'I almost died there... I need to become stronger. That's the only way.'
A certain young man with dark golden hair walked silently down the street in the pale light of early morning.
'But I know—no matter what I do, it's useless.'
Luke's heart ached with frustration.
'No matter how hard I try, I can't break past level eight.'
Grinding his teeth, he muttered aloud.
"Maybe this is my limit."
"Hey, kid. What are you doing here?"
A familiar, sharp voice called from behind.
"M-Miss Mira! Good morning."
Luke turned quickly, trying to compose himself.
"What's so good about this morning?"
Mira growled, her forehead veins visibly pulsing.
Realizing her mood, Luke gave a small bow.
"I heard you looked after Jasmine all night, after I left him in the hospital. Thank you for your help, Miss."
Her irritation lessened at his polite tone.
"You've got a silver tongue, kid. If only a certain someone were more like you…"
She muttered, refusing to let Albedo's face appear in her thoughts.
"If you keep this up, I might just fall head over heels for you. What do you say—wanna be my boyfriend?"
"I respectfully decline."
Luke replied as if brushing off a persistent merchant trying to sell junk.
"You little brat—!" she snapped.
"Lord Albedo told me to investigate the second Shadowless corpse."
Luke quickly diverted, sensing her wrath.
"Hmph. Same here," she replied, taking the bait.
***
The two made their way toward an abandoned building, guided by the location Albedo had given them.
"Of course they didn't find the body," Luke noted. "This area's completely deserted."
"It's strange," Mira said, kneeling by the corpse.
"What is?"
"Hmm ... the way it died. It doesn't look like any typical kill. Maybe a cursed art was used?"
She examined the creature more thoroughly, then suddenly froze.
"…No. It can't be."
"What is it?" Luke asked.
"There's no trace of spiritual energy. It's like… it died naturally."
"Maybe it did."
"You idiot," she snapped. "These things are born from the spiritual energy of the shadow world. That makes them immortal."
"So… they can't die naturally?"
"No," she confirmed. "Something is very wrong here."
She drew a circle of spiritual energy and sat cross-legged by the corpse, preparing her divination.
Divination Arts were unlike most Arts—complex and volatile. They used the mystical symbols of Astral or Constellation. They allowed one to peer into ones fate, or see the past and future by plunging their psyche into the stream of time. But a misstep could trap a soul forever in those currents.
However, Mira possessed the skill—[Protector], a powerful safeguard that shielded her from all mystical backlash. She was immune to the usual dangers of divination.
[Divination Art: Remembrance of Forgotten Past]
She infused her spiritual energy into the corpse and pushed her consciousness into the timeline.
Seeing the future was easy. One only need to follow the flow of the river of time, But the past, however, meant going against the flow of time—far more dangerous. But thanks to [Protector], she faced no such risk.
'So this is divination... I've never seen it before.' Luke thought, watching in awe.
Moments later, Mira's body shuddered. The spell ended.
"Did you see who killed it?"
"Y-Yes… I saw… a glimpse…"
"What was it?"
"A… a monster," she whispered, trembling.
"What happened?" Luke placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Th-that thing had… red eyes…"
Blood dripped from her mouth.
"Miss Mira!"
"I knew it. I should have known…" she wept. "There's only one explanation. The reason it showed itself to me…"
"What is it?!"
"It's… beyond the concept of time."
"What are you talking about?"
"When I looked into its soul… I saw—"
"What did you see, Miss?"
"…The… The…"
Blood streamed from her eyes. Cracks appeared in her pupils. A second later, her eyes ignited—crimson flames roaring to life.
A seed of corruption now grow in her soul.
***
On a Distant Cliff.
In the distance, the fire of a dragon blazed—its fury like hundreds of suns consuming an entire city. An unending inferno.
Albedo sat calmly on a cliff's edge, sipping from a bottle of fine wine.
"I gaze upon the bridge of fire,
Burning bright through endless years,
Consuming souls, a fierce desire,
Igniting both my hopes and fears.
It sears the wretched, foul, and lost,
Yet stirs a pleasure in my heart;
Amidst the flames, I feel the cost,
Of sorrows past that won't depart.
I stand in silence, lost in thought,
Unable to laugh, nor shed a tear;
In this bright blaze, my spirit's caught,
A flicker of hope, a spark of fear."
"How was it? A poem from my soul."
He asked to someone, but not a soul was their but him.
"It's been what—four thousand years?" Albedo mused. "And the flames I lit that day still burn."
[Skill: Poison Nullification (X)]
"Tch. Come on," he clicked his tongue.
A voice echoed from within him, deep and inhuman.
"Why are we here, Albedo?"
"To have a drink, of course."
"I can see that… but don't you have more pressing matters?"
"Sure. But whenever I see that fire, I feel... peace."
Albedo watched the inferno with strange contentment.
"You can look at it any time," the voice—Dahara—grumbled. "A dragon's fire never dies."
"What are you implying, Dahara?"
"He's right, Albedo. You should've gone instead of sending her."
Another voice—softer, feminine—spoke.
"She'll be fine. I've seen the future… well, except one."
Albedo took another sip.
"What do you think would happen if I fought him? Me versus that boy—no restraints."
"You're powerful, Albedo. Greatest among the kings perhaps." Dahara admitted. "But that boy… he's beyond both of us."
Albedo smiled knowingly. He had seen the answer.
"I'd lose."
"I'm more concerned about the one who blessed him," said Chronola, the Dragon of Time.
"Yes," agreed the Flame Dragon. "That crimson flame could consume Mira's soul."
"And that's exactly what I want," Albedo replied.
"What do you mean?" Dahara narrowed his eyes.
"When the flame burns her, he'll reverse it using his unique skill."
Chronola understood. "And she may gain immunity from soul corruption."
"But what about the other child?" Chronola pressed. "The one even I, the Dragon of Time, can't see?"
"I don't know," Albedo admitted, unconcerned.
Chronola frowned. "I thought so."
Others might call it carelessness, but after three thousand years, the dragons within Albedo knew better.
"So this is your plan?" asked the Flame Dragon.
"Me? Oh no. I'm just curious. What could resist a time dragon's gaze?"
Even Albedo couldn't predict Jasmine's fate. But he had another way—through his own future. If he was tied to Jasmine, then glimpses of his own fate might reflect his.
"Yes… partially," he said. "But even that shows destruction."
"You can't change fate, Albedo," Chronola warned.
"I can try."
Dahara's voice hardened. "I told you to kill that kid."
Albedo gazed into the fire. A woman's image flickered in his mind.
"I couldn't do it, Dahara. He reminds me of myself... of the pain I once felt."
A cold sensation filled his chest.
"Then what will you do when the time comes?"
"I'll stop him—even if it costs my life."
"But why go so far—"
"It's simple," Albedo interrupted with a grin. "It's been thousands of years since my heart beat like this."
His eyes lit with excitement. Moments ago he was melancholic—now, thrilled.
He laughed, loud and free.
"I've finally found them—the children who might surpass me. I can see it, Dahara. A future full of chaos… and fun."
He raised his glass to the flames.
"Mark my words: the real fun is about to begin."