"It took a while to get here, but here it is, the Bullhead I saw in the anime. It looks even cooler in person than it did on screen." Kael thought to himself, impressed by how much better it looked live.
Kael had gathered many memories and pieces of information about this world from the void before arriving. Still, he was aware of even more details concerning the important aspects this world had to offer. However, he was uncertain whether he had arrived before or during the canon events. He needed to assess the situation once he reached Vale to determine the timeline.
"This is going to be a long road for me, but it's better than doing homework and studying all weekend. So let's get going." Kael mumbled to himself as he started to board the Bullhead, only to hear something call out.
Kael looked around and saw nothing except for people boarding the bullhead to head to Vale. He sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and continued walking toward the bullhead when he heard something again, this time a little clearer.
"Kael! Wait up!" a voice shrieked behind him.
Kael turned around, only to be tackled to the ground by a white blur. He hit the ground with a groan as the air was knocked from his lungs.. He tried to get up, but then he felt something soft in his hands.
"Huh... What's this soft feeling?" Kael muttered, confused, his hands instinctively gripping something unfamiliar. "It's so soft; what is this?"
He froze as a wave of panic surged through him. He realized what he was touching. "That's not what I think it is… right?" Kael thought as his face started to turn horrified.
"Ahh!" A woman's voice yelped as Kael froze. He had touched what he feared he had.
"I-I am so sorry!" Kael yelled out as he got up from the ground to see the person that made him fall to the ground.
The woman wore a hooded cloak, white on the outside and red on the inside. Beneath the cloak, she had on a mostly black high-neck décolletage blouse with studded wristbands on her arms. She also wore a black and white overbust corset, a skirt with white tulle underneath, gray leggings, and black knee-high boots with red soles.
But she was mostly blushing red, looking at Kael with embarrassment while clenching her fist. Kael glanced at her, then at his hand as he opened and closed it, before looking back at the woman.
"You... You... You pervert!" she screamed, punching Kael hard in the face, sending him flying over people and straight into the bullhead.
.
.
.
.
A few moments later, the Bullhead soared into the sky.
Kael was holding an ice pack on his cheek as he took it off, and still felt a fist print on his cheek that was still red as he looked in front of him to see the woman apologizing profusely for punching him in the face.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you, Kael, I didn't know I thought you ahhh!" She buried her face in her hands. The woman talked rapidly, and her sentences didn't make sense, but somehow Kael understood her well, like it was muscle memory in his brain.
"It's fine, don't worry. I should apologize for not looking at what I was grabbing in the first place," Kael said, coughing in embarrassment while still icing his face.
Both of them sat in silence, feeling awkward. For Kael, it was the first time he had ever touched a woman's body, and while others might celebrate such a moment, Kael held onto his morals and decency, unlike a certain greyrat from an anime.
"I...I heard you were dropping out of Beacon. I heard it from Qrow, and you didn't even tell me or Taiyang or Raven, for the matter..." The woman asked as her voice had a hint of sadness for not telling her.
"Wait… she said Qrow, Taiyang, and Raven? That only fits one person… Summer Rose. And if she's here, alive, and still a student… then this is before Ruby was even born." Kael thought in shock as he finally realized what timeline he was currently in.
That placed him at least fifteen years or more before the start of canon. That meant he could influence the events leading up to it
"Wait...Summer knows me... not just casually. I must have been part of their lives here. But why can't I remember that part?" Kael thought as he didn't get any memories during this body's time at Beacon Academy.
Ding!
[Mentor System Notification]
Target Identified: Summer Rose
Second Year at Beacon Academy
Bond Level: ??? — Connection recognized, but memory data incomplete.
New Quest Available: "Reconnect the Past"
Info: Summer Rose remembers you, but your memories of her and your time at Beacon are missing. Rebuild your bond to recover lost memories, unlock shared history, and learn why you vanished from her life.
Rewards:
Memory Fragment: [Beacon Days]
Story Unlocked: Volume 1 of the Chrysos Heirs Flame Chase Journey: The Holy Maiden of Janusopolis: Tribios
Bond Level: Summer Rose (Locked → ???)
Passive Skill: "Echoes of the Past" (Uncover hidden relationships with others who knew the "old Kael")
Kael noticed the notification and was surprised to see that another quest was already available. The rewards looked promising, as they seemed connected to his body's memories. He would need those memories in the future, especially if he encountered other characters like Summer. This quest even included the first story featuring Tribios from Honkai: Star Rail.
"Tribios? That's from Honkai Star Rail… but what does it have to do with this world? Best not to think too much about it right now. I should look around and get my bearings here, as I may need to return someday to accomplish something," Kael thought, removing the ice pack from his face.
"So, what's the excuse this time, Kael? You're not the type to do something like this without a reason. Summer's voice was calm, but Kael could hear the tremble beneath it, like she was holding something back, afraid of what she might hear.
He didn't look at her right away. Instead, he kept his gaze on the skyline of Vale in the distance, where the mountains met the clouds and dreams were supposed to live.
Kael sighed, shoulders tense.
"I just… don't think being a Huntsman is for me," he said quietly.
Summer blinked, confusion mixing with hurt. "What do you mean? You've trained your whole life for this. You were one of the best in our year, and-"
"I know," Kael interrupted softly. "I know what I looked like to other people's eyes. But it doesn't fit. Chasing monsters with a sword in hand, fighting every day just to survive... that's not the kind of life I want."
He glanced down at his gloved hands, opening and closing them. This body and soul felt like it was talking because it was. This is what this world's Kael thought."I kept thinking that I was running away, but the more I stayed, the more it felt like I was trying to become someone I'm not. The world doesn't just need Huntsmen. It needs people who can reach others in different ways."
Summer furrowed her brow, her voice small. "So… what are you going to do?"
Kael looked up, eyes more certain now. "I want to teach. I want to share stories, write books, write ideas, lessons, maybe even the dreams people forgot they had. There's so much more to this world than just dust and blades. Maybe I can help others remember that."
A quiet pause fell between them. The engines of the Bullhead hummed as clouds drifted below.
Summer finally smiled; it was faint, wistful, but real.
"You always said weird things like that... back then. But you always made me believe them."
Kael felt something stir in his chest. Something warm.
Ding!
[Mentor System - Quest Progress: 12%]
Summer Rose: Bond Status Updated - ??? → Budding Flame
He blinked at the notification, then looked at Summer again. She wasn't angry anymore. Just confused. Sad. Hopeful.
He could work with that.
The Bullhead began to descend, the engines shifting pitch as the city of Vale spread out below them like a storybook painting. Towering skyscrapers kissed the clouds, while cobbled paths and tram lines crisscrossed through the bustling heart of the kingdom. The golden hues of a late afternoon sun washed over everything, casting long shadows and glints off the metal canopy.
"Passengers bound for Vale, please be ready to disembark," a voice echoed over the intercom.
Thud.
The Bullhead touched down smoothly on a landing pad near one of the city's skyports. The back hatch hissed open, releasing a breath of stale air and the low hum of outside life.
Kael stood slowly, stretching his stiff limbs and wincing a little at the still-sensitive spot on his cheek.
Summer followed suit, glancing sideways at him. "You sure you don't need a second ice pack?" she teased gently.
He chuckled. "I think I'll survive. Though I'm sure the imprint of your fist is permanently branded on my face."
She rolled her eyes, but there was a smile at the edge of her lips. "It's not my fault you're... well, you."
As they stepped off the Bullhead, Vale's afternoon breeze greeted them, a warm, scented breeze with spice and dust and distant cooking fires. The landing pad sat atop a high-rise terminal, giving a wide view of the city below. Crowds moved through the streets like rivers of color. Everything felt alive, vibrant, vendors shouting out deals, children laughing in the distance, street performers drawing crowds with fire dust, and selling food.
Kael squinted as the sun hit his face. He instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes.
"Still don't like the light, huh?" Summer chuckled beside him. "You used to grumble about sunrise drills."
"Still do," he replied with a smirk. "Some things never change."
Ding!
[Echoes of the Past: Trait Confirmed – "Nocturne Soul"]
Kael was always more active at night. Traits of the original personality are returning.
+1 Affinity with Summer Rose
Kael sighed softly. The system was revealing bits and pieces of who he was one small echo at a time.
They began walking together, descending a wide ramp that led from the Bullhead station toward the public transit lines. Summer walked with quiet familiarity beside him, occasionally glancing over as if trying to memorize his face.
"So…" she began, carefully, "you really aren't coming back to Beacon?"
Kael took a breath. "No. I might text you guys…maybe speak, someday. But the academy's not my path anymore."
"Then where is your path?" she asked.
He paused, then looked at the city stretched out before him. "Out there. Anywhere someone is willing to listen to a story."
Summer raised an eyebrow. "You're serious about that teaching thing."
"I am," he said. "I think… people need more than just protection. They need purpose. Meaning. Hope. Huntsmen fight the dark, sure, but who reminds the world why the light matters in the first place?"
Summer slowed to a stop.
"You always talked like that," she whispered, barely audible above the city noise. "Like a character from a novel. Back then, I thought it was weird. Now… I kinda missed it."
Kael turned to face her. "Thanks, Summer. For not punching me a second time."
She laughed, brushing hair from her face as her cloak fluttered. "Don't tempt me."
Ding!
Quest Progress: "Reconnect the Past" — 24% Complete
Memory Fragment occurring... Loading: Vale Weekend – Year 1, Beacon]Participants: Kael Zafkiel (Year 2) & Summer Rose (Year 1)
The scent of baked sugar and melted chocolate hit them the moment they stepped into the cozy little cookie shop nestled between a bookstore and a Dust café in Vale's south plaza.
"Kael! Kael, look!" Summer beamed, pointing at the sign written in warm frosting-like script, 'Coco & Chip's Delightful Bites'.
Kael smirked as she practically bounced in place, her cloak fluttering behind her like an excited child. "You act like they're handing out free Grimm repellent."
"Don't mock the sacred art of cookiecraft," Summer said with mock seriousness. "This place got a five-star rating from Foodie Vale Weekly. That's basically divine."
"Whatever you say Rose." Kael said simply with a smile on his face.
They stepped up to the counter, the glass displays gleaming with fresh batches of cookies: double chocolate, mint swirl, cinnamon crumble, and the holy grail of all warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies.
"I'll take two boxes of the chocolate chip ones, please!" Summer announced proudly.
Kael blinked. "Two boxes? Are you planning to share?"
She gave him a blank stare. "No?"
The shop clerk laughed, already preparing the order. Summer reached into her belt pouch… only to pause. Her smile faltered.
"Oh no…" she whispered, patting herself down more frantically. "No, no, no, no, where is it?!"
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me…"
"I forgot my wallet!" she wailed dramatically, slumping against the counter like she'd just lost a final exam. "I swear I brought it! It was right next to my bookmark, and, ugh! I left it on my desk!"
Kael sighed, amused. "How did you plan an entire cookie pilgrimage but forget your wallet?"
"Don't judge me," she muttered. "The cookie part took up most of the brain space."
Shaking his head, Kael stepped forward and took out his wallet and pulled out his card.
"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, eyes wide.
"Covering for your sugar rush, obviously," Kael said with a small smile. "Consider it payback for that time you smuggled me snacks during Professor Greene's 'History of Dust Applications' lecture."
Summer blinked, then smiled so warmly it could melt a whole tray of cookies. "Thanks, Kael."
As they walked out, two warm boxes in Summer's arms and a satisfied hum on her lips, Kael glanced over.
"You owe me next time."
"Oh, definitely," she said, already munching on one. "Next time, I'll buy… triple chocolate. For both of us."
Kael chuckled.
[Memory Fragment Recovered: "Cookie Run"]
+5 Affinity with Summer Rose
Bond Level: Budding Flame → Gentle Embers
Kael has unlocked the Dialogue Option: "You still love chocolate chip cookies, huh?"
Kael blinked as a vivid memory flashed through his mind, feeling as if it had just happened moments ago, something he didn't expect at all. He could sense his heart aching slightly as he recalled that fragment of memory.
"Hey, Kael, you're zoning out on me again like you did back at the bullhead, but I let that go since I punched you on the cheek." Summer asked, concerned as she wondered if she had given him a concussion.
Kael just smiled as he looked at her.
"I'm fine, Rose," he said, brushing off her concern with a gentle look. "You still love chocolate chip cookies, huh?"
Summer tilted her head, a curious smile forming on her lips. "You remember that?"
"Of course I do," Kael said, his voice tinged with warmth. "So… for our final meet-up this time, how about we go to Coco & Chip's Delightful Bites?"
He stuffed his hands into his pockets, gaze falling briefly to the ground as he continued."I'll cover the bill again. Consider it an apology for not telling you sooner… that I'm dropping out."