In the heart of the Upper Continent, where cities pulsed like veins in a colossal body, the city of Valvern shimmered like a grey jewel—
A city used to the fog, but never taught to fear it.
On the morning of the fourth day of Nira, the people awoke to something different.
Light was gone.
No sunrise.
No warmth.
No life.
Only fog—thick, blind, mute… heavy like death.
Arato opened his eyes to a suffocating silence.
No birds.
No cars.
Even the ticking of the clock felt slow.
He sighed, sitting at the edge of his bed, staring at the curtain that blocked out nothing.
There was no light behind it.
He lifted it slowly.
"This can't be… It's eight in the morning?"
But it was. 8:43 AM. And the world… was dark.
Outside, the street was pale.
People moved nervously, their steps hesitant.
The air… poisonous in a way that couldn't be seen.
A familiar voice came from beyond the fog:
"Arato! Come on, no time to be late!"
It was Ren, his only friend—
The one who saved him from the cold emptiness of life.
With his messy blond hair, his glowing smile, and eyes as blue as a sky that no longer existed.
"The fog's really thick today…"
Arato said flatly.
Ren laughed nervously:
"Feels like something's watching me since I left the house."
Arato stayed silent.
Something deep inside… was whispering.
Then came the voice:
"Emergency alert to all Valvern residents.
An abnormal fog expansion has been recorded within the city perimeter.
Evacuate the streets immediately."
But the warning… came too late.
The fog… moved.
It breathed.
And it hungered.
Screams.
Rushing footsteps.
Mothers pulling children.
Men running, colliding, falling.
Some disappeared… literally.
And amidst it all…
A little girl stood crying, alone, in the middle of the street.
"I'll get her!"
Ren shouted, running without hesitation.
"No! Ren!"
Arato screamed, but his voice vanished.
From within the fog, something emerged…
A shadow—
Like living smoke.
It had arms.
It had fangs.
And one red, hungry eye.
One strike.
Ren's body crashed into the wall.
The sound of bones breaking rang in Arato's ears.
He ran to him, numb.
"Ren… No… Don't die…"
Ren opened his eyes with difficulty.
He whispered:
"Take… the girl… and run."
"You're… my brother."
Arato's heart trembled.
It had been years… since he heard the word "brother."
The fog thickened.
People vanished, one by one.
The air grew heavy—like drowning.
But suddenly…
Everything stopped.
The fog began to retreat.
The monster… froze.
It stared at Arato—
Who now stood with eyes filled with a deep blackness.
As if something within him… had awakened.
"I won't forgive this pain."
"I won't run anymore."
He carried Ren on his back, took the girl by the hand, and walked slowly toward the monster.
It did not move.
The creature… backed into the fog.
From a distant rooftop, a girl with long red hair and glowing green eyes stood still, watching.
She whispered:
"I can hear you… fog."
"You're… screaming."
But she didn't know, or maybe refused to admit—
She was the only one the fog could not choke.
Because she…
Was part of it.
On the day the fog devoured the light… it wasn't the end of Valvern.
It was the beginning of the fall of an entire world.