A pale mist stretched across endless white. Rei wandered aimlessly through the clouds, the soft tufts brushing against his fingers as he tried to make sense of where he was. Every step sent ripples of gold across the floor beneath his feet, and though he felt weightless, his heart was heavy. He looked up. Above him stretched a sky so vast it swallowed the horizon.

  Then he saw her.

  A figure stood at the edge of the clouds, her back turned to him. Six wings spread outward, immense, radiant, and ethereal. Each feather shimmering like fractured glass beneath sunlight. Her long robes rippled in waves of emerald and white, their motion calm yet alive.

  Rei froze. His throat tightened as the woman turned slightly, her emerald eyes locking with his. She smiled faintly, lips moving as if to say something. But no sound came. Only silence and wind.

  Before Rei could step closer, his vision blurred. The world crumbling into streaks of gold and white until everything turned to black.

  He gasped awake.

  Rei blinked several times before realizing he was lying in a bed, soft sheets tangled around him. The sterile scent of the infirmary filled his nose. A dull ache pulsed in his arms and shoulders, the memory of the fight replaying in flashes.

  He groaned softly, lifting a hand to his head. “What the hell was that…”

  “You’re finally up.”

  Rei turned toward the voice. Raphael stood near the window, arms crossed, the faintest smirk on his face.

  Rei jolted upright. “Raphael? How long was I out? Did I—wait, the meeting! Did I miss it?”

  Raphael waved a hand casually. “Relax. The meeting hasn’t started yet. You were only out for a few minutes.”

  Rei exhaled, sinking back into the bed. “Thank god… thought I’d blown it.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Raphael teased, glancing toward the doorway. “Get up. There’s something we need to do before the meeting.”

  Rei hesitated but pushed himself up. “Right now?”

  “Now.”

  With that tone, Rei didn’t argue. He followed Raphael out of the clinic, only to spot a familiar figure leaning against the wall outside. Dilver hair gleaming in the light.

  “Well, if it isn’t Sleeping Beauty himself,” Nikolai said, pushing off the wall with a grin. “You really know how to put on a show, kid.”

  Rei blinked. “You’re still here?”

  “Of course,” Niko said with mock offense. “Had to see the big reveal for myself. Oh, and by the way—” he gestured at Raphael with a smirk, “—I’ll be calling this guy my older brother-in-law from now on.”

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  Rei stared blankly. “...What?”

  Nikolai chuckled at his confusion. “Didn’t you know? Carmen and I share the same bloodline. I’m the youngest between her and Ace.”

  Rei’s jaw went slack. “Wait—you’re her brother?”

  “Yup.” Niko beamed. “Guess I’m technically your superior’s uncle-in-training, huh? And before you ask. Yeah, I’m older than I look. Must be family genetics. Our mom’s in her mid 70's and still looks thirty.”

  “Enough chatter,” Raphael interrupted, already walking down the hall. “We’re not here to compare genes. Let’s move.”

  Niko sighed dramatically but fell in step beside Rei. “Man, he’s always like this. Anyway, you’re about to see something special.”

  Rei tilted his head. “Wait, why are you coming with us?”

  “Because I’m bored,” Niko replied.

  They followed Raphael through the Sanctuary Spire’s winding corridors, descending into the deeper levels where the air grew cooler. The metallic hum of generators filled the silence. Eventually, Raphael stopped before a heavy, silver door etched with intricate runes.

  As he keyed in a code, Niko nudged Rei. “You have no idea how lucky you are. When this guy makes something, it’s never just a weapon, it’s art.”

  The lock clicked, and the massive door slid open with a hiss. The moment they stepped inside, Rei’s breath caught.

  Rows of weapons lined the walls; swords, spears, rifles, hybrid constructs. All meticulously displayed beneath soft blue lighting. Each one hummed faintly with energy, runes pulsing across their surfaces like veins of light.

  “Welcome,” Niko said with a grin, sweeping his arm dramatically, “to the Armoury.”

  He guided Rei down the rows like a tour guide. “Over here, you’ve got prototypes for energy amplifiers. That beast there?” He pointed to a massive blade sealed in a reinforced capsule. “That’s the Dragon’s Fang. Pops forged it after fighting a Rift dragon for three days straight. I tried lifting it once. Nearly threw my back out.”

  “Enough,” Raphael called from deeper in the room. “Rei, over here.”

  Rei followed his voice, heart racing as he approached a raised platform in the center of the room. There, encased in glass, rested a single weapon. Sleek and imposing.

  Its design was seamless: a fusion between a rifle and a blade. The weapon’s black steel gleamed like obsidian, trimmed with veins of gold that pulsed faintly with light. It radiated power.

  “This,” Raphael said, resting his hand against the glass, “is Legacy. It’s yours now.”

  The case unlocked with a soft hiss. Rei stepped closer, hesitating before gripping the weapon by its stock. It was heavier than it looked, but perfectly balanced. The golden etchings seemed to shimmer in response to his touch.

  He turned it over in his hands, tracing the lines that connected the rifle’s chamber to the sword edge running beneath it.

  “Legacy is built for both precision and power,” Raphael explained. “But it’s heavier than what you’re used to. You’ll need to adjust your style. Sword and pistol won’t work here. You’ll have to treat them as one.”

  He handed Rei a small metal case. “This contains Legacy’s ammunition, a pouch, maintenance tools, and gloves. The blade runs along the underbelly. It gets hot. Keep it clean. Treat it right.”

  Rei nodded, almost speechless. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Then don’t,” Raphael said simply. “Earn it.”

  Behind them, Niko whistled. “Damn. If I’d won that duel, this beauty would’ve been mine. Talk about unfair.”

  Rei smiled faintly, running a hand down the weapon’s length. “Guess you’ll just have to win next time.”

  As the two admired Legacy, Raphael turned away, hands slipping into his pockets. Niko followed soon after, trailing beside him through the aisles.

  “You know,” Niko said quietly, “you never actually planned to give that weapon to anyone else, did you?”

  Raphael didn’t answer immediately.

  “It fits him too perfectly,” Niko continued. “His stance, his style, even the name, Legacy. Like it was meant for him.”

  Raphael’s gaze lingered on the floor ahead. “You think too much.”

  “Maybe,” Niko said with a smirk, “but I’m not wrong. So tell me, what’s the deal? You training him to be your Reaper or something?”

  Raphael’s eyes hardened. “No. That position’s already taken.”

  “Then why go this far?” Niko pressed.

  For a moment, silence filled the hallway. Until Raphael finally said, “Because I owe his father a debt I can’t repay.”

  Niko raised a brow. “Hiroshi?”

  Raphael nodded. “He was my best man. Saved my life more times than I can count. Then one day… he vanished. Fifteen years ago.”

  Niko hummed softly, his grin fading. “Didn’t know that part.”

  Before Raphael could reply, the Armoury door opened again. Carmen stood there, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

  “Speak of the devil,” Niko muttered.

  Carmen’s gaze flicked from her brother to Raphael. Without a word, she grabbed Raphael by the tie.

  “Wait—Carmen—”

  “I need to relieve some stress,” she said flatly, dragging him toward the hall.

  “Not again—”

  The door slammed shut behind them.

  Rei, who had been examining Legacy, turned around just in time to see Raphael being yanked away. “…Did that just happen?”

  “Yup,” Niko said, stretching his arms. “Best not to think too hard about it. You’ll see them at the meeting anyway.”

  He waved lazily before heading for the exit. “Congrats again, kid. Enjoy the toy.”

  When the door closed, silence settled over the room.

  Rei exhaled softly, staring at the weapon resting in his hands. The weight of it felt real, grounding. A symbol of something he didn’t yet understand.

  He looked around. “...Wait. They never told me where the meeting was.”

  The Armoury lights dimmed around him, leaving Rei standing alone beneath the faint hum of golden light, Legacy resting against his shoulder.