Roy waited until midnight.
The academy had finally become quiet.
Most of the students were asleep, and the instructors who had spent the entire evening investigating the explosion had disappeared from the central grounds.
Roy stood beside his window, staring toward the northern side of the academy.
The Northern Hall.
Even from this distance, he could barely see it.
A dark silhouette standing beyond the other academy buildings.
His pendant rested in his palm.
It had been silent since the competition ended.
But Roy knew it would react again.
It always did.
"You're really making this difficult."
Roy placed the pendant around his neck.
Then he grabbed his dark coat.
"I hope this is worth it."
---
The Northern Path
Roy moved through the academy quietly.
For once, he wasn't trying to get somewhere before a teacher caught him.
He was trying to make sure nobody saw him at all.
The academy grounds looked completely different at night.
The training fields were empty.
The large courtyard was silent.
Only the sound of the wind moved through the trees.
Roy kept his Nexis suppressed as much as possible.
Using Lightning would make him faster, but it would also make him easier to notice.
He wasn't about to announce his arrival with a blue flash.
Not tonight.
As Roy approached the northern section, his pendant suddenly became warm.
He stopped.
The warmth quickly became heat.
Roy grabbed it.
"Here we go again."
The symbol began glowing faintly beneath his fingers.
A soft blue light.
Roy looked ahead.
The path toward the Northern Hall was almost completely dark.
Then—
A voice entered his mind.
> "Continue."
Roy froze.
The voice wasn't loud.
But it was clearer than before.
"Who are you?"
No response.
Roy sighed.
"Of course."
He continued walking.
---
The Northern Hall stood behind a large stone gate.
Roy had seen the building from a distance before, but standing in front of it was different.
It was enormous.
Older than the rest of the academy.
The walls were covered in cracks and strange carvings.
Several windows had been sealed.
And above the entrance was a symbol Roy didn't recognize.
He stepped closer.
The pendant reacted immediately.
Blue light spread across its surface.
The symbol above the entrance began glowing.
Roy's eyes widened.
"Okay..."
The massive doors slowly opened.
RUMBLE.
Roy stepped backward.
Cold air escaped from inside.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
"That definitely isn't suspicious."
The doors continued opening.
Eventually, they stopped.
Roy took a deep breath.
Then walked inside.
BOOM!
The doors immediately closed behind him.
Roy jumped.
He slowly turned around.
"...I saw that coming."
He placed his hand against the door.
Nothing.
No movement.
No response.
Roy activated a small amount of Lightning.
Blue electricity moved across his fingers.
He considered blasting the door.
Then stopped.
"Probably shouldn't destroy the ancient building I'm not supposed to be inside."
He turned toward the hallway.
It was completely dark.
Roy slowly began walking.
---
The Forgotten Hall
The inside of the Northern Hall was nothing like the rest of the academy.
There were no classrooms.
No desks.
No training equipment.
Instead, the walls were covered with massive carvings.
Roy moved closer.
The first carving showed several Nexis users fighting.
Fire covered one side.
Lightning covered another.
Earth had destroyed part of the ground beneath them.
Roy continued walking.
The next carving showed something different.
Three figures.
Each stood above the others.
Roy immediately recognized the symbols.
Space.
Lightning.
Time.
"The Great Families."
Roy had learned about them in class.
The three families were among the most powerful Nexis bloodlines in existence.
But there was something strange about the carving.
Behind the three figures stood another person.
The face had been destroyed.
The symbol above the figure had also been scratched away.
Roy moved closer.
"Who were you?"
His pendant became hotter.
The damaged symbol suddenly flashed.
Roy stepped backward.
A voice whispered through his mind.
> "Below."
Roy looked around.
"Below?"
The floor suddenly moved.
CLICK.
Roy immediately jumped backward.
A section of the stone floor opened.
A staircase appeared.
Leading underground.
Roy stared into the darkness.
"No way."
He looked at the pendant.
Then at the staircase.
"You couldn't have just shown me this from the beginning?"
No answer.
Roy sighed.
"Fine."
He began walking down.
---
The staircase seemed endless.
The deeper Roy went, the colder the air became.
His footsteps echoed.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Eventually—
Roy reached the bottom.
And stopped.
A massive underground chamber stood before him.
His eyes widened.
"What..."
This wasn't part of the academy.
At least, it didn't look like it.
Strange machines filled the room.
Blue crystals were embedded in the walls.
Large metal structures stood around a circular platform in the center.
Roy slowly walked forward.
The pendant began glowing brighter.
The machines suddenly activated.
BEEP.
Roy froze.
One screen lit up.
Then another.
And another.
Blue light filled the chamber.
Words appeared across the central screen.
SCANNING NEXIS SIGNATURE...
Roy stared.
"Scanning what?"
A beam of light moved across his body.
He immediately stepped backward.
"Hey!"
The machine continued.
SIGNATURE DETECTED.
Roy's eyes narrowed.
Then another message appeared.
IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED.
The pendant suddenly floated.
Roy's eyes widened.
"What the—?!"
The pendant rose into the air.
A beam of blue energy connected it to the machine.
The entire chamber began shaking.
RUMBLE!
Roy grabbed the nearest metal structure.
"Okay! That's enough!"
The machine ignored him.
The screen changed.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED.
Roy froze.
A final message appeared.
WELCOME BACK, ROY.
Silence.
Roy stared at the screen.
"Back?"
His heart began pounding.
"I've never been here before."
The screen flickered.
Then—
MEMORY SEAL DETECTED.
Roy's expression changed.
"What?"
MEMORY SEAL ACTIVE.
MEMORIES INACCESSIBLE.
Roy stepped forward.
"My memories were sealed?"
Suddenly—
A sharp pain exploded inside his head.
Roy dropped to one knee.
"ARGH!"
Images flashed through his mind.
Fire.
A woman.
Someone running.
A crying child.
Then a voice.
> "Take him! You have to protect him!"
Roy's eyes widened.
Another image appeared.
A woman holding him.
Tears ran down her face.
> "I'm sorry..."
"Mom..."
The memory disappeared.
Roy gasped.
He remained on the ground.
His hands were shaking.
"Who was she?"
A voice came from behind him.
"Someone who loved you very much."
CRACK!
Roy immediately stood.
Lightning exploded around his body.
He turned.
A man stood near the entrance.
Roy had never seen him before.
He looked old.
His hair was completely white.
But his eyes were sharp.
And strangely—
They were glowing blue.
Roy raised his hand.
"Who are you?"
The man stared at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then the man smiled sadly.
"You've finally returned."
Roy's Lightning intensified.
"I don't know you."
"I know."
Roy frowned.
"Then why are you talking like we've met?"
The old man slowly walked closer.
"Because we have."
Roy's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
The man stopped several meters away.
"You just don't remember."
Roy looked toward the machine.
Then back at the man.
"Who are you?"
The man looked at the pendant.
"That belonged to your mother."
Roy froze.
The Lightning around his body flickered.
"...My mother?"
The old man nodded.
Roy stepped forward.
"You knew her?"
"Yes."
"Then where is she?"
The old man's expression changed.
Roy immediately noticed.
"You know something."
"I know many things."
"Then tell me!"
Roy's voice echoed through the chamber.
The old man remained calm.
"Your mother didn't leave you, Roy."
Roy froze.
The words struck harder than any attack.
"What?"
"She didn't abandon you."
Roy clenched his fists.
"Then where is she?"
The old man lowered his head.
"I don't know."
Roy's Lightning exploded.
CRACK!
"Don't lie to me!"
The old man looked directly into Roy's eyes.
"For years, I have waited for you to return here."
Roy's breathing became heavier.
"And when you did..."
The man looked toward the machines.
"...I hoped I would finally have answers too."
Roy stared at him.
Before he could respond—
BOOOOOOM!
The entire chamber shook.
Both of them turned.
A powerful explosion echoed from above.
Roy activated Zeus Armour immediately.
Blue Lightning formed around his body.
"What was that?"
The old man's face changed.
The calmness disappeared.
For the first time—
Roy saw fear.
"No."
Another explosion followed.
BOOM!
This one was closer.
Red lights suddenly appeared throughout the chamber.
A loud alarm began sounding.
WARNING.
UNAUTHORIZED NEXIS SIGNATURES DETECTED.
Roy looked at the screen.
Then at the old man.
"Who are they?"
The old man slowly stepped backward.
"They shouldn't be here."
Roy's eyes narrowed.
"That's not what I asked."
The old man looked toward the entrance.
"Roy..."
Another explosion.
BOOM!
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The hidden passage leading into the chamber shook violently.
Roy gathered Lightning around his hands.
"Tell me who they are."
The old man remained silent.
Roy stepped forward.
"Who are they?"
The man finally answered.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"The people your mother was running from."
Roy froze.
The memory returned.
The woman.
The fire.
The voice.
> Protect him.
Roy slowly turned toward the entrance.
Footsteps echoed through the underground corridor.
One.
Then another.
Then several more.
The pendant around his neck began burning hot.
Roy clenched his fists.
The old man looked at him.
"You need to leave."
Roy didn't move.
"I'm not running."
"Roy—"
"I said I'm not running."
Lightning exploded around him.
CRACK!
The footsteps stopped.
A shadow appeared at the entrance.
Then another.
Five figures slowly entered the chamber.
They wore long black coats.
Their faces were hidden.
Roy stared at them.
One of the figures stepped forward.
"After all these years..."
Roy raised his hand.
The masked figure looked directly at him.
"...we finally found you."
Roy's eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell are you?"
The figure remained silent for a moment.
Then he smiled beneath his mask.
"You don't remember us."
Roy's expression darkened.
"No."
The figure slowly raised his hand.
"But soon..."
Dark Nexis began spreading around his body.
Roy's Lightning reacted instantly.
"...you will."
BOOOOOOM!