"Before they knew me, they gave me a name I didnât ask for. It stuck. I walked alone after that."
[Codex Fragment: The Emphetripia Heart]
During the war against the void walkers, the world had changed. The Emphetripia gland was an unnatural second heart that produced void energy. This became the foundation for humanity's survival. Human void walkers.
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(Part 1)
Year: 1570 A.W. [After War]
In the large compound of the Tensei residence, one of the noble houses of the Tenshiro clan, Aurora sat beside her father as they watched leaves fall from the trees above. She was only 10 years old at the time, and so the world felt much bigger. To a child, even the smallest of actions carried the largest mysteries. Her father watched with a subtle smile on his face as her small hands reached for the leaves that swirled down.
âAuroraâ, he said, his voice was calm and gentle, yet it carried the weight of a burdened father.
She pulled back her hands and looked up, towards her father. âYes, Papa?â
He raised his left hand and reached for a falling leaf. Aurora stared at his hands as they neared a pink leaf. Then, he caught one and closed his hands, before pulling his closed hand closer to Aurora.
âWhat do you think is in my hand, Aurora?â
Her gaze sharpened, as if she could see the leaf beyond his closed hands. âLeaf! Leaf!â
Her father paused for a moment, clearly amused by her sudden confidence. âAurora, always remember thisâ, he opened his hand to reveal that there was no leaf inside. âDo not believe everything you see; learn to understand what others hide from youâ, he pointed to the large leaf he had placed on her left hand.
Auroraâs gaze spun to the leaf. How did that get there? She looked at her father, who still wore a subtle smile on his face. Understand, what others hide from meâ¦
Five Years Later:
Five years had passed since Aurora began her void walker training. Now in the middle of a large circular clearing within the Tensei residence, she stood with a silver blade in her right hand. Around the clearing stood ten void walkers who had come to act as a final test for her home training. If she could defeat them, then she was ready to travel the world and become an official void walker. Beyond the stone clearing stood her father, draped in a white robe, and her sensei, who stood beside him.
âShe is the prodigy of the Tenshiro clan, Sensei Toru. I don't understand why she even needs this test.â Her father spoke in a hushed tone. The sensei leaned closer and raised his eyebrows.
âShe might be a prodigy, but it is the way of Thunder. Every void walker who trains in the art of thunder must undergo a formal test. You know that all too well, Mr Rahto, head of the Tenshiro clan.â
Rahto let out a silent breath, clearly frustrated with the quality of the test. âI am well aware of the traditions, Sensei Toru. However, I need you to look at them. That one there, he has a wide stance, leans back, and his sword is still sheathed. He stands before a prodigy, and that is how he acts?â
Sensei Toru glanced at the dark-haired boy who seemed to be blissfully unaware that the white haired girl was no ordinary person. He puckered his lips and pretended that something else had caught his gaze. Suddenly, a loud horn echoed across the stone clearing. It had begun.
Aurora leaned forward as she tucked the blade across her left side, just below her ribs. Then, several waves of silver emerged from every side. She glanced to her right, and a silver glint appeared sporadically in the air as it etched closer. She glanced to her left, and several more glints of silver appeared as they closed the gap. They are all in the air? Why would they all leap together? It doesn't matter. Having leaned forward, she dashed to the open gap in front of her, below the wave of blurry silver. However, before she had reached the open gap, a feeling of dread washed over her mind. Something's wrong. Then, the thought hit her like a truck. They formed a dome in the air. What if someone is hiding behind that dome? Waiting for me to pop out!
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The open gaps beneath their feet now felt like a trap. She couldn't go there, or even leap above, because if someone was hiding behind the waves of silver, then they would surely reach her before she could see them. Iâm trapped. What do I do? As the silver swords around her inched closer, a dark shadow swept across Auroraâs sight. What was that? The shadow swept across the dome once more, covering the sunlight as it rolled across the dome of silver swords.
Heâs moving much faster than the rest. He must use Thunder Arts as well. And yet, I can still see him move. She smiled as she figured out the solution. If I can see you move, then I win!
She twisted her waist to push her sword further past her left side, under her arms. Then, in a single motion, she pulled it like a whip, in a horizontal line. Silence followed, then the abrupt implosion of the silver dome. The ten void walkers around her were sent flying across the entire compound due to the force behind her slash.
The entire fight took 0.002 seconds.
âVery good, Auroraâ Her sensei stepped towards the circular clearing and washed her with his praises. âYour speed and power, such mastery of Thunder Arts is exemplary!â
She turned to face him and bowed as a sign of respect. âThank you, senseiâ
Despite her young age, Aurora was never considered a mere child, but rather an anomaly, a prodigy. Most children who were born with the Emphetripia Heart were gifted with superhuman strength and abilities, which made them capable of learning one of the five void walking arts through years of gruesome training. Aurora, on the other hand, woke up one morning with complete mastery of Thunder Artsâ¦
Her father walked towards the clearing as his white robes whispered across the grey stone. âAurora, I have raised you to be a warrior amongst the powerful. The demons that roam the streets are no match for your power, and even the D.S.O will see your potential. You are a step closer, Aurora, do not lose your wayâ He turned and walked towards his quarters.
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(Part 2)
As the sun dipped behind the tall towers of House Tensei, Auroraâs thoughts drifted to her little brother. Where could he be? Her gaze bounced across the circular clearing, then across the several gates, which all led to different sections of her residence.
âOk, guess I'll pick a random gateâ
She walked towards a large black gate, outlined with a silver finish. Beyond the gate was a long path of gravel and trimmed bushes that lined the sides. She stopped just after the gate and removed her black boots. I can't wear these boots here. She raised her left foot and placed it gently on the sharp gravel. Dozens of small stones crunched beneath her feet as she raised her right foot. Aurora fixed her gaze on the path ahead as she slowly walked across the gravel path. Step by step, she placed her feet gently on each new patch of gravel, ensuring she kept her balance on the uneven plane of sharp stones. Then, she heard it. Several meters ahead, the sound of steel whispered through the air; the source was covered by the wooden door ahead. She slowly reached for the handle, still enduring the discomfort of the gravel path, and opened the door.
Before her was a large grass field, filled with tall white grass that stretched much further than the eye could see. The Garden of Eden. Someone might be here.
WHOOSH.
The sound was much clearer now. Someone is here. Perhaps, it's him. So, she followed the sound as she walked from the gravel to the soft, moist soil of the large field. The prickly sensation was now replaced by the feeling of cold dew seeping between her toes. As she followed the faint whispers of a blade slicing through the wind, a familiar figure emerged from the distance. A small frame, white hair just like hers.
Ritzo!
Aurora watched for a moment; her expression didn't change, but her presence had slowly softened. A flicker of warmth in a place too cold for it. Ritzo, having felt a presence several meters behind him, paused mid-motion, then relaxed his shoulders as he stood upright. He turned his head slightly to his left. His clothes were old and torn. Worn from hours of countless swings with his chipped sword.
âRitzo, comeâ Her voice was gentle. Aurora sat on a small ledge in the field, with her hands placed gently on her lap, still as a statue.
She was waiting for him, because despite the frustrated look on his face, despite the pain their father had put him through. She was the only one who had kept him sane. The only person who had ever loved him back. And so, like a wounded animal, he turned around and stepped towards her, then sat down next to her. Besides, the only person who had ever cared, his big sister.