Chapter 21: Tides of Conspiracy
The night air was thick with tension as Kaizen stood on the rocking boat, the rhythmic crash of waves the only sound accompanying the enigmatic man before him. The stranger, with his piercing golden eyes and cryptic words, had just confirmed Kaizen's deepest fears—his existence was not just an anomaly but a direct threat to the powers that be. And the World Government was hunting him.
Kaizen exhaled slowly, his mind racing through possibilities. If this man was telling the truth, then everything he had done—every fight, every moment of survival—had unknowingly led him to this point. But trust was a rare currency, and Kaizen wasn't about to spend it freely.
"So," Kaizen began, gripping the side of the boat to steady himself, "you claim to know what I am. You also say the World Government wants me dead. Care to elaborate?"
The man smirked, stepping lightly onto the boat as if the rolling sea meant nothing to him. He moved with effortless grace, like someone who had danced with danger all his life.
"My name is Veylan," he finally said, crossing his arms. "And let's just say, I've seen cases like yours before."
Kaizen narrowed his eyes. "Cases?"
Veylan nodded. "People who weren't supposed to exist. Individuals with knowledge, power, or origins that disrupt the grand design of this world. You, Kaizen, are one of them."
Kaizen felt a chill creep down his spine, though he refused to let it show. "And what makes me so special?"
Veylan tilted his head. "You tell me. A boy who appeared out of nowhere with unnatural strength. Someone who can crush steel with his bare hands, yet has no explanation for his own abilities. Doesn't that sound odd to you?"
Kaizen's jaw tightened. He had spent years questioning his existence, searching for an answer that never came. Now, standing before someone who seemed to have even the faintest clue, he couldn't afford to let this moment slip away.
"Fine," Kaizen said. "Let's say you're right. What do you want from me?"
Veylan's smirk faded. "Not just you. There are others. People like us, hidden across the world. Some in the shadows, some on the run. But all of them are in danger. The government has been hunting us for centuries."
The weight of his words sank in. Kaizen clenched his fists. If there were others like him, then he wasn't alone in this fight. But it also meant that he had just become part of something much larger than himself.
"So, what now?" Kaizen asked, watching Veylan closely.
Veylan reached into his cloak and pulled out a rolled parchment, tossing it onto the deck between them. Kaizen bent down, unfurling it to reveal a map—a world map, but not like any he had ever seen. Red markings dotted various locations, connected by intricate lines and symbols.
"These are the places where we've found traces of people like you," Veylan explained. "Some of them are alive. Some… not so lucky."
Kaizen scanned the map, his eyes pausing on a familiar location. A small island, not far from where he had spent the last few years.
"That's…" Kaizen hesitated. "That's near my village."
Veylan nodded. "Then it's no coincidence you were found there."
A pit formed in Kaizen's stomach. Had his entire life been part of some larger scheme? Was his mere presence in that village the result of something orchestrated long before he ever woke up in this world?
"What do you want me to do?" Kaizen finally asked, looking up at Veylan.
The man's golden eyes gleamed. "Find the others. Before they do."
Kaizen exhaled, feeling the weight of his next decision settle on his shoulders. He had never been one to seek out trouble, but trouble always seemed to find him. Now, the choice was his.
He glanced at the map one last time before rolling it up and tucking it into his cloak. When he looked back at Veylan, his resolve was set.
"Where do we start?"
Veylan grinned. "Now that's the right question."
The wind picked up, filling the sails as the boat surged forward. The storm was coming, and Kaizen was no longer just a drifting tide—he was about to become the force that changed its course.