Following Levi's Essence release, silence fell over the room. Even after his declaration proof that he was ready — no one spoke.
"Before we arrived here, Miss Anastasia taught me everything about the Essence of a Zen'en Art wielder," Levi recalled in his mind.
[Flashback]
"The Essences?" Levi asked, tilting his head slightly — a mix of curiosity and confusion on his face.
"Yup," Anastasia nodded. "Your Essences as a Zen'en Artist are your most vital core. Without them, you'd lose all sense of identity… and wander in eternity, lost."
"That sounds terrifying…" Levi muttered, a nervous sweat forming on his brow.
"It is," she affirmed, her voice suddenly sharp. "Which is why… you must master them!"
"…You're starting to scare me," Levi said with a gulp.
"But first, keep this in mind," Anastasia began. "There are two primary types of Zen'en Art. The first is the Imaginary Arts, which you receive by completing the trial through positivity, or the 'bright' path. That's what you have. You wield an Imaginary Art."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"On the other hand, there's the Immortality Arts granted through negativity or, the dark path. But remember this: it's not evil. It's simply the path they chose to follow."
"R-Right" Levi said, nodding in response.
"An Imaginary Art, huh..." he thought to himself, a flicker of pride and excitement stirring within him.
Anastasia smirked. "Anyway, everyone in this world possesses an Essence — Life and Spirit Essences. These give you the possibility of receiving a Zen'en Art… and the certainty of facing the Zen Trial. Every person in the world has a chance to awaken their Zen'en Art — but only by surviving that trial."
Levi listened intently, absorbing every word.
"However," she continued, "the time one is called to the trial differs for each person. Some face it in childhood, others in adolescence… and some, like you, not until adulthood."
"I see…" Levi nodded slowly. "So how do I manifest my Life and Spiritual Essence?"
Anastasia smiled, raising a thumb and giving a playful wink. "That's exactly what I'm about to teach you."
Levi gave a confident nod in return.
"First," she said, her voice taking on a deeper, more focused tone, "you'll need to look deep into your will — once again. When you find yourself within it, draw it out… manifest it externally. Release it. Let it become."
There was a challenge behind her smile — one Levi couldn't ignore.
Grim Archives, Chapter 8: Your first case awaits
Levi slowly closed his eyes.
Silence blanketed the space. For a moment, there was no sound — only stillness.
Then, as his eyes remained shut, wisps of white and black aura began to swirl around him, faint at first, then growing in intensity. He opened his eyes sharply— ! ! !
A massive surge of black and white aura exploded around him, distorting the air like a glitching screen. It stretched out in every direction, flooding the space with chaotic, misty trails. Random bursts of energy spiraled violently, while the background — was pure, immaculate white.
"W-What the hell is this…?" Levi thought, his heart racing. A bead of sweat slid down his face, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Is this… really my will? It's so overwhelming… crushing…"
He shut his eyes tightly, trying to steady himself against the crushing weight of the place. Slowly, he inhaled… then exhaled. Calm returned. His fear vanished.
"I must not fail. I've come too far."
Flashes of memories filled his mind — his family, their trust, and the long journey to the Zen Trial.
"They believed in me. They gave me the chance to walk this path. I will not… let them down!"
He snapped his eyes open, now blazing with resolve. At that moment, in the real world —
! ! !
Levi's eyes opened.
Anastasia's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening.
The ground trembled violently, the air glitching like reality itself was fracturing. That same black-and-white aura erupted from Levi's body, spiraling in every direction like a ghostly storm. Fog-like tendrils twisted through the air, thick and untamed.
"Impressive… for someone just starting," Anastasia thought, watching him in awe.
"So," she said aloud, "how are you feeling?"
"I feel… light. Like I'm weightless," Levi replied, astonished. His voice trembled with wonder.
"You can suppress it now," Anastasia instructed calmly. "Just focus — like before."
Levi closed his eyes again. Inhale. Exhale. The aura faded. The shaking stopped. All was still once more. But his mind lingered on the experience.
"…Why was it so different?" he asked, his tone troubled. "My will wasn't like that before. It felt… aggressive. Heavy. Chaotic. And the color—before it was golden white. Now it's black and white."
"That's because it wasn't fully realized before," Anastasia explained. "You weren't in the same state you were last night. This is something we'll have to uncover together."
She stepped closer, voice calm and precise. "Your Life Essence is the white aura. The black one is your Spiritual Essence. But ultimately… it's up to you to understand them. To make your Essences correspond with your will."
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That's how you master all three — Life, Spirit, and Will. When they move as one under your guidance, you'll truly be in control. That is the path to realizing your Essences."
"Your Life Essence is your identity. Your Spiritual Essence is the energy behind your Zen'en Art. And your Will exists to balance the two. But remember, Levi—you are the one who guides them. Without you, there is no harmony."
[Back in the present]
It was still quiet. Well, for a moment.
"Nice!" Anastasia said with a wink and a confident thumbs-up, her pride shining. Levi responded with a shy smile and a polite bow.
"Unreal…" Rina thought to herself, still in disbelief.
"Well, that's something…" Rin muttered internally, still visibly surprised, though not as stunned as before.
Meanwhile, Evangeline was unwrapping a lollipop. With an uninterested look in her eyes, she popped it into her mouth, then glanced at Levi again. "Mm," she nodded, giving a casual thumbs-up of her own.
It finally began to settle in. The weight of what had just happened was dawning on them.
"How… how did you release that much Essence?" Rina asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper, still shaken.
"I don't really know. I—"
"You have immense potential."
Levi's words were abruptly cut off by Rin, who was still idly scanning the bookshelf nearby. Without turning, he side-eyed Levi and added,
"It seems."
Levi blinked, caught off guard by the comment. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
"Yup. You've got the potential to be crazy strong," Evangeline chimed in, the lollipop still in her mouth. Then—with a loud crack—she bit down hard, the sound of splintering candy echoing slightly.
She pulled out the now-empty stick and raised her hand, fingers poised to flick it.
"Wanna test that potential?" she asked with a smirk, her eyes still flat and unserious. "I'll flick this stick at you—at speeds orders of magnitude faster than sound. Try and catch it, yeah?"
"Uhhh…" Levi stammered, half his body turning a deep violet hue from sheer dread.
"Hold on, that might actually kill him. Maybe make it a little slower," Anastasia said—not out of concern, but more out of curiosity, clearly intrigued rather than trying to be helpful.
"That said…"
Evangeline's tone shifted, her expression softening into something more neutral.
"You should put that potential through a proper journey. That's why you joined the Archives, isn't it?" She took a step closer, her casual demeanor now carrying a quiet intensity.
"I'll ask you one last time, Levi.
Do you think you can handle being one of us?
A Harbinger?"
Levi stayed quiet for a moment—but only for a moment. He let out a faint smile and nodded.
"Yeah. I think I'm ready," he said, straightening his posture and meeting everyone's eyes. His gaze wasn't sharp with anger or vengeance but steady, courage and determination.
Upon hearing Levi's response, Rin closed his eyes and let out a soft, acknowledging hum. Without a word, he returned to browsing the bookshelf—his subtle way of showing understanding.
Evangeline offered a small smile, her arm resting on the counter while her hand supported her head. She looked amused, but there was a quiet approval in her expression.
Rina, however, remained still. She couldn't find words—yet. A single bead of sweat ran down the side of her face, her lips drawn in a thin line.
"Everything's happening so fast… but I can feel something in him," she thought. Then, as if shaking off the weight of doubt, she straightened gaze and met Levi's eyes.
"Welcome to the Grim Archives, Levi," she said at last—smiling now, her hesitation gone.
Levi smiled warmly in return and bowed to everyone in the room.
"Thank you for accepting me!" he said with heartfelt gratitude.
Watching the exchange, Anastasia smiled to herself and stood from the wall she had been leaning on. She took two steps forward, clapped twice, and declared,
"Well then, looks like you're officially an employee of the Grim Archives!"
Levi gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah… looks like it, haha."
Then, snap. Before Levi could process anything, Anastasia had already outfitted him in the official Grim Archives uniform: a black apron bearing a white scythe symbol at the center, a matching black bandana tied around his head, and a sleek armband on his right bicep with the same white scythe emblem.
"Eh?" Levi blinked, staring down at his suddenly transformed appearance.
"What… is this?" he asked, baffled.
"Since you're officially one of us, you can be our new waiter!" Anastasia announced, her voice bright with excitement.
"We've actually had a 'Help Wanted' poster up for weeks, but no one paid attention. Guess fate sent us the right guy!"
She then pointed a thumb over to Evangeline.
"Also, that armband? Designed by Evangeline herself. Pretty cool, right?" Evangeline gave another casual thumbs-up.
Levi, meanwhile, stood frozen, the color draining from his face as he tried to process the chaos around him.
"Am I really going to be doing this...?" he wondered to himself.
---
The day continued at the Grim Archives.
It was late afternoon. Outside was silent, the "Suteki Street" sign at the top of the street's entrance hung clean and still. The neighborhood was calm, with only the distant hum of a passing breeze.
Inside, the air was warm and faintly scented with old books and tea. Levi swept the wooden floor, the quiet swish of the broom the only sound.
The bell above the door rang with a soft chime. A woman stepped in. She wore a brown coat, wrinkled at the sleeves, her eyes heavy with eyebags. Her hair was unkempt, as if she hadn't slept in days. "Is this where I can get... supernatural help?" she asked, her voice low.
Levi paused, eyes fixed on her, surprised but curious.