Consciousness returned slowly.
Heavy.
Distant.
"…Ugh…"
A dull ache spread through Rio's entire body as his eyes fluttered open. The light above him felt too bright, forcing him to squint as his vision struggled to focus.
"…W-what… happened…"
His voice came out weak.
Dry.
The first thing he saw—
Was pink.
A woman stood beside him, dressed in a clean nurse uniform. Her soft pink hair fell neatly over her shoulders, framing a composed but slightly sharp expression as she looked down at him.
"Finally awake?"
Rio blinked a few times.
"…Where…"
"You're in the infirmary," she replied. "Try not to move too much. Your body's barely holding together as it is."
His thoughts were sluggish.
Fragments began returning.
The ambush.
The fight.
The scythe.
The light—
And then—
That sky.
His eyes shifted slightly.
"…Leon…"
The woman turned her head.
"Leon, he woke up."
"Oh? He did?"
Footsteps approached.
Leon stepped into view, hands in his pockets, that same lazy grin on his face.
"Ha, kid—you're awake."
Rio stared at him, confusion still lingering.
"…What…"
Leon tilted his head.
"Yeah, you definitely look lost."
He shrugged.
"Anyways, important part—mission's over."
Rio's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…What?"
"We're in Lumere," Leon said casually. "Capital of the Verilian Federation."
Rio's mind paused.
Lumere.
They actually made it.
"The Saintess is already meeting the council," Leon added. "Everything went through."
Rio didn't respond immediately.
His gaze drifted.
Not at Leon.
Not at the room.
But somewhere else.
That moment.
The sky breaking.
The pressure.
Those words.
---
Sword Field…
His fingers twitched slightly against the bed.
"…That… power…"
Leon noticed.
But didn't comment.
Instead, he turned.
"Get ready, kid."
"W-wait—"
Rio forced himself to speak again.
"What happened… to the person you were fighting?"
Leon paused near the door.
Then glanced back.
A grin.
"I won."
Simple.
Confident.
Final.
Then he turned again and started to leave.
He didn't get far.
"Oi."
A hand grabbed his ear.
Hard.
"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?"
Leon froze.
"…OW—HEY—!"
Clare stood behind him, her grip firm as she twisted his ear without hesitation.
"The Guild Master wants a report of what happened."
Leon winced.
"E-eh—but the brat can write it—"
Clare's expression didn't change.
"In this condition?"
Her voice dropped.
Cold.
"Are you crazy, motherfucker? Go write it."
"…OKAY OKAY—!"
Leon raised both hands instantly.
"Ah, fine!"
She let go.
Leon stepped back, rubbing his ear with a click of his tongue.
"Tch… violent nurse…"
Clare didn't even look at him.
"Get out."
"…Yeah, yeah."
He waved lazily as he walked out.
"Rest up, kid."
The door shut.
Silence.
Rio stared at the ceiling.
Breathing slowly.
Thinking.
Sword Field…
The way the sky changed.
The way everything bent.
That wasn't just strength.
It was something else.
Something higher.
"…So that's the level…"
His grip tightened slightly.
Weak.
But steady.
He wasn't even close.
A few minutes passed.
Slowly, the weight in Rio's body lessened enough for him to move without feeling like he would collapse.
He sat up.
Then stood.
Carefully.
"…I'm fine."
Not completely.
But enough.
The woman—Clare—watched him from the side as he reached for the fresh set of clothes placed neatly nearby.
"You recover fast," she said casually.
Rio paused for a moment.
"…You know me?"
Clare gave a small shrug.
"I know enough."
Then after a brief pause, she added,
"I'm part of the Saviant Guild too."
That explained it.
Rio didn't ask further.
Instead, he got dressed.
The familiar guild uniform fit perfectly, the lotus insignia resting cleanly at the center. Over it—
He picked up the mask.
Dark.
Sleek.
Concealing.
He stared at it for a second.
Then put it on.
Noctis.
By the time he stepped out of the room, the air felt different.
Cleaner.
Sharper.
He walked down the hallway and exited the building—
And froze.
"…What…"
Lumere.
The city stretched endlessly before him.
Not just large—
Massive.
Skyscrapers pierced the sky, their surfaces lined with glowing runic circuits that pulsed faintly with mana. Entire platforms floated between buildings, connecting structures through bridges of light.
Above—
Figures moved.
Flying.
Mages.
Streams of energy carved paths through the sky, guiding hover vehicles that shot forward like streaks of light, yet never collided. Massive transport carriers floated higher up, guarded by smaller escort units that radiated power even from a distance.
Far beyond—
A towering structure dominated everything.
The Nexus Academy.
Even from here, it felt untouchable.
"…This city…"
This wasn't just a capital.
It was a battlefield of power.
A place where only the strongest truly belonged.
Rio's gaze lingered for a moment longer before something pulled his attention away.
Leon.
He stood near a sleek hover vehicle, speaking to someone.
At first, nothing seemed off.
Then Rio noticed his posture.
Stiff.
Unnatural.
"…?"
He stepped slightly closer, just enough to catch fragments.
"B-boss… but he is fine—"
Leon's voice.
Uneasy.
"A-ah… b-but—"
Then—
"Shut up."
Cold.
Sharp.
Leon flinched.
"S-sorry…"
Rio's eyes narrowed behind the mask.
That's not normal…
Leon?
Apologizing?
Then Leon turned and noticed him.
For a brief second, that tension lingered—
Then it vanished.
Like nothing happened.
"K-kid… the Guild Master wants to talk to you."
Rio swallowed slightly.
"…Right."
Leon tossed him a small device.
Rio caught it.
Raised it to his ear.
The call was already active.
"Are you okay?"
Her voice.
Calm.
Controlled.
"…Yes, ma'am."
A brief pause followed.
"…Good."
Then her tone shifted.
Slightly sharper.
"Listen carefully."
Rio straightened instinctively.
"You are no longer Rio Valen to the public."
A pause.
"You are Noctis. A Saviant Guild member. Nothing more."
"…Understood."
"Good."
She continued without hesitation.
"You will remain in Lumere for the foreseeable future. The capital is not just a political center—it is a convergence point. Every major faction has influence here."
Rio stayed silent, listening closely.
"You will begin integrating into the city. Learn its structure. The guilds, the academy, the power balance."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"And more importantly—learn how to move without being noticed."
His grip on the device tightened.
"…Yes."
"There will be no missions for you for now," she added. "Your priority is control and adaptation. What you showed during the ambush was… unstable."
Rio's mind flashed back.
The fight.
The strain.
"…I understand."
"You will also report to the guild branch here daily," she continued. "Clare will handle your condition and recovery. Do not skip it."
"…Yes, ma'am."
A small pause.
Then—
"One more thing."
Rio focused.
"You will soon be entering the Nexus Academy."
His eyes widened slightly.
"…The academy?"
"Yes."
Her tone didn't change.
"It is the center of this city's power structure. If you are to survive here—and grow—you need to be inside it."
Rio's heartbeat picked up slightly.
The academy arc.
It was coming.
"…Understood."
"Until then," she finished, "observe. Learn. And do not draw unnecessary attention."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"…And Noctis."
Rio responded immediately.
"Yes?"
"…You did well."
Click.
The call ended.
Rio lowered the device slowly.
His mind wasn't blank anymore.
It was moving.
Fast.
Lumere.
The academy.
A new identity.
He looked up at the city again.
This time—
Not in awe.
But with focus.
"…So this is where it begins."
Behind him, Leon leaned against the vehicle again, back to his usual self.
"…Done getting orders?"
Rio glanced at him.
"…Yeah."
Leon smirked.
"Good."
Then he opened the vehicle door.
"C'mon. Let's get you settled in properly."
Rio stepped forward.
No hesitation this time.
The doors shut behind them.
And the vehicle lifted into the air.
The city stretched endlessly below.
And somewhere within it—
His next step was waiting.