The sun had long dipped beneath the horizon, painting the sky in shades of violet and fading gold. Inside the quiet house, a warm fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the wooden walls. Alfie, Rebekah, and his younger brothers sat gathered on the floor, as Alfie continued excitedly recounting his awakening and the new power he'd felt.
"…and then, it just happened!" Alfie beamed, wide-eyed. "The dark Renshi formed into weapons — a hammer, a sword, even a shield! I didn't even think hard; it just obeyed me! Isn't that cool?!"
"You shouldn't get too carried away," Rebekah said gently, her tone firm but kind. "Renshi… it's not always a gift. Some people see it as a curse."
Alfie blinked, surprised. His younger brothers fell silent too.
"When you awaken Renshi," Rebekah continued, "your aura becomes traceable by darkside spirits. They'll hunt you for it. That's why many people have no choice but to join the Shinra Academy,some other people dreams are to become Shinras even when they don't possess Renshi making them go to the Shinra mage academy—but for some is not because they dream of becoming a Shinra, but because it's the only way to survive. Renshi changes your path — sometimes for the better, sometimes… it breaks people's dreams."
She paused, looking at Alfie directly.
"You're lucky, Alfie. Things seem to be going your way. But not everyone gets that."
"Hm…" Alfie scratched his head, his brow furrowing. "You mentioned something earlier… Shinra Mage Academy? What's that?"
Rebekah blinked, then smiled faintly. He actually paid attention to that part? she thought. He may act like a goof, but he's curious. Eager to learn.
"Mages," she explained aloud, "are Shinras who don't possess innate Renshi. They use objects — fused with Renshi — to cast spells. These objects are created by Renshi-smiths or sometimes bestowed by high-ranking Shinras. With enough training, some mages can even surpass those born with Renshi."
"Whoa… so even without Renshi, you can still fight like a Shinra?" Alfie asked in awe.
"Exactly."
"That's pretty amazing, girl. You really know your stuff." A deep voice interrupted from the hallway.
They turned as Marco stepped out from behind the doorframe, arms crossed.
"Mr. Shinra!" Alfie jumped. "You were there the whole time?! How come I didn't notice,was that one of your Renshi abilities?"
"Not everything is about Renshi, boy," Marco said with a smirk. "You'd be surprised what you can do with just instinct and a little experience."
Rebekah nodded quietly.
"How do you know so much about Shinras and darkside spirits?" Marco asked her.
Rebekah took a breath, then began, her voice soft but steady.
"My grandfather was a Shinra. He passed away before I was born. My father didn't have innate Renshi — not at first — so he never became one. It wasn't his dream anyway. But when my older brother was born… something awakened. A connection between them triggered the Renshi hidden in my father's body."
Alfie and his brothers leaned in, eyes wide.
"The Shinras sensed it instantly. They came for my brother — he was taken into the academy right after birth, for his safety. My father tried to stop them, but… he wasn't strong enough, even with his new power. They offered to let him join too. He refused. Said he wouldn't fight a war that never ends — not when he had a family to protect."
Rebekah looked down, her fingers tightening in her lap.
"But that didn't stop the darkside spirits. They kept coming — betas, mostly. My father tried to protect us. He found an ancient spell that could seal away our Renshi… but it failed. He even experimented on defeated darkside spirits, hoping to extract Renshi like they did. But it all caused more pain, especially for my mother."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"She left him. And even though she walked away, he never stopped loving her. When she was killed by a darkside spirit… it broke him."
Silence filled the room like fog.
"He gave up on everything else after that. All he had left was us. We were on our way to the Shinra Academy when we were attacked in the forest by tons of advanced beta darkside spirits. My father gave his life to make sure I survived. My brother too…"
A tear slipped down Rebekah's cheek.
"I've spent most of my life running. But now… I think I'm done running. It's time to choose a dream."
The fire crackled softly.
"I'm sorry about your family," Alfie said, his voice quiet. "Really."
Rebekah smiled, wiping her tears. "Thanks. But I'm still alive. That means I have the chance to honor them."
Marco stepped closer, his gaze solemn. "That's one hell of a story, girl. Your father… he fought fate with everything he had. Don't let his sacrifice go to waste. Carry it with pride — and purpose."
If only he had come to me, Marco thought. I would've taught him a proper sealing technique. But fate… fate doesn't always connect us to those who need us most.
The room remained quiet for a moment, each person caught in their own thoughts — of loss, survival, and the uncertain road ahead.