Chapter 9: The God of Darkness
The suffocating void trembled as a faint shimmer of light broke through. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Orin and Fresnacio felt the weight of the world beneath their feet again. The suffocating silence of the abyss was gone, replaced by the cool breath of night air.
Orin blinked, his heart racing. We… we actually made it back?
"Did we return… to our time?" Orin asked, still unsure if what he was seeing was real.
Fresnacio exhaled deeply, his eyes scanning the familiar skyline. "Yes… I think so. We've gone back. Roughly five hours before the attack."
Orin's body tensed. "Then there's no time to waste! Haizuna could strike at any moment. Liriya is her target—we need to protect her before it's too late!"
Without hesitation, both of them sprinted through the quiet streets until they reached Liriya's home. Orin pounded on the door, urgency heavy in every strike.
"Liriya! Open the door—it's an emergency!"
Moments later, the door creaked open. A sleepy but startled Liriya appeared, rubbing her eyes. The moment she saw Orin's expression, all traces of drowsiness vanished.
"Orin? What's going on? And… who is this with you?" she asked, pointing at Fresnacio.
"Listen carefully," Orin said firmly, his voice sharp with desperation. "Your life is in danger. Haizuna will be here in less than five hours."
Liriya froze, her breath catching. "What…? Are you serious? You're not joking, are you?"
Orin's gaze didn't waver. "I wish I was. But this is real. Not only you, but your parents are also at risk. We have to move now."
Fear washed over her face. Without wasting a second, she rushed upstairs and called for her parents. As panic spread, a faint shimmer appeared beside Orin—Karisila.
"Don't worry," Karisila said gently, her presence both calm and commanding. "I'll handle them. I can put your parents to sleep for a while. That way, moving them will be easier."
With a touch of her hand, Liriya's parents fell into a peaceful unconsciousness. She guided them back to Orin, her eyes determined despite the fear twisting inside her.
But Orin frowned. "Even if we move them… where do we hide? Haizuna could find them anywhere."
Karisila turned toward him, her luminous form glowing brighter. "Orin, the essence I gave you isn't ordinary. It is the Essence of Divine Protection. Within it lies the potential to channel the powers of all gods—the God of Time, the God of Dreams, the God of Fire, the God of Winds… and many more. You have the capacity to awaken them all."
Orin's breath hitched. "W-What? That's… that's impossible, isn't it? Karisila, you're not joking, are you?"
Fresnacio frowned, his gaze darting around. "Wait… who are you talking to? There's no one here."
Karisila sighed, then turned toward Fresnacio. "It seems I must grant you permission to see me as well."
Her form shimmered, and suddenly Fresnacio's eyes widened. "So… you're real. For a moment, I thought Orin had lost his mind, talking to thin air." He smirked slightly. "And… you're quite beautiful, I must admit. Especially those eyes of yours—they shine like stars."
Karisila rolled her eyes, but her voice sharpened. "This isn't the time for flirting. The storm is coming, and you both need to be ready."
Before Orin could ask more, a deep, commanding voice filled the air.
> "Then let me be the one to teach him."
The room trembled with the weight of the voice. All turned, but no one could see the source. Karisila's eyes widened in shock. Her glowing form flickered, and she bowed her head immediately.
"N-No… it can't be…" she whispered.
"Who is it, Karisila?" Orin asked, his throat dry.
Fresnacio's expression twisted with dread. "Don't tell me… it's him."
The shadows in the room thickened, and from them, a tall figure emerged, cloaked in darkness. His presence was overwhelming, suffocating, yet strangely sorrowful.
Karisila whispered the name with trembling lips. "It's… the God of Darkness. Lord Silvaris."
Orin's heart pounded. "Wait—Silvaris? The same Silvaris who was bound to the tragic tale of the Goddess of Dreams, Nyxara?"
The figure raised his head, his crimson eyes piercing through the gloom. His voice, heavy with sorrow, confirmed it.
"Yes. I am Silvaris. Once, Nyxara was my light. But I failed to control my own power… and in her sacrifice, she imprisoned me, freeing the world from my chaos. Yet now, I seek only one thing: to destroy the evil that festers, and to reunite with her once more."
The weight of his words silenced the room. Even Fresnacio, who had faced countless horrors, lowered his head.
"Lord Silvaris…" Fresnacio whispered, memories of endless failures and losses flashing before his eyes. His hands trembled.
But Silvaris placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not fear, child. You are different. Unlike your sister Haizuna, you have chosen to walk away from the path of destruction. That courage alone sets you apart."
Tears threatened Fresnacio's eyes, but he bowed. "I… I am grateful for your words, my lord."
Then Silvaris turned to Orin. His hand pressed against the boy's chest, and suddenly the world around Orin shifted.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
He stood now in a void-like realm—silent, empty, endless.
Silvaris appeared beside him. "This is your mind, Orin. Here, time does not exist. Here, you will learn what it means to wield the essence you carry."
Orin swallowed hard, his voice shaking with awe. "You'll… train me?"
Silvaris nodded. "Yes. You have potential greater than even the Luminara Waves. But power means nothing if the heart cannot endure it. To wield the essence, you must first confront your own emptiness."
With a wave of his hand, Silvaris drew the essence from Orin's chest—a swirling, radiant light brimming with untold power.
"This essence is beyond comprehension. Karisila planted it within you, but its roots… are tied to something greater. Something far beyond mortal reach. You, Orin, will shape it."
Orin's eyes widened, excitement mixing with fear. "I… I'll do it. I'll master it!"
Silvaris's gaze sharpened. "Then embrace the void inside you. The loneliness, the emptiness, the pain you've buried. That is the key to unlocking the Darkness Essence."
Images surged before Orin's eyes. His childhood.
He saw himself, a small boy sitting alone, clutching a video game controller. His mother's frustrated voice echoed:
"Why don't you go outside? Play with the other kids instead of locking yourself in here!"
He remembered stepping outside, hope fluttering in his heart—only to hear the cruel laughter of other children.
"Look, the bookworm is here! The history geek who can't even throw a ball properly!"
They turned away from him, leaving him to stand alone in the playground. Orin had thrown the ball himself, running to catch it, pretending he wasn't completely invisible.
That night, he had stared at the ceiling in the darkness of his room. Will I always be alone? Will anyone ever truly see me?
Now, those memories swirled together into the suffocating void around him.
Silvaris's voice echoed like thunder. "Do you see, Orin? This emptiness—this is your darkness. Do not run from it. Accept it. Let it become your strength."
Orin's eyes glowed black, the aura of void-like energy wrapping around him. His body shuddered, but instead of resisting, he embraced it. The loneliness, the emptiness—it was part of him.
The void trembled, and Silvaris's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Perfect. You've done it. You've awakened the Darkness Essence."
Suddenly, Orin was pulled back into the real world. His eyes opened, now shadowed and glowing with dark energy. Black void-like holes formed across his body, his aura twisting into something otherworldly.
Karisila gasped. "How…? Lord Silvaris only touched his chest for a second, and yet Orin already controls it?"
Silvaris's gaze softened. "Because Nyxara's magic has already nurtured him. The seed of growth was there. I only guided it."
Orin clenched his fists, dark power pulsing through his veins. "I… I can feel it. The essence. The darkness. This… this is my strength!"
Silvaris nodded firmly. "Good. I will take Liriya and her parents away—to another world, safe from Haizuna's wrath. Orin, Fresnacio, Karisila… the rest is up to you. Defeat Haizuna. End this terror."
Orin's voice was steady, his new power radiating from him. "We'll finish it. No matter what."
And for the first time, the shadows trembled—not in menace, but in fear of what Orin had become.