The glowing doorway swallowed Rihan whole. For a moment, there was only silence — the kind of silence that felt heavier than sound.
Then, suddenly—
FWOOOSH!
Light burst out, and Rihan stumbled forward, collapsing onto the moss-covered ground just outside the cavern. He gasped for air, his chest rising and falling like he had run a hundred marathons. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, his shirt torn, and faint burns still marked his skin.
"Rihan!"
A familiar voice shouted his name.
Before he could even lift his head, Elira rushed forward, kneeling beside him. Her emerald eyes widened as she scanned his injuries, her hands trembling. "You… you actually made it out alive…"
Rihan coughed, forcing a smirk despite his exhaustion. "Heh… surprised?"
"You idiot!" Elira's hands glowed faintly as she poured healing magic into him. "Do you have any idea how reckless you were? That cavern… it devours even the strongest warriors. And you—" her voice broke slightly, "you're just a mortal thrown into this world…"
Lyra appeared behind her, clutching her staff. The usually sharp-tongued girl looked pale, her violet eyes darting nervously. "…For a second, I thought we'd lost you."
Rihan forced himself to sit up, wincing at the soreness in his muscles. His glowing blade rested beside him, faintly humming as though proud of its wielder.
"Well," he said between breaths, "I almost did die… but I didn't. That's what counts, right?"
Elira wanted to yell at him again, but when her gaze fell on his face, she froze. Something was different.
"Wait…" she whispered.
Lyra's eyes narrowed. She felt it too. The air around Rihan had changed. His presence wasn't weak and unstable anymore — it radiated an energy, faint but undeniable, like a flickering sun breaking through the clouds.
Elira pulled her hand back, eyes wide. "…Your aura…"
Rihan blinked. "What about it?"
"You… don't feel human anymore."
The words hung in the air, heavy and unsettling.
Rihan's stomach sank. "Not… human? What do you mean?"
Lyra stepped closer, her voice cautious. "I've studied mana signatures since childhood. Every being has a pattern. Yours was strange from the start, like it didn't belong here. But now…" She shivered. "Now it feels like something ancient. Like… a fragment of the Eclipse."
Rihan's brows furrowed. "The Eclipse? What's that supposed to mean?"
Elira bit her lip, hesitating. "…The Eternal Eclipse is not just a legend, Rihan. It's the name of a cataclysm — the last time light and shadow clashed in balance-breaking war. They say one soul was chosen to carry both radiance and darkness inside them… to either unite the realms or destroy them."
Rihan's throat went dry. "And you're saying… I feel like that?"
"I don't want to believe it," Elira whispered, shaking her head. "But after what I just felt from you… I can't ignore it."
Silence pressed on them, broken only by the distant cry of a night bird.
Rihan clenched his fists. Great. First I was just a guy who wanted to pass college exams… now I might be some walking apocalypse?
"…Does this mean I'm dangerous?" he asked quietly.
Elira looked at him, really looked at him. His tired eyes, his trembling hands, the way he still forced a grin despite everything. Slowly, she shook her head. "No. It means you're important. Maybe too important for your own good."
Lyra crossed her arms, her usual sharpness returning. "…Or it means we should keep a closer eye on you. If what Elira suspects is true, others will sense it too. And when they do, they won't treat you like an ally."
Rihan exhaled shakily, forcing himself to his feet. His legs wobbled, but he stood tall anyway. "Well… I don't care what I am. Eclipse, chosen one, or just some guy who got unlucky. As long as I'm breathing, I'll fight. That's all I know how to do."
Elira's lips curved into the faintest smile, though her eyes remained clouded. "Stubborn as ever."
Lyra muttered, "…Or suicidal." But even she couldn't hide the faint relief in her tone.
The night wind swept through the forest, carrying a strange chill. Far in the distance, faint horns echoed — the kind of horns used only in times of war.
Elira's head snapped toward the sound, her expression darkening. "No… already?"
Rihan frowned. "What's happening now?"
Lyra tightened her grip on her staff. "That's a war signal. The Kingdom of Draemir is on the move… and if they've sounded their horns, it means something catastrophic has just begun."
The three of them stood there, the weight of the trial's victory fading under the shadow of a greater storm rising.
Rihan clenched his blade, determination sparking in his eyes. "Guess my break's already over."
Elira's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, conflicted between fear and hope. Finally, she whispered, almost too soft to hear:
"…You might really be the one who changes everything."
And with the horns echoing in the night, the path ahead grew darker than ever.