"Aizen! Are you okay?"
The masked man's voice cut through the silence. He reached forward, steadying the trembling boy.
Aizen's lips parted, his golden eyes widening. "…Mark?"
The man froze. His body stiffened, as though struck by lightning. Slowly, he lifted his hand toward his mask, but stopped halfway, words caught in his throat.
"You… remembered," he whispered.
Aizen's chest tightened. "I saw the future. And in it… you removed your mask. It was you, Mark. My brother."
The air grew heavy. The masked man—Mark—let the silence linger before speaking, his voice no longer disguised.
"So… you saw that much." His tone carried both relief and sorrow. "Tell me, Aizen—Raizen—how far did you see?"
Aizen's gaze hardened. "I saw everything. Our battles. Our losses. And… I saw you, Mark. But how? How did you end up in this world?"
Mark exhaled deeply, eyes shadowed by memories far older than the forest around them. "It's difficult to explain. For you, it has only been a year since we were torn apart. But for me, millennia have passed. That's the way of things when two worlds collide. Even though you died first, I was the one summoned here before you. I lived, I trained, I endured… waiting for the day you would return."
He paused, his eyes softening. "I knew it was you, Raizen. The way you move. The aggression in your martial arts. You haven't changed."
Aizen clenched his fists, his voice low. "Mark… then tell me. What does it mean? Did we win that battle against her? Or… did we lose everything?"
For the first time, Mark's voice faltered. "…We lost." His words were quiet, almost fragile.
Aizen looked away, the memory of his fallen friends and his devoured sister stabbing at his chest. He drew a sharp breath, then lifted his head with fiery resolve. "Then I was still too weak. But not this time. I will grow stronger. Strong enough to win, to protect them, to protect everything."
Mark's lips curled into the faintest of smiles. "That's the Raizen I remember. Very well. From now on, we train together. No restraint. No excuses. Until the day comes when we face her again."
The brothers stood side by side, their silhouettes etched against the darkening sky. Above them, the strange purple light swelled brighter, faster, spreading its eerie glow across the heavens.
---
Meanwhile, far away, Amethyst tossed in restless sleep.
In his dream, a colossal dragon loomed, its body vast enough to coil around a planet. With a single bite, it devoured worlds whole. Its roar shook the cosmos, and in the chaos, Amethyst saw his father—Aizen—fall before its unimaginable strength. The beast swallowed him without effort, as though he were nothing more than dust.
"No…" Amethyst whispered, his small body trembling. He jolted awake, sweat dampening his brow.
His breath came ragged. "Ugh… what was that? These dreams—they're too real. Too vivid." He hugged his knees, shivering in the dark. "And they keep showing me Father's death…"
The moonlight spilled into his room, but it did nothing to ease the cold fear clawing at his chest.
---
End of Chapter 67