Black.

  Nothingness surrounded me—thick, heavy, suffocating.

  A void. Not silence, not peace. Just… absence.

  "Did I die…?"

  My body didn't respond. My thoughts felt slow, drifting like mist.

  "I guess so…"

  There was no pain now. No heat. No falling sensation. Just stillness.

  "This might be the end for me…"

  "I couldn't even return to Earth…"

  My eyes shut, surrendering to the numbness.

  "—Would you WATCH where you're stepping, Valea?! You nearly trampled me!"

  "Oh please. You were the one sprawled on the ground like a dead tree branch."

  "What did you just—?!"

  Voices?

  My brows furrowed.

  Wait. That's… sound. Real sound. What are those voices?

  My eyes opened—slowly—and the light was almost blinding. The air had changed. It felt… warmer.

  And above me—A face.

  A boy with tousled blue hair and sharp yellow eyes blinked down at me.

  We locked eyes in perfect silence.

  "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"

  I screamed.

  "YAAAGH!" the boy recoiled so hard he tripped over his own boots and thudded backward. "WHAT THE—?! Dude!! Warn a guy before you wake up screaming!"

  I gasped for breath, still stunned. "What—Where—Who—?!"

  "Easy there," he said, brushing dust off his coat. "You startled me. I was just checking if you were alive"

  "Okay, good. He's alive," came another voice—this one soft, almost musical.

  I turned to see a girl approaching. She had long, flowing pink hair that shimmered like rose quartz, and eyes like polished pearls, glowing faintly in the light.

  She looked at me, tilted her head, and smiled.

  "So," she said, crossing her arms. "The mystery boy finally wakes up."

  "Thanks to me," the blue-haired guy said proudly, standing up and striking a pose.

  Then another boy walked into view, arms folded, eyes half-lidded with disinterest. He had green hair, messy and windblown, and deep, matte-black eyes that somehow looked both bored and amused at the same time.

  "Please," he said, his voice dry. "The only thing you managed to do was nearly fall on him."

  The blue-haired boy to him. "EXCUSE ME?!"

  The pink-haired girl snorted. "Yeah. You were so helpful. crashing onto the Tree branch."

  The green-haired boy turned toward her, scandalized. "What's your problem!?"

  The girl and the green-haired boy turned toward each other, glaring—both with matching smirks that said this wasn't their first sparring match.

  I blinked.

  What was this place?

  And… who are these people?

  "Alright, alright—that's enough bickering,"

  A voice —calm, firm, and unmistakably familiar.

  I turned toward it.

  He stepped into view, the sunlight catching the edges of his cloak.

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  His emerald green eyes. His bronze hair. The long black cloak trailing behind him shimmered faintly lined with arcane silver symbols I couldn't recognize, pulsing ever so slightly with mana.

  I know that cloak… that voice…

  My heart skipped.

  I pointed, stunned. "I-It's you…"

  The others glanced at me in surprise, but I couldn't take my eyes off him.

  He looked at me and smiled—genuinely. "Nice to see you again, kid."

  It really was him—the man I saw in the alley… the one with that beast... Kivi…

  The blue-haired boy blinked and turned toward him. "Wait… Uncle, you know this kid?"

  The man just chuckled, stepping closer until he stood right in front of me.

  "Well, I wouldn't say know…" he said, then dropped to one knee, lowering himself to my eye level. The faint wind tugged at the edge of his cloak. He extended a hand, eyes warm yet unreadable.

  "Let me Introduce myself, I'm Cedric Virelion," he said.

  Cedric… so that's his name…

  Behind him, the others stepped forward one by one, the tension finally easing.

  The blue-haired guy scratched the back of his head. "Name's Eren," he said with a shrug. "Try not to scream next time you wake up."

  The pink-haired girl gave him a look, then turned to me, smiling gently. "I'm Valea," she said. "Glad to see you're not permanently broken."

  Then came the green-haired boy. He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave a lazy wave. "Nico," he muttered. "Try not to pass out again. We don't exactly have a medical team."

  I slowly got to my feet, brushing the dust and dirt from my clothes. My legs still ached, but somehow… I was alive.

  "I'm Aries," I said at last, steadying my breath.

  Eren crossed his arms. "Good to know, Aries. But… how exactly did you end up alone in the middle of a dense death-forest?"

  That hit me.

  Oh… right. The cliff.

  My eyes lifted to the sky, scanning the sheer ridge high above where I must've fallen from. wild woodland—but I could still see the jagged edge in the distance.

  That drop should've shattered every bone in my body. How did I even survive?

  "Aries?" Valea's voice pulled me back. She tilted her head slightly, concern flickering in her pearlescent eyes.

  "He probably doesn't remember a damn thing," Nico muttered with a shrug. "Wouldn't be surprising. Brains don't bounce off rocks that well."

  Valea narrowed her eyes. "Said by an Idiot who once cast a spell backwards on himself."

  Nico turned. "And you, who cried when-"

  "Dont you dare to finish it!" Valea snapped her fingers. A gust of wind kicked up and smacked him clean in the face, ruffling his green hair.

  "Hey!" he growled, splashing a thin stream of water in retaliation, barely missing her shoulder.

  "Really?" Valea scowled. "You're attacking a Women? How bold."

  "Women? who? you?"

  "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

  Eren just sighed and rubbed his temples. "Here we go again…"

  Cedric exhaled through his nose, shaking his head with a half-smile. "Every single day…"

  I stood there, watching the chaos unfold in front of me. And for a second, I forgot everything— I watched Valea's wind swirl around Nico's water, the two forces clashing like dancing spirits.

  "Elemental forces…" I whispered, stunned. "That's Weaver-level magic… Intermediate tier… I wonder if even I can..."

  But awe faded into a deeper thought.

  No... more importantly..... how can I go back? Mother... Father... Sister... They must think I'm gone...

  A strange noise broke the moment—sharp, animalistic, echoing from deep within the forest.

  Everyone fell silent.

  Cedric was the first to react, turning his head slightly, eyes narrowing toward the shadows.

  Then, calmly, he asked, "Aries… were you truly alone in these woods? No guardian with you? No protection?"

  I lowered my gaze, heart sinking a little. "…I think I lost them."

  The forest trembled.

  A thunderous grunt echoed from the shadows.

  Then—it emerged.

  A massive wild boar, nearly twice my height, burst from the underbrush with a fury that shook the ground. Its hide was layered with rough, bristled armor. Tusks curled like daggers, its breath steaming in the air as it let out a deep, primal roar that rippled through the trees.

  Valea and Nico snapped to attention, all previous playfulness vanishing.

  They glanced at each other.

  Then, in perfect sync—they charged.

  "Aqua Blast!" Nico shouted, thrusting both Index fingers forward. A spiraling jet of water surged from his fingers, slamming into the beast's flank. The pressure made the creature stumble slightly, grunting in rage.

  Valea slipped around the other side, agile like wind itself. She pressed her palm close to the boar's side—barely an inch from touching.

  "Gale Palm!"

  A concussive burst of air exploded outward, blasting the boar backward a few steps. Dust flew. Leaves scattered.

  The boar skidded, claws gouging the dirt—then roared louder, now more cautious, more dangerous.

  Valea narrowed her eyes. "That's one stubborn hog…"

  "Just like you when you wake up in the morning—ugly and angry," Nico quipped, smirking.

  Valea froze.

  "…Excuse me?" she turned to him slowly, dangerously.

  The boar pawed the ground, preparing to charge again.

  But Valea didn't care.

  She raised her hand. "Eat This!!."

  WHOOOSH!

  A sudden, concentrated blast of wind smacked Nico mid-sentence, launching him into a bush with a loud THUD.

  "SERIOUSLY?" he coughed from the leaves. "Was that really necessary!?"

  Eren pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning. "What are these lunatics doing…"

  I narrow my eyes with a half-smile—

  What's with these guys.....

  Then The wild boar, now enraged and completely ignored, charged—its massive frame rumbling like a boulder downhill.

  Valea's eyes widened. "Agh—I totally neglected it!"

  Suddenly—

  "Aries..."

  Cedric's voice was calm, but sharp.

  I turned just in time to see him dash forward. His steps were fluid. His cloak flared behind him, and as he drew his sword, its blade shimmered with a radiant, silver light.

  Light mana. Refined. Controlled.

  He leapt forward, spinning his body into a clean arc—and struck.

  The edge of blade connected with the boar's forehead. The beast groaned, its momentum shattered. It staggered, legs trembling—then collapsed to the ground.

  Cedric landed gracefully, standing tall and composed, his sword fading mana. He glanced back at me.

  "As you can see," he said casually, sheathing his sword, "this isn't exactly the safest place to be wandering alone."

  I stared at him—silent, stunned. That… was cool.

  Then, Cedric offered a small smile, walking back toward me.

  "Why don't you come with us for the time being, Aries?"