Night had fallen. Liven sat alone in the courtyard, the only light coming from the distant stars. Hours had passed since he had been named captain, yet the whispers in his mind refused to fade.
"Am I truly a captain now?"
"What if that dark aura… takes me over?"
"If I fail to control this power, I'll become a demon myself."
Footsteps echoed softly behind him. Elya approached with quiet grace.
"Liven…" she said gently. "Are you alright?"
Liven lowered his gaze. "I don't know… I can still feel that darkness inside me."
Elya placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then fight it. You are not alone in this battle."
But the whispers in his mind only grew louder. That night, when he returned to his chamber, the darkness greeted him once more.
---
Liven knelt before the mirror, his breath heavy, his soul fractured. His left eye—pitch black—seemed to swallow all the light in the room.
Vel's voice echoed in his mind:
"The true trial… begins now."
For a moment, all sound vanished. The world outside ceased to exist. The only thing Liven could hear was the rhythm of a heart… yet it did not feel like his own.
Then it happened.
His reflection blinked—though he had not.
Liven staggered back. "No… No, that's not me."
The reflection smirked and spoke.
"How weak you are. Is this truly Vel's chosen heir? A boy trembling at the sight of his own eye?"
Liven clenched his fists. "You… You're the demon inside me."
"A demon?" The reflection laughed. "No. I am you. The real you. That eye reveals your true nature. Admit it—you enjoy it. Watching them writhe in pain… doesn't it excite you?"
"Enough!" Liven roared, shattering the mirror with his fists. Shards clattered across the floor.
At that very moment, the door burst open. Elya rushed inside, breathless. She had expected to find him collapsed… yet what she saw made her freeze.
Liven stood tall amidst the broken glass, but he was no longer the same. The symbol on his neck glowed faintly. One eye was drowned in black, and from his shoulder dark veins spread like roots across his skin.
Elya staggered back in fear. "Li… Liven? Is that really you?"
For a moment he faltered. Closing his eyes, he shook his head violently, as if forcing the darkness down.
"I'm still here. This thing… it's trying to take over. But I won't let it!"
Tears welled in Elya's eyes. She stepped closer, voice trembling yet resolute.
"You're not alone. I'm here. We're all here. Whoever Vel is, he won't take you from us."
Liven lifted his head. For a fleeting second, his blackened eye glimmered red—like a spark cutting through the shadows. The darkness recoiled, just slightly.
And then the heavens roared.
A pillar of white light burst into the center of the room. Vel appeared once more, seated as if on an invisible throne, the ever-present cat curled in his arms. His calm, judgmental gaze fell upon Liven.
"You have passed the first test," Vel declared. "The darkness reached for you, yet you resisted. Promising."
Elya leapt in front of Liven like a shield. "Leave him alone! He's just a child!"
Vel arched a brow. "Yes… a child. And yet also the Balance of Gods. Whether he falls to light or to shadow is irrelevant. His existence is the balance."
The cat purred softly on Vel's shoulder.
"And every balance is tested by its breaking point…"
Vel's lips curled into a smile.
"Prepare yourself, Liven. For the next step will show you the truth of your past—who you are, what you are, and why you were chosen."
Liven raised his head. For the first time, determination burned clearly on his face.
"Then show me everything."
---