…Kronoran," Akito muttered quietly, still seated on the couch.
"What?" came a voice from nearby.
Akito jerked his head to the side—Kronoran was sitting right there next to him, as if he'd been there the whole time.
"C-could you warn me next time you do that?!" Akito flinched.
"I have business with you," Kronoran replied calmly. "The Creator wishes to see you. You've finally reached what he expected of you. It's time."
Akito rose without further questions. Kronoran placed a hand on his shoulder—and in the next instant, the room vanished.
"So… it's time to meet the Creator." the thought echoed in Akito's mind.
He found himself in a vast corridor. To the left stretched a garden, where people tended to bushes and trees. All around, regular people strolled—some smiling, some rushing somewhere, others simply admiring the sky through the glass ceiling. No one dared interfere with Kronoran. Quite the opposite: they parted before him like he was a king.
Suddenly, a boy appeared in front of them.
Thin, short, around sixteen. Snow-white hair, eyes just as pale—like light itself. He grinned brightly and closed his eyes:
"Oh, Kronoranchik, you're back! And you brought Akito Kurosawa with you. A pleasure!"
"That smile… it's so pure. It's like light shines from within him…" Akito noted, surprised.
But his thoughts were cut off—by a sudden drip of blood. From the boy's nose… and then his mouth.
"Hey, are you okay?" Akito stepped forward, worried.
"N-no, I'm fine!" the boy waved him off quickly, dabbing his face with tissues. "It's just… my thing. Don't mind it."
He extended his hand.
"Name's Lumen. I'm the Guardian of Kindness. Nice to meet you!"
"Same here—" Akito began, but Kronoran cut him off:
"He knows who you are. Enough chatter. Let's go."
They continued down the corridor. Around them, the same peaceful people—and every single one stepped aside respectfully for Kronoran. Some even bowed their heads.
"How many of you are there… Guardians, I mean?" Akito asked, glancing around.
"Thirteen now," Lumen replied. "Until recently, there were fourteen. But… Karmas is dead."
"Karmas…" Akito repeated.
"He always followed his principles. Maybe… that's what doomed him," Lumen said gently. "Everything happens for a reason."
"So, what kinds of Guardians are there?" Akito asked again.
"Let's start with Karmas," Lumen said.
Karmas — Guardian of Justice
"Justice rules the world… but it looks different to everyone."
Viras — Guardian of Madness
"The mind is a cage. Only through madness am I truly free."
Dolhar — Guardian of Devotion
"I don't serve people. I serve the vow made by heart."
Ontas — Guardian of Honor
"Only those who live with honor deserve to be called truly human."
Grarrel — Guardian of Pride
"I'm not above them. They're just far too low."
Kianir — Guardian of Tranquility
"Storms fade. People forget. Only Tranquility endures."
Zemok — Guardian of Envy
"I don't want to be him. I want to be better than him."
Haegar — Guardian of Hatred
"My pain is fuel. My goal is your shadow."
Mirton — Guardian of Cunning
"The clever win with strength. The cunning defeat the clever."
Lament — Guardian of Pity
"People aren't born evil. They just hurt for too long… That's why I truly pity them."
Elosar — Guardian of Solitude
"Once trapped in loneliness, a man realizes how peaceful it is to be alone."
Kaenon — Guardian of Atonement
"Vengeance is weakness. Only forgiveness carries true strength."
San'Vion — Guardian of Lust
"I give pleasure… so I can take everything else."
"And finally, me," Lumen smiled.
Lumen — Guardian of Kindness
"Kindness doesn't make me weak. It makes me the last one to fall."
He paused, then added:
"These are the Guardians I've known. But according to Kronoran… there were many more before us. Even I'm not the first Guardian of Kindness. There was one before me… but his heart wasn't pure."
Akito raised an eyebrow.
"His ability allowed him to absorb strength from those he helped. The more good he did… the more power he stole. In the end, people died. He wanted to live forever. To become the most powerful being. A fool," Lumen sighed, though he kept smiling.
"Does the Creator want me to become one of them? But… why?" Akito thought.
"They all seem… terrifying," he admitted aloud.
"Some of them are," Lumen nodded. "But don't provoke a fight. Trust me—they're insanely strong."
"Got it…" Akito replied.
Just then, Kronoran's voice cut through:
"We're here."
Before them stood a towering marble door. It slowly opened, light pouring out from within. At that moment, Lumen placed a hand on Akito's shoulder.
"Don't worry too much."
Akito smiled in return—
—but then saw blood trickling again from Lumen's nose and lips.
"Lumen… are you sure you're okay?"
"Did you forget? It's my thing," he whispered, trying to smile.
They stepped inside.
Each step felt heavier, like an invisible weight pressing on his body—squeezing him in iron chains.
Akito looked up—
All the Guardians were already seated around the colossal marble table.
Every single one was staring at him.
The weight of their gaze… was greater than any pressure.
There wasn't just curiosity in their eyes—
There was judgment. Contempt. Hostility.
Before he could even take them all in—
—a voice echoed from the center of the hall:
"You… filthy murderer. How dare you kill him?"
A flash—
A streak of blue light surged straight toward him.
A blade—
Forged of pure blue energy.
So fast, the system didn't even react.
But—
Snap.
The blade stopped.
Two fingers.
Kronoran held it between them. Without turning. Without blinking.
"Ontas. You're the Guardian of Honor," his voice was calm, almost lazy.
"Act with dignity."
"But… Kronoran, he—" Ontas stood tall, his voice shaking.
"He killed Karmas. Not with honor. That gives me the right to strike."
"I said—enough. Sit down."
Kronoran didn't raise his voice.
But the pressure in the room multiplied.
Ontas bowed his head and immediately returned to his seat.
Silence returned.
"That strike… it was faster than Arden's in Lapet's Impulse Mode,"
Akito thought.
"…but I could've reacted—if I wasn't distracted by everyone else."
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!