Chapter - 2, Beats of the past
The crow slept peacefully on Grim Soul's bed.
Perhaps for the first time in its life, it was experiencing true comfort.
Meanwhile, only a few minutes before time had frozen, Grim Soul walked quietly along the footpath.
To him, the world looked ordinary.
Until he reached the zebra crossing.
The place where his life was about to change.
A thought drifted through his mind.
"No matter how hard I try... I can never do the things I truly want."
A faint beat echoed within his heart.
As it played, the noise of the city gradually faded away.
"I had a fun childhood... full of dreams."
Memories surfaced.
A young boy kicking a football.
Playing games with friends.
Laughing without worries.
Then came other memories.
Creating videos.
Uploading them online.
Chasing things he enjoyed.
"But I couldn't continue."
More memories flashed by.
An injury while playing sports.
A visit to the doctor.
A classroom where the blackboard appeared blurry.
Another visit.
An eye doctor this time.
His expression darkened slightly.
"I still tried to chase my dreams while the beat remained strong."
Music echoed in his memories.
Headphones resting over his ears.
Songs that once filled him with energy.
Songs that made him believe.
Then—
The memories shattered like glass.
"But now... the beat can't keep up."
A pause.
"Or maybe I'm the one who can't keep up anymore."
The rhythm within him grew weaker.
Step by step, he approached the crossing.
As the beat faded, so did the faint aura surrounding his heart.
Just before reaching the zebra crossing, another thought appeared.
"From now on..."
"I'll live to earn money and take care of my parents."
Deep within Grim Soul's soul existed a place no ordinary person could see.
Two mysterious figures sat across from one another.
One was covered in a black aura.
The other in a white aura.
Both were casually playing cards.
The white figure suddenly paused.
"His aura is fading."
The black figure shrugged.
"I know. Focus on the game."
Then his expression changed.
"Wait..."
"I sense someone familiar."
Both figures turned simultaneously.
A presence was approaching.
For a brief moment, Grim's face flickered.
Half of it carried a calm white glow.
The other half formed a creepy smile shrouded in darkness.
Then it vanished.
Finally—
Grim's foot touched the zebra crossing.
The beat disappeared.
The aura around his heart vanished.
And the world froze.
Grim looked around in shock.
The scene felt strangely familiar.
Then a memory surfaced.
A fantasy show he had watched as a child.
A mage stopping time through magic.
Back then, his eyes had sparkled with excitement.
Now—
His eyes shone once again.
The beat returned.
The aura around his heart reignited.
His lips trembled.
"M-M-Magic..."
Back in Grim Soul's room, the crow woke up.
Hunger had finally caught up to it.
Its eyes darted toward the open window.
For a moment, it considered leaving.
Then it noticed the food Grim had left behind.
The crow immediately rushed over.
In its eyes, Grim had already become a divine being.
After taking several bites, it glanced toward the bed.
Carefully carrying the bowl of biscuits, it hopped back onto the mattress and crawled beneath the blanket.
Like a tiny human, it hugged the bowl with its wings.
Then it noticed something strange.
The room had turned completely white.
The effect of the time freeze had reached even this place.
Yet the crow remained unaffected.
It sniffed the blanket.
The scent of Grim lingered there.
For some reason, it felt safe.
Comfortable.
Protected.
The crow happily continued eating.
Within a dark dimension, three figures stood together.
Only one face could be seen clearly.
A massive crack in space illuminated the darkness around him.
One of the hidden figures groaned.
"Man, travelling this far is exhausting."
Another immediately replied.
"Yeah. Way too exhausting."
The first figure exploded.
"How are YOU exhausted?!"
"I was the one who created the wormhole!"
The argument stopped as both noticed the third figure.
He stood silently near the crack.
Tech, whose sea-green outfit glowed faintly.
He looked toward the silent figure.
"Light..."
Tech's voice softened.
"Don't be sad."
"I know you're worried about when we'll meet him again."
"We've waited eighteen years."
"A little longer won't hurt."
Another figure stepped forward.
Shade.
Dressed completely in black.
A grin appeared on his face.
"You really can't wait anymore, huh?"
He laughed.
"When he comes back, you'll probably make him carry you around for months."
Light's expression eased slightly.
Seeing that, Tech continued.
"When this is all over, we'll play with Rose and Vi again."
A small smile finally appeared on Light's face.
Then he stepped toward the crack.
As Light stood in front of the crack, Shade scratched his head.
"Phew..."
"He seems better now."
Then a thought crossed his mind.
"Still..."
"Why did Free send the three of us today?"
"And what surprise was he talking about?"
After a moment, he shrugged.
"Whatever."
Both Shade and Tech followed.
Meanwhile, Light stood before the crack.
His gaze remained fixed ahead.
"The chosen three must possess incredible potential."
"Only then can they wield their elements as efficiently as Brother."
He sighed.
Then suddenly—
His eyes widened.
A presence.
A familiar one.
Behind Grim Soul.
Light froze.
Tears slowly formed in his eyes.
His voice trembled.
"Brother..."
At that exact moment, Grim looked toward the crack.
Yet from his perspective, nothing existed there.
No crack.
No dimension.
Nothing.
As Grim turned his head, Light finally saw his face clearly.
He quickly wiped away his tears.
"No..."
"That's not Brother."
His gaze sharpened.
"Then why can I feel Brother's presence from him?"
Taking a deep breath, Light calmed himself.
Then he stepped through the crack.
Moments later, he appeared at the opposite side of the zebra crossing.
Grim continued observing his surroundings.
Light simply watched him.
Smiling.
"I can't stop smiling."
"It's been so long since I felt Brother's presence."
"But why is it coming from him?"
Finally, Grim's eyes met his.
Light smiled warmly.
"Happy Birthday, Grim Soul."
Grim froze.
Countless thoughts flooded his mind.
"Who is this guy?"
"Why isn't he affected?"
"Does that mean he froze time?"
"And why..."
"Why do I suddenly feel better?"
Deep within Grim's soul, the two mysterious entities continued their card game.
The black figure glanced toward Light through Grim's eyes.
"It's Light."
The white figure nodded.
"Not just Light."
"Shade and Tech are here as well."
The black figure smirked.
"Yeah."
"I can sense them too."
And yet, despite discussing something so important...
Neither stopped playing cards.
Meanwhile, inside a nearby alleyway, Shade and Tech watched everything through a floating blue screen.
Shade frowned.
"Why am I feeling Brother's presence from him?"
Tech immediately nodded.
"You too?"
"I'm sensing it as well."
Shade glanced toward Light's smiling face.
"Looks like Light feels it too."
Tech narrowed his eyes.
Then he asked quietly:
"Did you notice his aura?"
Shade blinked.
"Huh?"
Then he shrugged.
«"His aura should be magnificent if he's one of the chosen."»
A red glow suddenly appeared in Shade's eyes.
An ability.
Used to observe the flow of aura.
His gaze locked onto Grim Soul.
For a moment, nothing happened.
«"Ri-."»
He wanted to speak more but his sentense never came out.
Shock filled his face.
Tech immediately noticed the reaction.
«"Thats what I was saying..."»
Shade remained silent.
His eyes stayed fixed on the blue screen watching Grim Soul.
Whatever he had seen...
It wasn't something he had expected.