Scene shifts — It was night. A soft, cool breeze flowed through the open windows of the royal mansion as Kazuki returned from the Royal Academy. The corridors were silent, the flickering glow of lanterns casting long shadows against the stone walls.
Kazuki stepped into his room, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. The moon hung high in the sky, bathing his room in a pale silver light. He leaned against the window frame, looking up at the heavens as countless thoughts swirled in his mind.
"By now… I've seen many possibilities," he thought, his gaze unwavering. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips — another quiet foreshadowing to the future he alone was beginning to glimpse.
Scene shifts again.
Later that night, as the mansion lay still in slumber, Kazuki fell asleep. But peace was never something meant for him.
In his dream, the sky above him was a swirling ocean of darkness, deep and endless. And from within it, those same piercing blue eyes appeared — the ones belonging to the Chaos Spirit. Their glow cut through the void like twin stars, watching him with unreadable amusement.
A chill ran down Kazuki's spine.
"What now?" Kazuki asked aloud, his voice steady despite the oppressive atmosphere. "At this point… what do you even want from me?"
A deep, sinister laugh echoed through the endless sky, shaking the dream-world itself. The Chaos Spirit's voice boomed, yet it was smooth, as though mocking him.
"Well, by seeing your progress, I can say… you're adapting well to this life. Indeed — very well."
Kazuki's expression hardened, his jaw tightening. "Is that all you want to say?"
The Chaos Spirit's laughter rose again. "No, no… I wouldn't want you getting too comfortable now. So tonight… I'll show you your past memories. Just to weaken you a little — because honestly, you're far too steady for my liking."
Suddenly, dozens of massive, dark hands materialized from the invisible ground beneath him. Inky and twisted, they reached out like serpents, grabbing hold of Kazuki's throat in a crushing grip. He struggled, gasping, the dream sky spinning above him.
"Wha… what do… you want!" Kazuki choked out.
The hands tightened, then with a sudden violent motion, hurled him into the void — a vast, infinite nothingness. He tumbled endlessly through the darkness, weightless and alone.
But even as he fell, his voice echoed defiantly through the void.
"Do you think your little tricks will make me falter? I'm not a kid anymore."
The darkness devoured him whole — but his spirit, even now, refused to break.