The slab seemed to be blocking something. Kenji knelt beside it, brushing away some of the dirt and grime that had built up around the edges. With a determined grunt, he helped me push the slab aside. Beneath it, nestled in a hollowed section of stone, was a long wooden box.
We stared at it for a moment, then looked at each other.
"Let's bring it back to our spot," Kenji suggested, and I nodded, still stunned.
It wasn't a long hike, just about an hour back to our little training camp nestled in the woods. The moment we arrived, we set the box down with care. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for the latch. Kenji stood beside me, silent but tense.
Inside was a katana wrapped in old, fraying cloth. Slowly, reverently, I peeled the cloth away. Beneath it lay a katana in a sleek black sheath, the handle adorned in blue and gold. It pulsed faintly with energy—alive, almost.
My right eye began to glow, the purple flame swirling before solidifying with a golden halo forming around my pupil. The moment I touched the handle—
Pain. Searing, blinding pain erupted behind my eye.
I cried out, collapsing to the ground. The world faded.
I was in the same place again. The dreamscape where I had first seen Leviathan. A mirrored world—the sky and ground reflecting one another endlessly.
A voice behind me.
"We meet again."
I turned sharply. Leviathan stood before me, tall and graceful, her emerald eyes piercing like daggers.
"I see you've found one of my dear sister's little toys," she said, gesturing casually toward the katana that wasn't even there.
"Sister?" I asked, confused.
She smirked. "She didn't tell you?"
Silence.
"I've been watching you, girl. Every flicker of flame. Every falter. You're not ready."
I clenched my fists. "Then why keep watching me?"
Leviathan's smile faded. "Because the next time we meet, it won't be here. It will be in your world. And I want you to know exactly what's coming."
And with that, the dreamscape shattered.
I woke up hours later, my head resting in Kenji's lap. His eyes were rimmed with red, and his cheeks were streaked with dried tears. He looked exhausted, drained.
"Sakura!" His voice cracked as he saw my eyes flutter open. "Thank God… I—I didn't know what happened. You just collapsed."
I sat up slowly, wincing as the pain lingered faintly. The katana was back in its box, lying next to him. I reached out and gently touched his hand.
"Thank you… for staying," I said quietly.
He gave a weak smile, brushing away the remnants of his tears. "Always."
We didn't speak much on the way back. The box felt heavier now, not just in weight but in meaning.
When we got home, Haruka raised an eyebrow as we entered.
"What's in the box?" he asked, eyeing it with suspicion.
"Nothing important," I said quickly, brushing past him and rushing upstairs.
I needed time. Space.
Later that evening, I slipped into the bath, sinking into the warm water. The tension in my body began to melt, but my mind couldn't settle. Leviathan's words echoed in my head.
"She didn't tell you?"
"I've been watching you."
"The next time we meet…"
I sank deeper into the water, closing my eyes.
What was I truly up against?
And why did it feel like the answers were just beginning to reveal themselves?