The morning sky stretched wide and cloudless over Raiden Edge, crisp and electric with potential. The city hummed as usual, but for two teenagers in one quiet home tucked away behind a grove of training fields, today wasn't just another day.
It was the day.
Inside the Hayashi home, Kazuki adjusted the collar of his black training jacket, the clan symbol stitched proudly onto the back—crimson lotus, obsidian outline, silver swirl. His eyes—deep and stormy like his father's—glimmered with calm confidence.
His twin, Kazumi, stood beside him lacing her boots. Her long dark hair was tied into a high ponytail, and her expression was sharp, focused. She looked like Yumi in the face, but there was no mistaking the quiet fire in her spirit—that was all Riku.
Their matching energy sparked faintly around them, not out of control, but restless. Eager. Like a sleeping storm beginning to stir.
Their mother, Yumi, watched them from the doorway with a warm smile, her hand resting on the edge of the kitchen counter where she'd prepared their favorite snacks for the road. She had kept them grounded all their lives, raising them with love, discipline, and the wisdom that power wasn't what made someone great—character did.
Kazumi leaned in and kissed Yumi on the cheek. "We'll be okay, Mama."
Kazuki did the same. "And we won't do anything reckless... unless we have to."
Yumi chuckled softly, brushing a hand across her daughter's hair and straightening her son's jacket. "You're both just like him already. Be smart. Be safe."
The twins stepped outside into the cold morning air, the wind lifting their hair. As the door shut gently behind them, Kazumi whispered, "Ready?"
Kazuki nodded. "Let's make our name mean something."
They arrived at Raiden Edge HQ—tall, sleek, its banners flapping with the clan insignia in bold embroidery. Inside, a few curious glances followed them, but no one recognized them for who they truly were. Just two more rookies reporting for their first mission.
That's exactly what Yumi had wanted—no legacy, no expectations. Just their own path.
They walked into the meeting chamber where Riku stood waiting, dressed in a long white-black cloak bearing his own insignia—calm, composed, but undeniably proud.
"On time," Riku said with a faint smirk. "Good start."
Kazuki grinned. "Wouldn't miss it."
Kazumi gave a small nod. "What's the mission?"
Kensei Gojuro appeared beside Riku, the Essence President as serious-looking as ever, holding a glowing tablet. "Low-ranked Rift Zone outside the 11th district. Readings are stable. We're sending a select group of new recruits to assess and cleanse it."
"You two will be among them," Riku said, stepping forward. "No one knows who you are. That's how it stays, for now. You're not my kids out there—you're Kazuki and Kazumi, Essence Warriors, nothing more."
They both nodded, serious now.
"Understood," they said in unison.
Riku looked at them, pausing briefly. Then he placed a hand on each of their shoulders, his energy flowing like a silent stream of reassurance.
"Make this first step count."
Kazumi smiled.
"We plan to."