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Kenji woke to the soft rustle of fabric and the faint scent of morning dew. As he opened his eyes, he found Miyuki and Satsuki standing at the foot of his bed, both calm yet composed. Miyuki wore a subtle smile, her pale complexion catching the sunlight streaming through the room’s window. Satsuki, on the other hand, stood tall with her arms crossed, her piercing gaze fixed on Kenji, as if assessing his every move.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe68KcR7iU
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“Good morning, Master Kenji,” Miyuki began gently, bowing slightly. Her voice was soft but carried a certain warmth. “We hope you rested well.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLigEoY1eJ
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Kenji blinked, still adjusting to the morning light. “Who... are you?” he finally asked, his voice faint, but curiosity laced his tone.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugXJ7UjWXR
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Miyuki exchanged a glance with Satsuki, who gave a slight nod, signaling her to continue. “Allow us to formally introduce ourselves. My name is Miyuki, and this is Satsuki. We are your appointed guardians, sent to protect you.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPGuB3dzcj
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“Guardians?” Kenji repeated, frowning slightly. “Sent by who?”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGbxwb3W9c
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Satsuki stepped forward, her tone more direct. “Your mother entrusted us with your safety, but for now, you don’t need to worry about the details. There’s someone important waiting to see you.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh6u4CoDKk
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Kenji hesitated. These two women spoke with such certainty about things he couldn’t understand, yet their words stirred something within him—a faint flicker of something he couldn’t place.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZ1wxNMMkb
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Miyuki offered a reassuring smile. “We will explain more in time. For now, please follow us.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2w8I0DW42
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With that, they turned and began walking toward the door. Kenji followed in silence, his mind racing with questions he wasn’t sure how to ask.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkOJyM323D
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As they stepped into the corridor, the atmosphere seemed to change. The air grew still, almost reverent, as they approached a large set of ornate doors at the end of the hall.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYlM7hLl0Z
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“This way,” Miyuki said, her voice softer now. She glanced back at Kenji. “The person inside has been waiting to see you for a very long time.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfSNaVidsE
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Kenji nodded, steeling himself as the doors slowly creaked open, revealing a grand chamber bathed in a silver glow. At the far end of the room stood a regal figure, her presence commanding yet serene.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6N6nbvNa4g
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“She’s your aunt,” Miyuki whispered before stepping aside to let Kenji through.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp2odxzW2J
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Kenji stepped into the chamber, his heart pounding as his gaze met the woman standing before him—a woman whose very presence seemed to radiate familiarity and mystery all at once.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLVpgoIe2O
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Kenji sat silently across from his aunt, her silver hair catching the soft glow of the light filtering through the vast hall of the Moonclan headquarters. Her presence was commanding, yet there was a warmth in her gaze that softened the harsh truths she was about to unveil.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bZKXpum0J
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She began by revealing the connection she had to his mother. “Kenji,” she said, her voice a blend of sorrow and determination, “I am Sora, your mother’s sister. And there is much you need to know about who you are and the world you live in.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2xQF2FBgu
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Kenji remained still, his mind clouded with questions as she continued. “After you were born, your mother brought you to me in secret. She knew there were those who would stop at nothing to end your life. You see, Kenji, the gods decreed long ago that no union between members of different clans was to be allowed. Your existence... breaks that sacred law.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpug2Jo8D7z
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The weight of her words hung heavily in the air. Kenji’s thoughts spiraled. He hadn’t even known he had a mother until recently, let alone that his very existence defied the gods themselves. “Why... why would they try to kill me?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxAR6ySNWY
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“Because the power you carry, Kenji, is unique,” Sora replied. “You are a child of both the Shadow Clan and the Moon Clan. It’s a power that could either unite or destroy. And that terrifies them.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hnS5lSy8U
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She leaned closer, her expression darkening. “But there’s more you must understand. The world you see today, with its cities and technology, is not how it always was. A thousand years ago, humanity lived in harmony with the five clans, each blessed by a god who gave their clan a unique power through an eternal contract. Your Shadow Clan, for example, was blessed by the God of Night and mastered the manipulation of darkness and shadows. My Moon Clan, blessed by the Lunar God, thrives under the moon’s glow and wields healing and physical strength unmatched at night.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzn2NnoHmc
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Kenji listened, his mind racing to grasp this overwhelming information. “And these gods... they’re real?”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIDKV6OWHMw
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Sora nodded. “Very real. But there was a sixth god, a being of chaos and destruction. This god refused to live in harmony and sought to dominate the others. Its clan was not human like the others but creatures born of darkness, residing beneath the earth. A great war broke out between the sixth clan and the other five. For centuries, blood was spilled until, at last, the five gods sacrificed their strength to seal the sixth god away.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbUhanbAnr
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Kenji leaned forward, intrigued despite himself. “What happened to the sixth clan?”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo10zcFojsg
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“No one knows for certain,” Sora said. “They vanished when their god was sealed. But recently, traces of their existence have begun to resurface. Creatures thought to be extinct have been sighted, their presence faint but unmistakable.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3PGHTLyMJ
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Kenji’s heart pounded. Could the attacks on him in the hospital be connected to these creatures?149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmca571aMd
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Sora’s gaze softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re beginning to understand, aren’t you? The war might be stirring once more, and you, Kenji, are at the center of it all. Your mother entrusted me with your safety, but the truth is, even I don’t know the full extent of your importance. What I do know is that you must be prepared, for yourself and for the world.”149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡno4G36dit1
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Kenji sat back, trying to process everything. The gods, the clans, his mother’s sacrifice, it all felt too surreal, yet a part of him couldn’t deny the pull of truth in her words. For the first time, he began to understand that his life was not just his own. There was a legacy, a history, and a danger that he had no choice but to confront.149Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tSIpBE1bz
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As the sunlight illuminated the room, Kenji clenched his fists. He didn’t fully comprehend his role in this ancient story, but he knew one thing for certain: his journey was only beginning.
