleep. They had been calling me for hours, apparently. The others... they were probably already in the dream. Already fighting.
I needed to get back.
There was only one option left.
I went to the kitchen. Grabbed a pan.
"Here goes nothing," I muttered.
CLANG.
Darkness. Silence. Then—
Power.
I opened my eyes, and I was back. The skies above raged with fire and light. The ground trembled beneath me. In the distance, I could feel it—a storm of energy, furious and dark. The demon.
I grinned.
I ran.
Every step was lighter. Stronger. Faster. My body felt limitless. I wasn't just running—I was flying over the ground. And as I ran, I came across broken seals, I released them quickly, one by one. I couldn't guide them to Heaven just yet. I had a mission. A war to join.
And then I saw them.
My team. My family. Fighting with everything they had. Blades clashed. Powers ignited. Cries of effort and pain echoed across the battlefield. They were giving it their all—but the enemy was strong.
I didn't hesitate.
I pulled out my short katana. Adjusted my grip. Focused.
Then I leapt—high into the air.
"WAAAAWH!" I roared.
A vortex of flame erupted around me—gold, red, white. Divine heat pulsed from my body. My eyes blazed like stars. I pushed harder. Faster. The air itself cracked as I dove toward the demon.
BOOOOM!
A massive shockwave burst through the battlefield. My blade clashed with the demon's weapon in an explosion of raw power. Smoke and flame consumed everything. Everyone stopped—eyes wide, jaws open.
As the dust cleared, I stood at the center. My body wrapped in holy fire. My katana still glowing. My breath calm. My smile wide.
I turned to them slowly, looking each of them in the eye.
"You guys weren't planning to start the party without me, huh?"
For a moment, no one said anything.
Then Fearlessness, still stunned, whispered,
"…You awakened your power."
I blinked. My smile faded slightly.
"Wait… what?"