⁂~(Updated 2022-07-03-)~⁂

*Ready for professional edits* 

(This is the free version.)

Word Count: 5134

A nocturnal sanctuary can bring one happiness.

A cavern's hollow shimmered within the warm black rain, etched deep into the Kingdom of Birth's tropical mountainside. Inside, tiny clusters of bright crystals clung to giant stalagmites. The translucent gems flickered their glares—casting a rainbow effect to brighten the cold stone shelter.

An old woman hunched beneath a wet, muddy black cloak sat beside her campfire. Her withered hand crept from her sagged sleeves and clutched a gnarled cane as she stirred the glowing embers. Long silver curls bounced and enshrouded her crinkled features as she turned in surprise, hearing Kazuki groan.

She examined Kazuki as he tossed and turned, lying within a blanket of palm leaves.

"Poor child," she said, pulling off her ragged backpack.

The old black-robed woman pulled out a flint rock and a small piece of steel from her sack. Scintillating sparks soon scorched the dried twigs stuffed underneath two oak logs as she smacked the tools to rekindle her cooking fire. Blowing on the embers illuminated the cavern's crystal rainbow spectrum upon Kazuki as he lay stitched within the pieces of scavaged cloth fabrics and jungle tree leaves.

The old woman took her mug of warm lime-sweetened water and dumped it on Kazuki's face.

"Wake up already, will you? Three bloody days have passed! I am sick of spoon-feeding you my supper!"

Moaning, Kazuki opened his watery red eyes, which glowed within the rainbow waves of light and splatters of limewater.

"Well, it's about time," said the old woman.

"Ugh—my head and chest feel like they're on fire. Where is Master Kenji?" asked Kazuki, pulling the wet leaf of blankets off himself.

"Stay calm, child. Try not to move too fast," said the old woman.

"Who are you?... I feel strange. What happened to me? What happened to the Council of Sages?" asked Kazuki as he rubbed his eyes free of limewater.

Agatha wobbled to her cooking fire while her gnarled cane clacked on the rough rubble terra of the rainbow cavern.

"They have passed on but will never be forgotten," said the old woman, poking the campfire with her club.

"But, how?"

"It seems they did not have time to explain what they gave you. Remarkably, you have survived eight celestite rituals. As for your distorted memories, they should return in flashes. It happens to most of us when we first bond with a yokai."

"What did they give me? I can barely remember what happened," said Kazuki.

"Well, dear boy, you should take a look at yourself. You are a celestite bearer now—an exceptional one. With time. The future of all yokai and their crystal soul gems, known as celestites, is now your responsibility," said the old woman as she pointed to Kazuki's shoulder with her knotted cane.

Kazuki pulled back his tight graduation robe and suddenly remembered the crystals of colourful light piercing through his chest in the arena. His eyes widened. A maroon trapezoid-shaped crystal had fused to the side of his neckline. It glistened from the reflections of fire that kissed its crystalline texture—a celestite crystal unlike any other.

"What is this...? Is this my celestite spirit?"

"The Council of Sages has granted you all eight core celestites, child. All in one vessel. The most powerful yokai live within you as they had once lived within their previous masters. It has been almost one thousand years since The All Demon's defeat, leaving behind many crystals filled with magical demons we call yokai.

"However, your spirits are the first to join with us mortals. That is why they are known as the eight cores. This is something that has never happened before. The eight cores have always remained separate and housed within the Council of Sages. Until now.

"The All Demon's return could mean the final end of our world. It seems the council had no choice in this matter. Their powers were in jeopardy. So they passed them down to you—rather than lose them. That would allow The All Demon to take its physical form and immerse into our world, Azmoria, once again," explained the old woman.

"I'm the last sage? But how am I supposed to do this? It takes years to master just one celestite!"

"I will help you, dear boy. I may be old, but I am certainly not just a nobody. You asked who I am. As a child, I fought in The Lions Head War. I was known as Agatha, The Enshrouder."

Kazuki stepped back in surprise.

"Agatha, The Enshrouder? I remember a memorial statue of Agatha Haru outside the arena's gates. It said she died long ago during the war fighting two S-Rank celestite bearers."

"My peaceful exile came with both honour and failure. I was given the impossible task of defeating them to pardon myself of several crimes. I only defeated one and escaped the other by severing my limb."

Agatha flipped over her tattered cloak and grabbed her hunched back, revealing her missing left arm cut from the elbow down.

"I lost my left arm and countless friends on countless battlefields... When I was fifteen, eight highly skilled celestite bearers had betrayed their clans, their families, even their core beliefs and united under the leadership of an unknown man wearing a black obsidian mask."

"What yokai is inside you? What can you do?" asked Kazuki, wide-eyed.

Agatha pulled out her only hand out from her muddy black robe sleeves. As she unravelled her wrinkled fist, she revealed a blue square-shaped crystal within the centre of her palm. The celestite began to resonate within the reflections of light emanating from the rainbow paragon as she smiled.

"I possess the Angelite Celestite," she said. "It was gifted to me by my general upon her death. In a way, you could say she was my mother when my parents died."

While flattening her wrinkled hand on a small stone, the ore began to burn. Her glowing red hand crisped with an atomic hue as wisps of vapour swirled the melting rock.

"The yokai within me allows me to melt any object—whether it be stone, wood, steel or bone. In its strongest form, it can cut through magic itself. However, I wouldn't be able to do that as well as I used to. I am afraid my prime and youth have long since passed," coughed Agatha.

Agatha concealed her celestite-infused hand back into her muddy sleeve.

"I have not relied on it for quite some time. I rather hide it away. Forget and forgive, I suppose."

"How did you become so powerful? To be able to fight two criminal S-Ranks by yourself... Most would say that's a suicide mission. How did you do it?"

"I nearly died from my injury. However, my yokai, Angelico, saved my life and brought me deep into the jungle. I have remained in exile ever since."

"You must be the real Agatha Haru. I can't believe it," said Kazuki.

"When I was a young lass, I had learned to cast my mana differently than most. I think that had something to do with my fame as a fearless warrior. I also had crafted a katana with what the scholars called enshrouded-ashrock, hence my title," coughed Agatha.

"Being a supposed mythical volcanic rock, I was told it would be impossible to find. But I still sought it. I endured three long months of burns and blisters. Then I finally found the ashrock beneath the volcanic Mountain of Kagutsuchi.

"After an elven blacksmith forged the katana from the ore, I channelled my powers into the blade whenever in combat. I could even slice through a stone wall like a piece of butter. I doubt I have that kind of strength now, dear boy. I've spent so long in the jungle that I have forgotten how old I am," she said, chuckling through her cough.

"What about the council and Master Kenji? I just can't believe they're dead."

"The responsibility of a Council Sage at its gravest, I'm afraid. A life-binding contract that you now have to master. Once the Universal Transmutation completes, a long rest is needed for the mind, the body and the yokai spirit. It will also affect one's memories for a short time. However, it would be best if you focused on the journey ahead," said Agatha as she turned a log over with her gnarled cane.

"Journey?"

"You see those crystals above us?" asked Agatha, indicating the rainbow crystals attached to the deformed stalagmites on the ceiling of the dimly lit cavern.

She struggled to stand from her stone seat as she continued, "I created them with my celestite a long time ago. It is to signify a great loss of mine. I was in battle here against my own apprentice: Katsumi Shiroibara. Or as he was titled in prison, The Silver Serpent. I came to call the boy, Koda, for short."

A tear strolled Agatha's cheek as she gazed into the above kaleidoscopic brightness of the opaque gems.

"He had betrayed me... Though, I believe his mind was poisoned

with an urge that was not his own will," she said.

"Hmph... Master. Apprentice. Such titles make me cringe now... It was my fault he ran into darkness. Had I learned of Koda's celestite cancer sooner, I could have stopped him before the masked man twisted his mind and body into a monster."

"That boy was the only one I ever trained. Before the war, he was known as Koda of the White Flowers. He had such a remarkable way of helping others. I would do anything to have him back, but he's gone now."

Agatha pierced her old green eyes towards Kazuki.

"Promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"If I show you how to tap into your yokai's magic, you have to promise me that you will not end up like Koda or the others... my heart couldn't bear to kill another student."

⁂

Overgrown greens lay upon murky streams. Travel deep. Discover.

Like a never-closing summer, the Jungle of Yuun held no climate change. Every available niche teemed with vegetation and fauna. Plants and herbs that could remedy almost any illness with the proper skill and those that could kill with catastrophic efficiency all filled the tropical canopy. The roars of multiple blue-green cascades and colourful tropical birds encircled Kazuki and Agatha as they made their way into the centre.

Agatha brushed back a large group of ferns. She pointed outward toward a sunny beach filled with flora and fauna. The currents of an enormous, circling blue-white waterfall pounded the irregular sides of a colossal boulder in the middle of the hidden paradise.

This jungle... It's like it was created just for meditation, thought Kazuki as he studied the vibrant scenery in amazement.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" beamed Agatha.

"What is this place?" asked Kazuki.

"It is the Heart of Yuun. It was created by Hideki Yuun, one of the first celestite bearers. He was the first to carry the Yokai of Life, which allowed him to alter life's creations. The Heart of Yuun is where he began his training almost nine hundred years ago. After he developed this heart, it grew over a millennium, becoming the huge jungle we see today."

"And now, I have that power inside me? But why me? Who am I? I can't be that special. I just wanted to be an S-Rank soldier in the Carnation Empire," said Kazuki as he peered at his clenched fist with uncertainty.

"Sometimes, destiny desires chaos, my dear boy," said Agatha.

"How did Hideki die? Couldn't he reverse the ageing process in his cells?" asked Kazuki.

"Hideki died from old age, as ironic as that may be. He was nearly two hundred years old. Because of this, most scholars believed Hideki was a dark elf. However, they are mistaken. I believe he passed away many centuries ago right here," said Agatha as she gazed into the gentle waves of the surrounding waterfalls.

"He died here? I hope it was peaceful," said Kazuki.

"I believe so. My father showed me this place," said Agatha.

"He claimed he would sometimes speak with the spirit of Hideki. He said Hideki's soul had lived on within the life he created here... However, some say my father was a madman. I have been training and meditating within the heart of the jungle ever since I was a little girl. I always hoped to see my father's spirit—like when he saw Hideki. Alas, I still haven't seen him," groaned old Agatha as she plopped down into the soft sandy beach.

"My father followed Hideki's teachings for many decades, trying everything he could to become as powerful as he was. He was the fifth to bear Hideki's powers, whereas you, my dear boy, are the seventh. He learned a lot, but he was killed in action on a dangerous mission and passed down the power to a brilliant herbologist named Renzo. I was about seven years old when I lost him.

"Although, not much has changed here," she said as she smiled and gazed around the gorgeous, lush jungle.

Agatha clutched her cane and lifted herself from the soft sand. She wobbled into the shallow water nearby and continued her wise words. Her tattered muddy black cloak floated atop the shimmering crystal-clear waterline and washed it free of muck.

Kazuki listened and felt Agatha had not spoken with anyone in many years. She sure likes to talk, he thought. She seems excited that someone else gets to see this place. I wonder why.

"This is where you will begin to release and tap into your mana, dear boy," she said. "All it takes is to absorb the mana that this very jungle creates and spreads to the world. Surface the power to your mind and form a bond with the encompassing magic pollens. You will even feel them eventually, but we will start small.

"Umm. Okay," said Kazuki.

"I do not expect you to create papaya trees or godlike mountain ranges that shield entire kingdoms. It took Hideki and his predecessors many decades to accomplish such feats. Sometimes, Hideki would need the help of the core Celestite of Alteration to boost his capabilities," she explained.

"So, where should I start? I don't feel anything special yet," said Kazuki as he held his hand up to block out a ray of bright sunlight striking his eyes.

Kazuki saw a faint rainbow emerge from behind the hot glow of the jungle's goldenrod sun-titan and watched it disappear instantly.

That's weird, he thought, snapping back to Agatha's farsighted words.

"He started concentrating on the river beds themselves. He already had an adaption to it, as he was from the Sea of Dreams, far away in the Southern Continents—so my father said."

While she smacked her gnarled staff into the soft underwater algae beneath her bare feet, the colossal lonesome boulder vibrated and enlarged three times its original size.

"Wow. How did you do that?"

"Hideki made the boulder accessible to anyone. He himself could move these water currents as he sat upon this very same rock. I want you to come to it and focus on feeling the nature surrounding us. You can start with the freshwater itself."

"Walk on water? Uh, I'll try," said Kazuki, unbuttoning his tight black, gold-trimmed robe.

"Just do it, in you go!" demanded Agatha as she poked Kazuki with her cane, forcing him into the murky jungle waters.

"Alright already!"

⁂

A misty gloom stretched across the jungle, raying ochre twilight...

Taking another step onto the waterline that reflected the sun-titan's afternoon rays, Kazuki slipped underwater and threw his hands up through the sapphire algae-invested pond in frustration.

"Envision it as air, but lighter, and when it begins to caress you, step off the rock," said Agatha.

"Ugh! I get the feeling of being buoyant, just as you said. But I'm still sinking through the damn water! I don't get it. What am I supposed to be doing? Ah, how would you know? You've never had a core celestite! The Carnation Empire is definitely searching for me because of this mess."

Agatha closed her eyes in thought and realized Kazuki was right. She knew she was growing far too old. Even if she could teach Kazuki to tap into his mana, she would never be able to exercise his limits.

'This boy will attract a lot of powerful foes. There is hardly any time for him to practice, and he can't stay here much longer. The knowledge required to understand the power of all eight cores is an impossible task for an old hag such as I. Who am I kidding? I cannot defend him against such evil. Not with this body,' she thought.

With a rapid dash, Agatha appeared in front of Kazuki on top of the enlarged meditation boulder with nothing more than a swift pocket of wind, brushing the side of his violet hair.

She pressed her only hand to her creased forehead and contorted her wrinkled knees. A loud crack echoed through the enclosed skyline as she smacked her celestite-infused palm into the colossal boulder. The meditation rock shapeshifted into a mini-volcano that hissed and bubbled as it ascended underneath her feet.

"Manifestation!" chanted Agatha.

Kazuki, in surprise, sprung to swim back to the ingress in a panic.

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" he shouted, splashing to the shoreline.

Agatha leaped from the peak and landed in front of Kazuki. Snatching him by his ear, Agatha turned Kazuki around and pointed at the transmogrified boulder. A fully formed mini-volcano towered in the middle of the waterfall's torrents, without total overflow. The peak seethed with the sound of thick boiling water as small spews of magma spit and sizzled into the sapphire algae pond below.

"Ow! What are you doing? Let go of my ear, Agatha!"

"Just watch," she said.

Black smoke rose upwards from the mini volcano's pinnacle and saturated the air with a golden haze. The brimstone aroma coursed through Kazuki's heightened sense of smell as an invisible heatwave pushed his entire body backward. Kazuki and Agatha endured the searing winds until they abruptly stopped.

A deep raspy voice called out from the mini-volcanoes spire.

"Agatha, are you safe?"

Agatha let go of Kazuki's ear and walked towards her spawned mini-volcano as Kazuki rubbed his ear and watched.

"Angelo, my dear. I am here. Please come out. I need your aid, my old friend," she said.

As black fumes burst from the spire, lava spewed over the irregular cracks of the mini-volcano. The magma oozed and dehumidified the sapphire algae pond—enforcing a smokey blue mist. Flame orbs curled and burned light—like will-o-wisps in the night. As the blue flaming wisps revolved with a golden-white halo, they bounced and twirled into a fiery red dance.

Behind the dark smoke and glowing molten wisps came a set of dominant yellow eyes. A husky humanoid wolf with an enormous katana sheathed to its back emerged from the brume and flexed its muscles into unusual poses. A charcoal-stained white bandana crossed the long blonde hairs above his forehead and fluttered. His large-toned tissues swelled his fur as he hunched down and gathered magical strength.

This is no mere animal, thought Kazuki. This is a yokai!

Angelo pounced.

Before Kazuki could react, Agatha was in front, with her palm shoved into the summoned beast's snout.

"No, Angelo! There is no fighting needed here. You are so used to war, my friend. It hurts my heart," said Agatha.

Angelo, the yokai, halted and analyzed Kazuki with piercing yellow eyes. He could see the glinting red trapezoid-shaped crystal imprinted on his right shoulder. With recognition, he turned back to Agatha.

"What do you want, little one? Are we safe? Who is this?" he asked.

Agatha chuckled.

"We are safe. It has been far too long. I am no longer a little one, Angelo."

"I thought we were in exile? It has been nearly half a century since you last summoned me. You said it was too dangerous and they would find us, so you must be in grave need to disturb my retirement."

"I need to know if The All Demon remains sealed," asked Agatha as she leaned onto her twisted cane.

"Yes, little one. He is still sealed. However, the lesser yokai portals are no longer under the sage's control. Something has changed within the Realm of Styx. This must be the child that bears eight of the core yokai. I can feel my great ancestors within him. While he has somehow overpowered and killed Vizran, he has detached The All Demon's seal.

"The All Demon is now free to wander Vizran's empty chasm. But, he cannot enter Azmoria fully. His body would collapse, and a new All Demon would take his position. The eight cores must be placed inside him so he can immerse himself into his physical form.

"Your world's leaders will be hunting this boy like a pack of dogs as we speak. I have zero doubt. The overlords of Azmoria will force The All Demon to appear, as a single child is unfit to rule the planet. This will restart the celestite cycle that took place during The First Age," explained Angelo as he crossed his massive hairy arms.

"The First Age?" asked Agatha.

"It appears this boy's family has preserved a secret about him. A mortal can't hold all eight core yokai. It has been attempted many times in the past," said Angelo, sheathing his massive curved blade.

"I never thought you of all mortals would throw yourself into war once again after what happened. Nevertheless, I will help in any way I can. You have shown me friendship and learned everything I know on the battlefield. It's been a good life with you."

Agatha reached up and rubbed Angelo's long blonde mane between his pointed ears.

"You told me on my sixteenth birthday that no matter what, you would always protect me with your massive muscles. Does that still stand? Will you be controlled if The All Demon returns?"

Angelo hesitated and looked at Kazuki, who was distraught.

"The only way is if my soul is freed from my chasm. Or our creator can take possession of my body and my powers," replied Angelo.

Kazuki stepped forward and met Angelo's fiery golden demon gaze for the first time.

"My family? I don't remember my family. Who are they!" he shouted.

Angelo drew and shoved his long flaming sword in Kazuki's face within an instant, causing him to fumble into the rippling mist-coated water.

"Angelo, please lower your weapon. He is just a frightened child," said Agatha.

"I do not answer to you, little boy. I answer Agatha's questions because of our yore. I do not know where you came from. If The All Demon knew I was speaking with the one he hungers for, he would bestow my soul to the unknown regions of the outer cosmos—then I will never be truly free."

Turning to Agatha, Angelo huffed and sheathed his Masamune.

"I am going back, little one. Do not summon me if you are not in danger. I am not a book."

Angelo turned back to his molten abyss while Agatha dropped her cane and rushed forward.

"Wait! I—I need you to detach from me."

Angelo stopped.

Pointing to Kazuki, Agatha pleaded.

"I want you to be this boy's companion, as you were mine for many years. I am dying, Anjelico... I am afraid my time in Azmoria is coming to an end."

"The day we spoke about so long ago draws near then. I am sorry, little one. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Even we lesser yokai grow old and die," said Angelo.

"There is nothing that can stop that now. I cannot guard your ancestors alone. If you do this, I will perform the Evensong Rite. I will free you from the chains of your chasm, just as you always wanted—whether it's highly forbidden or not. But in return, you must side with Kazuki. Your knowledge and strength will protect him from what is to come. Please, help save this world one last time."

"I will have no way of knowing what will become of you, little one. I cannot let you do it."

Agatha looked at the sand that covered her wrinkled feet and grimaced.

"If it means the savoury of the world, then it must be done, and I am glad to do it even if it is my final part in this everlasting quest for peace. You are the only one I have ever trusted to do anything right. Just thinking of the faces of the veterans seeing your return brings me to tears. They are not going to believe their eyes that Anjelico, the Demon of Faith, has returned to help Azmoria. I can't think of a better morale boost."

Scared at first, Kazuki stood next to Agatha and watched the yokai closely.

Angelo bowed his head and pouted.

"Being free of my abyss," he said as he glimpsed up into the jungle's orange sunset. "I could never dream of anything more."

"Then, you will do it?"

Angelo looked back to his bearer and smiled.

"It's about time you bearers lived up to your promises," he winked.

Agatha smiled back.

"You truly are a beast with a heart, Anjelico."

"I have already told you many times before. That is the name my creator gave me. I am Angelo," he said, pointing his Masamune at Kazuki.

"Remember that."

Angelo's muscles constricted and fortified while he lowered himself to the sand. With a swift and decisive leap, he hurdled and sank into the mini-volcano as it gently shapeshifted back into the authentic boulder it once was.

Kazuki walked towards the volcano as the blue mist settled.

"What did he mean? My family, holding secrets? I can't remember my family. I feel like I never knew them."

"He meant that it is odd you are able to host all of the core yokai. Where you bear eight cores, the ninth, the tenth, the eleventh and the twelfth are thought to be just a legend. In the beginning, twelve warriors fought to defeat The All Demon during The First Age. The Azmorian Twelve were the first mortals to obtain a yokai. But, four of them had gone M.I.A after the battle," said Agatha, holding her chin in thought.

"M.I.A?" asked Kazuki.

"Missing in Action. The council of sages declared them deceased after almost ten years of searching. What happened to them remains a mystery to this day. Yet strange rumours surfaced during The Lions Head War, roughly seventy years ago, that the ninth core celestite belonged to an unidentified serial killer in the press called The Abstractionist," she said, shaking her head.

"However, aside from bringing you here, I have not been outside the jungle in many years. I'm not sure what's happening out there anymore," sighed Agatha as she grasped Kazuki's bare shoulder.

"I heard rumours that someone escaped the most heavily guarded facility in the world by himself—Baladaas Prison. He was able to combat his way through forty A-Rank officers using multiple powers. Only one man in history could manipulate numerous yokai besides you, dear boy. He is the one who caused the war over seventy years ago. The Man in the Obsidian Mask."

"Who is The Man in the Obsidian Mask?" asked Kazuki.

"Nobody knows. I believe he is a very old and powerful supervillain: a creature that is supposed to be long dead. It's good that we have spoken with Angelo then. I will free him from his binds soon, and he will travel with you and guide you. I cannot protect you. I am afraid I have grown quite brittle over the years, and it's only becoming worse. I do not have much time left," she said as she snatched her cane from the sand.

"How old are you anyway? I bet you're like a hundred."

"What! You can't just ask me that. It's rude, you little weasel!" said Agatha, whacking Kazuki between the eyes with her cane.

"Ow! Stop doing that!"

"Listen. Osamu, The Abstractionist has hunted and killed many bearers. He received over sixteen life sentences for his crimes. Last I heard, the Council of Sages recently pardoned him. He claimed to be innocent and that a powerful imposter framed him."

Stressed, Kazuki punched the water and splashed the droplets onto his face and violet hair.

"The empire, my family, the celestites... what does it all mean? What was my real family hiding? That yokai in the arena... Vizran... I remember him saying something about someone named Miyasato and that I looked like him. Could Miyasato be my father?"

Agatha's eyes widened in a sudden realization.

Miyasato. I have not heard that name in decades. That's the man who saved me when Ocelot died protecting us against the man in the obsidian mask. Those red eyes... How did I not see this sooner? He looks just like him. But, Miyasato died over seventy years ago when I was a teenager. They say he defeated the masked man and simply vanished into thin air. Kazuki can not be his son. It's impossible. What is going on? Who is this child?

Agatha quickly removed her expression as she walked over to Kazuki, as he threw pebbles into the sapphire water. She wrapped her only arm on his hunched back and spoke softly.

"Come now, child. We will go back to the Cavern of Tranquility and rest. We'll continue your training tomorrow. Your skill has rapidly grown in just a day—the fastest I have seen in quite some time. You're a far better listener than I was when Angelo taught me this stuff. However, I'm afraid I have shared all I know with you about the Celestite of Life. I cannot feel that particular mana. If only my father were still alive...

"You will have to keep toying with it until the turtle yokai, known as Toshihiro, presents itself to you. However, you'll have to work harder than you ever have before, with the help of Angelo, of course, and perhaps others in the future. In time your yokai should speak with you."

"It's so much to endure. I don't even know where I came from. I need to find a way to get rid of them," said Kazuki.

"That is not possible, I'm afraid. However, not everyone will want to be your enemy; that's the good news. I am so sorry this burden has been placed upon you, dear boy. I can't imagine how you are feeling—to be the rightful ruler and guardian of all Azmoria all by yourself at eighteen," sighed Agatha.

"I think I'm nineteen," said Kazuki, brushing Agatha's hand from his bare shoulder. "And you still haven't told me how I even got to that rainbow cave in the first place."

"I brought you there. After seeing the tournament's dome in ruins and the sky blazed with purple mana pollution, I rushed to see what had happened, only to find you at the dome's centre. What came to pass, I can't say for sure.

"As soon as I saw the celestite on your shoulder, I just knew the world was about to change. I'm afraid there is nothing else to it. Your pain can be tamed and moulded into ambition. With ambition comes strength and courage; remember that too, dear boy," winked Agatha.

Kazuki stormed off and wrapped his soaking-wet black robes around his waist. He looked at his celestite in wonder before placing a big jungle leaf over his back.

I need my memories back to figure this mess out. I can feel the life crystal's power, but it's faint. The others are silent... I hope they do talk to me, and soon.

Kazuki shook his violet hair free of water like a dog and left, saying nothing to Agatha as the sun-star set in the jungles' yonder of a glittered orange horizon.