The boy opened his eyes, but there was no sky, no ground, no horizon. Only an endless stretch of darkness that breathed and moved as if alive. His chest rose and fell, but he did not know who he was, or why he was here. His heart beat fast, echoing in the hollow emptiness around him.
A voice whispered—soft, broken, and full of sorrow.
"Do not forget. The light must rise again."
He turned, searching for the source, but there was nothing. The words faded like smoke in the wind, leaving him with more questions than answers.
He tried to stand, but the ground shifted under his feet. It was not stone, not soil, but something soft and weightless, like walking on dreams. For a moment he wondered if this was death, and he was a soul drifting between worlds.
He raised his hand to his face. His skin glowed faintly, pale against the darkness, as if he was not completely real. His fingers trembled.
"Who… am I?"
No reply came. Only silence, and the slow rhythm of his breath.
Then, in the far distance, a flicker of light appeared—so faint it could have been imagined. He felt his chest tighten. Hope? Or a trap? With no other choice, he walked toward it.
The path did not exist, yet each step carried him forward. The light grew brighter, warmer. His heart pounded harder.
When he finally reached it, he saw a small flame hovering in the void. It was no larger than a candle, yet it burned with colors he had never seen before—silver, blue, and gold swirling together.
He reached out. The flame leaned toward him, like a living thing yearning for touch.
And when his finger brushed it, the void shattered.
---
The world exploded into sound. Wind roared, water surged, earth trembled. The boy gasped as he fell, crashing into something hard. He coughed, dirt filling his mouth. For the first time, he felt pain. For the first time, he felt alive.
He opened his eyes again.
This time there was sky.
A vast expanse of crimson clouds stretched above him, painted by a strange sun that glowed with both light and shadow. The ground beneath him was cracked stone, lifeless and barren.
He pushed himself up, staring around. Jagged mountains rose in the distance, their peaks shaped like claws tearing the heavens. Rivers of black water flowed through the valleys, reflecting the strange twilight sky.
It was a world both beautiful and broken.
And he was alone.
---
He staggered forward, his legs weak, but a pull inside him urged him onward. He did not know what awaited him, but he knew the flame had chosen him. That meant something.
As he walked, he noticed marks etched into the stone ground—symbols glowing faintly with silver light. They twisted and curved in patterns that felt familiar, though he did not understand them.
He crouched, tracing one with his finger. The moment he touched it, the symbol pulsed. A wave of energy surged through him, forcing him back. His chest burned, his veins lit up with fire.
Memories flashed—shadows rising from fire, voices crying out, a city falling into darkness. A name echoed in his mind, but it was gone before he could grasp it.
He gasped, clutching his chest. The power faded, leaving him trembling.
"What… is happening to me?"
The symbols dimmed, silent once more.
But deep inside, he knew the truth: this world was not dead. It was waiting. Waiting for him.
---
Hours passed, or maybe only moments—it was impossible to measure time here. He wandered until he reached the edge of a cliff. From there, he saw a sight that stole his breath.
Below stretched a vast city, though broken and half-buried in ruins. Towers lay shattered, streets cracked, yet faint lights still glimmered in the windows as if the city itself refused to die.
And in the very heart of the ruins stood a massive tree, its trunk dark as obsidian, its leaves glowing faintly with silver flame.
The boy's knees weakened. He did not know why, but something in his soul ached at the sight.
The tree was calling him.
---
Suddenly, the air shifted.
A low growl echoed behind him.
He turned slowly, and his breath caught.
A creature emerged from the shadows—its body made of smoke and bone, eyes burning with crimson fire. Its claws scraped the stone, leaving trails of sparks.
It opened its mouth, and the darkness inside stretched deeper than the void itself.
The boy stumbled back, his heart racing. He had no weapon, no strength, nothing.
The beast lunged.
Instinct took over. The boy raised his hand—and the flame appeared.
That tiny flame from the void, now burning in his palm.
It flared brighter, brighter, until it became a sword of silver fire. The heat seared his skin, but it did not harm him.
The creature roared, slashing at him. The boy swung the blade. Light clashed with shadow, and the world shook.
The battle had begun.
---
The boy's arms trembled as he held the sword of fire. The creature circled him, smoke pouring from its jagged body. He tightened his grip, though fear gripped his heart.
The monster lunged again, faster this time. The boy ducked, rolling across the cracked ground. His body ached, but instinct guided his hand. He slashed, the silver blade cutting through the creature's smoky form.
The beast shrieked, its body scattering into black mist before reforming.
It could not be killed so easily.
Panic surged. "No… I can't fight this!"
The voice from the void whispered again, faint but clear.
"Remember… your name."
He froze. Name? What name? His mind was blank, like a page torn from a book.
The beast roared, charging again.
The boy clenched his teeth, forcing himself to stand firm. He raised the blade. The flame pulsed, answering his resolve.
And then, for the first time, a word slipped from his lips.
"Kai…"
The moment he spoke it, the flame surged brighter. The sword grew longer, sharper. His heart steadied.
Kai.
Was that his name? Or just a fragment of something lost? He did not know. But it gave him strength.
He swung again, this time with certainty. The blade cleaved through the beast, splitting it in two. The smoky form screamed, unraveling into wisps of shadow that dissolved into the crimson sky.
Silence returned.
Kai—if that was truly his name—fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Sweat poured down his face. The sword flickered, then faded, leaving only the small silver flame hovering above his palm.
He stared at it.
"What… am I?"
The flame pulsed softly, as if alive, but gave no answer.
Kai turned his eyes toward the ruined city below. The massive black tree glowed faintly in the distance, its silver leaves swaying though there was no wind.
His path was clear.
If he wanted answers, he would find them there.
And so, with trembling legs and a fragile spark of hope, Kai began his descent toward the city of shadows and forgotten light.