Ch-3“So...”

Kazuki leaned in toward Emperor Vareon. His breath barely brushed the air between them, and in a whisper quieter than the rustle of silk, he spoke a single word:

"So..."

And then—

The world shifted.

Darkness bled into memory. The present faded like ink on wet parchment, and in its place, the past rose—vivid, untouched by time.

[Flashback — The Kingdom of Ryehem, Unified Era]

A warm morning sun filtered through the windows of a grand, centuries-old stone building: the Royal Academy of Ryehem. The once-whole kingdom, undivided by north or south, thrived under a single crown. Within one of the classrooms of its most prestigious academic wing, laughter echoed.

Wooden desks lined the spacious chamber, and children in their royal uniforms filled the seats. Among them sat four who would one day shape the fate of nations: Shang, Vareon, Raizen, and Darius—then no more than curious, awkward boys in the fifth grade.

A younger Shang leaned toward the boy beside him, excitement in his voice.

"Vareon, did you get what Lady Elira meant yesterday about spirit synchronization in layered elements? I think I figured it out, but the diagram still doesn't sit right."

Vareon turned to him, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"You're overcomplicating it. Just think of the elements like threads. Pull too hard, they snap. Let them align, and they braid."

Shang blinked, then broke into a wide grin. "That actually makes sense. Wow."

Their quiet conversation, however, didn't go unnoticed.

Raizen, sitting just one row ahead, turned around with narrowed eyes and a frown.

"Hey! The teacher said to be silent. Stop talking."

Shang's face twisted in mild annoyance.

"C'mon, dude. The whole class is talking. You're only scolding us because we're behind you."

Raizen didn't budge, clearly committed to his self-appointed role as class monitor.

Beside Shang, Vareon chuckled softly—trying, and failing, to hide it.

"He's got a point, Raizen," he whispered.

The tension dissolved, for a moment, into shared amusement. Unbeknownst to them, this ordinary classroom, this brief exchange, would one day be remembered in whispers—because these boys would become kings, rebels, legends... and enemies.

And in that moment—just laughter.

The classroom scene faded, its light swallowed by time's shadow.