Far above the bustling streets of Voidspire...
Far above the laughter...
The merchants...
The countless awakened preparing for the tournament...
Alex sat alone atop the highest rooftop overlooking the city.
The evening wind gently stirred his white coat.
Resting across his lap...
Was a single ancient book.
Its weathered black cover seemed to absorb the fading sunlight.
Countless golden symbols slowly crawled across its surface before disappearing once more.
The Book of the End.
Alex slowly turned another page.
The words refused to stay still.
Entire paragraphs rewrote themselves before his eyes.
Names appeared...
Only to vanish moments later.
Futures were born...
And erased.
"...Still changing."
He closed his eyes.
"That means..."
"...someone is still resisting."
The wind answered with silence.
Then...
Another voice echoed within his mind.
"You've grown soft."
Alex didn't react.
"I know."
"No..."
"You don't."
"Tell me..."
"How long has it been since you remembered your mission?"
Alex's grip around the book tightened.
"...Long enough."
The voice laughed.
It wasn't mocking.
It sounded...
Disappointed.
"You've become attached."
"Arthur."
"Layla."
"Sunny."
"Tom."
"Alexi."
"Kierran."
"Lucas."
"You call them your students now."
"Was that your mission?"
Alex stared at the endless horizon.
"...No."
"Then why are you still here?"
No answer came.
The voice continued.
"You were never sent to raise heroes."
"You were sent to witness the end."
"Have you forgotten?"
Alex slowly lowered his head.
"...I haven't."
"Liar."
"You've laughed with them."
"You've celebrated with them."
"You've mourned with them."
"You're beginning to believe they can change what has already been written."
Alex finally spoke.
"...Maybe they can."
Silence.
Then...
The voice sighed.
"Hope."
"Even you have fallen for it."
Alex reopened the Book of the End.
A single page caught his attention.
Unlike the others...
Its words remained perfectly still.
At the very top...
Only one sentence was written.
"Only one shall stand at the end."
His expression hardened.
"...Then I'll find out whether this book is lying."
The voice chuckled.
"You're going to enter the tournament seriously."
Alex slowly stood.
The city lights illuminated his face.
"For this one time..."
"...yes."
He gently closed the ancient book.
"The majority of my power remains sealed."
"I know that."
"But if I continue holding back..."
"...I'll never discover the truth hidden within this tournament."
The voice grew quiet.
"Then your students may become your enemies."
Alex looked toward the distant tournament arena.
"...If that day comes..."
"...they'll have to defeat me."
He slipped the Book of the End back inside his coat.
For the first time in years...
His aura changed.
The relaxed mentor...
The patient teacher...
Disappeared.
In his place stood the man who had once walked the world alone.
A man burdened by a mission older than the hopes of those he had come to care for.
High above Voidspire...
Alex whispered to himself.
"...Forgive me."
"...But from this moment onward..."
"...I can no longer afford to be just your teacher."
The wind swept across the rooftops.
Somewhere below...
Arthur laughed at something Layla had said.
Alex closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Then...
Without another word...
He vanished into the evening sky.
The evening breeze drifted through the streets of Voidspire as Tom and Alexi wandered through the bustling marketplace.
The bags they carried were filled with herbs, spices, and ingredients Alexi insisted on trying once they returned.
Tom smiled.
"I didn't think I'd ever see a city with this many different kinds of food."
Alexi laughed softly.
"Neither did I."
For a while, they simply walked together, taking in the sights around them.
Eventually, Tom glanced toward her.
"...You've been smiling ever since we arrived."
Alexi looked ahead, her expression gentle.
"I was just thinking about Arthur."
Tom looked at her with interest.
"What was he like as a child?"
Alexi's smile grew warmer.
"...Quiet."
"Very quiet."
"He wasn't the kind of child who ran around causing trouble."
"He'd rather sit beside a window than play outside."
Tom listened carefully.
Alexi continued.
"Whenever it rained..."
"He'd disappear."
Tom raised an eyebrow.
"Disappear?"
She laughed.
"I'd spend ten minutes looking for him..."
"...only to find him sitting by the window."
"He'd just... watch."
"The rain."
"The clouds."
"The droplets sliding down the glass."
"He could sit there for hours without saying a single word."
Tom smiled.
"What was he thinking about?"
Alexi shook her head.
"I used to ask him."
"He'd always give me the same answer."
She smiled as though hearing his small voice again.
«'I don't know...'»
«'I just like listening to it.'»
"He said the rain never judged anyone."
"It didn't care who you were."
"It simply fell."
Tom remained silent.
Alexi looked toward the darkening sky.
"He loved rainy days."
"Whenever there was a storm..."
"He'd make himself a cup of hot chocolate..."
"...wrap himself in a blanket..."
"...and sit by the window until the rain stopped."
"He always looked..."
She searched for the right word.
"...peaceful."
Tom smiled.
"That's hard to imagine."
Alexi nodded slowly.
"It is."
"Especially now."
She let out a quiet sigh.
"Life changed him."
"Little by little."
"Every loss..."
"Every goodbye..."
"Every burden he believed he had to carry..."
"It slowly took that peaceful little boy away."
She lowered her eyes.
"But every now and then..."
"When it rains..."
"I still catch a glimpse of him."
"The same boy."
"Staring quietly through a window..."
"Listening to the rain."
Tom's smile faded into a thoughtful expression.
"So that's why he likes rainy days."
Alexi nodded.
"I think..."
"It's one of the few places where he feels the world slows down."
"For a little while..."
"He doesn't have to fight."
"He doesn't have to think."
"He can simply..."
"...exist."
The two continued walking through the crowded streets in comfortable silence.
Neither of them noticed...
Far across the city...
Arthur had unconsciously stopped beneath the roof of a small café.
He wasn't looking at the people.
Or the shops.
He was watching the rain begin to fall over Voidspire.
Just as he always had.
A cool breeze swept through the streets of Voidspire.
The first raindrop landed softly on the stone pavement.
Then another.
Within moments...
A gentle rain began to fall over the city.
Merchants hurried to cover their stalls while pedestrians laughed and sought shelter beneath awnings and balconies.
Alexi looked up at the grey sky.
A warm smile appeared on her face.
"...It's raining."
Tom followed her gaze.
"It is."
The soft rhythm of rain tapping against rooftops filled the city.
For a long moment...
Alexi simply stood there, listening.
Her smile became tinged with nostalgia.
"You know..."
"Arthur would love this."
Tom glanced at her.
"He likes the rain that much?"
She nodded.
"He always has."
"Ever since he was little."
"There was something about the sound of rain that calmed him."
"He'd sit for hours beside a window..."
"...without saying a word."
Tom smiled quietly.
Alexi's expression softened.
"I used to watch him from the kitchen."
"I'd pretend I wasn't looking."
"But every now and then..."
"He'd smile to himself."
"It was small..."
"...but it was real."
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the rain fall against her face.
"My son has always carried more kindness than this world deserved."
"He'd cry if he saw an injured bird."
"He'd share his food before eating himself."
"He always worried about everyone else."
A faint laugh escaped her.
"I used to wonder where he got that from."
Then her smile slowly faded.
"...Probably his father."
The words hung in the air.
Tom remained silent.
He knew better than to interrupt.
Alexi lowered her gaze.
"Levi..."
"I still don't know where you are."
"It's been so long."
"There are days I convince myself you're alive."
"And there are days..."
"...when I don't know what to believe."
She gently held the pendant around her neck.
"But if you're still out there..."
"I hope you know..."
"Our son grew into someone you'd be proud of."
"He isn't perfect."
"He makes mistakes."
"He carries too much on his shoulders."
"But no matter how much life has hurt him..."
"He still chooses kindness."
A tear mixed with the rain on her cheek.
"I couldn't be prouder to call him my son."
She smiled through the sadness.
"And..."
"I still love you, Levi."
"No matter how much time passes."
"No matter how many questions remain unanswered."
"I'll keep believing..."
"...that somewhere..."
"...you're looking at the same rain."
Tom quietly stood beside her, saying nothing.
Sometimes...
Silence was the greatest comfort one could offer.
Above them, the rain continued to fall.
The same rain that, somewhere else in Voidspire...
Arthur stood listening to, unaware that his mother was thinking of him with nothing but love.
The rain continued to fall over Voidspire.
By the time evening settled across the city, the streets had begun to glow beneath rows of enchanted lanterns, their reflections shimmering across the rain-soaked stone roads.
One by one...
Everyone made their way toward the meeting point Sunny had excitedly sent through the group's communication device.
---
[Sunny]: FOUND A HOTEL!!
[Sunny]: COME QUICK!!
[Rivien]: He's exaggerating.
[Sunny]: I'm not.
[Rivien]: He is.
---
Arthur chuckled as he read the messages.
Layla smiled.
"...Sounds like Sunny."
A few minutes later...
The two arrived before a beautiful five-storey building constructed from polished black stone.
Golden lights shone warmly through its enormous windows.
A sign above the entrance read—
The Starlight Haven.
Inside...
Sunny stood proudly with his arms folded.
The moment he spotted everyone entering, he dramatically spread his arms.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"Welcome..."
"...to our temporary home!"
Rivien sighed beside him.
"He has said that to every person who's walked through that door."
Sunny ignored him.
Tom looked around the spacious lobby.
Soft carpets covered the polished wooden floors.
A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Comfortable sofas surrounded a large stone fireplace where a gentle fire crackled.
"...Not bad."
Alexi smiled.
"It's beautiful."
Kierran whistled.
"I thought we'd be sleeping in tents."
Lucas nodded.
"Same."
Sunny proudly pointed toward the receptionist.
"I negotiated."
Rivien immediately corrected him.
"No."
"You asked if there was a tournament discount."
"...That's negotiating."
The receptionist couldn't hide her smile.
"You two are certainly entertaining."
Alex finally walked through the entrance, water dripping from the edge of his white coat.
He quietly observed the hotel before nodding once.
"This will do."
Sunny grinned triumphantly.
"I knew you'd approve."
Alex looked toward the receptionist.
"We'll take enough rooms for the entire group."
Before she could answer...
Sunny suddenly coughed.
"...Actually..."
"I may have..."
"...accidentally..."
"...reserved fewer rooms."
Silence.
Tom slowly turned toward him.
"...How many?"
Sunny awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"...Five."
Kierran blinked.
"There are eight of us."
Sunny smiled nervously.
"...I can explain."
Rivien sighed.
"He spent half the room budget on dinner."
"I told him not to."
Sunny immediately defended himself.
"It was an investment!"
"We were hungry!"
Lucas burst into laughter.
"Only you could spend our lodging money on food."
Alex closed his eyes for a moment before letting out the smallest sigh.
"...We'll make it work."
The receptionist smiled apologetically.
"I'm afraid every other room has already been booked."
"Participants from all over the world arrived today."
Alex nodded.
"Then five rooms it is."
Tom smiled.
"We'll figure out the sleeping arrangements."
Arthur looked around at his friends.
Despite the approaching tournament...
Despite the dangers waiting ahead...
There was laughter.
There was warmth.
For one evening...
They weren't competitors.
They were simply a group of friends sharing a roof before the greatest challenge of their lives.
Outside...
The rain continued to fall against the windows of the Starlight Haven...
As Voidspire quietly prepared for the tournament that would soon change everything.
The receptionist placed five brass keys on the polished counter.
She smiled warmly.
"These are the last five rooms available."
Alex picked up the keys before looking toward the group.
"We don't have much of a choice."
"We'll have to share."
Tom nodded in agreement.
"Only for a few days."
"Once the tournament begins, we'll hardly be sleeping anyway."
Sunny immediately snatched one of the keys.
"I call Rivien."
Rivien looked at him.
"You say that like I had another option."
Sunny grinned.
"Don't worry."
"I only snore when I'm asleep."
"...You're always asleep."
"Exactly."
Lucas laughed.
"I don't envy you."
Sunny placed a dramatic hand over his heart.
"The disrespect..."
Tom chuckled before taking another key.
"I'll room with Alex."
Alex simply nodded.
"I don't mind."
Kierran glanced toward Lucas.
"Looks like it's you and me."
Lucas smirked.
"Just don't wake me up at dawn to train."
"No promises."
Alexi picked up the fourth key.
"I'll take this one."
She smiled at everyone.
"It'll be nice to have a little peace and quiet."
Only one key remained on the counter.
Arthur and Layla exchanged glances.
Then, almost at the same time...
Both looked away.
Sunny immediately noticed.
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Well..."
"I guess fate made that decision for you."
Arthur sighed.
"It was the only room left."
"Sure..."
Sunny replied with an exaggerated nod.
"The only room."
Layla lightly elbowed Sunny in the side.
"Behave."
"I'm behaving!"
Rivien shook his head.
"For once in your life..."
Sunny ignored him completely.
Alex stepped forward before the teasing could continue.
"You'll all need proper rest."
"Tomorrow and the day after are for recovery."
"No late-night training."
"No exhausting your Aether."
"Understood?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good."
He handed each group their key.
Tom and Alex headed upstairs first.
Kierran and Lucas followed while discussing tomorrow's plans.
Sunny happily marched toward the staircase before stopping.
He turned around with a grin.
"Oh..."
"Arthur."
Arthur looked up.
"...Yeah?"
Sunny's grin somehow grew even wider.
"Sleep well."
Rivien immediately dragged Sunny away before he could say anything else.
"You've caused enough trouble."
"But I wasn't finished!"
"You never are."
Their voices slowly faded as they disappeared upstairs.
The lobby finally became quiet.
Arthur looked toward Layla, scratching the back of his neck.
"...Well..."
"I guess we should head up."
Layla smiled softly.
"...Yeah."
Together, they climbed the wooden staircase toward the second floor.
Neither of them said much.
Not because they were uncomfortable...
But because, somehow...
After everything they had been through...
A quiet moment together felt perfectly natural.
Behind them, Alexi watched with a gentle smile.
Tom noticed her expression.
"What is it?"
She smiled warmly.
"Our little boy..."
"...is growing up."
Tom smiled back.
"He is."
Outside, the rain continued to fall gently against the windows of the Starlight Haven, while inside, each member of the group settled into their rooms, knowing that in only a few days, the peace of this evening would give way to the trials of the tournament.
The rain continued to patter softly against the hotel windows.
Inside their room...
A warm, comfortable silence settled over the space.
Arthur had lit the small fireplace while Layla finished arranging a pile of blankets on the floor in front of the television.
She stepped back proudly.
"There."
"Our own little cinema."
Arthur smiled.
"I have to admit..."
"...it's actually a good idea."
Layla folded her arms with a playful grin.
"I know."
A few minutes later...
The lights were dimmed.
A family adventure film began playing on the television.
Neither of them had paid much attention to what movie it was.
It simply looked relaxing.
Arthur returned from downstairs carrying two bowls of ice cream.
"I wasn't sure what flavour you'd want."
"So..."
"I bought vanilla and chocolate."
Layla's eyes lit up.
"You remembered."
Arthur handed her the vanilla bowl.
"You've always liked vanilla."
Layla accepted it with a smile.
"...Thank you."
They settled beneath the blankets, the warmth of the fireplace keeping the room cozy while the rain created a gentle rhythm outside.
For a while...
Neither of them spoke.
They simply watched the movie.
Every now and then, one of them would laugh at a funny scene.
Sometimes Arthur quietly pointed out something ridiculous happening on the screen.
Layla couldn't help but giggle.
Halfway through the movie...
She let out a small yawn.
Arthur glanced at her.
"Tired?"
"A little."
She smiled.
"It was a long day."
Without really thinking about it...
Layla slowly rested her head against Arthur's shoulder.
He stiffened for only a moment before relaxing again.
Neither of them said anything.
The moment felt natural.
Comfortable.
Outside...
The rain grew heavier.
Arthur watched the droplets race down the window.
"You know..."
"I've always liked rainy days."
Layla looked up at him.
"I know."
"They make everything feel..."
He searched for the right word.
"...Quieter."
She nodded.
"As if the whole world slows down."
Arthur smiled.
"Exactly."
Layla looked back at the television.
"I think that's why I like being here."
Arthur blinked.
"Here?"
She smiled softly.
"Not just the hotel."
She gently pulled the blanket a little closer around them.
"I mean..."
"...right here."
"For once..."
"...there's no fighting."
"No monsters."
"No training."
"No System notifications."
"Just..."
She looked toward the rain-covered window.
"...peace."
Arthur quietly nodded.
"I wish moments like this lasted longer."
Layla smiled.
"Then let's not think about tomorrow."
"Not tonight."
Arthur looked at the movie, then at the rain outside, before smiling back.
"Deal."
The rest of the film played on.
Neither of them cared much about the story anymore.
They simply enjoyed the quiet warmth of the room, the sound of the rain, and the rare chance to rest before the tournament.
For one peaceful evening...
The weight of fate could wait until morning.