The mirror began to emit a faint glow as the royal elf initiated the ritual, his hands firmly placed on Kazuki's shoulders while ancient incantations slipped from his lips. The room was silent, save for the quiet hum of spiritual energy building in the air. But after a long, tense moment — nothing happened.
A flicker of frustration crossed the elf's face as he withdrew his hands. Without a word, he tried the process again, his voice louder, the spiritual force behind his chant stronger this time. The mirror glimmered for a few seconds… then dimmed once more.
Kazuki remained still, his expression calm but curious, observing the elf's growing unease.
Not one to give up so easily, the elf focused even harder, drawing upon his inner reserves of Spirit Energy. The air itself shimmered slightly from the surge of power — yet the mirror once again refused to respond. By the fifth attempt, sweat had gathered on the elf's brow.
Determined to break through this unnatural resistance, the royal elf reached beneath his robes and retrieved a small, ancient necklace. The charm was said to be a divine artifact blessed by the Elf God himself — a relic reserved for only the most sacred rituals. The elf's voice dropped into a deeper, almost guttural tone as he began chanting another set of spells, pouring both his spiritual force and the necklace's latent power into the process.
This time, the mirror reacted violently.
It erupted in a blinding, rapid glow, the surface pulsing like a living thing. For a moment, it seemed as though Kazuki's future would finally be revealed. But then — with a loud crack — the mirror shattered into a thousand shards.
Gasps filled the room.
Yet almost instantly, the shards hovered in mid-air, reversing their fall. The magic woven into the mirror forced it to regenerate itself, piece by piece, until it stood whole once again.
Silence.
The elf took a trembling step back, his face pale, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at Kazuki. "W-What future… do you really hold, young master…? Even the spirit mirror cannot peer into it. It is beyond me… beyond this sacred room… beyond this realm," the elf whispered, his voice thick with fear and awe. "Forgive me, young master, for I cannot help you."
Kazuki, still composed, gave a small, almost ironic smile. "There's no need to apologize. In fact — I should be thanking you… for letting me test my doubt here." He bowed respectfully. "It seems the path ahead of me is meant to stay hidden, for now."
Without further ceremony, Kazuki turned and left the Holy Spirit Room, his mind spinning with new questions. If even this mirror, blessed by the Elf God, couldn't show my fate… then what exactly awaits me in the future? he thought.
But before he could ponder it further, a sudden commotion echoed through the corridors. The sound of hurried footsteps — dozens of them — drew everyone's attention.
Elves abandoned their tasks, fearful murmurs spreading like wildfire. The royal guards of the Elf Kingdom quickly rallied, forming defensive lines as the sound grew louder.
From the far end of the hallway, Kazuki watched as a massive group of goblins, filthy and snarling, stormed into view. Their prison chains clattered noisily, some still attached to their limbs as they bared crude weapons and shouted in their guttural tongue.
Kazuki's eyes narrowed. How…? How did the goblins escape the prison?
Even the elf soldiers looked shocked, having had no indication of any breakout. The entire Elf Kingdom had been celebrating their recent victory against these creatures, never expecting them to rise up again so soon.
And yet — here they were.
An unsettling sense of foreboding settled over Kazuki's heart as he instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword.
Something wasn't right.