Kapitel 5: Chapter 5: The Silent Flame
Reiji stood motionless in the dim light of the room, his eyes locked on the Vongola Ring encircling his finger. The smooth, metallic surface reflected the faint glow from the dusty windows, casting weak glimmers onto the ancient stone floor beneath him. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, almost suffocating with silence.
His hand hovered near his chest, where the fire had burned so fiercely just moments before. He had felt the intense heat of the Dying Will Flame, a power that seemed to transcend everything he had ever known. It had enveloped him, ignited him—made him feel invincible. But now, as he stood in the stillness of the mansion's hidden chamber, that flame seemed like a distant dream.
Reiji exhaled slowly, his mind spinning with questions. He had barely processed what had happened in the last few hours—meeting the two figures, the strange room, and the moment when his body had erupted with that incredible, fiery power. Their voices, though fragmented and distant, echoed faintly in his head. He didn't know their names or titles, only that they were tied to the legacy he had stumbled upon.
He tried to focus on that feeling again, the moment when his body had become a conduit for pure, unrelenting energy. His chest rose as he inhaled deeply, his heart racing as he closed his eyes.
"Come on," he whispered, tightening his hand into a fist. "I know you're in there."
But the room remained as cold and empty as before. Reiji's heart sank as he opened his eyes, staring at his fist. He had felt it before—there was no way he had imagined it. His body had been consumed by flames. He had felt stronger, faster—everything had seemed clearer in that moment. Yet now, there was nothing.
He took a step forward, then another, trying again. He pictured the flame on his forehead, the way it had burned brightly, like a beacon. He remembered how his heart had pounded in his chest, how every fiber of his being had been supercharged, like he could do anything.
"Flame, ignite!" Reiji muttered with conviction.
But nothing happened. No flame, no power. His heart sank again. He looked down at his hands in frustration, turning the Vongola Ring over with his thumb, as if examining it might reveal some secret. The ring was cold and metallic, but it gave off a strange, faint energy—just not the kind he could use.
"What am I missing?" Reiji asked aloud, his voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber. He ran his fingers through his hair and paced the room. "I felt it, I know I did. What do I have to do to make it work again?"
As his thoughts spun, Reiji's gaze landed on the pedestal. There, six rings lay neatly in a line, identical to the one on his finger but each with its own distinct presence. He had sensed their significance the moment he laid eyes on them, though he didn't fully understand what they represented.
His fingers hovered over the rings again, brushing the surface of the one closest to him. The cool metal was smooth under his fingertips, but unlike the first time, he felt no surge of power. Instead, his mind filled with questions, each one more pressing than the last.
Guardian Rings, he thought. These rings… they belong to the Guardians. The ones who are supposed to protect me? Or am I supposed to protect them?
He stepped back from the pedestal, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The voices—the remnants—had said something about a trial, about finding Guardians to stand by his side. Reiji still didn't fully understand what that meant. He only knew that the other six rings were part of the same legacy he had stumbled upon, and whoever wore them was supposed to be… connected to him, somehow.
But what was the role of these so-called Guardians? And what was his role? If he was the one with the Sky Flame, did that mean he was at the center of it all? Was he their leader?
He clenched his fists again, feeling a strange unease. He had never thought of himself as someone who would lead anything, let alone a group of people with powers like these. And what kind of people were these Guardians supposed to be? What did it even mean to be a Guardian?
"Am I really supposed to be at the center of this?" he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. But then again, what choice did he have? The remnants—whoever they were—had chosen him. For what reason, he still didn't know. Their names, their titles… everything about them was still a mystery.
His eyes returned to the rings on the pedestal. They gleamed softly under the faint light, as if waiting for him to take the next step. The idea of leaving them behind gnawed at him, but he knew he wasn't ready. Not yet. For now, the rings were safe in this mansion—this place that no ordinary person seemed capable of finding. If they could, surely this legacy would have been claimed long ago.
Reiji stood there, lingering in the quiet room, his thoughts circling back to how he had even found this place. The mansion… it had called to him. My intuition led me here, he thought. It was a troubling thought, but one he had to accept. His instincts had brought him here, but beyond that, he was still just as lost.
He turned away from the rings, his steps echoing through the old halls of the mansion as he made his way deeper into the building. The silence enveloped him, broken only by the occasional creak of wood or groan of stone. He walked through room after room, searching for anything that might help him. Old books lined the shelves, their spines cracked and faded from age, but most of them were unreadable, crumbling at his touch.
As he rummaged through the rooms, his frustration began to mount. "There has to be something here," he muttered, throwing open another drawer. But it was empty, just like the others. Nothing of value, nothing that would help him in the days to come.
He was about to give up when he stumbled upon a small, hidden compartment in the floor of what appeared to be an old study. His fingers pried it open, and inside, he found a small box. It was old and covered in dust, but when he opened it, he found jewels nestled inside. They were dull, some cracked, but a few of them still caught the light in a way that told him they were worth something.
Reiji pocketed the jewels with a sigh. At least this will help me survive for a little while longer, he thought, closing the compartment and standing up. The weight of the jewels in his pocket felt like a small victory in the midst of the confusion swirling in his mind.
By the time Reiji returned to the city, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the streets. The bustling market district was alive with people haggling over goods, their voices filling the air. Reiji wasted no time, heading straight for one of the stalls known for buying and selling valuables. The jewels he had taken from the mansion fetched him a decent sum of money, more than enough to last him for a while.
With the money in hand, he rented a small apartment in a quieter part of town. It wasn't much, but it was better than his old place—a slight upgrade from the dingy, cramped space he had called home for far too long. After settling in, he knew his next step was to learn more about the Vongola.
The city library was vast and quiet, the perfect place for Reiji to begin his research. He wandered through the aisles, picking out books and old documents, hoping to find something—anything—that could tell him more about the Dying Will Flames and the legacy he had unknowingly inherited.
Most of what he found was vague, stories of powerful families and ancient organizations that had once controlled the balance of power in the underworld. The name Vongola came up more than once, always in hushed tones, always in stories that seemed more like legends than fact. There were mentions of Guardians, of powerful individuals who had stood by the side of a mysterious leader, wielding abilities that defied explanation.
Reiji's eyes scanned the pages, his mind absorbing as much as he could. He didn't understand everything, but he knew one thing for sure—the Vongola had been a force to be reckoned with, and if he was truly their heir, he had a long road ahead of him.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein