The morning sun had only just risen above the sea.
A thin mist still clung to parts of Nareth.
Dew hung from the tips of the leaves.
The distant crash of waves against the shore blended with the crowing of roosters and the laughter of children who had already begun running through the village before the sun had fully climbed into the sky.
Aether slowly opened his eyes.
For several seconds, he simply stared at the wooden ceiling above him.
The room still felt unfamiliar.
He exhaled softly.
For a brief moment…
he tried once again to remember something.
A name.
A face.
Perhaps even…
who he was.
But there was nothing.
Nothing at all.
Only an empty space where his memories should have been.
Eventually, Aether sat up.
He opened the small window beside his bed.
A cool sea breeze swept across his face.
Outside, Nareth was already coming to life.
Fishermen prepared their boats.
Mothers carried baskets filled with vegetables.
Children chased one another through the dirt streets, laughing as they ran.
It was a simple sight.
Yet strangely…
it brought him peace.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Someone was at the door.
Aether turned.
Aether: “Come in.”
The door slowly opened.
Mira appeared, carrying a small wicker basket.
Her long hair hung loosely around her shoulders.
Her smile was as gentle as it had been the day before.
Mira: “Good morning, Aether.”
She lifted the basket slightly.
Mira: “I brought you breakfast.”
Aether blinked.
Aether: “For me?”
Mira nodded.
Mira: “Of course.”
She smiled.
Mira: “You shouldn’t start the day on an empty stomach.”
A soft laugh escaped her.
Mira: “Besides…”
She placed the basket on the table.
Mira: “You’re considered a citizen of Nareth now.”
Aether was silent for a moment.
Then a faint smile appeared.
Aether: “Thank you.”
Mira opened the basket.
Inside were warm bread, boiled eggs, and a simple bowl of soup that was still steaming.
Mira: “The soup is still hot.”
She pointed toward it.
Mira: “Careful.”
Aether nodded.
Mira studied his face for a moment.
Mira: “Did you sleep well?”
Aether thought about it.
Aether: “Yeah.”
He hesitated.
Aether: “I think so.”
Mira smiled in relief.
Mira: “Good.”
She had clearly been worried.
Mira: “I was afraid you’d have trouble sleeping somewhere unfamiliar.”
Aether shook his head.
Aether: “This place…”
He glanced toward the window.
Aether: “…is more comfortable than I expected.”
Mira’s smile widened.
Mira: “That’s because everyone here is kind.”
Not long after…
a loud voice came from outside.
Finn: “AETHER!”
Finn: “Come on!”
Finn: “If you’re late, Rowan’s going to make me wake you up with a bucket!”
Mira immediately covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Aether looked toward the window.
Finn was already waving from outside.
Beside him stood Doran, carrying a sack of grain over one shoulder.
Kael stood calmly as always.
Lyra, meanwhile, was reading a small book despite standing in the middle of the road.
Finn shouted again.
Finn: “We’ll wait five minutes!”
Finn: “Any longer…”
He grinned.
Finn: “…and I’m eating your breakfast!”
Lyra immediately smacked him over the head with her book.
Whack.
Finn: “Ow!”
Lyra: “It’s not yours.”
Finn rubbed his head.
Finn: “I was joking.”
Doran burst out laughing.
Even Kael shook his head with a faint smile.
Mira chuckled.
Mira: “They’re always like this in the morning.”
Aether watched them for a moment.
For some reason…
the corner of his lips slowly lifted.
A few minutes later, the six of them walked along Nareth’s main road.
Villagers greeted them as they passed.
“Good morning.”
“Morning, Kael.”
“Finn, don’t forget to help repair the fence later.”
Finn gave a thumbs-up.
Finn: “Got it!”
He paused.
Finn: “If I remember.”
An elderly woman immediately tapped his arm with her wooden cane.
Old Woman: “Then you certainly won’t.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
Finn could only grin.
On the other side of the road, several children were playing with handmade wooden swords.
One of them suddenly spotted Aether.
Child: “Brother Aether!”
Aether turned.
The child ran toward him, wooden sword in hand.
Child: “Do you want to play?”
Aether looked slightly confused.
Before he could answer, the child had already handed him the wooden sword.
Aether caught it instinctively.
The moment his fingers closed around the hilt…
he froze.
There was a strange sensation.
Something familiar.
As though…
his hand had held this shape before.
Many times.
Countless times.
Yet when he tried to remember why…
there was nothing.
Only emptiness.
The child tilted his head.
Child: “Brother?”
Aether snapped back to reality.
He returned the sword with a faint smile.
Aether: “Sorry.”
He hesitated.
Aether: “I was just thinking.”
The child nodded and ran back to his friends.
Lyra, who had been watching the exchange, tilted her head slightly.
Lyra: “…”
Finn noticed.
Finn: “What?”
Lyra shook her head.
Lyra: “Nothing.”
She glanced toward Aether.
Lyra: “Maybe it’s just my imagination.”
Finn shrugged.
Finn: “You’ve been saying that a lot lately whenever it comes to Aether.”
Lyra looked at Aether’s back as he walked several steps ahead.
Something about him…
felt different.
She simply couldn’t explain what.
Not long afterward, they arrived at the village training grounds.
The field was located not far from the village hall.
Several wooden posts stood in neat rows.
Straw training dummies lined one side of the field.
A rack of practice weapons occupied the wall on the right.
Wooden swords.
Wooden spears.
Training shields.
Simple bows.
Several villagers were already training.
When they saw Kael and the others approaching, they stepped aside.
At the center of the field stood Rowan.
His hands were clasped behind his back.
His expression was as calm as ever.
Yet the moment they arrived…
his eyes settled on Aether.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he nodded.
Rowan: “You’re on time.”
Kael bowed his head respectfully.
Kael: “We’re all here.”
Finn rolled his shoulders.
Finn: “Please tell me we’re not running again today.”
Doran laughed.
Doran: “If we are, you’ll be the last one.”
Finn pointed at himself.
Finn: “I’m a scout.”
He puffed out his chest.
Finn: “My job is reconnaissance.”
He paused.
Lyra sighed.
Lyra: “A scout should be the fastest person on the field.”
Finn fell silent.
For several seconds.
Finn: “…Well, not every scout has to be fast.”
Mira covered a laugh.
The morning atmosphere was relaxed.
Almost everyone was smiling.
Everyone except Rowan…
who continued watching Aether in silence.
Then he turned toward the weapon rack.
His hand reached out.
He took four wooden weapons.
A long wooden sword.
Another sword of similar length.
A heavier practice blade.
And a pair of wooden daggers.
Without warning, Rowan tossed them one after another.
Kael caught his sword without even looking.
Doran spun the heavy blade once before resting it against his shoulder.
Finn caught both daggers and idly rolled them between his fingers.
The final weapon flew toward Aether.
Several villagers instinctively followed its path.
The wooden sword spun through the air.
Then—
Tak.
Aether caught it.
Not quickly.
Not dramatically.
Simply…
naturally.
As though his hand already knew exactly where the hilt would be.
No thought.
No hesitation.
Aether stared down at the wooden sword.
Slowly…
he rotated his wrist once.
A simple movement.
Yet remarkably smooth.
Comfortable.
As though the sword was not something foreign at all.
As though it were something that had accompanied him…
for years.
Aether himself didn’t notice.
But Lyra did.
She watched him carefully.
Lyra: “…”
Finn glanced at her.
Finn: “What now?”
Lyra shook her head.
Lyra: “…Nothing.”
Her eyes remained on Aether.
Lyra: “It’s just…”
She hesitated.
Lyra: “The way he holds that sword…”
Finn looked over briefly.
Then shrugged.
Finn: “He’s holding it.”
He looked at Lyra.
Finn: “What’s so special about that?”
Lyra didn’t answer.
Her gaze remained fixed on Aether.
Across the field, Rowan’s expression had grown slightly sharper.
Without taking his eyes off the young man, he finally spoke.
Rowan: “Today…”
He paused.
Rowan: “…we’re holding sparring matches.”
Rowan stepped into the center of the field.
His iron staff rested lightly against the ground.
His gaze swept across the five young Vestigers before him.
Kael.
Doran.
Finn.
Lyra.
Mira.
And finally…
Aether.
The laughter faded.
The relaxed atmosphere slowly disappeared.
Rowan spoke again.
Rowan: “Today isn’t an ordinary training session.”
He looked at each of them.
Rowan: “I want to see how much you’ve improved.”
Finn immediately raised a hand.
Finn: “Monthly evaluation?”
Rowan shook his head.
Rowan: “No.”
He looked toward Aether.
Rowan: “I want to see how far you’ve actually progressed.”
His gaze settled on the amnesiac youth.
Rowan: “And…”
Rowan: “…I want to see what Aether can do.”
Aether nodded.
Aether: “Understood.”
Kael glanced at him.
Ever since yesterday…
he had been curious.
The young man who had lost every memory he possessed was strangely calm.
Too calm for someone who had supposedly lost everything.
Finn spun his wooden daggers between his fingers.
Finn: “Then…”
He grinned.
Finn: “…we can use our Vestiges, right?”
Doran’s eyes lit up.
Doran: “It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper fight.”
Kael nodded as well.
Training between Vestigers was normally conducted using their respective Authorities.
But Rowan’s answer was immediate.
Rowan: “No.”
Finn blinked.
Finn: “…Huh?”
Doran frowned.
Even Kael and Lyra looked surprised.
Finn: “Seriously?”
He gestured toward the others.
Finn: “We’re all Vestigers.”
He looked at Rowan as though the answer were obvious.
Finn: “What’s the point of training without our Vestiges?”
Rowan remained calm.
Rowan: “Precisely because you are Vestigers.”
He began walking slowly around them.
Rowan: “You rely on your Vestiges too much.”
His eyes moved from one student to another.
Rowan: “You’ve become accustomed to solving every problem with Mana and Authority.”
He stopped.
Rowan: “A little Mana here.”
Rowan: “A little Vestige there.”
His gaze settled on Kael.
Rowan: “What happens when your Mana runs dry?”
Then Doran.
Rowan: “What happens when an enemy’s Authority suppresses yours?”
Then Finn.
Rowan: “What happens when you face someone whose Vestige is simply stronger than yours?”
Finn fell silent.
No one had an answer.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “A sword.”
Rowan: “A spear.”
Rowan: “A dagger.”
He raised his iron staff.
Rowan: “Those are the things that will remain in your hands!”
His gaze hardened.
Rowan: “Not Mana.”
Rowan: “Not Authority.”
Rowan: “A Vestiger who forgets these fundamentals…”
He paused.
Rowan: “…will lose to an ordinary swordsman who never stopped honing his craft.”
Lyra nodded slowly.
She had read those words somewhere before.
During the Divine War…
many Vestigers had continued fighting long after their Mana was exhausted.
What remained was the body.
Technique.
And determination.
Rowan raised his iron staff.
Rowan: “Today…”
His voice carried across the training field.
Rowan: “You will fight as warriors.”
He looked at them.
Rowan: “Not merely as Vestigers.”
Finn let out a long sigh.
Finn: “I was getting excited.”
Doran nudged his shoulder.
Doran: “Scared you’ll lose?”
Finn snorted.
Finn: “Me?”
He scoffed.
Finn: “Scared?”
He grinned.
Finn: “Keep dreaming big guy..”
Several villagers watching from the edge of the field chuckled.
Rowan continued.
Rowan: “And because Aether has not yet shown any sign of possessing a Vestige…”
His eyes moved toward the young man.
Rowan: “…or even Mana…”
He raised the iron staff.
Rowan: “Today’s training will be conducted entirely with wooden weapons.”
He spoke firmly.
Rowan: “No Authority.”
Rowan: “No magic.”
Rowan: “No Overdrive.”
Rowan: “You will rely solely on your bodies and your technique.”
Everyone nodded.
Rowan then pointed toward them.
Rowan: “Remove your upper garments.”
A few villagers exchanged glances.
Rowan: “No body armor.”
Rowan: “You’ll move more freely without it.”
Without much hesitation, Kael removed his training clothes.
His build was lean and compact.
Not as large as Doran.
But every muscle was clearly trained.
The body of a fighter who valued balance between strength and speed.
Beside him, Doran removed his own training shirt.
The moment the fabric came off, several children watching from the sidelines let out impressed exclamations.
Doran’s frame was considerably larger.
Broad shoulders.
Powerful arms.
At first glance, he looked more like a blacksmith than a Vestiger.
Finn removed his light jacket.
Unlike the other two, his build was considerably lighter.
His muscles were less pronounced, but clearly conditioned.
Every part of him seemed built for speed and agility.
Finn glanced at Kael.
Finn: “Standing next to you guys like this…”
He looked down at himself.
Finn: “…I look ridiculously skinny.”
Doran laughed.
Doran: “Because you are.”
Finn clicked his tongue.
Finn: “It’s called efficiency.”
He grinned.
Finn: “If I’m too big, how am I supposed to hide?”
The villagers laughed again.
Aether, however, remained still.
His eyes were fixed on the wooden sword in his hand.
Once again, he seemed lost somewhere inside his own thoughts.
Mira called softly.
Mira: “Aether?”
The young man snapped back to reality.
He raised his head.
Aether: “…..Sorry.”
He took several steps forward.
Then slowly removed his shirt.
His back was turned toward the others.
For a moment…
no one spoke.
Aether’s build was neither thin nor particularly large.
He wasn’t as massive as Doran.
His muscles were compact and naturally defined.
Nothing excessive.
Yet every line of his physique suggested years of disciplined training.
A body shaped by countless hours of combat.
Kael watched him for several seconds.
Doran unconsciously nodded.
Finn let out a low whistle.
Finn: “Whoa…”
He grinned.
Finn: “Turns out one of us actually took training seriously.”
Doran chuckled.
Lyra instinctively looked away for a moment.
A faint warmth touched her cheeks.
She quickly cleared her throat and returned to her usual expression.
Beside her, Mira also looked slightly flustered.
She lowered her gaze for a few seconds before looking up again.
Finn noticed both reactions.
His grin widened.
Finn: “Well, well, well…”
He looked between them.
Finn: “Looks like Nareth might be getting a new couple soon.”
Lyra glared at him.
Lyra: “Shut up.”
Finn refused to stop.
Finn: “I’m just saying…”
He looked up at the sky.
Finn: “The weather is pretty nice today.”
Mira immediately turned away, embarrassed.
Doran burst out laughing.
Even Kael shook his head.
At last, Aether finished removing his shirt.
He turned to face them.
And instantly…
the entire field went silent.
The laughter disappeared.
The jokes stopped.
Every gaze settled upon him.
Dozens of scars covered his body.
They stretched across his shoulders.
Down his chest.
Along his arms.
Across his abdomen.
Old wounds overlapped one another.
Some were thin.
Others were long.
But they all shared the same origin.
Blades.
Cuts.
Slashes.
There were no burn marks.
No wounds from spears.
No bite marks.
Only the scars left behind by sharpened steel.
But what shocked them most…
was his back.
It was completely clean.
Not a single scar.
Finn swallowed.
Finn: “…Holy shit.”
Doran, who had been joking only moments ago, could do nothing but stare.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
As a fighter, he immediately understood.
Scars across the front of the body meant one thing.
Their owner had always faced his enemies head-on.
He had never turned his back on the battlefield.
Lyra stepped closer.
Her eyes moved from one scar to another.
Lyra: “…All of these…”
Her voice grew quieter.
Lyra: “…these are sword wounds…”
Mira slowly covered her mouth.
Concern filled her eyes.
Mira: “Aether…”
She hesitated.
Mira: “All of these…”
Mira: “…are old scar?”
Aether lowered his gaze and looked at his own body.
For several seconds…
he said nothing.
Then—
Aether: “…I suppose so.”
Mira clasped her hands together.
Mira: “It must have…”
She swallowed.
Mira: “…hurt terribly.”
Aether remained silent for a moment.
Then slowly shook his head.
Aether: “…I don’t remember it.”
The answer only deepened the silence.
Rowan walked toward him.
His eyes carefully examined every scar.
One after another.
Then he spoke quietly.
Rowan: “In my lifetime…”
He looked at Aether.
Rowan: “…I’ve seen many soldiers.”
Rowan: “More than a few carried scars across their bodies.”
His eyes lowered toward Aether’s back.
Rowan: “But…”
A pause.
Rowan: “…scars on the back.”
He raised his gaze.
Rowan: “…have always been considered a disgrace for a soldier.”
Everyone listened.
Rowan looked at Aether again.
His back was spotless.
Not a single scar marred it.
As though…
the owner of this body had never once chosen to turn his back on an enemy.
Rowan’s expression grew darker.
Earlier, the way Aether had caught the sword so naturally had already raised questions.
Now…
his body had given him an even greater mystery.
Who was this young man…
that his body had been forged through so many battles?
Rowan did not ask.
Not yet.
Instead, he turned toward the center of the arena.
His iron staff struck the ground once.
Clang.
Rowan: “Finn.”
He looked toward him.
Rowan: “Enter the arena.”
A pause.
Rowan: “You’re first.”
Finn took a deep breath.
He spun his two wooden daggers once in his hands.
Then flashed a wide grin.
Finn: “Don’t be surprised when this ends quickly…”
He stepped into the arena.
Finn: “…with me taking the victory.”
Across the field, Aether picked up his wooden sword.
His fingers closed around the hilt.
Calm.
Steady.
And once again…
that strange feeling stirred within his chest.
His heart began to race.
Not from nervousness.
Not from fear.
But because…
for reasons he couldn’t explain…
he was looking forward to the fight.
Aether is cool right?