[Evening, Prismic Gathering Training Grounds]
The sky was gray. The rain refused to fall, as if even the heavens were holding their breath.The memorial platform stood at the edge of the field, framed by rows of crimson banners. In the center, two polished coffins—one smaller, lighter; the other larger and scorched—rested on a platform of black stone.
Mia and James.
Hundreds had gathered. Every recruit. Every division. Uniforms pristine. Faces still.
Kazimir stood at the front, his coat unbuttoned, the sword at his side untouched. Riah stood beside him, clad in ceremonial white robes edged with flames—her phoenix feathers woven into the hem.
Silence reigned.
Until Felicia stepped forward.
Her voice cracked but did not fail. "James was… a prodigy. But more than that—he was kind. Too kind. He used to stay late just to help me fix the drones. And Mia…"
She looked down, her fingers trembling.
"…Mia wanted so badly to be strong. But she also just wanted someone to say she mattered. And I never said it enough."
She bowed her head, and Gendai stepped forward.
"I hated Mia sometimes," she said plainly. "But only because she reminded me of myself. Angry. Lost. Desperate to be seen. She made mistakes. So did I. But I wish she had one more day to fight for who she could've been."
Gendai stepped back.
The wind stirred.
Then Riah walked forward, her hands glowing faintly with pale blue light. She looked at the crowd, her gaze sweeping over their solemn faces.
"You all saw what grief can do," she said. "You all saw how love, when twisted by pain, can become a weapon."
She looked at the coffins.
"But you also saw two lives that burned brightly. James—who wanted to protect others before himself. Mia—who stood up even when no one was watching. They were flawed. But they mattered. And now their legacy belongs to you."
She turned to the recruits. "Protect the night. Protect the lands of the vampires. Be stronger—not just in power, but in mercy. Because that is what separates heroes from monsters."
Her voice cracked only slightly. "Let Mia and James be the last of us to fall in vain."
Riah stepped back, her hand gently brushing the coffins.
Then Kazimir spoke.
"I buried too many friends to pretend I have the words," he said. "But I'll give you this: I won't forget them. And neither should you."
He raised his hand—and a dark, swirling glyph of Imaginary Essence bloomed in the air.
"Vrasnia calls us," he said to Riah. "Our homeland needs us now."
Riah turned to the crowd one final time. "Protect the world. And remember their names."
She took Kazimir's hand.
The Dark Equation opened—a spiraling rift of void and cosmic energy, lined with symbols that flickered like dying stars.
Without another word, Kazimir and Riah stepped through, their silhouettes vanishing into the darkness.
The rift closed behind them.
The crowd remained still for a long moment.
Then the coffins were lowered.
The wind carried petals of white flame from Riah's robe as they fell—embers of farewell for two souls who had burned too brightly, too fast.
[Evening, Prismic Gathering Training Grounds]
The sun had dipped low, casting long shadows across the empty training field. The air was thick with silence—until footsteps echoed.
Gendai stood at the center of the grounds, her emerald eyes sharp despite the exhaustion that tugged at her limbs. The recruits gathered before her, a restless sea of faces—some hopeful, some broken, all waiting.
She cleared her throat.
"This isn't just about strength anymore," Gendai began, voice steady but firm. "It's about purpose. About why we fight."
She glanced at the rows of recruits, their gazes fixed on her.
"Mia and James fought for something bigger than themselves. They fought for us. For all of us who believe in a future where darkness doesn't swallow everything."
Her hands clenched briefly.
"I know what it's like to feel lost, to think you're just a shadow in someone else's story. But shadows can stretch. They can block the sun. And sometimes, they're the only thing standing between light and oblivion."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
"I'm not perfect," she said, voice softer. "I make mistakes. But I will not let their deaths be the end of our fight. I will lead us—not because I want to, but because we need to."
Gendai stepped forward, her aura flaring faintly with emerald energy.
"To the recruits of Prismic Gathering: This is our home. Our family. Our fight."
She looked each recruit in the eyes, locking her gaze with the fiercest warriors and the quietest watchers alike.
"We rise. Together."
The crowd broke into applause—tentative at first, then growing stronger, more determined.
Felicia was among them, nodding with pride.
And as the sky darkened into night, a new flame was lit—a promise forged in grief and hope alike.