Chap 9

The group is finishing their recovery. Lumen stands up alongside Izumi, both still slightly dazed from the recent battle. Suddenly, they sense a presence: orange eyes lurking in the darkness at the back.

Lumen immediately arms himself, feeling the tension rise. The figure hidden in the shadows begins to reveal itself. A tall man, clad in full armor, with a thick beard and an imposing stature, his gaze gentle and his smile genuine.

Unknown: "You all seem pretty alert. I wouldn't expect anything less from those who face that guy head-on."

Lumen, cautious: "Ignis… Who are you?"

Unknown: "Oh, my apologies. I'm Leonhart, bearer of Ignis, the spirit of flames. I presume you're Lumen, right?"

Lumen remains silent, surprised that this man knows his name. The silence is broken by the stranger.

Leonhart: "The boy—he's the bearer of the Angel of Desolation, isn't he?"

Izumi looks at Lumen and Leonhart in confusion, wondering how he knows so much.

Leonhart: "Here's the deal: I have something important for all of you, so it'd be best if you came with me…"

Takeru, struggling to stand while clutching his wounded arm, interrupts.

Takeru: "For what? You show up out of nowhere, knowing where we were, and we're just supposed to follow you?"

Leonhart: "…because we're heading to the Kingdom of Kintôm. There's a library there about… us…"

Lumen, suspicious, cuts in.

Lumen: "And how do you know so much? There's no way…!"

Leonhart, with a hint of fear: "That woman, Lumen…"

Memories flash through Lumen's mind. His eyes widen as information floods his thoughts, like memories of a past life that never happened.

Lumen: "Don't tell me…"

Leonhart looks at him with a tense expression.

Leonhart: "Something has started, and it won't stop…"

Lumen: "But… we killed her ourselves… didn't we…?"

Leonhart falls silent, simply turning and starting to walk.

Lumen: "…Let's go."

Niori stands up last, confused by the whole situation. Everyone wonders about Lumen's sudden change in demeanor. They begin following Leonhart to a small house near a large lake. The house looks old, not well-maintained for some time, but not dilapidated.

Leonhart: "Make yourselves at home. I know it's not the best, but at least you can rest here for a bit."

The house has three bedrooms: two with single beds and the last with two. Takeru and Niori head to separate rooms to sleep and fully recover.

Izumi is heading to the other room when Leonhart and Lumen call him for a conversation. They're about to reveal parts of what they remember from their past—a time that never existed. Izumi sits down, and Lumen starts the discussion.

Lumen: "Izumi, do you have any idea what we're doing here?"

Izumi: "No… I'm still lost."

Lumen: "Since the dawn of humanity, spirits have descended to Earth to restore balance to everything. They're divided into primordials, judges, and adepts. In total, there are 12 of us:"

Lumen: "Primordials:

Genesis, spirit of creation Excidium, spirit of destruction

Lumen: "Judges:

Voidis, Judge of space Chronos, Judge of time Anima, Judge of the soul Mnemos, Judge of memories

Lumen: "Adepts:

Morthos, spirit of reality Dilua, spirit of the moon Cryon, spirit of ice Lumen, spirit of the storm Ignis, spirit of flames"

Lumen points to Leonhart: "I myself am the spirit of the storm, and this guy here is Ignis."

Leonhart: "Exactly. Each generation, we're given vessels so we can intervene if needed, allowing us to materialize our wills in a tangible way."

Izumi: "But how do you actually do that?"

Leonhart: "Through the Divine Arts. These are techniques where we can manipulate our Ether to align with our natures. For example, flames—" he demonstrates by creating a small fire in his hand.

Leonhart: "But for some reason, we're limited. We can't use our Arts at full strength—only about 70%."

Izumi: "But that's already enough, isn't it?"

Lumen: "Not even close. Our power grows exponentially. 70% is a lot, sure, but it's nowhere near our full potential."

Lumen pauses briefly, looking concerned.

Lumen: "Izumi, you're going to need intense training if you're going to stand a chance."

Izumi nods in agreement.

Leonhart: "Then we'll start early tomorrow. I don't know how much time we have before Genesis makes his next move. We need to be quick."

Lumen settles into a corner of the room while Izumi heads to his bedroom. Leonhart stays behind, lost in thought about the situation. Izumi wakes up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep, and decides to wander the house a bit. As he passes the back door, he sees Leonhart sitting by the lake's edge. He looks sad, but Izumi keeps walking, deciding to leave him to his thoughts.

The chapter ends with a view of Genesis lying down, sleeping in a simple room, his expression serene in stark contrast to the storm that's brewing.