The wind howled at the cliff's edge where the ritual was to be performed.
Kai stood with Ignarax, staring out into the vast horizon. The final sunset of their era painted the sky in magma orange—fitting, he thought, for a goodbye that felt both heavy and inevitable.
"You're ready," Ignarax said quietly.
Kai didn't answer right away. His fists were clenched. "I still feel like there's more to learn."
"There always is. That's why it's your turn to live in the era ahead—to grow, fight, protect… and remember."
They turned. In the clearing behind them, the other dragons and Dragon Slayers had gathered. Natsu stood beside Igneel, Gajeel beside Metallicana, Wendy with Grandeeney. Sting, Rogue, and the younger Wendy looked a bit nervous.
Anna stood in the center, holding her ring of twelve Zodiac keys. "It's time," she said softly.
In the future, Layla Heartfilia would complete the spell. But here, now, Anna bore the weight of starting the ritual.
Each dragon turned to their Slayer. There was a moment of silence as ancient beings prepared to vanish into the hearts of the children they had raised.
Ignarax turned to Kai, his orange horns glowing. "This is goodbye… for now."
Kai finally looked him in the eye. "Will I remember you?"
"You'll remember enough," Ignarax said. "And if you forget, you'll remember again. Your Eye will guide you, even when your mind cannot."
Then the ritual began.
A thunderous light erupted as each dragon transferred their essence into the body of their Slayer.
Kai collapsed to one knee, gripping his chest as power unlike anything before surged into him—raw, primal, ancient.
The sky tore open as the Eclipse Gate shimmered above the ritual circle.
Anna raised her voice, chanting through the roaring winds.
In the future, Layla stood at the Eclipse Gate. She didn't have the key for Aquarius, but she had to fulfill the wish of her ancestor. So, she chose the only substitute she had—her own life force.
As Anna called out the final spell, Layla did the same. Two timelines, two separate twelve-key circles, one gate.
The children were thrown into the sky like scattered stars.
Kai barely saw the others before everything went white.
A great pressure crushed his body, like the weight of a collapsing mountain—and then he was gone.
X777 – Unknown Location
Kai gasped awake in the dark.
His body was aching. His vision blurred. His senses… fractured.
Where was this?
Who was he?
No—he remembered his name. Kai.
But there were holes. Huge gaps. He knew things without knowing how. Spells without origins. He remembered fire and earth, scales, and… a woman with keys?
He clenched his fists and tried to focus.
His Eye sparked faintly—True Sight.
It showed nothing.
But it whispered that something was wrong. His mind was broken. Incomplete.
He sat up slowly. If he couldn't remember his past, then he'd have to rebuild it.
"I need to study," he murmured. "I need to remember… Was I reincarnated into Fairy Tail? My memories are a mess."
Somewhere in his heart, he felt a voice—one long gone.
"You'll remember again. Your Eye will guide you."
Meanwhile – A Shadow Watching
Far above, from a high balcony in a distant ruin, Zeref stood silently.
"So," he whispered, watching the streaks of light vanish into time. "It begins."
His eyes lingered on one particular soul.
"I hope you grow strong enough to kill me in the future… Natsu."