The first light of dawn spilled over Null City, painting the streets with a golden haze.
Kaze sat on the roof of the guild hall, staring at the horizon. Something had shifted inside him last night—a presence, a pulse, a weight he couldn't explain. His heartbeat had raced for no reason, and the faint warmth in his chest had lingered even after he had woken.
He clenched his fists, trying to feel it again. But it was fleeting, like trying to hold water in his hands.
"Thinking again?" Lira's voice broke his concentration. She leaned against the rooftop railing, arms crossed, a teasing smile on her face.
Kaze shook his head. "No… maybe. I don't know. Something's inside me."
Lira raised an eyebrow. "Inside you?"
"I felt it last night… like it's watching, waiting, but I don't know what it is," Kaze admitted, a frown forming.
She shook her head. "Well, whatever it is, we're finding out today. You can't sit here all day thinking about ghosts in your chest."
Kaze grinned. "Fine. Let's go."
By mid-morning, Kaze and Lira had packed their gear and were on the road outside the city. Their destination: an ancient tomb said to hold relics of forgotten civilizations and dangerous trials.
The forest leading to it was quiet. Too quiet. The leaves whispered as if warning them of what lay ahead.
"This place… it feels wrong," Lira muttered. "I don't like how still it is."
Kaze shrugged. "Nothing we can't handle. Maybe it'll tell me what's inside me."
The tomb entrance loomed before them, carved into the side of a cliff, covered in ancient runes that shimmered faintly in the morning light.
Kaze stepped forward, feeling the pulse inside him resonate stronger. "It's here," he whispered.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the air shifted. A cold, electric pressure ran through their bodies. Kaze felt the pulse inside him tighten, like something had noticed the presence of others.
They had barely entered the tomb when the ground beneath them shook. A sudden burst of light flashed, and an invisible force tore through the corridor.
Kaze stumbled backward, grabbing Lira's arm. "What—?"
Before either could react, a strange energy swept through the hall, pulling them in opposite directions. Lira cried out as Kaze vanished from her sight.
"Kaze!" she screamed, but only the echoes returned.
Alone, Lira stumbled through twisting corridors, her instincts guiding her deeper into the tomb. She didn't know it, but this tomb had been sealed for millennia by forces far beyond mortal comprehension.
In a vast chamber, the air crackled with ancient energy. Shadows danced across massive stone columns. Lira's eyes widened at the sight: a colossal figure chained with glowing restraints, energy siphoned from him, lying unconscious.
Electric sparks leaked from the chains. The air smelled of ozone and raw power.
"W-what…?" Lira whispered. She approached cautiously, her heart hammering.
The chains hummed with the residue of a battle long ago—a battle between gods and Demon Lords, she realized instinctively. Somehow, she knew this being was not just powerful; he was a god.
"Wait," she murmured, kneeling beside him. "I think I can… help."
Using her knowledge of spiritual energy, Lira worked to weaken the chains. Her hands glowed faintly as she synchronized with the trapped being's residual energy. Slowly, the restraints shattered, the god inhaling deeply as consciousness returned.
The god's eyes snapped open, lightning flickering across his pupils. He rose, towering over Lira, every movement exuding raw thunderous power.
"Who dares touch the chains of Thor?" the god's voice boomed, shaking the chamber. Lightning cracked along the walls.
Lira stumbled backward. "I—I was just… helping! Please don't kill me!"
Thor's eyes narrowed, scanning the chamber. Then, his gaze shifted beyond Lira. In the shadows, Kaze had emerged, drawn by the energy of the god. Something about him… primed and resonant… made Thor tense.
"You… child of unknown lineage. I feel… a faint Primoria presence within you."
Kaze froze. That presence inside him—the pulse he had felt—was suddenly connected.
Thor raised his hand, lightning sparking. "You… you cannot live. Step aside, girl."
Lira stepped forward, placing herself between Kaze and the god. "No! He's my friend! Please… don't kill him!"
The god's lightning paused, his storm raging in silence. Slowly, he lowered his arm, studying her courage.
"I… I apologize. Your friend… he radiates something unfamiliar. It is dangerous. I could not ignore it," Thor said, his voice calmer now.
Kaze stepped forward cautiously. "What… what are you? And what is… this inside me?"
Thor shook his head, his expression unreadable. "That… is not for you to understand yet. But beware… the path you tread is seen by far more than you know."
Before leaving, Thor looked down at Lira. "You have bravery and wisdom. Though your hands were untrained, you synchronized with my energy. You may call upon it if ever needed."
Lightning surged gently into Lira's hands, infusing her with authority over thunder. Her eyes widened, holding the raw power of a god within her mortal frame.
"Use it wisely," Thor warned. "And fear nothing… for now."
Then, with a storm of energy, he disappeared into the collapsing ruins of the tomb.
Kaze knelt beside the remnants of the chamber, staring at his own chest. The pulse inside him throbbed violently now, reacting to what had just transpired.
"Thor… a god… and somehow, he sensed me," Kaze muttered. "Lira… you can control… thunder?"
Lira nodded, still trembling, unsure whether to be afraid or awed.
Kaze's mind raced. What is inside me? Why did a god try to kill me? Why do I feel… primorial energy?
The tomb began to crumble around them, yet Kaze's thoughts were elsewhere, spinning like a cyclone.
Everything he had known about himself, his powers, his destiny… it all felt uncertain now.
Who am I really?
And for the first time, Kaze understood: the journey to uncover his true self had only just begun.