Night cloaked Hage Village in a quiet stillness, broken only by the wind rustling through the trees. The moon hung high, pale and silent, as if watching from afar.
Inside the orphanage, most children were asleep, bundled in blankets and dreaming of distant magic and wild adventures. But in the shadows beyond the building, three boys stood beneath the trees—lit only by flickers of starlight and the faint orange glow of a hidden lantern.
Kael, Asta, and Yuno.
Their secret training ground was surrounded by thick foliage and soft moss, far enough to be unseen from the village but close enough for them to return before dawn.
Asta cracked his knuckles, his grin practically glowing in the dark. "Alright, tonight we go all out! I've been doing triple push-ups all week! I'm ready!"
Kael smirked. "You say that every night."
"And every night, I get stronger!"
Yuno didn't respond. He just stepped into the circle they'd marked out on the dirt. His eyes flicked to Kael, then Asta. Quiet, focused. Always watching.
Kael held up three wooden rods—lightweight staffs made from reinforced branches. He tossed one to each of them. "No magic. Pure technique."
Asta whooped. "Let's goooo!"
---
Their movements began with discipline. Staffs clacked against one another—sharp, rhythmic, fast. Kael's eyes tracked every motion, his crimson gaze calculating angles, pressure, footwork. Yuno moved like flowing water—smooth, efficient, waiting for an opening.
Asta was wild energy. He charged in without fear, pushing forward with brute force and loud confidence.
Kael danced between them—sidestepping Asta's power, countering Yuno's precision. He wasn't faster than Yuno or stronger than Asta, but he was smarter. He read the pattern. Predicted it.
Then disarmed both in a flash of movement.
CLACK!
Both staffs hit the ground. Asta blinked. Yuno stared. Kael didn't even look winded.
"…Did you just beat us both at once?" Asta muttered, shocked.
Kael held his staff loosely. "I've been practicing with both hands."
Yuno looked at him for a long moment. "Kael… are you holding back?"
Kael paused.
> They're catching on faster than I expected.
He offered a calm smile. "A little. You'd break bones otherwise."
Yuno smirked faintly. Asta just laughed. "Man! That makes me wanna train even harder!"
---
After training, the boys lay on their backs staring up at the stars.
"You ever wonder," Asta said, arms behind his head, "why we ended up here? All three of us? Same orphanage. Same dreams."
Kael was silent.
Yuno spoke first. "It's not about why we ended up here. It's about what we do now that we're here."
"…Wise words for someone who talks once a day," Kael teased.
Yuno raised a brow. "And yet you still listen."
Kael chuckled, closing his eyes. But then—something shifted in the air.
A whisper.
A flicker of mana in the corner of his perception. Not hostile. Familiar.
> [Spirit Resonance Detected]
Initiating Manifestation Test – Spirit Compatibility: Stable
Do you accept Lyra's projection? [Y/N]
Kael hesitated.
Then he whispered, "Yes."
Behind the boys, a soft breeze swept through the glade. Light gathered—tiny floating glyphs, like glowing feathers drifting through the air.
A form took shape.
She stood under the moonlight—elegant, graceful, with flowing hair like strands of silver silk and eyes that shimmered like starlight. Her presence radiated calm and warmth.
Asta and Yuno sat up instantly.
"WHAT THE—?!" Asta's jaw dropped. "WHO'S SHE?!"
Yuno's eyes narrowed. "That's... not human."
Kael slowly stood, placing himself between them and the spirit. "It's alright. She's not a threat."
Lyra bowed lightly. "I am Lyra. Spirit of Celestial Wind. I have chosen Kael."
Yuno's mouth parted slightly. "A spirit…"
Asta's eyes gleamed with envy and awe. "Wait—you've had a spirit this whole time?!"
"Not until tonight," Kael said. "She just… found me."
> Or maybe I finally allowed her to.
---
The system chimed again in Kael's mind.
> [Spirit Bond Initiated]
Skill Gained: Spirit Channel Lv.1
Spirit Magic Access: Celestial Wind – Sealed (Sync Required)
Compatibility Bonus: Intelligence +5 | Reflex +3
Kael felt the power stir within. Not overwhelming. Just... right.
"Kael," Yuno said slowly, "you've been hiding things."
Kael looked away, crimson eyes darkening. "…Some truths are better left quiet. For now."
Yuno didn't press. Asta, surprisingly, didn't either. He just gave Kael a long look—then grinned wide.
"Then train with me more, spirit guy! So I can punch magic in the face!"
Kael laughed softly. "Alright."
---
As the boys walked back to the orphanage, Lyra remained behind, fading into wind and stars.
> "You are growing, Kael. But danger grows with you."
Kael felt the weight of her words in his chest.
Because in the distance… in a dark castle surrounded by cursed fog… a pair of glowing red eyes opened.
> "The Crimson One has awakened. The timeline is unstable."