To most students, class zero had long faded into obscurity, its members appearing as rarely as mythical creatures. Yet that never interrupted Ray and Uriel's morning jogs.

Perhaps Raziel had been right. Somewhere in every man's heart lived a beautiful senior sister. Ever since they met, Ray had always looked forward to seeing her. She was gentle, graceful, and always cared for him like a true elder sister.

That said, they rarely ate together. If there was one thing Uriel couldn't handle, it was Ray's bottomless appetite.

Since he might not return for a long time, Ray had come to bid farewell the night before his departure.

"Big sis Uriel," he asked softly while adjusting the hat she had given him, "are you still going to jog every day?"

She paused, lashes fluttering slightly. "I will. I'll just be jogging alone from now on."

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, Ray took a deep breath. "Big sis Uriel, I like you."

She froze, clearly caught off guard. Then, a warm and tender smile bloomed on her face. "You silly boy. Big sis likes you, too."

Ray didn't explain further. He knew that his "like" and hers were not the same, but he didn't know how to put it into words.

Stopping before a door, Uriel pointed at it and whispered into his ear, "Go on. She's inside. Don't tell her I brought you here. I'm leaving."

"Mn. Thank you, big sis, Uriel." Ray pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Outside, Uriel watched the door close. Emotions surged within her, turbulent and impossible to name.

She did like Ray. He was handsome, gentle, and talented. Who wouldn't feel fond of him?

Though Ray never boasted, the fact that he belonged to class zero spoke volumes. She had heard from Veyron just how extraordinary class zero was—and how sweet, earnest Ray was actually their captain.

It's just a pity he's too young.

Girls matured earlier than boys. She understood the meaning behind his confession all too well. But she could only pretend not to. Otherwise, their friendship might shatter.

"You'll find someone truly suited for you someday," she murmured to herself. "If only I were four or five years younger… maybe I would've stolen you away."

Without another word, Uriel turned and left, pretending the glistening tears slipping down her cheeks were nothing more than a trick of the light.

*

Inside the room.

Rachel stood by the window, hands in her pockets, gazing through the glass.

She was tall for a girl. Even with Ray's recent growth spurt, he likely still couldn't surpass her height.

"Uriel?" Rachel asked flatly.

Ray stopped short. "Senior disciple sister," he called softly.

She turned around. Surprise flickered across her face before being buried beneath a mask of cold indifference. "Why are you here? Aren't you leaving for Central Academy? Shouldn't you be preparing? And how did you even sneak into the girls' dormitory?"

"I—"

"Just go," Rachel cut in coldly. "It would be troublesome if you're discovered. I don't want to see you either."

Ray forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Senior disciple sister, I really am leaving. I came to say goodbye. Don't worry, I'll never forget blacksmithing. If I fail, I'll come back. And even if I pass, I won't slack off. I'll visit you and Teacher whenever I can."

Rachel didn't interrupt again. She simply stared at him, her eyes trembling with emotions she refused to name.

"Thank you for taking care of me all these years," Ray continued quietly. "I'll take my leave now."

He bowed deeply, then turned and walked out.

After closing the door gently, Ray found the hallway empty. Uriel was already gone. He let out a long breath. Senior disciple sister's gaze… It's really heavy.

The moment he left, Rachel's cold expression shattered.

Tears streamed down her face.

That brat… he's really leaving.

To Uriel, Ray had always been a boy. But to Rachel, it was different. To her, he had already become a young man.

That realization had dawned three years ago during the Skysea Alliance Tournament, when Ray had guided her forging rhythm.

Only then had her talent truly bloomed, elevating her into the ranks of first-rate geniuses.

At first, she hadn't thought much of it. But as time passed, the feeling grew clearer. It was as though he had shielded her, protected her. Despite being older, she felt an inexplicable sense of ease around him.

Since then, the shackles holding her back seemed to shatter. Under Ray's influence, her forging advanced rapidly. She was now a fourth-rank blacksmith, capable of first-grade thousand refining.

According to Nigel's original estimates, such progress should have taken her five years.

From childhood, Nigel had taught her humility. There was always someone better. Yet forging alongside Ray, she found her father offering her more guidance than ever before.

He gave me all of this… and now he's leaving. Leaving for Central City.

The day she learned of it, she had cried and begged her father to make Ray stay.

Nigel's reply still echoed in her heart: "Ray doesn't belong in this small pond. His future lies in the sea of stars."

Rachel didn't understand why her heart felt as though it had been torn apart as she cried through the night. Only when dawn crept in did clarity finally settle over her mind.

She didn't want him to leave. More than anything, she wanted to stay by his side.

But in the end, he was still leaving.

Even if she was younger than Uriel, there was no disguising the truth of her age. She was already eighteen.

A four-year gap was not something easily bridged.

When she stepped into an advanced academy, Ray would still be studying in an intermediate one. Their paths were destined to diverge, running parallel, close enough to glimpse one another, yet never truly intersecting.

He was far more gifted than she was, his future stretching outward like an endless universe. Perhaps all she could do was walk alongside that future from afar, watching silently.

Her emotions churned violently as memories from the past three years replayed in her mind, one after another.

Fate would never bend to the wishes of a single person. His departure had always been inevitable.

*

"Ray, what's wrong with you? Why are you spacing out?" Raziel elbowed Ray, one brow arched.

Ray snapped back to reality and smiled faintly. "Nothing. I was just thinking… I'll miss West Ocean City."

Raziel stared at him as if struck by lightning. "Wow. Listen to you. Isn't that a bit arrogant?"

Ray laughed. "How so?"

Raziel pulled a sour face. "Doesn't that mean you're already sure we'll pass? Otherwise, why would you be missing West Ocean City already?"

Ray pressed his lips together, brows dipping slightly. "You're overthinking it."

Even as he brushed it off, he knew the truth. Deep down, in the softest corner of his heart, that feeling existed. It would be a long, long time before he returned to West Ocean City again.

There was too much waiting for him in Central City.

One of the most important things was searching for clues about his parents.

Before leaving, he had met Gilbert once more. Gilbert firmly believed that his parents had gone to a major city. And if that was true, Central City, the largest city on the continent, was the most likely destination.

Years ago, his parents had left him a message after entering seclusion, telling him that only after becoming a fifth-rank blacksmith would he be qualified to search for them.

Yet in the three years since he left Ironspire City, not a single message had come from them.

Ray didn't dare dwell on it too much. Every time his thoughts drifted there after meditation, it felt as if knives were carving into his chest.

Mom. Dad. Where are you?

Loneliness had sharpened him over the years, forging his resolve into something hard and unyielding.

Gilbert had never explained anything outright, but Ray could sense that something was wrong. No news was good news… until it wasn't. If his parents were safe, why hadn't they contacted him? Even Gilbert should have heard something.

Ray didn't cultivate so desperately just to become a battle armor master.

He wanted the strength to find his parents.

And to protect them.

He had returned to his old home more than once. The place was hollow, stripped bare of warmth and memory. No personal belongings. No trace of life. Just four empty walls pressing in on him.

Then, a little over a year ago, he discovered something strange.

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