At the Citadel, the Council Hall of the Azeron Guardians was a bastion of order, history, and tradition. Massive blue banners hung from towering stone walls, adorned with glowing symbols of Lumina. The grand arena within the hall held rows of elevated seats, where nobles, commanders, and the elite of the Blue Clan gathered, their faces etched with concern. Sunlight streamed through high windows, illuminating the ancient carvings etched into the stone—reminders of past battles and victories that had defined their people.
In the center of the hall, raised on a platform of smooth stone, stood the Council Leader. His robes shimmered in the light, a flowing cascade of blue and white, adorned with intricate patterns that marked his authority. His presence alone commanded silence, and as he stood from his seat, the crowd's murmurs fell into an expectant hush.
“We gather today,” the Council Leader began, his voice resonating across the hall, “not in celebration, but in concern.” His eyes swept across the assembly, resting briefly on each face. “The Crimson Dynasty grows bolder. Their raids on human villages, their assaults on our people—these are not the actions of an ordinary aggressor. They are seeking something. We must uncover their purpose before it’s too late.”
A ripple of unease moved through the nobles and commanders seated in the hall. The tension was palpable, the unspoken fear that there was more to the Crimson Dynasty’s attacks than mere conquest.
The Council Leader paused, allowing his words to settle over the gathering like a heavy cloak. “It is not enough to defend ourselves. We must understand the enemy, or we risk losing far more than just our borders. We risk losing everything.”
He turned his gaze toward the entrance, where a battle-worn soldier stood, his armor dented and streaked with ash. His steps were slow, burdened by the weight of both his injuries and the knowledge he carried. The soldier, the one who rescued Renjiro, limped forward, stopping before the raised platform. He bowed, his expression grim.
“My lords,” the soldier began, his voice hoarse but resolute. “I bring troubling news from the frontlines.”
The Council Leader gestured for him to continue.
“I fought in the skirmish near the border. The Crimson Dynasty was relentless—burning villages, taking prisoners—but this time, their raids were different. They weren’t looking for resources or land.”
The council stirred. The tension in the air thickened.
“What were they after?” the Council Leader asked, his voice a mix of calm authority and quiet dread.
The soldier’s face paled, his hands trembling slightly as he spoke. “They were searching for something… something they believe holds immense power. I overheard their commanders speaking of it.”
He hesitated, the weight of his next words clear in his faltering breath. “They were looking for a crystal.”
A murmur spread through the hall, the words catching on the lips of every noble and commander. A crystal. The room buzzed with uncertainty and disbelief.
The Council Leader’s gaze sharpened. “A crystal? What do you mean?”
The soldier swallowed hard. “I heard one of their officers say it was vital to their mission. They believe it has the power to shift the balance of the war.”
A moment of stunned silence fell over the assembly, before one of the older nobles, his face lined with age and experience, stood. His voice, though calm, carried a skeptical edge. “This is nonsense. A crystal with the power to alter the fate of a war? This sounds like a myth—a tale to frighten children.”
Another noble, a younger man with piercing eyes, stood to rebut him. “The Crimson Dynasty has never cared for myths. If they are searching for this crystal, they must believe it holds real power.”
The Council Leader remained silent, his eyes narrowing in thought. He looked at the soldier again. “Is there more? Did you hear anything else?”
The soldier hesitated, his voice trembling now. “There was… something else, my lord.”
The hall fell deathly quiet. The soldier’s fear was palpable, hanging in the air like a storm on the horizon. He took a deep breath, his eyes darting nervously to the faces of the council members, as if unsure he should even speak the next words.
“I overheard a name, my lord. A name I’ve only ever heard in old stories… in legends.”
The Council Leader leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “What name?”
The soldier swallowed hard, his voice a bare whisper. “Migama.”
The sound of the name was like a blow to the room. The reaction was instant—gasps, startled murmurs, and expressions of shock and disbelief rippled through the council. A heavy tension filled the hall as if the very walls themselves had recoiled at the name.
“Migama?” Commander Thalor, seated at the front, muttered, his voice low and filled with disbelief. “That cannot be.”
Captain Rei, who had been seated beside Thalor, remained silent for a moment, his expression hardening. His gaze shifted, distant, as though the name had unearthed a long-buried memory. “The Prince of Darkness,” he said, his voice cold. “The first Red Lumina user.”
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A nobleman in the back stood abruptly, his voice rising in protest. “This is absurd! Migama has been gone for thousands of years. Banished in the Depths of Woe! He was a nightmare from a time long forgotten—a myth to scare our ancestors!”
But the fear in the room was undeniable. Even those who doubted the story couldn’t ignore the weight of the soldier’s words.
The Council Leader raised his hand, silencing the growing storm of voices. His face, though calm, was grim. “We must not dismiss this so easily. If the Crimson Dynasty believes they can bring back such a being, then we may face a greater threat than we had imagined.”
Captain Rei stood, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “Migama was no myth. He was real. And if they are trying to bring him back, the world as we know it will fall into darkness.”
The council members exchanged anxious glances, the gravity of Rei’s words sinking in. Commander Thalor shook his head slowly, his face twisted in disbelief. “But how? How could they even attempt such a thing? What could they possibly use to bring him back?”
The soldier, still standing on the platform, his face pale and his hands shaking, spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. “I believe the crystal is the key. That it has the power to help them bring him back.”
The council fell into a heavy silence. The weight of the soldier’s revelation pressed down on them like a crushing force. The Council Leader stood slowly, his eyes sweeping over the room, taking in the shock and fear that gripped his people.
“If this is true,” the Council Leader said, his voice low and steady, “then we must act. Swiftly. We cannot allow the Crimson Dynasty to succeed in this madness. We will increase our surveillance of their movements, and track down every lead. And if this ancient warrior were to return…”
He paused, his eyes locking onto the gathered nobles and warriors. “Then we must be ready for the greatest battle of our age. May Remedias save us all.”
A somber silence filled the hall, the weight of the situation settling over them all. This was no longer a mere war with the Crimson Dynasty. This was something far older, darker, and more dangerous than any of them had imagined.
The Council Hall of the Azeron Guardians had mostly emptied, but a sense of unease still hung in the air, thicker than the shadows that stretched across the grand stone arena. Nobles and commanders murmured amongst themselves as they departed, but Captain Rei remained. His sharp gaze followed the battered soldier who lingered near the platform, his body showing the scars of battle but his mind was weighed down by something deeper.
Rei’s steps were silent as he approached the man, his presence felt before a word was spoken. The soldier stiffened slightly, turning and bowing his head quickly as soon as he saw Rei standing before him.
“Captain Rei, sir,” the soldier greeted, his voice still rough from exhaustion. “How may I assist you?”
Rei’s cold blue eyes locked onto him as if searching for the unspoken truth behind his words. He studied the soldier for a moment before speaking, his tone as calm and measured as ever. “You did well to report the Crimson Dynasty’s search for the crystal,” Rei said, his voice quiet but filled with authority. “But I suspect there’s something else you haven’t shared.”
The soldier blinked, startled. “Sir? I reported everything about the crystal and Migama.”
Rei’s gaze hardened. “You encountered something unusual, didn’t you? Something beyond their search for the crystal.”
The soldier hesitated, his breath catching for a moment. He hadn’t planned to reveal the rest of what he had seen, unsure if it mattered in the grand scheme of things. But now, faced with Captain Rei’s scrutiny, he knew he couldn’t hide anything.
“There… there was something else, sir,” the soldier admitted, his voice lowering. “During a raid near the Great Mountains, in a secluded village.”
Rei’s interest sharpened, though his expression remained cool. “Go on.”
The soldier licked his lips, the memory of that strange encounter flashing vividly in his mind. “I encountered a boy there. A Luminarian—though he didn’t seem to know anything about our world. He lived in isolation, completely unaware of the conflict beyond his village.”
Rei’s eyes narrowed, but instead of surprise, a flicker of recognition crossed his face. “A Luminarian in a secluded village…” His voice trailed off for a moment, before he added, “What was his name?”
The soldier hesitated, confused by the sudden shift in Captain Rei’s demeanor. “Renjiro, sir. His name was Renjiro.”
Rei’s gaze darkened, a storm brewing behind his calm exterior. Of course. The boy from the training grounds. The one who shattered the training pillar earlier into bits with that raw burst of Lumina energy. He hadn’t known then where Renjiro had come from or how such a powerful force had remained untapped for so long, but now it made sense.
Renjiro wasn’t just an anomaly; he was a dangerous unknown. Someone with power so vast, so raw, yet completely untrained. Someone whose existence had been hidden in the mountains, away from the eyes of both the Blue Clan and the Crimson Dynasty.
“And you’re certain he knew nothing about the wider world?” Rei asked, his voice more pointed now as if piecing together a puzzle.
“Yes, sir,” the soldier confirmed. “He seemed confused, almost like he didn’t even know what Lumina energy truly was.
Rei’s jaw clenched slightly. the sheer force Renjiro had unleashed, obliterating the training pillar in an instant. It hadn’t been skill or precision, just raw, unbridled power. That kind of power, untrained and unchecked, was as much a threat as it was an asset.
“If the Crimson Dynasty learns about him…” Rei murmured, more to himself than to the soldier.
The soldier looked up, confused. “Sir?”
Rei waved a hand dismissively. “That will be all. You’ve done your duty. Dismissed”
The soldier bowed again, grateful for the dismissal, and hurried off, leaving Rei alone in the now-quiet hall. But Rei didn’t move. His mind churned with possibilities and the growing realization that Renjiro was no ordinary recruit.
Renjiro had gone unnoticed for years, hidden away in the mountains, untouched by the war that raged across the land. But now that he was here, now that his power had been revealed, it was only a matter of time before the Crimson Dynasty’s eyes turned toward him as well.
If they were already searching for a crystal with the potential to alter the balance of the world, what would they do if they discovered a boy with the raw power of Lumina at his fingertips, waiting to be shaped?
Rei’s eyes narrowed as he turned toward the distant horizon. He would have to watch Renjiro closely, monitor his progress, and ensure that the boy didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Renjiro had potential, but potential alone was dangerous.
Captain Rei’s thoughts sharpened, his plans already forming.
The Crimson Dynasty wasn’t the only one looking for weapons in this war.