There was no sound—only the hum of pure light flowing through the clouds.
When the dark vortex opened, Kim fell from it like a burning comet, his body trailing black smoke while the world beneath him shimmered like a sea of crystal and light.
He opened his eyes slowly—and trembled.
The sky here was not a sky, but a vast canvas of moving stars, and the ground was made of living glass, reflecting faces he had never seen before.
Before he could rise, a being of radiant white light appeared before him—its hair like threads of the moon, and eyes of silver that mirrored everything.
It stepped forward gracefully, its voice like celestial music:
— "Stranger… from which heaven have you fallen? Never have we seen one like you among the Eltharion."
Kim lifted his head slowly, gazing in confusion.
— "Eltharion…?"
Behind the being appeared a group of girls—beauty beyond human measure.
Their eyes glowed with silver light, their hair flowing like rays of dawn, and their translucent robes shimmered like living water.
Every movement they made radiated pure magic—light magic, healing magic… Aether magic.
One of them knelt beside him, placing her hand on his chest.
A warm light spread from her palm, knitting his wounds as if they had never been.
But the moment her fingers touched his skin, she gasped sharply:
— "What is this?! His body… it's tainted with abyssal energy! He's… he's a creature of shadow!"
In an instant, the light around them gathered, forming golden magic circles in the sky.
A mighty voice echoed:
— "Seize the intruder before he corrupts the sacred lands of Aether!"
Kim rose slowly, gazing at them with a faint smile.
— "Beautiful… a world of light. But tell me… do you know what darkness does when it gets lost in the light?"
The air shuddered.
Shadows spread beneath his feet, merging with the white magic until it looked like night and day clashing within a single body.
The girl who had healed him stepped back in fear, whispering:
— "Your eyes… they're not human… who are you?"
Kim looked at her deeply and said, with calm resolve:
— "I am the one who comes to ruin your perfect balance…
I am the reminder that even light must yield to the right of darkness to exist."
💀 Behind him, the black clocks began to reappear—
but this time, they glowed with a strange silver radiance,
as if they had started to absorb part of the Aether's sacred magic itself…