Ryuzen could hear a voice.
Far away.
Almost like a whisper carried by the wind.
“Hey.”
His body felt heavy.
He tried to open his eyes.
Nothing.
“Can you hear me?”
Ryuzen’s fingers moved slightly.
Lyra noticed immediately.
“You’re awake?”
Ryuzen slowly opened his eyes.
Everything was blurry.
The first thing he saw was the sky.
Then a face appeared above him.
Silver-blue hair.
Calm eyes.
A worried expression.
Ryuzen blinked.
“Who… are you?”
Lyra stared at him.
“You already asked me that.”
Ryuzen frowned.
“I did?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“A few minutes ago.”
Ryuzen tried to sit up.
Pain immediately shot through his body.
“Ah!”
Lyra pushed him gently back down.
“Don’t move.”
Ryuzen looked at her.
“I can move.”
“You can barely breathe properly.”
“I’ve been through worse.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
Ryuzen nodded.
Then immediately regretted it.
His head spun.
Lyra sighed.
“That’s exactly what someone who has been through worse would say.”
Ryuzen looked around.
He realized he wasn’t inside the ancient chamber anymore.
He was lying beneath a rocky shelter near the summit.
A small fire burned nearby.
His Life Contract sword rested against a stone beside him.
Ryuzen’s eyes immediately moved toward it.
“My sword.”
Lyra followed his gaze.
“You mean that?”
Ryuzen nodded.
Lyra looked at the weapon.
“I’ve never seen a sword like that.”
Ryuzen slowly reached for it.
The moment his fingers touched the handle—
ZZZT!
A tiny golden spark jumped between them.
Ryuzen felt warmth spread through his hand.
Lyra noticed.
“It reacted to you.”
Ryuzen stared at the blade.
“It chose me.”
Lyra looked at him.
“Chose you?”
Ryuzen nodded.
“It’s a Life Contract.”
Lyra’s expression changed.
“A Life Contract?”
“You know what it is?”
“Only from stories.”
She looked at the ancient markings.
“Most people think they’re just legends.”
Ryuzen smiled faintly.
“Apparently not.”
He tried to sit again.
This time he managed.
Lyra watched him carefully.
“You should still be resting.”
“I’ve been unconscious for how long?”
“Several hours.”
Ryuzen looked toward the sky.
The sun was beginning to disappear behind the clouds.
“Eldran…”
Lyra noticed the name.
“Who is Eldran?”
“My master.”
“Is he here?”
Ryuzen shook his head.
“He left.”
Lyra frowned.
“He left you alone on this mountain?”
Ryuzen looked at her.
“He had to go to Valtara.”
Lyra stared at him in disbelief.
“So your master left you alone to climb Thunder Mountain?”
“Yes.”
“Knowing the mountain could kill you?”
“Yes.”
“And you still came?”
Ryuzen looked at the summit.
“Yes.”
Lyra was silent for several seconds.
Then she shook her head.
“You’re both crazy.”
“Maybe.”
For the first time, Lyra smiled slightly.
But then her eyes moved to his forehead.
The ancient mark was still there.
It was faint now, but clearly visible.
“What is that?”
Ryuzen touched his forehead.
He felt the strange symbol beneath his fingers.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“It appeared after I passed the trial.”
Lyra leaned closer.
“Can I see it?”
Ryuzen hesitated.
Then nodded.
Lyra studied the mark.
The moment she looked at it closely, her Moon Wolf stirred inside her soul.
A faint silver glow appeared in her eyes.
She immediately stepped back.
Ryuzen noticed.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“You looked surprised.”
Lyra looked toward the mark again.
“I felt something.”
“What?”
“I’m not sure.”
She didn’t want to say more.
The mark carried an ancient energy.
Not ordinary thunder.
Not ordinary spiritual power.
It felt like something that had been waiting for a very long time.
Ryuzen looked at her.
“Who are you?”
Lyra paused.
She had forgotten that she hadn’t properly introduced herself.
“Lyra.”
“From where?”
“Lunaris.”
Ryuzen’s eyes widened slightly.
“Lunaris?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never been there.”
“I guessed.”
Ryuzen looked at her clothes.
“They don’t look like Kryptorian clothes.”
Lyra smiled.
“Good observation.”
“And your Inner Beast?”
Her expression became slightly playful.
“Why?”
“Because you asked about mine.”
“I didn’t.”
“You asked about the mark.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
Ryuzen smiled.
“You’re avoiding the question.”
Lyra crossed her arms.
“Maybe.”
Ryuzen laughed quietly.
It hurt his ribs.
He immediately stopped.
Lyra shook her head.
“You really shouldn’t be laughing.”
“I noticed.”
Silence settled between them.
The fire crackled.
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Lyra asked,
“Why did you climb the mountain?”
Ryuzen looked at the sword.
“To retrieve that.”
“That’s all?”
Ryuzen thought about it.
“No.”
Lyra waited.
Ryuzen looked toward the darkening sky.
“I’ve spent most of my life being told that I was weak.”
Lyra didn’t interrupt.
“My Inner Beast is an Electric Eel.”
Lyra’s eyes widened.
“Electric Eel?”
Ryuzen nodded.
“People believed it was useless.”
“And you believed them?”
“I did at first.”
He looked at his hands.
“But my master taught me something.”
“What?”
Ryuzen smiled.
“My thunder wasn’t weak.”
He looked toward the mountain.
“My body was.”
Lyra remained quiet.
Ryuzen continued.
“So I trained.”
His voice became calmer.
“I trained until my body could withstand my own power.”
Lyra looked at him differently now.
“How long?”
“Six years.”
Her eyes widened.
“Six years?”
Ryuzen nodded.
“Every day.”
Lyra looked at the sword again. This story is hosted at g.com.
“And now you’ve obtained this.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Ryuzen’s expression became serious.
“To protect people.”
Lyra studied his face.
She had heard people say similar things before.
Warriors talked about protecting others.
Kings talked about protecting kingdoms.
Nobles talked about protecting their people.
But Ryuzen didn’t say it like someone trying to impress her.
He simply said it as though it were obvious.
Lyra looked away.
“I see.”
Ryuzen noticed something.
“You were the one who shouted at me.”
Lyra froze.
“What?”
“On the mountain.”
Her cheeks became slightly warm.
“You heard that?”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn’t have been climbing while lightning was striking you!”
Ryuzen smiled.
“I was fine.”
“You were struck by enough lightning to destroy a house!”
“I survived.”
“You collapsed afterward!”
Ryuzen had no answer.
Lyra pointed at him.
“Exactly.”
Ryuzen looked away.
“Fair.”
Lyra couldn’t help smiling.
Then she remembered something.
“Wait.”
She looked around.
“Where is the sword?”
Ryuzen pointed beside her.
Lyra turned.
The Life Contract sword was lying against the stone.
She approached it carefully.
The closer she got, the stronger the strange feeling became.
She reached toward it.
ZZZT!
A spark jumped from the blade.
Lyra immediately pulled her hand back.
Ryuzen looked at her.
“It doesn’t like you.”
Lyra glared at him.
“I didn’t even touch it.”
Ryuzen laughed.
Lyra crossed her arms.
“Maybe it’s protecting you.”
Ryuzen looked at the sword.
“Maybe.”
Then—
BOOM!
Thunder suddenly rolled across the mountain.
Both of them looked upward.
The clouds above the summit had begun moving again.
Lyra’s expression changed.
“The mountain isn’t finished.”
Ryuzen slowly stood.
His body protested immediately.
He ignored the pain.
“What do you mean?”
Lyra looked toward the peak.
“The energy is still moving.”
Ryuzen felt it too.
The ancient mark on his forehead became slightly brighter.
The Life Contract sword began vibrating.
Ryuzen’s eyes narrowed.
Something was happening.
But before either of them could react—
A deep sound echoed from beneath the mountain.
Not thunder.
Not an earthquake.
A roar.
Lyra’s Moon Wolf awakened inside her soul.
Ryuzen’s Electric Eel reacted at the same time.
Both of them stared toward the darkness.
Lyra whispered,
“Something is coming.”
Ryuzen tightened his grip on the sword.
He was exhausted.
Injured.
Barely able to stand.
But he stepped forward anyway.
Lyra looked at him.
“You can’t fight like this.”
Ryuzen stared into the darkness.
“I don’t know what’s coming.”
The roar came again.
Much louder.
Ryuzen’s blue thunder began crackling around his arm.
“But if someone is in danger…”
Lyra sighed.
She stepped beside him.
“Then apparently we’re both idiots.”
Ryuzen looked at her.
Lyra gave him a small smile.
“Let’s find out what it is.”
Deep inside Thunder Mountain— two enormous eyes opened.
And something ancient began climbing toward them.