Episode 4: Naoya and the Book of Shadows

Episode 4: Naoya and the Book of Shadows

The ride into Riftvale was bumpy.

Aizen had summoned a strange, floating board made of glowing runes—something between a hovercraft and a skateboard—and insisted Sora hop on.

“I’m not standing on that!” Sora had said.

“Too bad,” Aizen replied, already pulling him aboard. “It’s faster than walking, and you look like you’ll faint any second.”

Now, Sora clung to Aizen’s arm for dear life as they zipped through forest paths and over shallow rivers. Wind whipped past his ears. His thoughts weren’t much calmer.

The timeline’s broken.

I met Aizen too early.

Naoya hasn’t even appeared yet…

They came to a stop near the town gates just as the sun began to set. Riftvale glowed golden, its rooftops low and slanted, cobblestone streets weaving like a memory through the town. Lanterns flickered to life, casting soft light.

Aizen stepped down gracefully.

Sora stumbled off and immediately sat on the ground, dizzy.

“Your legs work, right?” Aizen teased.

“Barely,” Sora muttered. “My pride’s broken too.”

Before Aizen could respond, a voice rang out from the side:

“Aizen! You’re late again!”

Sora froze.

The voice was soft, but sharp. Familiar.

He turned.

There he was.

Naoya.

Dark robes. A book clutched under one arm. Messy black hair tied loosely. Glasses slipping down his nose. And eyes—warm, guarded, intelligent.

Everything about him screamed, I notice more than I say.

Naoya walked up to them, glancing briefly at Sora before jabbing Aizen lightly in the side.

“You were supposed to report to the Council two hours ago.”

“I got distracted,” Aizen replied.

“With what?”

Aizen tilted his head toward Sora. “Him.”

Naoya looked at Sora properly for the first time. Not with surprise—but curiosity.

“You’re… not from here,” Naoya said.

Oh crap, Sora thought. He’s already suspicious?

“Outpost boy,” Aizen offered casually. “Wandered into beast territory. Lucky I saved him.”

Naoya’s eyes didn’t leave Sora’s face. “Outpost where?”

Sora panicked. “Uh… Southridge. Near the, um… misty… ridge. Lots of fog. It’s very foggy.”

Aizen snorted.

Naoya raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

SYMBI buzzed beside Sora’s head:

[Character Identified: Naoya Kisaragi] [Status: Main Character | Role: Strategic Support | Affinity: High Intelligence / Shadowcraft] [Timeline Stability: 89% — Further deviation may trigger unexpected events.]

Great. Not suspicious at all.

“Come on,” Naoya said at last, brushing past them. “If you’re staying, we’ll need to get you registered. And fed.”

Sora blinked. “Wait—I’m staying?”

“You’d die out there,” Aizen said simply. “And besides… you’re interesting.”

Naoya paused at the door, glancing back.

“Interesting things,” he said softly, “tend to break stories.”

Sora’s heart skipped.

He knows.

Author Note

The trio’s together—kind of! Sora’s lies are getting shakier, Naoya’s already catching on, and Aizen’s casually dragging him into their lives. What could go wrong?

Answer: literally everything. Stay tuned for Episode 5!

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