One year earlier.
In the small village where Akira lived with his parents, the boy was now eleven years old.
The air in the village always felt still, as if nothing ever truly changed. A faint smell of old wood and dust lingered between the houses, clinging to the narrow paths. Even the wind seemed quieter here, brushing softly against walls and roofs without ever disturbing the silence too much.
His parents, like the rest of the villagers, were waiting.
Waiting for his power to manifest.
More than anything, they feared one thing.
That he would become a Cursed Child.
Akira, however, did not care about the Conclaves of Henosis, nor the other religions. Not yet.
Sometimes, when he stood alone outside, listening to the distant murmur of the village, a question would quietly form in his mind.
« Are they really right to hate me… and my family… just because I wasn't born the way they wanted? »
Only one person had never looked at him that way.
A boy named Haru Takamine.
One ordinary day, Akira stepped outside.
The sun was high in the sky, its light spreading across the village like a pale veil. The ground beneath his feet was slightly warm, and each step lifted a faint scent of dry earth into the air.
Most people ignored him now.
They had learned to look past him as if he did not exist.
But some still stared.
Their eyes followed him, heavy and insistent, lingering just long enough to make the silence uncomfortable.
Akira lowered his gaze slightly.
The fabric of his clothes brushed softly against his skin as he walked. The quiet around him felt heavier than any noise.
He was already bored.
He was about to turn back.
Then, in the distance, he saw him.
Haru.
He was moving quickly, heading toward the edge of the village, toward the open plains.
Akira stopped for a brief moment.
Then, without thinking too much, he followed.
Carefully.
Quietly.
Even though he knew he was not supposed to leave the village.
The further he went, the more the air changed.
The familiar scent of the village faded, replaced by something fresher. Wild grass, damp soil, and a faint trace of water carried by the wind.
Time passed.
Forty-five minutes.
Akira's steps began to slow.
« Maybe… he just ran away… »
The thought felt strange in his chest.
He started to fall behind, letting the distance grow, preparing to turn back.
But suddenly, Haru stopped.
The wind moved through the plains, bending the grass in slow waves.
Haru turned around.
He placed his hands around his mouth and shouted.
"HEEEY!!! Cursed child! Stop following me like an assassin and come over here. Tell me why you're following me!"
Akira froze for a second.
Then he walked toward him.
Up close, Haru looked taller.
Stronger.
Which was normal. He was thirteen and already growing into himself.
Akira looked at him with quiet admiration.
Haru stood still, the wind pulling lightly at his clothes, waiting for an answer.
A few seconds passed.
Akira hesitated.
"I… uh… I saw you running in the village. And since you never judged me… I thought I'd follow you to see what you do during your days. But you went really far, so I thought… maybe you ran away."
Haru blinked.
Then let out a short laugh.
"What? No. I didn't run away. I just found something really cool. So cool that I have to come all the way out here."
Akira felt curiosity rise inside him.
« Something cool…? »
He hesitated to ask.
But before he could say anything, Haru smiled.
"Do you want to come see it with me?"
Akira nodded immediately.
Haru grabbed his arm without hesitation and pulled him along.
They started running.
The wind pressed against their faces, carrying the smell of grass and open land. Their footsteps crushed the ground beneath them, dry and uneven.
They finally stopped.
Haru crouched down and pushed aside a pile of dry leaves.
A faint rustling sound followed.
Hidden underneath was a sword.
Akira's eyes widened.
A sword.
Even finding one at their age was rare.
Using one, in a village where it was forbidden, made it even more unreal.
Haru picked it up.
The blade reflected a cold light under the sun.
Akira stared at it, unable to look away.
"Stop… we can't take it. If someone from the village sees you, you'll be expelled."
Haru smiled, completely unfazed.
"Let them expel me. I don't care about the village or the Conclaves of Henosis. I believe in the Order of Carmesin. They make more sense. And over there, we can use swords. If I want to join them, I need to train. So I'll use this one."
He turned toward Akira.
His eyes were bright.
Alive.
"Do you want to hold it? I can lend it to you. But what I just told you stays between us. Alright?"
Akira nodded.
He took the sword.
It felt light, yet strangely heavy at the same time.
The blade was thin.
Its edge looked incredibly sharp.
Too large for both of them.
Haru held it with two hands, even though it was meant to be used with one.
Akira examined the blade closely.
There was something written on it.
A language he did not recognize.
And on the handle…
Initials.
A.Z.
"Haru… where did you find this? It looks like it belongs to someone."
Haru shrugged.
"Yeah, I saw that too. I don't know who A.Z is. But it doesn't matter. By the time they find me, I'll be strong enough. If they want it back, they'll have to fight me. This is my treasure. I won't give it to anyone."
Akira looked at him.
« …Haru… you're really amazing. I want to be like you. »
They spent the rest of the day playing with the sword.
Running through the plains.
Swinging it clumsily.
Laughing.
For the first time, Akira felt something different.
As he held the weapon, a strange sensation spread through him.
Light.
Free.
The wind brushed against his skin, and for a moment, everything felt distant.
« Is this what freedom feels like…? »
When the sun began to set, the light softened into warm tones.
The air grew cooler.
Both boys suddenly realized the time.
They ran back.
Fast.
Before their parents could worry.
Back in the village, they separated.
Akira walked toward his house.
When he stood in front of the door, a knot formed in his stomach.
His hand rested on the handle.
Cold.
Heavy.
This was the first time he had disobeyed.
He opened the door.
His parents immediately started scolding him.
Their voices filled the room, sharp and overwhelming.
As if all their problems came from him.
And now he had left without permission.
It was too much.
Akira lowered his head.
He had no choice.
"I was with Haru Takamine…"
His father frowned, arms crossed.
"What? That delinquent? What were you doing with him? Answer me."
Akira hesitated.
His thoughts were tangled.
No matter what he said, it would not be enough.
So he lied.
For the first time.
"We went to the plains. Near the river, not the forest. We found a medallion on the ground. We tried to figure out who it belonged to, but we couldn't."
Silence.
His father stared at him.
"Where is it?"
"We left it there. Maybe the owner will come back for it."
Akira hesitated, then added quietly.
"Do you know anyone with the initials A.Z?"
His father shook his head.
"No. Does it have anything written on it?"
Akira thought about the strange writing on the blade.
He explained it.
His father dismissed it.
"There's only one universal language. Whatever you saw, it's probably nothing. Don't go near it again."
Akira nodded.
Then asked softly.
"Can I still talk to Haru?"
A pause.
His father sighed.
"Fine. But you stay inside the village."
That night, Akira could not sleep.
The darkness pressed gently against the room.
The memory of the sword lingered in his hands.
The feeling.
The freedom.
Despite everything…
He liked it.
After a long time, he finally fell asleep.
The next morning, he saw Haru again.
They greeted each other from a distance before meeting.
Haru looked excited.
"Hey, Akira. I had an idea. Let's go get the sword and head to Sept Village. They follow the Order of Carmesin there. It probably belongs to one of them. But we have to be careful. No one can know we went there. People hate when others enter their religious territory. I think that's stupid. They never had a problem with us."
Akira tilted his head.
"Why not go to Adunatio? All religions are accepted there."
Haru shook his head.
"People should live wherever they want. If Surina brings them peace, even if it's on Henosis territory, it shouldn't be a problem. My dream is simple. I want all those barriers gone. I want everyone to live wherever they feel at peace."
His words stayed with Akira.
Quietly.
Deeply.
« …That's a good dream. »
Something warm settled in his chest.
Maybe he could help him.
The two boys walked away from the village.
The wind welcomed them again.
And together, they headed toward Sept Village.
Toward the mystery of the sword.