The Forgotten Tide: Rebirth Before the Pirate Era

The days following the pirate attack settled into a fragile calm, but beneath the surface, the village was changed. Whispers followed Kaizen wherever he went—hushed voices speaking of the boy who shattered steel and fought like a phantom. His attempts to blend back into obscurity were futile; eyes lingered longer, suspicion and awe mingling in their gazes.

Kaizen kept to himself, retreating to the cliffs overlooking the restless sea. There, with only the wind and waves as his audience, he pushed his limits, training with an intensity fueled by confusion and fear. Each punch, each movement was sharper, stronger. The more he fought against it, the more his body responded, evolving beyond human norms.

What am I becoming? he often wondered.

Lio remained by his side, undeterred by the changes. "You're still you," he would say with a shrug. "So what if you're stronger? Maybe you're meant for more than this village."

But Kaizen wasn't so sure.

News of the pirate skirmish reached beyond the village faster than Kaizen anticipated. One evening, as the sun bled orange across the horizon, unfamiliar ships anchored offshore. Unlike the ragtag pirate vessel, these were sleek, marked with the insignia of a world Kaizen had only begun to understand—the emblem of the Ancient Kingdom.

Soldiers disembarked, their uniforms pristine, faces cold with authority. At their head was a woman clad in deep blue armor, her gaze sharp as the blade at her hip. She introduced herself as Captain Seraph of the Kingdom's Coastal Guard.

"We received reports of an anomaly," she said, eyes locking onto Kaizen with unnerving precision. "A boy with unnatural strength. We're here to investigate."

Kaizen felt his heart hammer against his ribs. They came for me.

Lio stepped forward, defiant. "He saved us from pirates. Is that a crime now?"

Seraph's expression didn't waver. "It's not the act that concerns us. It's the power. Such abilities often have... origins that threaten the balance."

Kaizen knew he couldn't run. Not without drawing more attention. So, he stood his ground. "I'm just a fisherman's son," he lied smoothly, though his pulse betrayed his calm facade.

Seraph studied him, then nodded. "We'll see."

The following days were a tense dance. The soldiers questioned villagers, watched Kaizen's every move, their presence a shadow over daily life. Kaizen maintained his act, suppressing his abilities, but the pressure gnawed at him.

One night, under a moon cloaked in thin clouds, Kaizen overheard Seraph speaking with her lieutenant.

"There's more to that boy. His aura… it's not natural. He could be connected to the remnants of forbidden legacies."

Forbidden legacies? The words echoed in Kaizen's mind, stirring memories of ancient tales he'd heard from the villagers—stories of lost civilizations, powerful artifacts, and beings who defied the very fabric of the world.

He realized then that his existence was more than an accident of fate. His powers, his arrival in this world—they were threads woven into a tapestry far larger than he understood.

The decision came swiftly. He couldn't stay. His presence endangered the village, Lio, everyone he cared about. Before dawn, Kaizen packed what little he had, leaving a note for Lio:

I have to find answers. I'll come back when I can. Thank you for being my friend.

With the first light of day, Kaizen slipped past the guards, disappearing into the vast, uncharted world beyond the village. The ocean breeze carried his name back to the shore, but he didn't look back.

Because ahead of him was a destiny that refused to be ignored.