The morning sun filtered in through the curtains as Auren woke up in his room. Zorin was still asleep on the floor beside his bed, wrapped in a spare blanket. The room was filled with a rare silence, only interrupted by the chirping of birds outside.
Suddenly, Auren's phone buzzed.
"Hello?" Auren answered, rubbing his eyes.
"Auren! My son!" came the delighted voice of his mother.
Auren smiled. "Hey mom, it's been a while."
Just then, Zorin sat up, stretching. Auren's mom's tone shifted as she noticed him.
"Wait… who is that behind you?" she asked.
Auren turned the phone's camera toward Zorin. "Oh, that's my friend. His name is Zorin Akagami."
There was a pause.
"Zorin… Akagami?" she whispered. "Is your full name really Zorin Akagami?"
Zorin nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am."
Her voice became unsteady with emotion. "Auren… he's your cousin. He's your father's sister's son."
Auren's eyes widened. "Wait, what? How do you know that?"
"I recognize the name," she said. "And the face. Zorin... you look just like your father. My husband's sister—your mother—was his only sibling. She and your father died in that horrible accident years ago. We thought you were gone too… But there was a hope that you must have been saved."
Zorin remained silent for a moment. "Yes… there was a man who rescued me. I never knew his name, but later he left me to my grandfather 's house ,where I was treated as there own and later on I was the one and only heir of my father's buisness,and the biggest thing was that my life was changed forever when I came to my home again. It was an old man who saved me that time which changed my fate."
There was a moment of silence, heavy with realization and emotion.
Auren cleared his throat. "Mom… we're getting late for university. I'll call you later, okay?"
She nodded through the screen. "Take care of each other, both of you. You're not just friends… you're family now."
Auren hung up and exchanged a glance with Zorin. No words were needed.
They grabbed their backpacks and rode off on Auren's bike to Namsu University. The streets bustled with early activity, but the weight of what they'd just learned hung between them like invisible armor.
Upon arrival, Kazehaya Tenjin stood waiting at the entrance.
"I've been expecting you," he said. "Come with me."
"Where?" Auren asked.
Tenjin didn't respond. He simply turned and walked. They followed him into a hidden elevator that descended beneath the university.
The doors opened to reveal a vast underground chamber—metal walls embedded with glowing circuits, weapon racks lined against the walls, and old digital projectors displaying past battles.
"This," Tenjin said, "is the Gatewalker Training Chamber. Every Gatewalker who ever mattered trained here. Now, it's your turn."
He walked out and sealed the chamber.
Auren and Zorin exchanged a grin and immediately began exploring the chamber. They practiced using their Neo Suits, sparred against simulation drones, and engaged in agility drills. After about an hour, a loud metallic clang echoed through the room.
A side wall split open, revealing a set of massive doors.
They creaked open.
From within, towering monsters began to emerge. Scaled beasts with glowing red eyes, mechanical hybrids screeching with rage, and winged horrors that shattered the air.
"They're real!" Auren shouted, drawing his blade.
Zorin summoned his own twin sabers, his aura flaring.
The battle began.
They dodged and struck, weaving through creatures that refused to fall. Each time one went down, another emerged. It was relentless, their energy drained minute by minute. Six hours passed in blood, sweat, and screams.
Finally, the monsters stopped.
Tenjin reentered, unfazed.
"I sent them," he said. "You passed. Barely. But you survived—that's what matters."
Exhausted and aching, the two staggered outside. Yuna stood waiting in a summer dress, her hands on her hips.
"About time. You guys promised to come to the fair."
They smiled and joined her. The fair was alive—lights dancing in the sky, laughter ringing in the air, food stalls stacked with colorful treats. Auren and Zorin played shooting games, won plushies, and tried cotton candy for the first time in years.
Later that evening, the three of them walked under the glow of lanterns. Auren looked happier than he had in weeks.
As the night deepened, Zorin turned to Auren. "Wanna check out that new PlayStation arcade near the corner?"
"Hell yes," Auren grinned.
They walked into the buzzing arcade, the neon lights flashing like a different world. They competed in fighting games, raced digital cars, and shared challenges like they used to in childhood—though neither had known it.
As Auren pulled some coins from his pocket, something dropped.
It was the card.
The one with Ravel's name.
Zorin picked it up. "Bro… look."
On the back, a single word had appeared in glowing red:
"DESTROY."
Auren frowned. "That wasn't there before."
He tried to shrug it off, slipping it back into his pocket.
Zorin stared at him. "You remember that weird message? 'Ape bhai jaise dost'? I think… it wasn't just metaphorical."
He pulled out a small pendant from under his shirt and opened it.
Inside was a picture.
Of the old man.
"I always thought he was just a kind stranger. But now I know—he was Daigo Arukami. The one who saved me. He must've known this day would come. He knew we were brothers… not just in spirit. Real blood."
Auren's expression turned serious. "So… the message on that card, the training, the timing… none of it was random."
They stepped outside under the calm sky, stars twinkling peacefully.
But just as they reached the gate of Auren's house, the wind shifted.
It grew cold.
Suddenly, both of them stopped.
Above the ocean, the sky twisted. A swirl of purple and black light tore open the heavens.
A massive portal.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of monsters spilled out, their roars echoing into the night.
Auren and Zorin stared in awe and dread.
"What the hell is that…?" Auren whispered.
Zorin clenched his fists. "Something's coming. And it's not going to wait."
The city lights flickered. The ocean growled. The balance between worlds teetered on a razor's edge.
And they both knew—nothing would be the same again.
Zorin said"it's going to be a w-wwar."