In the cold night air, the city felt utterly silent. The path behind the old church was even more desolate – ancient stone walls, broken crosses, and the remains of burnt-out torches. Ryu stood at the front, his face calm as always. Elira stood a little behind him, her eyes filled with a mix of worry and curiosity. Kael gripped his sword tightly, while Saren sat casually on a nearby rock, not even bothering to hide the smirk beneath his mask. Saren dropped down and walked toward them. "Right on time. The way down is inside the church… but it won’t be simple. There’s an old lock system that just needs… a little breaking." Kael frowned and said sharply, "You mean stealing and breaking in." Saren chuckled. "Call it whatever you want. Just stay quiet while I work the lock." Ryu looked straight into his eyes and said simply, "Do it quickly." --- Inside the church, the air smelled of the past — damp soil, faint traces of burnt wood, and a chill that clung to the walls. The light

The catacombs had become even colder. The smoke from the torches on the walls hit the ceiling and fell back down, as if the air itself was afraid to breathe here. Ryu was walking at the front. With every step, the faint thud of his feet echoed — and every echo returned as if answering him. “Ryu…” “Ryu…” Elira said from behind, “This voice… it feels like someone is calling us.” Kael raised his torch, “It’s just an echo. Stone breaks sound like this.” Saren spoke from behind, with a slight laugh under his mask, “Or… maybe someone is playing with your name.” Ryu just looked at him, then moved forward without saying anything. His face was as calm as stone — but something stirred inside. --- The path slowly narrowed. The symbols on the walls were glowing more intensely. Under one inscription were some red stains — as if old blood were still alive. Elira stopped. “Ryu… it says ‘The soul remembers even when the body forgets.’” Ryu stared at the line for a moment. A flash hi

The path out of the catacombs was narrow and winding, carved into the cliffs like a jagged scar on the earth. The first light of dawn barely touched the stone walls, yet the air itself seemed heavier than it had been underground. Every step Ryu took echoed softly, a rhythmic beat against the silence that had settled over the team. He led the group, his presence calm yet commanding, as if each step had been calculated in advance. Elira walked close behind him, holding the torch higher than necessary, as if trying to push away the remnants of darkness that clung to the group like shadows. Her mind was still replaying the events in the catacombs — the well, the voices, and the skeletal hand that had emerged, moving as though alive. Every time she glanced at Ryu, she caught that same icy calm in his eyes, the expression of someone always in control, someone who had seen too much yet remained unfazed. Kael followed next, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. He still had the muscle me

Ryu led his team deeper into the heart of Aelthorne, the festival crowds acting as both camouflage and potential danger. Stalls overflowed with vibrant colors—reds, yellows, and blues mixing in a dizzying pattern—but his eyes were not caught by the spectacle. Every glint of metal, every fleeting glance, every hesitant step of a passerby was analyzed and cataloged in his mind. The festival was a perfect cover for Master’s pieces, and Ryu knew it.“Elira,” he whispered, his voice barely audible, “do not let the laughter distract you. Every face could hide a threat.”Elira’s eyes darted from stall to stall, her pulse quickening. “I… I see them, Ryu. But how can anyone blend in so well?”Kael, walking beside her, muttered under his breath, “I thought we were here for a festival, not a war zone.”Ryu did not reply. His calm presence radiated authority, his gaze sweeping the crowds in meticulous arcs. He spotted subtle anomalies almost instantly—a man adjusting a hood unnecessarily, someone

The night had settled over Aelthorne, the city quiet in the shadow of the coming tournament. Inside the colosseum, the massive structure echoed faintly with the steps of workers preparing the arena, testing lights, and moving equipment for the next day’s matches. Outside, the moon hung like a pale sentinel in the sky, its light reflecting on the cold stones of the streets. Yet, for Ryu, there was no sleep, no rest, no distraction. Every thought, every breath, was a calculated step toward the game ahead.Elira, sitting a few meters away, watched him carefully. She had grown used to Ryu’s calm, but tonight, there was something different. The air around him seemed… charged, like a still pond before a sudden storm.“Ryu…” she finally whispered, her voice low, careful not to disturb the night. “You’ve been like this since the last fight. Are you… worried about Vorgal?”Ryu’s eyes remained fixed on the horizon. His expression was unreadable, his posture relaxed yet taut with precision. “Wor