Lilla ran hastily through the corridors of the Healing House, where the injured combatants of the great Tournament were being treated. Her heart raced with anxiety thinking about Kal and his condition after facing a powerful fighter like Shiera Felwave. When she finally opened the door to the room where he was, Lilla couldn't contain a sigh of relief. Kal was sitting on his bed, with his torso bandaged but smiling calmly. His wounds, once deep, were now well on their way to healing.

"Kal! Are you okay?!" - Lilla exclaimed, running toward him.

"I'm fine, don't worry. Just a little sore," he replied in his usual calm way.

Lilla couldn't resist tears of joy at seeing him safe and sound, hugging him carefully not to hurt his wounds. But soon her expression became more serious.

"You promised me you would reach the finals with me. Why didn't you keep your word?" - She said in a reproachful tone.

Kal sighed, knowing he would have to give many explanations. The sudden transformation he had suffered in the arena still left him astonished, yet unlike other times he remembered everything that had happened. Would he be able to tell Lilla what really happened without frightening her? Before Kal and Lilla could deepen their conversation, the door opened and Suzannah entered the room.

"How do you feel, Kal?" - She asked, looking at him attentively.

"Well, considering. My memory of what happened in the arena is still hazy, but I remember feeling immense power flowing within me. I felt I could end everything with a snap of my fingers," he confessed pensively.

Turning gratefully to Suzannah, he continued:

"Thank you for asking the Emperor to end the fight. Your discernment was wise, I did not know how far that strange power within me could go if the battle continued."

Lilla heard the conversation in a state of shock. So that mysterious transformation of Kal's had really been as extraordinary as the rumors said? And he himself admitted that he was beginning to lose self-control over himself. This explained why he had not kept his promise to reach the finals together. But so many doubts and secrets still surrounded the true nature of her beloved's powers. Determined to get answers, Lilla cleared her throat to get their attention, anxious for further clarification.

She then remembered the first time she had faced Kal in the Aquarion palace training area. On that occasion, she had been quickly defeated. All she had managed to see were two golden eyes, glowing like beacons, at the moment he had snatched her weapon from her hands with superhuman speed. At the time she thought it was just the reflection of the sunlight, but now these recent events came to mind, making her question whether she had actually witnessed a brief glimpse of Kal's true nature even back then.

Were they just martial skills or was there something more behind them? Sleeping powers seeking to slowly awaken? Lilla looked at Suzannah and Kal seeking answers in their gazes, anxious to better understand the mystery surrounding that warrior for whom she nurtured such deep feelings. Something greater was at stake. And it was only the beginning of a journey that would bring revelations capable of shaking the foundations of the world as they knew it. But for now, they preferred to keep calm and pause that delicate subject until Kal recovered completely. They still had much to unravel.

Lilla was questioning Kal about the mysteries of his power when Relon entered the room.

"Kal, how are you feeling?" - Asked Relon, worried.

"I'm fine Morin, thanks." - Kal replied.

To Relon, Kal had become his best friend. Turning to his sister, he affectionately stroked her hair:

"I don't like to see you taking risks. Promise more care."

Lilla smiled and nodded. Relon said to Kal:

"Next time I'll compete by your side, as promised. Your power is admired, friend."

"For sure!!" - Kal replied, clapping hands with Relon.

Before they could continue their conversation, an imperial guard burst into the room:

"My princess, the Emperor has ordered you to return immediately to the castle."

Since Lilla had been kidnapped and Aquarion Palace invaded by the necromancer, guards closely watched the Emperor's children. Lilla and Relon bade farewell to Kal, who promised to soon join them. Left alone, Suzannah asked:

"What did you do to get so strong in that fight against Felwave girl, Kal? Do you remember all the details?"

Kal sighed, not really knowing how to explain. He remembered the conversation he had with Domeh when training his spirit, and the visions of the mysterious place. Could he tell Suzannah about it? Might she have the answers he sought? Perhaps she knew something deeper, since it was she who asked the emperor to end the fight.

"When I went inside myself to train with the technique I learned from you, I found someone like me inside my sanctuary," Kal said.

"Someone trains you in there?" - Suzannah asked, surprised.

Kal nodded.

"His name is Domeh. He looks a lot like me, but older and more experienced," he revealed.

Suzannah's eyes shone, fascinated.

"Domeh...extraordinary. I never imagined there could be another like you. And that he could train you from within to amplify your potential even more," the Red Queen commented, amazed.

Finally they seemed to be reaching some answers, though new questions arose. Who was Domeh really and what did his connection to Kal mean? The mysteries only deepened. Before Kal and Suzannah could continue their dialogue, a strange visitor entered the room. A magnificent black crow flew in through the window and gracefully alighted on the mistress's shoulder. Suzannah and the crow shared a special bond, able to communicate telepathically. After a few seconds in which the mistress's eyes grew distant, she turned to Kal surprised:

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"My crow brought me an urgent message. I must leave immediately."

Leaving the bed, Suzannah was already hurrying urgently towards the door. Before leaving, she turned once more to Kal:

"I will return soon to continue our conversation. For now, rest."

And saying that, she left the young man again alone with his thoughts. That night, despite his few wounds, Kal felt the need for fresh air. Leaving through the dimly lit streets, he came upon a few food stalls still open, a sign that the Waters Festival was coming to an end. Then he spotted Clara alone among the people. They greeted each other and decided to stroll together through the nearly deserted streets. At one point, Kal spotted a flyer fallen on the ground announcing the great tournament final the next day, between Princess Lilla and Shiera, daughter of the Felwaves. He smiled proudly at how far Lilla had progressed.

"Why do you smile so much?" - Clara inquired as she stopped to eat a skewer.

"Nothing, just happy for a friend's success," Kal replied entertained.

And so they continued their walk, enjoying the last remnants of the festival that had marked Aquarion.

"I really want to know who you are, Kal," Clara insisted.

"I'm just a guy with strange colored hair," he joked, smiling.

Clara became more serious, looking distantly at the starry sky.

"When I was little, I saw my parents murdered. I grew up alone on the streets, stealing to survive. Until one day Imperial Magus Tiberius rescued me and adopted me," she began in a melancholy tone.

"He taught me magic to defend myself. That's how my life began to change. I still miss my parents, but I gained a new family," she finished, with a mixture of sadness and gratitude.

Kal listened attentively, feeling that Clara hid great strength behind her fragile appearance. Her story echoed that of many others facing hardships.

"I don't want to lose anyone else. That's why I always wanted to get stronger," Clara confessed determinedly.

"For your age, you've matured a lot," Kal commented, impressed.

"The truth is I don't even know what having fun is. I just want to be the best I can," reflected the girl, with a serene expression.

Moved, Kal gently touched her shoulder.

"Then let's get strong together. After, I promise we'll have a lot of fun too," he spoke, smiling warmly.

Kal's words seemed to have touched deep in the girl's wounded heart. For a moment, Clara stood still, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. Quickly she turned away from him so the young man would not notice her sudden shyness. She was still learning to deal with such feelings, so rare in her life. After taking a deep breath and composing herself, finally she turned to him again, smiling shyly:

"Let's do it, Kal," she said simply yet with a sweetness she rarely showed.

Her eyes revealed that, despite the distance traveled, there was still a sensitive child behind the mask of strength she always flaunted. Kal's warm friendship seemed just what was missing to help her redefine herself.

As they talked, emerging from the shadows of the night, Clara spotted strange movements and instantly got into a combat stance, ready for danger. Kal, however, remained calm. Soon the figures appeared under the dim light: it was the same hooded ones from the arena who had observed his fight in silence. Without a word, they approached the two. Clara continued rigid, but Kal made a sign for her to calm down. What unfolded next left her dumbfounded.

Stopping in front of Kal, the strangers knelt in a sign of respect, then removed the hoods hiding them. Under them were revealed not common beings, a beautiful fox-woman and a tall, proud fox-man, with orange fur. Their eyes, like those of nocturnal animals, shone with intelligence. They looked at Kal as if recognizing in him some sacred ancestry, yet without revealing themselves.

Clara could see daggers in their hands but felt no threat from them. She approached Kal, awaiting an explanation, for new enigmas seemed to arise at every moment around that unique warrior. The woman then spoke, with a serene voice:

"I am Katara Hisume, priestess of the Primordial Light. This is my brother Orem, protector on this journey."

Clara looked at Kal, urgently seeking answers. Then Katara addressed him respectfully:

"Honored be, son of Light."

This time, Clara could not contain her surprise, mouth agape. As for Kal, he listened astonished, as if before loose pieces were coming together.

"What did you call me? How do you know me?" - He finally asked, trying to understand the meaning of the words.

A glow of wisdom passed through Katara's eyes. She took a breath, ready to reveal truths capable of unraveling the mysteries surrounding Kal since always. Would it be there, under the light of the Moon and stars, that the warrior's origins would begin to become clear? Both he and Clara awaited anxiously what was to be said. Katara had fine features and long orange hair that flowed down her back like waterfalls. Her pale skin was covered with delicate spots, like a fox's. Her deep brown eyes conveyed ancestral wisdom. Rising from her forehead, stood two furry ears the color of honey. Her brother Orem also showed himself beautiful and strong as a protector should be.

"I invite you to converse in a more appropriate place," Katara spoke to Kal with infinite respect.

Clara had shown herself as curious and worried as Kal.

"Please let me go too," she requested.

Katara nodded benevolently. Soon the four were directing themselves to the room where Kal recovered, in the hope that there the secrets hovering over the fate of those singular beings would be revealed. Katara's eyes shone as she recalled the history of her people:

"A thousand years ago, our princess was chosen as the first priestess of the Primordial Light. And we built a temple for her rest. One day, she received a prophecy commanding her to prepare to receive one who would come as a descendant of that Light."

"The years passed and nothing happened. My people began to lose faith. Until a year ago, my grandmother, the former priestess, saw you, Kal, in the village of Suri."

At that moment, Kal remembered. The fox-woman who had tested his magical abilities in the test to enter the Imperial Academy was the priestess! Everything made sense.

"My grandmother, who died a few months ago, received the legacy of the priestess"

"To find and escort you to us, son of Light," completed Katara.

Clara and Orem listened attentively. Finally, Kal's doubts began to be clarified. The whole revelation, while enlightening, left Kal cautious:

"You have told me much, but I fear believing blindly. There is still much I do not know."

It was then that Katara extended something in her hands:

"My ancestor, the first priestess, received this artifact."

Kal observed. It was a beautiful sword hilt, made of an unknown silver-toned metal, engraved with golden runes that emitted a certain glow.

"Now I deliver it to you. Perhaps it will help illuminate your destiny," Katara completed.

In the instant his fingers wrapped around the hilt, something ignited inside Kal. His eyes filled with an intense golden glow again. A powerful majestic aura began to envelop him, radiating pure light and energy. The room was filled with this divine clarity, almost blinding those present. Katara and Orem immediately knelt in complete respect. The priestess inclined her body until touching the floor with her forehead, in a gesture of profound veneration. As for Clara, she could do nothing but feel an uncontrollable desire to cry with emotion before that scene.

For minutes, Kal remained motionless, until frowning and staring fixedly at the wall.

"What is happening, Kal?" - Clara asked, moved.

"I am seeing Suzanna. She is in trouble," Kal responded with a majestic and firm voice.

Clara found it strange, after all he was just looking at an empty wall.

"I must go help her. Fight for my cause," he justified.

Katara emerged determined:

"Now that I have found you, I will not abandon my mission. I will follow at your side for the rest of my life."

Orem nodded, ready to protect them. Although afraid, Clara felt impelled to continue admiring Kal's light.

"I will also go," she declared, awakening pride in Kal with such courage...

Kal asked everyone to touch him. Suddenly, a powerful flash blinded their eyes. When they could see again, they were exactly in the place where Suzanna was fighting. Clara fell to her knees, beginning to vomit from the nausea of the instant leap. Katara and Orem felt dizzy. Suzanna shouted to Kal in surprise:

"Why did you come?! You weren't supposed to be here!"

She was bravely fighting three dark shadows, identical to the one in the Sanctuary months ago. Her warriors fought valiantly, but they were at a disadvantage. Kal's unexpected arrival could change the course of the battle. However, it was clear how dangerous the confrontation would be, against enemies of a type already once defeated.