The air within the Solstice Citadel had grown still in the days following the Blightlands mission. Word of Kai's name being spoken by an envoy of the Eclipse Syndicate—Jin Loeui himself—spread like wildfire. Many within the Solstice Guild whispered of fated wars and cursed bloodlines. Kai Sol had gone from a new recruit to a name on the lips of every Warden and Elder.
Inside a secluded chamber near the heart of the Citadel, Kai, Lysander, and Rhea stood before Master Veylan, an aged yet commanding figure swathed in golden Aether robes.
"You've stirred the nest," Veylan said, voice like rumbling earth. "The World 5 are watching now… and you've no idea what that truly means."
Kai stood tall, his Raw Aether flickering faintly at his fingertips. "Then maybe it's time they remember the name Sol."
"Careful," Veylan warned. "Pride was your father's weakness too. Jin Loeui doesn't make appearances lightly. He's calculating—manipulative. If he sent a messenger, it means he sees you as a piece."
Lysander crossed his arms. "What if he wants to recruit him?"
Rhea's expression darkened. "Then we kill the messenger next time."
Veylan didn't smile. "This isn't a matter of strength. If Kai falls into Jin's hands, willingly or not, the balance could crumble."
The room fell into tense silence. Then a knock came at the sealed door.
A scout entered, trembling. "Sir… a portal has opened. Outside the south gates."
Veylan's eyes narrowed. "Did anything come through?"
The scout nodded. "A letter."
---
At the south gate, under a twilight sky, the trio approached the smoking crater. A single parchment floated in the center, suspended by invisible Aether currents. It shimmered with obsidian runes.
Kai reached forward.
The moment his fingers brushed it, the world shifted.
He stood alone—no Lysander, no Rhea, no Citadel. Just darkness and cold wind. Before him stood a tall, sharp-eyed man cloaked in black-gray robes. Jin Loeui, Number 2 of the World 5, looked more scholar than warlord, yet his presence chilled the marrow.
"Greetings, Kai Sol."
Kai raised his guard. "This another dream?"
"No. A constructed space. Aetheric realm," Jin replied, circling slowly. "Only you and I exist here. For now."
"What do you want?"
Jin's voice remained calm. "I watched you in the Blightlands. Watched your Raw Aether flare. Impressive. Rare. Your father wielded it too, though not as… violently."
"You knew him?"
"I killed beside him," Jin said, tone eerily nostalgic. "Before he grew arrogant and tried to save the world. A noble cause. A foolish death."
Kai's fists clenched.
Jin's expression didn't change. "You're powerful. But you're still a child swimming in oceans you cannot measure. I offer you something better."
He raised a hand. Visions flashed in the air around them—vistas of armies kneeling before Kai, of Fen Yalyph and Shoei Akechi falling at his feet, of the Solstice Guild burned away and replaced with a new empire led by him.
"You can change the world," Jin said, "but not with ideals. You'll need power. Authority. And guidance."
Kai scoffed. "So what, join you? Become another pawn?"
"No," Jin said, stepping closer. "You'd become my successor. My shadow. And one day, my better. Think about it. Zerath Xenon fears only two things—Raw Aether… and lineage. You possess both."
Kai stared at the illusions. He saw himself draped in black, his blade wrapped in Aether-fire, leading an army of Eclipsers across a battlefield of gods.
Then he looked at Jin—and saw something else: hollow eyes.
"Thanks for the offer," Kai said, smirking. "But I'm already someone's student. And I'd rather die than stand beside you."
Jin didn't blink. "Then remember this moment, Kai Sol. Every time your friends die… every time your cause fails… remember who offered you the path of kings."
The realm shattered.
---
Kai stumbled back into reality, hand still holding the letter. It crumbled to ash.
Rhea caught him. "What happened?"
He looked at her—really looked—and smiled faintly.
"He made his pitch," Kai said. "I turned him down."
Lysander raised an eyebrow. "Did it feel good?"
Kai thought of the visions. Of armies and blood and thrones.
"No," he whispered. "But it felt right."
Rhea clapped his shoulder. "Then you're still you."
---
Far away, in a floating citadel of obsidian glass, Jin Loeui stood before a mirror of swirling Aether. A small smile crept onto his face.
"He said no," he whispered. "Good. The flame must burn itself out… before I take its ashes."
He turned.
Behind him, Zerath Xenon, leader of the World 5, emerged from the shadows.
"Do you think he'll be a problem?" Zerath asked.
Jin shook his head. "Not yet. But give him time."
Zerath's crimson eyes narrowed.
"Time," he echoed, "is running out."