The sky cracked with golden fire as the Seal War training officially began.
In the courtyard, under the divine banners, stood Jin, Yooha, Bo, Xie Luang, He Wang, and Han—shoulders squared, eyes forward.
The Academy Master's voice thundered:
"From now on, you are no longer students. You are the last shield of the realms."
One by one, parents of the chosen fighters arrived—not ordinary parents, but celestial warriors from the past.
— Bo's father appeared in a wild blaze of laughter and flame.
Meiqi: father appears with a cool smile
Bo: "THAT'S where I got my sass from?!"
— Xie Luang's mother, cool and graceful, saluted the team with frost coating her fingertips.
— He Wang's twin parents descended like twin meteors, fire and steel.
— Han's mother, a storm priestess, hugged her son and whispered, "You've grown braver than your father ever did."
Jin stood tall beside them, the light of his divine blood glowing gently.
His mother stepped forward, golden robes flowing. She smiled proudly.
His father placed a hand on Jin's shoulder. "The day you were born, we knew you'd lead them."
Everyone had someone.
Everyone… except Yooha.
She stood at the edge of the gathering, clapping with the others, a soft smile on her face. But her hands trembled ever so slightly.
Bo nudged her with his elbow. "You good?"
Yooha laughed faintly. "Of course. I mean… I'm strong. Why would I need—?"
She didn't finish.
Instead, she turned away, walking toward the training rings.
Inside, her heart ached like an unhealed wound. They didn't come. They didn't even send a message. Am I not… worth remembering?
Jin watched her from a distance, reading the pain in her silence.
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and whispered to himself:
"Even if they never show… I'll stand beside her. Always."
The sun dimmed as the Academy Master declared,
"Your real training begins now. And the first trial—will be against your own fears."
And as they all stepped into their individual divine realms to face illusions drawn from their hearts—
Yooha stood alone in hers, staring at a vision of her past.
Her mother, turning her back.
Her father, fading into shadows.
But behind that—Jin's voice pierced through:
"Yooha! I see you! I'm with you!"
Her blade lit up. Her sorrow turned to strength.
And she stepped forward, whispering,
"I'm not alone. Not anymore."
To be continued…