There was no life…
No death…
Nor the flow of time.
This was a sacred realm beyond the reach of space and time, lying far beyond all multiverses infinite dimensions and layers of existence
The Absolute Palace.
Existing since the very dawn of creation, this palace possessed a sanctity too sublime for any mortal to step upon Universes were born, collapsed, and were recreated yet the Absolute Palace remained unchanged
The palace consisted of five main sections
The first four sections belonged to the four Commander Angels the most loyal servants of the Supreme Being
Sir Lucian.
Sir Cassiel.
Sir Raguel.
Sir Arn.
Each possessed five magnificent wings. The long, holy swords they carried were fueled directly by the mana of the Supreme Being. The power they wielded was far too vast to be measured by the borders of any universe However in the past there was another name that stood above these four angels
Once the Supreme Commander of the entire Divine Legion…
The strongest angel of the Absolute Palace…
Moros.
But his betrayal had changed the divine order forever Now, his name was whispered only in the deepest, forbidden records.
…
At that very moment…
The eternal silence of the Absolute Palace was broken An unseen vibration began to echo against the walls of the entire palace The divine pillars trembled slightly.
Rivers of light rippled.
Even the clouds covering the infinite sky momentarily tore apart and reassembled.
The four Commander Angels opened their eyes at the same time.
The mana they felt…
It was all too familiar to them Sir Cassiel's golden eyes widened slightly.
"…This mana…"
For the first time, his heart was beating irregularly.
Moros…
No…
No…
This mana resembled his.
But at the same time it was entirely different.
Much heavier…
Much darker…
Much more lethal.
Cassiel stood up without wasting a moment.
"This situation must be reported to Supreme Being."
The other three commanders nodded silently Without another word Cassiel began to walk toward the most sacred section of the palace The corridors stretched for miles With every step, particles of light resembling star clusters danced beneath his feet, and the white clouds covering the ceiling drifted slowly.
Finally…
He reached the center of the Absolute Palace.
The doors standing before him were larger than mountains These massive doors, made entirely of pure gold, had opened only to the presence of a single entity since the first day of creation The holy guards standing on either side of the door struck their spears against the ground in unison.
"Reason for your arrival?"
Sir Cassiel knelt and bowed his head.
"I need to speak with our Supreme Being."
The guards looked at each other Then, they nodded slowly The massive doors began to open with a deep rumble that shook the entire palace.
Cassiel stepped inside.
The sight before him was breathtaking A throne room of immeasurable size…
Pillars rising up to the sky…
Divine lights drifting among the clouds…
And at the very end of the hall…
A massive throne that overshadowed all other structures The throne was positioned at an impossible height It was as if no being was worthy of ascending to that height.
Cassiel sank to his knees.
He bowed his head to the ground.
A deep silence filled the hall.
One second…
Two seconds…
Then…
A footstep was heard.
…
Without a sound, an indescribable mana enveloped the entire hall Cassiel's body began to tremble involuntarily His wings grew heavy He was forced to place his hands on the ground.
"Wh… What…"
For the first time…
For the first time in his billions of years of existence, he could not lift his head This was not fear It was an absolute obedience etched into the deepest core of his existence transcending mere reverence.
At that moment, footsteps were heard.
Clack…
Clack…
Clack…
Each step caused the hearts of countless universes to beat in unison Cassiel could not even breathe The footsteps stopped in front of the throne After a brief silence, a voice, deep yet carrying infinite authority echoed through the hall.
"Lift your head Cassiel."
Cassiel slowly lifted his head.
And at the sight before him, his pupils dilated The entity seated on the throne…
Was beyond magnificent.
On his head sat a massive golden crown that reflected the light of the universes His face possessed a perfect divine appearance yet in place of his eyes, there was only pure golden light The white garments flowing down his shoulders seemed woven from the very fabric of reality Within the clouds swirling around him, countless golden eyes opened and closed, each appearing to watch all created realms simultaneously
Where he was, light was born…
Where he breathed, laws were written.
This was…
The Supreme Being.
Cassiel took a deep breath.
"My Lord…The mana sensed a short while ago You felt it too, did you not?"
The Supreme Being continued to watch him in silence Cassiel continued his speech.
"It appears that Moros has returned What is your command?"
The hall plunged into silence once more.
The Supreme Being closed his eyes.
It was as if he were feeling the entirety of infinite reality at once A few seconds later, he opened his eyes again.
"No…"
His voice was calm.
But every word was like an absolute decree.
"That mana… belongs to Moros."
Cassiel's face brightened.
However the Supreme Being continued.
"…But it is incomplete There is something different within him Something darker…Deeper…More lethal…That mana no longer belongs to Moros alone."
The expression on Cassiel's face changed once again.
"My Lord Then…"
The Supreme Being leaned back on his throne.
"It does not matter No matter who it is…Sooner or later they will stand before me Someone seeking to avenge Moros…Or a new ruler who hates me The outcome will not change."
When he finished speaking, an oppressive silence filled the entire throne room The Supreme Being turned his gaze toward the distance As if he were watching countless universes beyond space and time simultaneously Then, for the first time, a faint expression of curiosity appeared on his face.
"Still…There is something I am curious about."
-
Seoul
Exactly one week had passed Although the traces of the war with Oblivor were still visible in parts of Seoul, people had begun to return to their daily lives. Broken roads were being repaired, destroyed buildings were being reconstructed, and news channels had been broadcasting the same footage for days However, not everyone had returned to normalcy The anxiety on the face of a young girl rushing through the crowded streets of the city was the greatest proof of this.
İrem Jin Hoo…
She had been searching for her older brother incessantly for a week Every day, she visited different hospitals, roamed police stations, asked rescue teams questions, and chased after every tip she received But the answer she received was always the same.
"We're sorry… There is no such record."
…
İrem took a deep breath.
When she looked at the massive university hospital in front of her, a flicker of hope emerged in her eyes once again.
"Maybe… this time…"
She entered without wasting a moment As soon as the automatic doors opened the intense smell of antiseptic filled her nose. Doctors and nurses were rushing through the emergency room stretchers were being moved along the hallways and the anxious voices of patients' relatives filled the building İrem quickly maneuvered through the crowd and began to run toward the hallway.
"Brother… Please be here…"
Just as she turned the corner…
BAM!
She collided hard with someone.
"Ah!"
Both women stumbled back a few steps.
When İrem lifted her head, she saw a young woman standing before her with long blonde hair and elegant facial features She was wearing a long beige coat. Her light makeup and confident posture made her easily noticeable even in the crowd.
This person was…
The Korean SS-Rank Hunter, Ae-Cha.
İrem frowned and grumbled.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
Ae-Cha bowed slightly.
"I'm sorry."
Then, she looked at the young girl carefully for a few seconds Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"…Wait a minute I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
İrem shrugged with tired and annoyed eyes.
"Hah… How would you know me, you idiot."
As soon as she finished her sentence, she started running again.
Ae-Cha stared after her.
"…Interesting."
The girl's face had genuinely looked familiar to her But where from? At that moment, a few young doctors passing through the hallway noticed Ae-Cha.
"Um… Excuse me Can we have your number? We are your biggest fans."
Ae-Cha only offered a polite smile.
"I'm sorry."
After her one-word reply, she continued walking But after taking a few steps She stopped suddenly Her eyes locked onto a half-open door at the end of the hallway.
"…"
Her heart skipped a beat for a brief moment The mana radiating from inside…It was quite faint.
But…
It was very familiar.
"This sensation…"
Ae-Cha approached the door with slow steps When she looked inside, her breath hitched The face of the man lying on the hospital bed was covered with bruises and deep wounds His hair was completely disheveled, and his body was wrapped in various bandages There was an oxygen mask over his nose The rhythmic sound of life-support devices broke the silence of the room Ae-Cha examined the man carefully for a few seconds.
"This mana…I have definitely felt it before."
She stopped a middle-aged doctor passing in front of the door.
"Excuse me Who is this patient?"
The doctor shook his head.
"We don't know his identity He was found unconscious at the hospital entrance about a week ago Or rather Someone left him there."
Ae-Cha's gaze hardened.
"Were there any items on him?"
The doctor thought for a short moment.
"Only a small note We couldn't read most of the writing But the interesting part is There was a picture of a strange winged creature on the note Since we couldn't figure out who he was, we decided to treat him anyway."
Ae-Cha looked at the man silently.
"…His condition?"
The doctor checked the devices.
"There is no immediate danger to his life However, he is experiencing a deep loss of consciousness We cannot say when he will wake up."
At that very moment…
Hurried footsteps were heard coming from the hallway.
"Doctor!"
The door opened rapidly Out of breath, Seo-Yeon burst inside.
"I-I'm here…"
After taking deep breaths, she looked at the bed.
"…Him Dong Hyun…"
The doctor turned to her in surprise.
"Do you know him?"
Seo-Yeon nodded.
"I was told he was brought to this hospital."
Ae-Cha, crossing her arms, turned to the young girl.
"And who are you?"
Seo-Yeon raised an eyebrow.
"I'm the one who doesn't know you."
The atmosphere in the room turned strange in an instant The doctor, caught between the two, averted his gaze.
"…I think it would be better if I left you two alone."
He coughed slightly and left the room Silence prevailed in the room for a short while As Seo-Yeon looked at the bed, she whispered.
"I hope you're okay…"
Ae-Cha shrugged with a sarcastic expression.
"So, this is the Dong Hyun you were talking about He looks quite miserable."
Seo-Yeon frowned.
"Don't speak ill of him If you knew him, you'd realize he's actually a good person."
Ae-Cha rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure he is."
After nodding slightly, she left the room She began to walk alone in the crowded hallway As doctors and patients rushed past her, she took her phone out of her pocket.
She entered the contacts.
Only one name caught her eye in the list.
Ömer.
Her finger hovered over the name for a few seconds She sighed silently.
"…Where are you, Ömer?"
At that exact moment…
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A massive, deafening explosion rocked the entire hospital The ground shook violently.
Windows shattered.
Alarm sounds began to echo in every corner of the building Ae-Cha's eyes widened.
"…What is happening?!"
Without a second thought, she ran toward the hospital exit.