The portal sealed shut behind Kira with a faint shimmer. His breath came in ragged gasps as he called out, "Mom?" Silence.
He turned in a slow circle, taking in his surroundings. Towering trees with faintly glowing green bark stretched endlessly around him, their canopies so thick they swallowed the sky. Wisps of golden insects drifted lazily through the air, casting a soft radiance, like fallen stars. It was eerily quiet-no wind, no rustling leaves, just an unnatural stillness.
"Where am I?" he whispered, but the only reply was the echo of his own voice.
A strange feeling tugged at him. This place-he didn't recognize it, yet somehow, it felt... familiar. As if it had been waiting for him. He wandered forward, his boots pressing into soft moss, drinking in the mesmerizing beauty of the forest. His mother's face flashed in his mind. Was she safe? Had the golden lion protected her? His chest tightened, but he pushed the fear aside.
Then, a voice. Gentle, yet unmistakable.
"Kira."
He froze. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Who's there?" he called, scanning the trees. The voice didn't answer, but a soft, shimmering glow pulsed in the distance, beyond the trees. Drawn forward, he followed it until he emerged into a small clearing. A lake stretched before him, its water unlike any he'd seen before-liquid silver, rippling in slow, rhythmic waves. Tiny droplets hovered just above the surface, glowing like captured moonlight.
His reflection stared back at him from the water's edge, his silver eyes glimmering in the soft glow.
Then, without warning-a hand shot out from the depths and seized his wrist.
A violent force yanked him downward. Cold water rushed over him as he plunged into the abyss. Panic surged through him, his limbs flailing, bubbles escaping his lips as he screamed. There was no bottom, no end-just an endless void of water pulling him deeper, faster.
His eyes darted wildly. A faint green light flickered below-a small stone, sinking just beyond his reach. Without thinking, he stretched his fingers toward it. The instant his fingertips brushed the stone-
Everything vanished.
Kira gasped, his back hitting soft grass. He lay sprawled on the ground, staring up at an endless night sky. A giant silver moon loomed above, illuminating a calm, mirror-like expanse of water that stretched infinitely in all directions.
"How did I get here?" he murmured, pushing himself up.
Then, the voice called again. "Kira, don't be afraid. Come closer."
Hesitant, he took a cautious step forward.
Before he could react, another hand shot from the water-grasping his ankle. A strange sensation surged through his body. His feet lifted off the ground, his body hovering weightlessly above the water's surface. His pupils dilated, turning pure silver as images flooded his mind.
Visions of the Past
A vast, mystical forest unfolded before Kira. He saw the warrior king-his grandfather-kneeling before a radiant woman. Aria the Queen of the Druids. Her emerald eyes shimmered softly, her presence both powerful and serene. She placed her hand in his, and vines of glowing energy wrapped around their fingers, sealing their bond in marriage.
The vision shifted.
A newborn baby lay in the arms of the druid queen, his tiny fingers grasping at the air. A smile graced her lips, but in the shadows, eyes watched with growing unease.
Another shift.
A great hall loomed before Kira, its towering pillars carved with battle scenes, torches casting flickering shadows across the stone walls. A man stood before the throne-a warrior with broad shoulders and piercing eyes, yet his expression was grim.
Before him, the king sat in silence, his face lined with frustration.
"My King," a man beside the throne spoke, his voice smooth and coaxing. "The Warriors are the only race capable of producing offspring with the strength of two bloodlines. Our ancestor, the Great Warrior King, ruled with unmatched power-able to raise the fallen from the dead. But since his time, all attempts at intermarriage have failed. The offspring are weaker... powerless. You must succeed where others have not."
His gaze flickered toward Johan, the king's only son. Johan lowered his head, shame pooling in his silver eyes.
"Your son," the advisor continued, his voice edged with quiet disdain, "was born of a Druid Queen, yet he wields no power. No magic flows through his veins. He is nothing but an ordinary man."
Murmurs of discontent rippled through the gathered warriors.
"His mother is to blame," another voice muttered. "She fills the King's head with foolishness-talks of peace, of balance. But we were meant to rule."
A fist slammed against the armrest of the throne. "Enough." The king's voice was heavy, but the fire in his eyes was dim. He turned to Johan, his disappointment unspoken but palpable.
Johan clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He had trained harder than any warrior, had honed his skills to near perfection-but he would never be enough. He could not summon fire, bend the wind, or command the earth like his mother's kin. He would never be the weapon they wanted him to be.
One final, horrifying vision-
A grand chamber, filled with warriors. At its center stood a woman, her green eyes burning with fury as she faced them. Armed men encircled her, their weapons drawn.
Behind them, a man lingered in the shadows, his gaze dark with contempt.
"Aria, the Queen of Druids, weakens our King's mind," he murmured. "She has poisoned his thoughts with weakness. While we dream of conquest, he speaks of unity. We are the strongest of all races. We should rule this world, not beg for peace."
His voice dropped into a whisper, sharp as a blade.
"She must die."
The vision blurred as steel flashed through the air, descending toward the queen.
Kira screamed.
His body lurched forward, and suddenly-he was falling. The endless sky, the water, the stars-they all rushed toward him. But instead of plunging into the depths again, his feet landed gently on the surface, as if the water itself had solidified beneath him.
A figure stood before him.
She was tall and regal, her long hair the color of fresh leaves, a crown of woven branches resting upon her head. Her glowing green eyes studied him intently.
"So," she said, her voice soft but powerful. "You are finally ready to see me."
"Who are you?" Kira asked, breathless. "Are you the spirit of the woods?"
She smiled. "I am much more than that, Kira. I am your grandmother, Aria, Queen of the Druids."
I was there the night you were born. I witnessed the immense power you absorbed from your father when he died-even before you took your first breath. Never before had a child retained such strength while still in the womb."
She disappeared briefly, reappearing beside him in a blink.
"I couldn't save your father," she continued, her voice tinged with sorrow, "but I did what I could to ensure your survival. As you absorbed his power, I realized you were also drawing from me."
Kira's breath caught. "You mean... I took your power too?"
Aria nodded. "And even after you were born, I watched in awe as you absorbed the elements and forces of nature themselves." She studied him closely. "Have you learned to control them?"
Kira hesitated before shaking his head. "I... I don't remember having any powers."
Aria's eyes widened. "What? All these years, and Laura has taught you nothing?"
"You know my mother?" Kira stepped forward, desperation in his voice. "Please, help me save her."
Aria's expression softened, but her voice remained firm. "Kira, I can only help you within these woods. If you leave, I cannot follow. But do not fear-Mordrain will not harm his favorite daughter." She paused, letting the words sink in. "However, if you truly wish to fight for her, you must learn to control your power. Tell me, Kira-do you want to be strong enough to protect your mother?"
Kira clenched his fists. "Yes."
Aria's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Then we must not waste any more time."
In an instant, she vanished. The water around them began to ripple, the moon above twisting in the sky. The world around Kira shifted-no longer the glowing lake, but a vast, ancient arena.
Before he could fully grasp what was happening, a massive rock, the size of a tree, came hurtling toward him. He barely dodged in time, but the impact sent a powerful shockwave that threw him off his feet. As he scrambled to stand, the rock shuddered and began to move.
A deep, guttural sound rumbled through the air. The stone shifted, forming a massive creature with glowing green eyes. Towering over him, it raised its jagged arms and hurled another boulder straight at him.
Kira turned to run, but the boulder clipped his shoulder, sending him sprawling across the ground. Pain seared through him as he gasped for breath. He barely had time to recover before the rock creature leapt into the air, its enormous fist crashing down toward him.
Instinctively, Kira threw up his arms, shielding himself, and screamed.
But the impact never came.
Slowly, he opened his eyes-just in time to see a giant golden lion standing protectively before him. The beast's powerful jaws clamped down on the creature's arm, a deep growl reverberating through the air. With a mighty shake of its head, the lion tore through solid stone, shattering the rocky limb to pieces.
The creature let out an eerie moan, stumbling backward before vanishing into the mist.
Kira lay frozen, breathless, his heart hammering in his chest.
Aria reappeared, and the golden lion immediately padded toward her, lowering its massive head to nuzzle against her side. She smiled, stroking its mane with an affectionate touch.
"Kira," she said, turning her gaze back to him, "you are no longer a newborn. You cannot rely on Vega to save you every time."
Kira struggled to his feet. "Vega?" he echoed, confused. "Who's Vega?"
Aria arched a brow. "You summoned your lion without even knowing his name?"
Kira hesitated. "I... I don't know. It just happened."
Aria shook her head, amusement flickering in her eyes. "You have incredible potential, Kira... but there is still so much for you to learn."
Kira trained relentlessly under Aria's guidance. Days blurred into nights. She taught him to sense the elements, to feel the pulse of nature itself. But something was wrong. No matter how hard he tried, he struggled to control his magic.
One morning, Aria stood over him, concern etched into her features.
"Kira, when you were born, your power was unmatched. But now..." She shook her head. "Something is blocking you."
She led him beyond the core of the woods, to the base of a towering mountain. Pressing his palm against the stone, Kira watched as a hidden cave entrance materialized before him.
"Go inside," Aria urged.
As soon as he stepped in, the entrance sealed shut.
Darkness swallowed him whole. Then-a massive, floating shield appeared before him.
Chains bound its surface, thick and unyielding. Smaller shields hovered around it, each engraved with different symbols-warriors, weapons, elements, animals. One of them glowed faintly.
Kira stepped closer, his fingers brushing the metal. The engraving on the shield showed a lion with piercing golden eyes, surrounded by five wolves.
Something deep inside him stirred. "Vega."
The shield shuddered. The chains rattled violently before shattering.
A golden lion materialized before him, along with five enormous silver wolves. The moment they appeared, a surge of energy coursed through him-a connection, a bond as old as time. Memories flooded his mind-of them hunting his mother the night he was born, of their presence always lingering in the shadows, watching him.
He turned back to the chained shields. He tried again and again to break another, but they refused to budge. Even when he ordered Vega to attack, the lion's claws passed through the chains like mist.
"They're not real," Kira realized. "I'm the only one who can touch them."
He clenched his fists. The answers lay somewhere within these chains.
And he would find a way to break them.