The dining hall was unusually quiet.
Jezebeth sat at one end of the long table, his legs barely reaching the edge of the chair.
In front of him was a plate filled with food.
He wasn't eating.
Arahel sat across from him, calmly cutting into his meal.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked up.
"You're going to stare at that food until it disappears?"
Jezebeth frowned.
"I'm not hungry."
"You've been unconscious since yesterday."
"I know."
"Then eat."
Jezebeth reluctantly picked up his fork.
He took a small bite.
Arahel nodded.
"Good."
Jezebeth chewed for a moment before looking up.
"Dad."
"Hmm?"
"What exactly happened to me?"
Arahel placed his fork down.
"You awakened."
"Awakened?"
"Your shikigami."
Jezebeth stared at him.
"Ryoma."
"Yes."
Jezebeth lowered his fork.
"So everyone goes through this?"
"Eventually, most people do."
"How?"
Arahel leaned back in his chair.
"It's different for everyone. Some awaken naturally. Some require training. Sometimes the connection happens after a strong emotional event."
Jezebeth thought for a moment.
"So I just... awakened?"
Arahel nodded.
"Something inside you reached the point where the connection could be formed."
Jezebeth looked down at his hands.
"Then why did everything feel so strange?"
Arahel's expression became slightly more serious.
"Because your body wasn't prepared for it."
"Wasn't prepared for what?"
"The energy."
Jezebeth looked up.
"What energy?"
"Zero-Point energy."
The name sounded familiar.
"That's the energy from the Zero Point Realm?"
"Not exactly."
Arahel paused.
"Shikigami come from the Zero Point Realm. When a human forms a connection with one, that connection allows Zero-Point energy to flow between them."
Jezebeth listened carefully.
"And my body has to contain it?"
"Correct."
"How?"
Arahel tapped his finger against the table.
"Cryostasis."
Jezebeth frowned.
"What's that?"
"A state your body enters to control the energy."
Arahel looked directly at him.
"Your heartbeat slows. Your metabolism changes. Your body becomes much more stable, allowing you to contain the energy without it overwhelming you."
Jezebeth's eyes widened.
"So that's why my heart felt like it stopped."
Arahel's expression tightened.
"Yes."
Jezebeth suddenly remembered the sensation.
The stillness.
The cold.
The feeling that his entire body had become distant.
"And the mist?"
Arahel nodded.
"That's part of the process."
"The cold mist?"
"Cryogenic Mist."
Jezebeth repeated the words quietly.
"Cryogenic Mist."
"The Zero-Point energy is extremely unstable. Your Cryostasis contains it, but not all of it can remain within your body."
Arahel gestured toward him.
"Some of it is expelled as mist."
Jezebeth looked fascinated.
"So the mist is my power?"
"It's part of it."
"Can I control it?"
"Eventually."
Jezebeth smiled.
"Then I'm going to be strong."
Arahel raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't even learned how to control your heartbeat."
Jezebeth's smile disappeared.
"Oh."
Arahel chuckled.
"Power isn't the difficult part."
"Then what is?"
"Control."
Jezebeth went quiet.
Arahel picked up his fork again.
"Your body is the vessel. The Cryostasis keeps the Zero-Point energy contained. The mist helps release what your body can't hold."
"And if I can't control it?"
Arahel stopped eating.
"Then the energy starts building up inside you."
Jezebeth swallowed.
"What happens?"
Arahel's voice became quieter.
"Thermal Backlash."
Jezebeth frowned.
"Thermal?"
"Your body won't feel cold anymore."
Arahel looked him in the eyes.
"It will become hot."
"How hot?"
"Hot enough to damage you from the inside."
Jezebeth's expression changed.
"Can it kill me?"
Arahel didn't answer immediately.
Then he nodded.
"Yes."
The dining hall suddenly felt much quieter.
Jezebeth looked at his hands again.
"So using my shikigami can kill me?"
"Using it incorrectly can."
Arahel's expression softened.
"That's why you're going to train."
Jezebeth nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Arahel picked up his cup.
"And there's something else you need to understand."
"What?"
"The mist isn't the same for everyone."
Jezebeth looked up.
"Why?"
"Because it carries the imprint of your shikigami."
Jezebeth thought about Ryoma.
"So mine will be connected to him?"
"Yes."
"What does Ryoma's imprint do?"
Arahel smiled faintly.
"That's something you'll have to discover yourself."
Jezebeth frowned.
"Why can't you just tell me?"
"Because knowing what your power can do isn't the same as understanding it."
Jezebeth sighed.
"You always make things complicated."
Arahel laughed.
"You're a Chronos. You'll get used to it."
Jezebeth looked at his plate.
Then he finally started eating properly.
Arahel watched him for a moment.
"Good."
Jezebeth looked up.
"What?"
"You're finally eating."
Jezebeth smiled.
"I need energy if I'm going to train."
Arahel's smile widened slightly.
"That's the spirit."
He stood from his chair.
"Finish your meal."
"Then training?"
"Yes."
Jezebeth's eyes lit up.
"Today?"
"Today."
Arahel began walking toward the doors.
Jezebeth quickly shoved another bite into his mouth.
Arahel stopped and glanced back.
"And don't rush."
Jezebeth nodded while chewing.
Arahel sighed.
"Apparently I have to teach you how to eat before I teach you how to fight."
After breakfast, Arahel pushed his chair back and stood.
"Come."
Jezebeth quickly followed.
The moment they stepped out of the dining hall, two guards stationed beside the doorway straightened.
"Lord Arahel."
Arahel gave them a slight nod.
"Stay alert."
"Yes, Lord Arahel."
Jezebeth walked beside his father, glancing at them as they passed.
The mansion was already beginning to return to its usual routine.
Maids moved through the corridors carrying trays and cleaning supplies, while guards stood at their usual posts.
But when Jezebeth passed, several of them couldn't help but glance at him.
Some whispered quietly among themselves.
"That's the young master."
"He's already awake?"
"I heard he awakened yesterday."
"His shikigami manifested inside the mansion, didn't it?"
Jezebeth slowed down.
He could hear them.
Arahel noticed.
"Don't mind them."
Jezebeth looked up at him.
"They're talking about me."
"People talk."
One of the maids quickly lowered her head when Jezebeth looked in her direction.
"Good morning, Young Master."
Jezebeth nodded awkwardly.
"Morning."
They continued down the corridor.
As they passed another group of guards, one of them stepped forward.
"Lord Arahel."
Arahel stopped.
"What is it?"
"The eastern training grounds have been prepared."
"Good."
The guard glanced briefly at Jezebeth.
"Should we inform the others?"
Arahel shook his head.
"No."
The guard immediately bowed.
"Yes, Lord Arahel."
They continued walking.
Jezebeth looked up at his father.
"Are there going to be other people there?"
"Not today."
"Why?"
"Because your first lesson isn't for anyone else."
Jezebeth frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Arahel didn't answer.
Instead, they reached the end of the corridor.
Two enormous iron doors stood before them.
Two guards were stationed on either side.
As Arahel approached, both guards stepped aside.
One of them placed his hand against the wall.
A deep metallic sound echoed through the hallway.
Clank.
The doors slowly began to open.
Jezebeth stared through the widening gap.
Beyond it was an enormous training ground.
Stone platforms stretched across the massive chamber, surrounded by tall walls covered in strange markings.
Jezebeth's eyes widened.
"What is this place?"
Arahel stepped forward.
"The Chronos training grounds."
He glanced back at his son.
"Your first lesson starts now."
Jezebeth swallowed.
For some reason, standing at the entrance made him feel more nervous than facing Ryoma ever had.
He took a breath.
Then stepped inside.