The way Nova described his friend Jerry made everyone shudder from head to toe. The deep pain buried inside him was finally coming out, like lava erupting from a mountain. The heaviness of his words felt like solid iron ore crushing the chests of everyone in the room. Nova couldn't hesitate; his past trapped him, and it reflected something broken and raw deep inside.

Everyone stood quietly. Silent. No one flinched, no one dared to break the moment. They just stood tall, heads lowered, faces heavy. Meanwhile, Nova cried like it was his last breath. His tears fell without pause, carrying years of pain that words alone could never carry.

Auren was numb, frozen by the weight of what he had heard. But then, slowly, steadily, he began to walk toward Nova. His steps were calm, but each one seemed to drag the weight of a thousand elephants behind his heart. When he finally reached him, Auren didn't think twice—he wrapped his arms around Nova, holding him the way he once held Rose on the cliff.

Nova's eyes went wide. Shocked. Shattered. He never imagined a human would react this way. His body froze, like the ground had broken beneath his feet. "Why…? Why did you hug me?" Nova hissed, his voice shaking, lost between anger and disbelief.

Auren responded in a low, heavy voice, his words laced with passion and pain: "The ones who killed Jerry are not human."

We should never forgive those who did this," Auren's voice ripped through the air. "They are criminals, Nova. We should treat them like hell. The hell they gave Jerry—we should give them a thousand times more."

His anger built, folding into a hurricane. "You must live the way you want. You must live the way you feel. If Jerry is your friend, it's your duty to kill those demons."

Auren's shout cut like a blade. "How could you play so dumb all this time? Learn something—stop being a coward." His words thundered, raw and unforgiving.

Dax, Vivi, Nyra—anger flared in them too, first ember, then blaze. The room pulsed with heat; their faces hardened, eyes burning. Auren's voice sounded like a sword of justice slicing the quiet. "Where are those people? Where do they live?" he demanded.

Nova sank deeper into silence, the question looping in his mind like a cracked record. They are not human? They are monsters? Are all humans unique? He mouthed the words, each one a shard cutting open something inside. A single tear fell—small, bright, the tear of realization—landing on his palm and cooling like a bitter drop of rain.

Then his body changed. The trembling that had been sorrow twisted into something colder, sharper. Not sorrow—rage. The first real rage of his life kindled slowly and terribly. Revenge. The thought settled hard and sure. They did wrong. Jerry was right. Jerry was my friend. I must kill those demons.

The room held that new heat, heavy and terrible, as Nova's quiet resolve settled like iron in his chest.

Nova's words finally landed in the real world, slipping free from the stuck loop of doubt. They lived on the southern side of Eito Town — the Ramuza family, known as cultural protectors, counted among the highest there. People treated them like nobles: holy, religious, untouchable, and they were strong and respected across Baku City.

Nova looked at Auren; his eyes were glossy. "Auren, I want to avenge my friend now. Thank you… all of you," he said, voice breaking. "I was trapped in a dilemma. Thank you for breaking it."

Dax flashed a bright, reckless smile. "We all are mages. We might be small, but our will is huge." His grin spread like sunlight through the cold room.

"Phantoms' first target is the Ramuza family," Nova warned, the name leaving his mouth like a cold promise. "They are strong."

Auren shrugged, calm and deadly. "I don't care. I am a hunter. Let's go."

"Let's go!" everyone shouted, the echo filling the house with a new kind of energy. Something shifted inside Nova — faces brightened around him, and for the first time, he felt the glory of life burning like a small sun under his ribs. He clenched his fist. I never told this story to my brother, he thought. I lied that I was trying to talk to humans. Now I understand what humans are.

"Let's go right now," Auren pressed.

Nyra yawned, lazy and stubborn. "We'd better go tomorrow — it's midnight, and I'm sleepy."

Vivi had already fallen asleep on the glowing bed. Dax rubbed his eyes. "I don't have energy either."

Nova nodded, steady now. "Yes. Tomorrow. I'll make my art ready too, see what I can do."

Auren gave a single, firm nod. "Fine then. Tomorrow."

*************

Southern side of Eito Town. Old Japanese dojo-style houses lined the streets, each standing with about two meters of space between them. Orange lamps decorated the walls, their warm glow spilling over the night. In the center, one house stood larger than the rest — its rooftop sharp and pointed, painted blue, patterns of animals carved and drawn all around it. This was the home of the Ramuza family.

Three hundred members made up this household. At its head sat Voslimo Ramuza, the leader.

Night hung heavy outside, dim lights flickering through the room. Voslimo lay on a bed larger than any normal one, set right in the center. Alone, staring at the ceiling, his thoughts drifted to food and sake. His body was giant, sumo-like, and the way he lured himself with thoughts of drink and meat made him look even heavier.

Knock. Knock.

Voslimo's deep voice rolled out: "Who is there?"

"Master," came the servant's reply, "there are two people outside. They said they are from Vaiven Tide born. Their names are Aazin and Ryzin."

Voslimo's face changed instantly. Happiness lit him up, igniting his features. "Welcome them inside," he said with booming cheer. "They are my friends."

He dressed quickly, wrapping himself in formal robes, and moved toward the main hall.

Aazin and Ryzin stepped up the stairs from the main entrance, their shadows stretching long across the lantern-lit ground.

Voslimo's eyes met theirs. Behind him, rows of men and women — members of the Ramuza bloodline — stood tall, filling the hall with presence. It looked as though Voslimo had gathered his family to witness the arrival, to bask in the charm of Vaiven Tideborn.

Aazin, dressed in a striking red attire, and Ryzin, draped in calm blue, entered the grand hall of the Ramuza household. Their arrival immediately caught the eyes of the women, who whispered and exchanged curious glances, while the men leaned forward, excitement flickering in their expressions at the honor of seeing the envoys of Vaiven. Each step the two men took seemed to command attention, their presence heavier than the silence that followed.

Their gazes drifted across the hall as they walked. Along the tall wooden walls hung paintings of Ramuza ancestors—stern faces and heroic poses staring down from golden frames. Oil lamps cast a warm glow upon them, their shadows stretching wide, as if the ancestors themselves were witnessing the moment. A long red carpet stretched from the entrance to the center, its fabric worn but proud, guiding them towards the leader of the family. To the sides, carved wooden pillars rose, decorated with dragons and lions that seemed almost alive in the flickering orange light.

Above, stairways curled towards the upper floors, their railings polished to shine under the lantern glow. From every corner of the hall, members of the Ramuza family stood tall—men in their finest robes, women dressed with ornaments that reflected the dim light, children peeking from behind sleeves, all gathered to welcome the charm of Vaiven.

Finally, Aazin and Ryzin reached Voslimo. Their steps came to a halt before the towering figure. A firm handshake followed, and Voslimo's booming laughter rang through the hall, embracing the meeting of Vaiven and Ramuza as though the ancestors themselves approved.

"How's Lord Draven doing? Hope his health is fine," Voslimo asked with a warm tone.

Ryzin replied calmly, "Our leader is fine. How about you? It's been a long time…"

Voslimo laughed playfully, his voice booming through the hall. "Yes, yes! Last I saw you, you two were small boys—hahaha! Come, meet my family."

He motioned towards the gathered crowd. One by one, members of the Ramuza family stepped forward, their smiles open, hands raised in greetings. The hall filled with soft waves and murmurs of welcome.

As Aazin and Ryzin looked around, a few girls standing among the crowd caught their eyes, around their age, graceful and striking. Their beauty pulled at attention, making the young men's gazes linger longer than they meant to.

The giant Voslimo smiled, his face carrying a strange mix of warmth and authority. He asked casually, but the smile carried weight, bending the mood of the hall:

"So… here in Baku, you are searching for the Ash Phantom? Tell me—who is he now?"

The question sliced through the friendly greetings like a blade, and the air in the hall grew heavier.

Aazin smirked, his lips curling with a quiet confidence. "Nova Makai."

For a moment, silence sat between them. Voslimo's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought. Then his deep voice rumbled, "Nova Makai… the boy who was friends with that cursed one… Jerry...

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