Nox dreamt of eating Raizen's rabbit stew. Not that he would ever admit it was delicious, but the smell was vivid, almost intoxicating.
He slowly opened his eyes to a familiar roof, one he had stared at before in this very position. This time there were differences, his body wasn't in pain, and a soft noise came from his left side.
Turning, he saw Juro sleeping soundly, the morning sun slipping through the cracks of the wall and bathing his face in a golden glow.
But something else was different. The smell of Raizen's rabbit stew. Turns out, it wasn't just a dream.
Determined to get to the bottom of this, Nox staggered upright, tired but resolute, and made his way to the living room. There, by the fireplace, sat a steaming bowl of stew.
No Raizen. No Juro. Just the stew, sitting majestically as though waiting for him.
Nox's eyes darted left and right, but the house was empty. At the center, that bowl of deliciousness called to him. He approached, finding an entire pot simmering on the fire.
He laughed under his breath, almost like a villain whose plan had finally worked. Without hesitation, he devoured it, eating until he was full, and even then, there was still more than enough left. Not even Juro could finish this alone.
After ten minutes of feasting, he pushed himself up and wandered outside.
Raizen sat on the porch, feet on the ground, eyes closed as if lost in thought.
Nox lingered at the doorway for several seconds before Raizen's voice broke the silence.
"Is there something on my face?" Raizen asked without opening his eyes.
Nox flinched inwardly. How did he know I was here? He quickly masked his surprise. "Man, you sure do like keeping your eyes shut, don't you?"
Raizen opened his eyes at last, giving him a sidelong glance before turning forward again.
Taking the silent gesture as an invitation, Nox sat beside him.
"How many days were we out?" Nox asked.
"Days? It was just last night."
Nox's eyes widened. "Wait, really?" He glanced at his left arm, flexing it. "Then how am I this healed?"
"Iora does more than help you fight, I think I've told you that before," Raizen said softly.
"Oh, Iora. Right. That explains everything," Nox muttered sarcastically.
Raizen snickered despite himself, quickly turning away and biting his lip to hold back the laughter.
Nox spotted it instantly. He crouched in front of him, pressing both hands against Raizen's cheeks with a manic grin.
"Wait, are you actually shy, Master?"
Raizen's ears turned pink at the word. His composure cracked, he blushed like a child and, on reflex, struck Nox with a punch harder than he intended. He wasn't about to apologize, Nox deserved it.
Nox wheezed, clutching his shoulder. "You brute, you really are trying to kill me every chance you get!"
But before the playfulness could continue, Raizen bowed his head.
"I'm sorry. For last night."
The words silenced Nox. He straightened, pushing the grin away, and bowed deeply. "If it wasn't for you, me and Juro would be dead. You gave us a chance to live, and gave me a chance to find my mother, even if it's a long shot. I'll always be grateful."
Raizen looked away, unable to answer. They sat in silence until Nox broke it again.
"So, what happened after? I couldn't make it out. And those slashes protecting me, how"
"It wasn't me," Raizen interrupted. "It was a pale haired demon who saved you."
Nox froze, unable to process what he was hearing.
"He'd been lurking since I started overloading the ring. Maybe he thought I couldn't protect you. So I went into God Mode immediately in case he changed his mind and attacked you instead. That's why it took a little longer than forty seconds."
"Wait, a demon saved me? And what do you mean God Mode?" Nox pressed.
Oh right, he doesn't know what God Mode means yet, Raizen thought to himself. He ignored Nox's barrage of questions. "After I defeated the Dreknar, he challenged me. We exchanged one blow. If it had continued, you'd have died. So we ended it there."
Nox leaned forward. "But who was he?"
"I don't know. Except that he was a demon. And he reshaped that Dreknar."
"Reshaped? What do you mean?"
"Dreknars reach the peak of their power under a full moon, then they have the power to use unique abilities and regenerate. But that wasn't the case last night. And Dreknars do not have hearts, but that one did. The first of its kind."
Nox's curiosity shifted quickly. "Wow, all very mysterious. But seriously, what's God Mode?"
"You'll find out on your own." Raizen's voice was flat.
Instead, he stood and looked toward the forest. "For now, I'm sending you to Eden. Where the Kurai reside."
"Eden? Where is that? And why?" Nox's voice cracked with panic. "Why does it feel like I'm the only one going?"
"Because you are. Juro's staying here."
"What? Why can't I stay too?"
"Because I can't train you here."
"Then why can't he come with me?"
"Because no one there can train him." Raizen's tone grew firm. "If you truly want to stand against those who trampled over you, you already know what decision you must make."
The words cut into Nox. He and Juro were only sixteen, boys hurled into a world of fire and chaos. Their village destroyed, their loved ones gone, and their future uncertain. Through it all, they had only survived because they had each other.
And now, even that was being torn away.
Nox's vision blurred with tears. Juro, hiding behind the door, wept silently, with a plate of Raizen's stew, only Raizen noticed him there.
"Since your village was attacked and your mother was taken, something has been set in motion," Raizen said grimly. "Demons and Dreknars haven't stirred like this in a long time. They are even gauging our strength. Something greater is brewing, and you boys are in the middle of it. To survive whatever it is that is coming,you must prepare for it."
His voice carried like steel.
"So decide which path to take. In this life, every path leads to the same end, chaos and destruction. The only choice is which path prepares you best for what's coming."
The weight of his words sank deep into them.
Pain and destruction had forged them into men.
Raizen's words were now forging them into warriors.