The mountain winds of Elaris Vale whispered like songs through the trees. A small settlement sat nestled against the cliffside, its wood-and-stone houses curved along the hills like a spiral. Life here was slow. Quiet. Peaceful.
It had been two weeks since the Elemental Ceremony.
Kai, now known as Kai Arlin to the locals, had quickly learned how to keep a low profile.
He acted unsure with his elemental control.
He played dumb during theory classes.
But every night, behind the hills, in secret...
He trained. Fire. Water. Earth. Air. Blending them, twisting them, merging them in ways this world would call "heresy."
Yet today… things changed.
Morning in the Training Grounds
Kai stood in a small clearing, sparring lazily with two other initiates.
And then… a voice yelled from behind a tree:
"DUCK!"
Kai instinctively ducked just in time for a flying pizza box to whiz past his head and slap one of the students in the face.
"What the—?!"
From the shadows stepped a boy—red hair a mess, eyes sparkling with mischief, a half-eaten slice of pizza in hand.
He wore no armor, just a hoodie with the word "HOT SLICE" written across the front.
"Yo! Sorry 'bout that!" the boy said, waving cheerfully. "That was meant for the bird. It stole my crust earlier."
Kai blinked.
The boy waltzed over and handed him a slice of mushroom and cheese.
"Name's Crimson. I like pizza. You look bored."
Kai took the slice cautiously. "I… was not expecting that."
"Cool," Crimson said, flopping onto the grass like he owned the place. "Let's be friends. You seem like the type who needs someone to say that first."
Kai chuckled for the first time in days. "I do."
Later That Night — In the Woods
Kai walked alone toward his usual training spot—until a spark of flame danced nearby.
He froze.
It wasn't his.
From the shadows stepped a figure.
Lean. Confident. Eyes glowing faint blue. His black cloak fluttered slightly in the wind, and a pendant hung from his neck—the same pendant he wore in the old world.
"…Leon?"
The figure stepped into the moonlight, and Kai's heart stilled.
"Long time, Kai."
It was Leon. His voice had aged, matured, but that sarcastic tone—the edge of amusement and challenge—was unmistakable.
Kai stepped forward, stunned. "How… you're alive?!"
Leon nodded. "Apparently dying beside your idiot best friend triggers a package deal."
Kai grinned. For the first time since reincarnating, he felt whole again.
"Do you… remember everything?"
Leon nodded. "The shadow fight. Aria. Eira. You in the void. All of it."
Kai laughed and threw his arms around him.
Leon didn't hug back right away—but he didn't pull away either.
The Three Idiots Reunited
Later that evening, the campfire crackled softly.
Crimson sat cross-legged, holding a triple-stack cheese pizza he somehow smuggled from town.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "How… do you always have pizza?"
Crimson grinned. "Secret technique. Passed down for generations. You wouldn't understand."
Kai snorted. "His name is Crimson. He's insane. I like him."
Leon stared at the pizza, then back at Kai. "This is the friend you replaced me with?"
Crimson tossed him a slice. "Replacement? Nah. I'm the upgrade."
Leon smirked. "You're growing on me."
The firelight danced over the three of them, and for a brief moment, there was no pressure of quests, no threat of enemies. Just laughter. Warmth. And too much cheese.
Somewhere Else…
In a dark chamber lit only by pale blue torches, a figure in white robes watched a floating scrying orb.
He saw them—Kai, Leon, and the new anomaly, Crimson.
"So two of the Forsaken were reborn… and a third anomaly has entered the game."
The robed figure turned, revealing silver irises and a smile too calm.
"Let the game begin again. This time, the gods will not interfere."