A Brand New History

"Legend?"

The black-robed man asked curiously.

Something in his fragmented memories seemed to have been stirred.

"Yes."

Mentor Lina turned to face him, her gaze solemn. "A legend about the 'Raven' walking among mortals. Its exact contents are top secret, and also a silence we must protect. All we know is that this door connects to an extraordinarily special place—or perhaps... time. Our duty is to wait."

"Wait?" The black-robed man grew even more puzzled. "Wait for what?"

Mentor Lina's gaze returned to the Bronze Gate, her voice as soft as a sigh. "Wait for the day... someone walks out from within." The instant she finished speaking—

As though in answer to her words, the colossal bronze door, silent for who knew how many ages and regarded as an ancient relic—or perhaps even mere decoration—the enormous Raven emblem at its center began to glow from the inside out, without warning. At first, it was only a faint glimmer like a spark, kindling at the Raven's eye.

Then, like flowing mercury, the light rapidly spread along the emblem's intricate patterns, illuminating every carved line. It was deep and pure, not dazzling, yet possessed a condensed texture that seemed to pierce through time and space.

"What's happening?!"

The black-robed man was shocked.

"Is he coming?"

Lina's eyes began to waver as well.

The Bronze Gate itself seemed to have been infused with life. It trembled faintly, emitting a deep, distant hum, like a dust-covered behemoth beginning to awaken. No view of the room beyond showed through the crack in the doors.

Instead, an even richer radiance flowed out, as though mingling starlight with night itself, along with a trace of... an aura that had crossed endless distances and ages—familiar, yet strange.

The air in the observation room seemed to freeze. Mentor Lina