The sky above Geneva was gray. Clouds hung heavy, as though even heaven itself mourned.
In the courtyard of the Council fortress, pyres had been prepared. Not of wood, but of aura flame—gentle, colorless fire that consumed nothing yet carried everything. Upon those flames rested the ashes of the fallen:
Amélie Dufort – The River's Child.
Sophia Carter – The Light of London.
Maria Torres – The Storm's Wrath.
Klaus Weber – The Wind Unbowed.
Dmitri Ivanov – The Mountain That Stood.
Their names were whispered through the crowd like fragile glass. Survivors, soldiers, civilians—all bowed their heads.
---
The Survivors
Ishita stood stiff, fists clenched, scarlet aura flickering faintly at her fingertips. Her eyes were swollen, but no tears fell now. They had run dry hours ago.
Beside her, Rehan's jaw was locked, his fists tight enough to bleed. His aura simmered beneath the surface, rage held down by sheer will.
Akira stood a little apart, his katana strapped across his back, eyes lowered. His silence was louder than any wail.
Ethan leaned on a crutch, bandages wrapping his arm and ribs. He smirked faintly, but his voice was hoarse. "They died better than we'll ever live."
Zahir Al-Fahim's aura shifted like sand in the wind. His face was calm, but sorrow weighed heavy in his eyes.
Hyejin, bandages covering her chest and arms, struggled to stand straight. Frost trailed faintly from her boots, her aura dim but stubborn. She refused to sit.
And at the center, Li Wei—the Soul Wielder—stood tall, robes drifting softly in the aura wind. His presence steadied the broken air around them.
---
Li Wei's Words
The pyres flared brighter as Li Wei stepped forward. His voice was soft, but carried to every corner.
"They were more than wielders. They were children of this world, who carried pain that none should carry. Each of them awakened not because they sought glory… but because tragedy left them no choice."
He looked at the flames, his eyes unreadable.
"Death usually takes aura with it. But not today. Their lives burned for us, and their light remains in us. So long as we breathe, so long as we fight, their aura flows within the great river of humanity."
His hand lifted slightly. Soul aura shimmered in the air, threads of light weaving upward, carrying fragments of the fallen wielders' essence into the sky.
"Do not call this their end," Li Wei said quietly. "Call it their oath, entrusted to us."
---
Ishita's Guilt
Ishita bit her lip until it bled. The scarlet glow at her fingertips grew hotter, wilder.
"They died because I was too weak," she whispered. Her voice shook, almost breaking. "Amélie helped me train… Sophia told me to believe… Maria and Klaus fought oceans apart… Dmitri—"
Her aura flared suddenly, scarlet flames licking at the air.
"I wasn't strong enough to save any of them!"
Rehan stepped forward instantly, gripping her shoulders, his aura clashing against hers. "Stop, Ishita. Their deaths weren't yours to carry."
Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Then whose are they, Rehan? Because they're crushing me."
Rehan's voice hardened. "Then let me carry them with you."
---
Silent Oaths
Around the courtyard, every wielder closed their eyes in silence.
Akira gripped his katana's hilt, whispering in Japanese: "I will cut until nothing remains."
Ethan bowed his head, smirking through clenched teeth: "Guess I'll die loud enough for the rest of you."
Zahir pressed a hand to his chest: "May the dunes remember you."
Hyejin whispered faintly, frost escaping her lips: "For my sister… for Seoul."
And Ishita, trembling but standing, whispered her own oath.
"…I will not let Scarlet be wasted."
The pyres blazed one last time, then extinguished, leaving only drifting sparks that rose into the gray sky.
---
The Omen
Silence lingered.
Then the earth itself trembled.
The rifts above the world pulsed, darker and heavier than ever. A low hum echoed through the Council walls, rattling glass, chilling blood.
Arashi, the Aura Leader, stepped forward, his face pale. "They awaken."
Li Wei's gaze lifted toward the storm-dark clouds. His expression did not change, but his eyes burned.
"The Upper Four are free."
The courtyard fell silent again.
The mourning was over.
The war had begun anew.