The night was still, and the fire inside the cabin was dying slowly.
Falco stood by the table in front of Arian, his wings trembling faintly, his gray eyes gleaming like twin sparks in the dark.
He spoke in a low voice, yet every word cut deep, sharp as a promise carved into stone.
> "Listen carefully, Arian.
The world beyond the academy shows no mercy.
But out there… that's where the real journey begins.
You must win in seven months—only then will you claim the technique that can change your fate."
Arian lifted his gaze, his voice uncertain.
> "The technique… the one you told me about before?"
Falco's lips curved into a faint smile, quiet but filled with certainty.
> "Yes. Skybreaker."
The name alone chilled the air. The fire dimmed further, as though it feared the sound.
Falco went on, his tone turning grave:
> "It's not just a technique—it's the gate to absolute power.
Those who master it break through the limits of the soul itself, touching the first threads of the cosmic arts.
And Gram… he was the last one to wield it before he vanished."
He paused, then extended one small wing toward Arian as if to halt him.
> "But to reach that point, we start now.
The first step—
we change your face. The world must forget Arian."
Arian rose slowly. Despite the storm inside him, his eyes were steady.
Falco lifted his tiny hand, and the shadow beneath him began to spread like liquid night, wrapping around Arian's body.
The air grew heavy; a faint hum echoed through the silence.
> "Close your eyes…"
Falco's whisper floated through the dark.
Arian obeyed—and the world was swallowed by blackness.
Moments passed. Then light returned.
But the one standing there was no longer Arian.
He was a young man with silver hair fading into gray, his eyes a strange shade of blue veiled with ash, glowing faintly from within.
His features were sharper, leaner, and when he spoke, his voice was calmer—deeper—carrying a quiet gravity.
> "I… changed?"
Falco circled him, pride glinting in his eyes.
> "Yes. From this day forward…
your name is Ryn Valen.
The name the kingdoms will remember when the Skybreaker rises again."
Ryn stood silent for a moment, pressing his hand to his chest as if feeling the rhythm of a new heart.
Then he looked at Falco, his tone unwavering.
> "Ryn Valen… alright. Let's begin."
Falco's grin turned sly as his wings fluttered once more.
> "Then let the journey begin—
toward the heavens… or their end."