We slacked off until it was time to head home. I'd waited for Nasuke like always, and together we walked, trailing behind a small group of other students. One by one, they branched off, turning left, right, disappearing down narrow paths toward their own homes.
Until finally... it was just me and him.
But all the way, Nasuke hadn't said a word.
He walked slowly, shoulders loose, not the relaxed kind, but sagging with something unspoken. His gaze stayed fixed on the ground, never lifting, never drifting. Not to me nor to the side, just down.
And his face...
It didn't need words. It already carried the weight of something heavy. Something hurting. I couldn't tell what it was, but I could feel it. He was quietly, deeply sad.
Up ahead, I saw a small ice cream shop, one of those quiet roadside ones with faded umbrellas and dusty signage. I stopped without saying a word and walked toward it.
Nasuke kept going. He didn't even notice I'd left.
I bought three sticks. One for me, two for him. We used to fight over this flavour, redberry pop. I'd always say it was too sweet. He'd call me old and take both. Maybe I bought him two because I hoped he'd still take mine.
When I caught up, I walked right in front of him and stopped. He kept walking until he noticed my shoes blocking his path.
Then he stopped but still didn't look up, I handed him the two sticks.
He took them in one hand, arm dropping to his side.
The silence stayed. The ice began to melt.
Drip... Drip... Red streaks painted the concrete beneath his feet.
I looked down, the ice was already halfway gone. I hadn't even noticed. Then something else caught my eye, small droplets falling around him. But it wasn't from the ice.
They were clear. Quiet. Transparent. They were tears. And then came more, the sky joined him. Raindrops started to fall. Slowly at first. Then harder. Heavier, it was raining hard.
Then Nasuke suddenly sobbed. It was loudly like he was mourning something. Like something inside him finally broke open. His head snapped up, and his eyes locked with mine. And in that single look... I felt it. The pain, the weight, the sadness that had been suffocating him from the inside out. It was pouring out now.
It hurt more than I could explain to see him like that. From the inside, I was crying too. He looked so broken, like his whole world had shattered.
And still... he didn't move, he stood there staring at me with a lot of sadness while still sobbing, holding two melting sticks of red ice. I didn't know what to do or how to reach him. But I knew one thing, whatever this was... it was about me.
Nasuke only cries like this for one person—me. I remembered when he was two years old, he used to cry like this each time I left him behind for school. He chased after me barefoot, shouting my name until he tripped each time. When he turned four, he could only stand at the doorway and cry himself out.
He never told me he missed me. But his knees were always bruised.
I stepped forward and gently pulled him into me one hand at the back of his head, the other holding my ice stick as it melted, too.
He couldn't stop sobbing, but I was sure he had found out that I would be gone for ten days.
"I don't know why you're crying," I said softly, "but you'll never lose me. No matter what."
The rain pounded harder, like it was trying to drown the moment. But he didn't move. And neither did I. After a long silence, I knelt on one knee. "Get on. Let's go home."
He hesitated, then slowly, without a word, he climbed onto my back. His arms wrapped around me, light and shaky.
After a distance, he wasn't crying anymore. But the tears hadn't stopped. They just kept falling, silent and steady, drilling trails down his cheeks as I carried him home through the rain.
We reached home, and Nasuke had already dozed off. The rain had washed away all the tears from his face. Mom didn't ask. She just looked at him and understood.
I changed him to his pyjamas, carried him to his bed, and covered him gently.
I went and asked Mom to watch over him for a while, and told her I might leave in the morning... without telling him.
The next day, I left for school early in the morning while Nasuke was still asleep.
The sky was still a little dark, pale blue stretching over the quiet streets. I had my backpack and my randoseru with me.
I walked slowly, and by the time I reached the academy gates, a few students had already gathered. Most of them hadn't brought anything the day before, so they were scrambling now. We waited silently in the courtyard as staff moved around with clipped orders.
The briefing began shortly after.
Year Three students were called aside for a separate orientation. Their field exercise would take place at the eastern side of the forest, which was slightly more dangerous than the west. But no one questioned it. They were Year Threes, they could handle it. It was decided that separating the groups would avoid confusion and complaints.
Our own briefing was led by the headmaster, a man whose name I didn't even know.
All I knew was that he had white hair, though he wasn't old. His face was shadowed by thick black beards, giving him a slightly worn but sharp appearance.
Standing on either side of him were the three teachers overseeing each grade: Ms. Yuna, Mr. Kaizuka, and Mr. Hayara.
The headmaster gave a speech… something about safety, responsibility, and maybe expectations. I wasn't paying much attention, I think most of it was a repeat of what Ms. Yuna had already said.
Then we moved out.
Three buses arrived, one for each class.
I could feel the tension building. Some students stared at each other like it was a tournament. But the looks I received weren't the same. They weren't sizing me up, they were watching me like they were already waiting for something to happen.
Ayumi was close to me, Ike, as always, wouldn't leave my side. And Kaito... well, I still didn't understand what he was thinking. But he was there, quiet and close. Kyoko kept glancing at Ike every now and then, and Hanazaki couldn't break a death stare on him. We never even got a chance to ask him questions.
I noticed the same class A student who came for Kaito and me during the coffee incident and Natsuki, both glancing at Ayumi. This field exercise was a chance for some students to get back at each other if they ever crossed paths.
As we boarded the bus, I caught a glimpse of Renji also eyeing Ayumi. It wasn't just a glance, but it felt like a warning. All three classes got on their respective buses, and the journey began. It was a two-hour drive to the woods.
Each bus dropped its students at different starting points, just outside the forest border. Once you stepped down, that was it. You were on your own.
No group. No team. Not yet.
Each student was instructed to move inward, guided by the CoreLink interface.
It would give you your initial direction, and after reaching a certain radius, that would be your starting point.
Ms. Yuna stood close to the bus door, calling out students one by one as the vehicle came to a halt at various drop-off points. Each time a name was called, the student would step down, and the bus would move forward a little more. Eventually, it was my turn. "Raman Nageya."
Her voice cut through the idle chatter like a command. I rose without a word and stepped off the bus.
There were only a few students left behind now. I stared ahead at the forest, and it looked oddly quiet. The trees near the edge were spaced out, almost inviting. But something about it felt... wrong.
Maybe it was just the edges that looked that way. Inside? I doubted it looked anything like this.
Then suddenly—beep.
A soft chime rang, and a holographic screen projected itself from my CoreLink.
> "Hi, Nageya. How is your morning?"
...I blinked.
The system greets now? And with sound?
I thought it would just display plain instructions or location data.
> "Now move 3 kilometres to the East from your current position. I will guide you with a compass to the exact location."
The hologram shifted, a soft blue compass pulsing gently in front of me. I took one last look behind me, and the bus was out of sight.
Then I turned toward the trees... and stepped into the forest. It was supposed to be a 40-minute walk, but every minute felt slower than the last.
By the time I hit the 20-minute mark, the trees were no longer sparse.
Oddly, though, the woods were clear, too clear. It was like the sun had dropped lower, brushing against the leaves directly. Light poured in from everywhere. It didn't feel right.
Then, suddenly—beep.
A soft alarm chimed in my ear, and the system had activated. But this time... I didn't see the usual hologram, and that was strange. Because I'd never known the CoreLink system to speak with sound before. It was always visual, always projected. But now... something had changed.
> "You have a target approaching."
"What kind of target?"
> "It is... a giant mouse. Non-hostile."
A mouse? "XP?"
> "Estimated: 13 XP."
I stopped to think if it was worth it. I shook my head. "No. I pass."
I noticed a huge tree up ahead, taller than the rest, its roots twisting like fingers gripping the earth. I decided to stop there and rest under its trunk. It had been about 20 minutes since I started walking, but students were already leveling up and there I was planning to rest.
Leaning back against the bark, I let out a quiet breath, then a memory came. Last night, after I changed Nasuke into his pajamas and tucked him in, I'd tried to leave the room quietly. But just as I reached the door, he stirred, his small hand reached out and gripped mine.
When I turned back, he was staring up at me with glassy, half-asleep eyes. "You'll come back… won't you?"
I didn't answer. How could I?
What if I promised and it turned out to be a lie? "Go back to bed. You'll see me in the morning." But he didn't. I'd left before dawn. Slipped out without even looking back.
And now… I could already imagine the drama unfolding at home.
---
Back home…
Nasuke had locked himself in his room. He wouldn't go to the academy, not without me. Mom kept knocking, asking him to at least come out for breakfast. Dad just sat in the living room, pretending not to hear anything.
Still, Mom kept trying but Nasuke didn't answer. He just curled into himself under the blanket, tears soaking into his pillow.
---
Somewhere between that thought and the weight in my chest, I drifted off. My body slumped against the tree. The woods grew darker, it wasn't like clouds rolling in, it was something deeper. It felt like I was being watched. Whispers floated just beyond hearing, footsteps echoed but never came closer. I heard rustling, maybe even breathing... but I didn't wake.
Not until a voice cut through the silence, calm, firm, and cold.
> "Nageya."
I snapped awake. The light was gone around me, the woods were dim like night, the trees swaying without wind. My heart pounded for a moment before I remembered where I was.
> "Nageya," the voice repeated.
It was the system.
> "You need to begin leveling up."
I rubbed my eyes. "How long was I out?"
> "Almost forty minutes." It replied.
I sat up straighter, looking around. "And why is the weather like this?"
> "The forest is responding to the presence of the students."
I stood slowly, stretching my arms. The air felt heavier now, like the forest was breathing around me. "Can you identify locations with strong creatures?"
> "Affirmative. But first, shouldn't you set up a tent?"
"No, It's not night yet, there's a reason why it's dark. Also... I'm getting hungry. Painfully so."
> "You can buy food at any time through your personal store."
That stopped me cold. "Buy? My store isn't unlocked, I don't have enough XP or Essencia Core energy yet."
> "Your store and all items are currently unlocked. You unlocked everything during your tutorial sync."
That made no sense because I knew nothing about a tutorial sync. I hadn't levelled up nor fought anything yet. So how...? Unless... my system was either broken or different. But I didn't think I had a say in it right now, guess I'll move with the flow.
"So… what could I get from my store at this moment? The system projected a hologram before me, coloured lines building into a grid of glowing icons. A long list of options unfolded, and surprisingly, there was a house too.
A house? Like, seriously, in the middle of the woods? What was I supposed to do with that? Build a neighbourhood? "That must cost a lot of XP," I said.
> "No. You don't need XP. You can use your own Essencia Core energy.
Wait—what? "You mean I can drain my own Essencia Core balance to buy anything from the store?"
> "Correct. Even without a physical Essencia Core, you can use your internal balance."
That was… risky and strange. But it was also strangely convenient. "So what can I obtain with my balance right now?"
> "Your Essencia Core balance is currently unreadable. It's likely at 100%... or possibly 100%+"
"...What? Did it just say 100%... plus? How does that even work? There's no such thing. Percentages don't go beyond full." That was enough proof that my system was broken. I scrolled through the list. "Can I get a sword?"
> "Confirmed. Displaying options."
And there it was, not just one sword, but dozens, hundreds. Weapons I'd never seen before. Shapes, materials, and edges that didn't follow normal design. Some looked like they belonged in myth. Others in a nightmare. But one caught my eye.
It wasn't exactly a sword, but it was and when I zoomed in, the blade was made entirely from stone. Stone that moved like gravel flowing together, breaking apart, and reforming. The particles shifted in a loop, swirling like sand caught in a breeze… then solidifying again. It was strange, almost alive.
> "That one is for a 2nd gen, one who can summon and command sand.
Once wielded by a forgotten king of the mountain tribes, Tharnis is forged not by man, but by the will of the land itself. Its blade is made of living stone, gravel that flows, reshapes, and solidifies in a rhythm older than language. Each swing reforms the sword, as if the earth itself is breathing through it. To wield Tharnis is to carry the weight of mountains… and their silence."
Suddenly the system displayed a notification.
> Bond status: Compatible.
"I am no wielder of sand." I muttered.
But just as I stared at the screen,
something moved across my vision.
Quick. Blurry. Gone. "What was that?" I muttered, eyes darting to the tree line.
No answer, the system had gone… silent. No voice. No beep. No shimmer. Just the frozen hologram in front of me.
I blinked looking around, the air had grown heavier again like someone or something was watching. But I couldn't tell from where. I let out a slow breath, keeping my voice steady. "Um…" excuse me," I said into the air, not sure who I was even talking to. "Can I talk to you?"
But no reply.
"I just want to make a deal. I'm not ready to fight right now."
Still silence.
"I'm hungry," I said. "I just want food right now."