The silence was a heavy thing—pressing against the walls, thick with the weight of unsaid words and unhealed wounds. It wasn't the calm that followed a day's end, nor was it the quiet of deep thought. It was the kind of silence that comes after the storm, the kind that settles into the bones, a reminder that something had been broken and that the pieces were still too sharp to touch.
Inside the infirmary at Philippine Hunter University, the quiet was unbearable. The students who had survived the battle against Nyxaroth lay in bed, wrapped in bandages, their injuries patched but their spirits still fractured. Grim sat at the farthest corner, his arms resting on his knees, his head lowered in deep contemplation. His left shoulder throbbed where a shard of corrupted energy had struck, but it wasn't the pain that held him captive—it was the memory of what had transpired.
The screams. The endless blackness. The helplessness that had gnawed at his core.
But amidst it all, there was one image that stayed with him. Elyse. Her eyes had not been filled with fear during the battle but with something deeper—recognition.
Across the room, Elyse sat beside Liya, helping with the bandages of the unconscious students. Her hands were steady, moving with practiced care, but her gaze was often drawn back to Grim. The distance between them had widened, yet there was something unspoken hanging in the air. Something fragile and raw.
Marcus stood in the doorway, his arms folded, the faint flicker of flame dancing between his fingers. He hadn't made a single joke in days, his usual teasing replaced by a quiet, almost brooding presence. Even Liya, usually the spark of light in their group, had been subdued, her eyes dimmed as she moved from bed to bed.
They were all healing physically—but the emotional toll was still too fresh.
Grim stood and walked outside, the cool evening air meeting his skin, the sky above clear and crisp with starlight. And there, soaring against the dark expanse, was Minokawa, the great celestial eagle that had become his most trusted summon. Its form glowed with a soft, silvery light, and as it dove gracefully toward him, it shrank in midair, landing at his side as a bird of flame and light.
"You're restless too," Grim muttered, his hand reaching out to stroke the creature's head. Its feathers shimmered like the moon, and the warmth of its presence was comforting.
The eagle let out a low rumble, its eyes glowing faintly as it locked onto Grim's.
Grim closed his eyes, his breath slow and deliberate as he let his senses reach deeper—beyond Minokawa, beyond the world around him.
**The seal.**
The mark on his forearm—where the Bakunawa's ancient symbol had burned itself into his skin—flared to life. Not in pain, but in a beckoning. A pull. An invitation.
His vision blurred.
---
Grim found himself standing beneath a pale, silver moon, surrounded by water that rippled like glass. The stars above shimmered, their patterns both familiar and unfamiliar at once. It was like standing at the edge of another world.
Before him stood the Bakunawa, ancient and coiled, its massive form towering like a living mountain. Its golden eyes bored into him with such intensity that it felt like the world itself was being scrutinized. And beside the mighty creature, standing with quiet grace, was Elyse.
She wasn't in her usual PHU uniform. No, she wore flowing silver robes, her long hair loose and glowing with an ethereal light. She looked as though she had stepped from the pages of a dream—or from another life entirely.
Grim's throat tightened as he stepped forward, a mix of awe and confusion battling within him. "Elyse?"
She smiled at him, but the expression was bittersweet, like something that had been lost and was now just barely within reach. "You're starting to remember," she said softly.
"Remember what?" Grim asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"Our bond," she replied, her eyes warm yet distant, as if recalling something painful. "This isn't the first time we've stood together before the celestial ones."
The Bakunawa's voice rumbled from deep within its vast chest, shaking the very ground beneath Grim's feet. "She carries a fragment of my power. When the mark extended to her, her soul resonated with yours."
Grim's heart skipped a beat. "Is that why I keep dreaming of things I don't understand?"
The great serpent's golden eyes never left him. "Yes. The seal within you has begun to crack. The Seven Shadows that once knelt to me… they stir."
At that, Elyse stepped closer, her fingers brushing against Grim's marked arm. A soft, glowing pulse surged between them, and Grim felt something stir deep within him—a recognition he could not explain.
"I saw our past life," Elyse whispered, her voice trembling. "You were… different. Strong, fearless, and broken. And I was the light that stayed beside you, even when the world turned dark."
Grim's breath hitched. "Why don't I remember?"
"Because you chose to forget," Bakunawa's deep voice answered. "Your last death fractured your soul. The Seven Shadows sealed themselves away, waiting for your recognition. To reclaim your true strength, you must stand before them again—and be chosen."
The vision began to fade, but before it could completely disappear, Elyse's hand lingered in his, warm and certain.
"I'm not leaving you this time," she whispered.
---
Grim gasped, his chest rising sharply as he awoke. The mark on his arm pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging the vow made in the dream. Minokawa stood beside him, its great form still glowing softly in the moonlight. The creature bowed its head in respect.
"Was it real?" Grim whispered to the air, unsure if the experience had been a mere figment of his imagination.
Minokawa trilled softly in response, a sound that felt like both reassurance and invitation.
The connection between them felt undeniable, and for the first time, Grim allowed himself to fully embrace it.
Without another thought, he climbed onto Minokawa's back, the eagle's wings stretching wide as it lifted him into the sky. The wind rushed around them as they soared higher and higher, the world below shrinking into nothing. It was exhilarating, freeing.
And then, something changed. The light around them shimmered, becoming brighter, more intense. Minokawa's body glowed with a soft, silvery fire as it shot higher into the air, and Grim felt the power within the summon stir—awakening.
*Purification.*
A soft flame erupted from Minokawa's beak, trailing in the air as it danced across the sky. Grim's mind flashed with images—Nyxaroth's corruption, the demon's empty, soulless eyes, the stench of death that clung to the air.
But this flame—this purifying fire—could cleanse it all. It was more than just light; it was the essence of soulfire, capable of burning away the corruption that lingered within.
Grim whispered to himself, "This… will be the key."
---
Meanwhile, far beyond the reach of PHU, in a place where shadows twisted and the air grew thick with an unnatural stillness, Xavier stood at the center of a circle of obsidian pillars. His dark cloak swirled around him like liquid night, and his eyes burned with quiet fury. Before him stood a tall figure, its features hidden beneath a red hood embroidered with ancient runes.
"You lost the beast," the figure said coldly, its voice like the rustle of dying leaves.
"It was never about the beast," Xavier replied, his voice sharp. "It was about testing the Prime Summoner."
"And?"
"He's stronger than expected. But still incomplete. The Seven Shadows remain asleep."
The red-hooded figure tilted its head, its voice soft yet ominous. "Then we open the next gate."
Xavier's body stiffened. "You said the underworld wasn't ready."
"It's not," the figure answered. "But the *Highborn Demons* are. And they will gladly lend us chaos in exchange for their freedom."
The shadows behind the figure seemed to writhe, twisting unnaturally. Faint screams echoed from within, like the sound of a thousand souls trapped in torment.
"What of your superiors?" Xavier asked, his voice tight with suspicion.
"They hunger," the figure whispered. "And the boy will either fall… or become the spark that burns both heaven and hell."
As Xavier turned to leave, the figure murmured, "Let the seal shatter."
---
Back at PHU, the following morning brought with it an eerie quiet. Grim stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, his gaze distant. The wind whipped around him, but it felt strangely empty—like a pause before the storm.
Elyse appeared beside him, her footsteps soft against the earth. She didn't say anything at first, simply standing beside him as the wind tousled her hair.
"You remember now, don't you?" she asked, her voice low.
Grim nodded slowly. "Not everything. But enough."
Elyse glanced at him, her eyes searching, but she didn't push. Instead, she simply stood with him, the silence between them heavy but comfortable.
After a long moment, Grim spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think we can stop what's coming?"
Elyse reached out, gently taking his hand in hers. "We already did once."
"And if I fail this time?" Grim's voice cracked with the weight of his doubt.
Elyse's gaze was steady, her grip firm. "Then I'll fall with you. Again."
Grim turned to face her, his eyes searching her face. There was no fear there. Only trust.
She smiled, a quiet, knowing smile. "You really
don't remember everything, do you?"
A distant rumble shook the ground beneath them. For a brief moment, a crack appeared in the sky—a jagged tear of blackness that stretched wide and deep. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.
Grim stared at the spot where it had been, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the weight of it—like a warning, a sign of something far worse on the horizon.
"We're running out of time," Grim murmured, his voice low.
Elyse nodded, her expression grim. "I know."
And in that moment, the final pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
The next battle had already begun.