The crimson moon still bled faintly into the morning sky when Kaien Draven reached the edge of the Silent Plains. The wind howled across the barren land, carrying whispers of burned souls and shattered oaths. Behind him, the ruins of the Temple of Lumis were little more than memory—scattered ash beneath a dying sun.
Every step he took felt heavier than the last. His veins still pulsed with unstable energy from the shattered Fragment. Sometimes his hands glowed faintly white, other times black. He didn't know which side was winning anymore—the light he once protected, or the shadow that now lived in his blood.
He stopped on a ridge overlooking what used to be the Plains of Elarion. Once, they were green and full of life. Now they were gray, drained of color, stripped bare by war and corruption. The sight made something inside him ache.
A faint voice echoed in his mind.
You can't fix what was never whole.
Kaien clenched his fists. "Then I'll make it whole."
He tightened the straps of his cloak and began walking toward the horizon. The world was falling apart faster than he could heal, but stopping wasn't an option. The rift he sealed back in Arctis had only delayed the inevitable—the real war hadn't even begun.
A faint flash appeared in the sky. Kaien squinted. Three streaks of blue light were cutting across the clouds, moving fast. His instincts flared immediately.
"Hunters."
Within moments, the streaks descended and landed in a burst of wind and dust. Three figures appeared—Slayers from the Celestial Order, clad in gleaming armor marked with the sigil of the Dawn. The leader, a tall man with golden eyes, stepped forward, his spear crackling with energy.
"Kaien Draven," he said, his voice sharp. "By the decree of the High Council, you are ordered to surrender."
Kaien's grip tightened around the hilt of Noxveil. "Surrender?"
"You have violated the Sacred Seals," the man continued. "You absorbed forbidden energy. You are no longer human."
Kaien smirked bitterly. "Took them long enough to notice."
The second Slayer, a woman with pale blue hair, raised her weapon. "You're dangerous. You've crossed the line between light and abyss. If we don't stop you now, you'll become what you swore to destroy."
Kaien sighed. "You think I don't know that?"
The leader's eyes narrowed. "Then prove you still have control. Lay down your sword."
For a moment, Kaien considered it. The wind was still, the world watching. Then, his hand moved—slowly, deliberately—drawing Noxveil from its sheath.
"No."
The air tensed instantly.
The leader's voice dropped. "So it's true. You've fallen."
Kaien's aura flared, the ground cracking beneath him. "If I'd fallen," he said quietly, "you wouldn't still be standing."
And then he moved.
The world exploded into motion. Kaien's sword clashed with the leader's spear, sending a shockwave that split the ground open. Lightning and flame filled the sky as the other two Slayers joined in, their weapons carving arcs of light around him.
He fought like a storm—blinding, unrelenting, precise. Each strike was calculated, every motion driven by instinct and fury. His blade cut through their shields of holy light, scattering sparks like stars.
But even as he fought, Kaien's heartbeat faltered. The energy inside him was unstable, rebelling against every motion. The darkness wanted out.
"Kaien, stop!" shouted the blue-haired woman as she leapt backward. "You're losing control!"
He hesitated for just a second—and that was all they needed. The leader lunged forward, his spear piercing through Kaien's shoulder.
Kaien cried out, staggering back. The pain burned through him—but not just from the wound. The holy weapon was reacting to the darkness inside him, purging it like poison.
The leader's eyes softened slightly. "Don't make us do this."
Kaien gritted his teeth, pulling the spear out with a snarl. His wound sealed immediately with a burst of black flame. "You already have."
The darkness surged. His mark flared to life across his chest, glowing red. His aura erupted, swallowing the plain in waves of chaotic energy. The sky darkened. The wind screamed.
The Slayers stumbled backward as Kaien's eyes turned crimson.
"Enough," he whispered.
The air shattered.
In a flash of black light, Kaien vanished and reappeared behind them. One swing of his sword sent all three flying across the field. The ground tore open where they landed, scattering dust and debris.
When the storm finally calmed, the three Slayers were unconscious, their weapons broken. Kaien stood in the center, chest heaving, his aura flickering wildly.
He looked down at his trembling hands. "This power… it's consuming me."
From behind him came a soft voice. "It already has."
Kaien froze. He turned slowly—and his heart nearly stopped.
Standing there, cloaked in white, was Lira.
Her staff glimmered faintly, her silver hair shining under the broken dawn. But her eyes—once full of warmth—were cold now.
"Lira…" Kaien breathed.
She looked at the fallen Slayers, then back at him. "You didn't have to do this."
"They attacked me," he said. "They would've killed me."
"They were doing their duty," she replied. "You've become something they can't understand. Something I don't understand."
Kaien stepped forward. "You think I wanted this? I didn't choose the darkness. It chose me."
Her voice trembled. "That's what every fallen Slayer says before the abyss takes them."
He stopped walking. The air between them was heavy with silence.
Lira lowered her staff, her eyes softening slightly. "Kaien, I can help you. But you have to stop fighting everything. You can't save the world alone."
He shook his head. "If I stop, the world dies."
"You're not the only one who can fight!" she cried. "You can't keep carrying this burden by yourself. Look at you—you're breaking!"
Her words struck deep. For the first time, Kaien didn't have a response. He looked down at his hands again, the faint red glow still pulsing through his veins.
Lira took a step closer, reaching out. "Please, Kaien. Let me in."
He almost let her. Almost. But then he felt it again—that whisper inside his mind, darker and colder than before.
If you let her in, she'll die too.
Kaien flinched, stepping back. His aura rippled violently. "Stay away."
"Kaien—"
"I said stay away!"
The ground between them cracked open as energy burst from his body. Lira shielded herself with her staff, her eyes filled with shock and pain.
When the light dimmed, Kaien was gone.
Lira lowered her barrier, her hands shaking. "Kaien… what have you done to yourself?"
---
Far away, Kaien stumbled through the ruins of an ancient forest, his cloak torn, his breath ragged. The voice inside him was getting stronger now—more than just a whisper.
You can't run from me.
He fell to his knees, clutching his head. "Get out…"
You invited me in when you took the Fragment, the voice said. Now we are one. Light and shadow. Flesh and curse.
Kaien slammed his fist into the ground. "I won't let you control me."
You already have.
He felt something moving beneath his skin—like fire crawling through his veins. The mark on his chest pulsed faster, spreading faint veins of darkness across his body.
He screamed, the forest echoing with his voice.
Then, from the edge of his vision, he saw movement. A small light—soft, golden—hovering nearby. It drifted toward him like a firefly, warm and gentle.
When it touched his hand, the pain stopped.
Kaien looked up slowly. A figure was standing a few feet away, bathed in light. It was a young girl, maybe sixteen, dressed in white robes that shimmered faintly with runes. Her eyes were pure gold.
"Who are you?" Kaien asked weakly.
She smiled faintly. "I am what remains of the Light Fragment."
He stared, stunned. "That's impossible. I destroyed it."
"You destroyed its shell," she said softly. "But its essence chose you. And now I am its voice."
Kaien's expression hardened. "Then tell me—can I destroy the darkness inside me?"
She shook her head gently. "You cannot destroy what is part of you. But you can master it."
He frowned. "How?"
"By remembering who you fight for."
Her form began to flicker, fading slowly.
"Wait!" Kaien shouted. "Don't go!"
Her voice echoed as she vanished into the light. "Find the Sanctuary of the First Flame. There lies your answer."
The forest grew silent again.
Kaien stood there for a long moment, his thoughts a storm. Then he sheathed his sword, looking toward the distant mountains.
"Sanctuary of the First Flame…" he whispered. "If that's where this ends, then that's where I'll go."
He turned and began walking again, the rising sun behind him. But even as the light touched his back, his shadow stretched impossibly far ahead—long, dark, and alive.
And somewhere deep within that shadow, the voice whispered again.
You think you can outrun destiny? You are the weapon, Kaien. You always were.
Kaien didn't respond. He just kept walking, his eyes fixed on the horizon, where dawn met darkness.