By dawn's light, Kyomisu no longer looked like the same peaceful village.
The rivers glowed faintly, rippling with symbols that pulsed along the water's surface before vanishing again. Trees bent unnaturally toward the mountains, their roots rising above soil as if trying to walk. Dogs barked at empty spaces, and birds refused to fly across the plaza.
The air held a soft current of energy—beautiful, yet heavy enough that lantern flames twisted sideways whenever someone exhaled.
At first, the villagers thought it a miracle. Then the ground trembled.
The First Signs
Old merchant Hano, who had sold trinkets near the square for half a century, pointed at the cracked cobblestones. "The markings," he whispered. "They're breathing."
Between the stones, threads of light surfaced—ancient scripts glowing faint blue, each one shifting in rhythm with the mountain winds. As he touched one, it breathed warmth into his palm.
Then the warmth turned cold. Dark fluid leaked from the crack, and the stones began to shake.
A shape rose from the street—humanoid, but hollow, made of mist and grit pulled from the ground itself. Its eyes burned gold, its body flickering with faint sigils of the Earth Element.
The villagers scattered at once.
Lady Ai's Call
High above the square, the bells of the shrine began to ring—a sound not heard since the first priests built the city. Lady Ai stepped onto the upper balcony, her ceremonial robes shimmering with protective runes.
She raised a staff carved of white cedar and struck it against the floor. The sound echoed across rooftops.
"Everyone, to the shrine!" she ordered. "Do not touch the seals or the light. Gather what you can and move!"
Prayers forgotten by generations slipped from her lips as she conjured a barrier above the plaza. The first of the beings struck it, the impact sending ripples through her shield.
She turned to her two acolytes. "Send word to the masters at Tenji Fortress. Tell them the Unity Pulse has breached."
One of the young monks hesitated. "But mistress, the path—"
"Then take the river!" she snapped. "The water will still obey its course while dawn holds!"
The disciples nodded and sprinted off, disappearing into the growing mist.
The Arrival of Strangers
As panic spread, a small band of travelers stopped on the forest road outside the village—drawn by the light spiraling into the sky.
At their lead was a woman wrapped in black and teal armor, her hair braided with strips of paper inscribed with binding runes. On her back rested a pair of twin shortblades that hummed faintly with concentrated wind.
Her name was Saya, a hunter from the neighboring Wind Valley.
She narrowed her eyes at the energy pulsing through Kyomisu's peaks. "Not natural," she muttered. "The air's folding inward."
Behind her, a tall, scarred man stepped forward, his eyes glinting crimson-orange. Fire‑element tattoos ran up his neck—the mark of the Ember Guild. Renji, once ally to Kelivin, now rogue mercenary.
"Looks like the stories were true," Renji said. "The Seal's awake."
Saya moved ahead, ignoring his grin. "We're not here to pick over corpses, Renji. The Market's tremors reached our realm. Whatever stirs here will spread."
"Then you'll need my help," he said simply. "And my fire."
She didn't argue. Both knew balance had no sides once the elements began to bleed.
The Spirits of Old Stone
Back in the square, stone figures continued to rise—old guardians, once protectors of the village, now confused by centuries of silence. Their voices rumbled like mountain thunder.
"Who wakes us?" one asked, its face fractured by erosion.
Lady Ai faced them, raising both hands. "The heirs of the Bridgewalker have returned," she said firmly. "They are not your enemies."
The spirits hesitated. Their light softened, flickering between gold and blue.
But something else moved behind them—slimmer, darker, slipping through the cracks between their bodies. The air sharpened, the temperature dropping instantly.
From the deepest shadow emerged a figure shaped like flowing ash, its eyes two empty voids.
Lady Ai gasped. "A Remnant…"
The First True Threat
Remnants—lost fragments of Maiko's shattered energy that had fused with corrupted elements during the war—had not been seen for over a hundred years. This one exuded hunger, not malice. It wanted stability, life, energy to replace what it had lost.
It opened its mouth and released a sound that wasn't a scream or a word, just vibration powerful enough to splinter her barrier.
Villagers fell to their knees, clutching their heads.
Before Lady Ai could react, the creature lunged forward.
Then a flash of steel split the air.
Saya landed between the Remnant and the villagers, her blades crossing as wind howled through the plaza. "Move," she ordered.
Renji appeared beside her, fire wreathing his injured arm. "Guess we're early for the apocalypse."
Lady Ai stared in shock. "Who are you?"
"People who came because the sky started talking," Saya replied. "Tell me, priestess—who's strong enough to startle the elements?"
The ground shook again. Above, black clouds swirled into a spiral, mirrored by light spiraling upward from the shrine.
Lady Ai's voice lowered. "The sons of Kelivin."
The Gathering Storm
By nightfall, Kyomisu was surrounded by protective barriers. Saya and Renji joined the shrine's defenders, slashing and sealing stray Remnants that slipped through glowing cracks in the air.
Every strike that expelled a spirit sent another ripple through the earth—proof that the Seal below was connected to the disturbance.
From her place at the temple gates, Lady Ai watched the three streaks of energy racing toward the village from the mountains—shadow, earth, and lightning converging.
"They're coming," she murmured. "May the spirits hold until their return."
As she spoke, the heavens cracked. A streak of violet light shot through the clouds straight into the shrine's heart, splitting the air with an unearthly chord that made the mountains tremble.
The barrier dimmed. The Remnants quieted.
But beyond the silence, something vast had awakened—an intelligence older than the Market, older than the seals themselves.
And far below, in the sealed chamber, a faint whisper curved into words once again:
Balance is broken. The heirs have awakened.