The horizon burned red as Kaien and Reina stood at the edge of the known world. Beyond them stretched a wasteland — an endless plain of scorched stone and blackened glass, the aftermath of the ancient wars that had nearly destroyed creation itself.
The ground pulsed faintly beneath their boots, the remnants of demonic energy still alive, whispering like restless ghosts. The air shimmered with heat and old sorrow. No birds sang here, no wind dared blow. This was the land of silence — the Ashlands.
Kaien adjusted the strap on his cloak, his expression unreadable. "The scholars say this place was once the heart of the world. Hard to believe, isn't it?"
Reina scanned the desolate landscape, her eyes glowing faintly as she activated her arcane sight. "There's still power here — not just demonic. Something deeper, older. The earth remembers every scream that ever touched it."
Kaien smirked faintly. "Then it remembers a lot."
They walked in silence for a while, the crunch of ash beneath their feet the only sound. The deeper they went, the darker the sky became, until even the sunlight seemed afraid to follow.
Reina broke the silence first. "When you said you wanted to find the origin of the abyss… did you mean this place?"
Kaien shook his head. "No. This is only the scar it left behind. I'm looking for the wound — the place it was born."
Reina frowned. "You think it still exists?"
He glanced at her. "I don't think. I know. The abyss doesn't die. It just sleeps until someone foolish enough to seek it wakes it up."
She sighed. "And that fool is you."
Kaien chuckled under his breath. "Someone has to be."
As they climbed over the remains of a broken ridge, a gust of wind swept across the plain — carrying with it whispers, faint and fragmented, like echoes from another world. Reina froze, eyes widening.
"Kaien… do you hear that?"
He paused, listening. The voices were faint, almost childlike, repeating words he couldn't understand. Then suddenly, one became clear.
Draven.
Kaien stiffened. "That voice…"
Reina's grip on her staff tightened. "Who is it?"
"It's Ethan."
For a moment, the world seemed to tilt. The whispers grew louder, forming a chorus that surrounded them. Kaien's vision flickered, and he saw flashes — the battle at Arctis, Ethan's last smile, the blinding light that ended it all.
Then, out of the ashes, figures began to rise.
At first, they looked like smoke — hazy outlines of fallen warriors, their armor cracked and burned. But then, as the shadows solidified, Kaien recognized their faces. The Vanguard. His brothers. His comrades.
Reina took a step back. "They're… they're not real."
Kaien clenched his fists. "No. They're what's left of them. The abyss feeds on memory."
The ghosts turned toward him, their eyes empty but their voices filled with grief.
You left us.
You survived while we burned.
Why are you still alive, Kaien Draven?
The words cut deeper than any blade. Kaien's hand went to his sword, but he hesitated. He couldn't bring himself to strike them.
Reina raised her staff. "They're manifestations. We can't let them touch us!"
A wave of spectral hands reached out. Kaien finally drew Noxveil, the black blade blazing with light. "Stay behind me."
The first ghost lunged — and Kaien moved like lightning. His sword sliced through the air, severing the spirit in half. It dissolved into a burst of ash, but ten more took its place.
Reina chanted, summoning a barrier of radiant energy that pushed back the tide. "There are too many!"
Kaien's voice was calm but cold. "Then we burn them all."
He unleashed a surge of power, black and gold light spiraling from his body. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and an explosion of energy ripped through the battlefield, scattering the ghosts like leaves in a storm.
When the light faded, the plain was quiet again — except for the faint shimmer of a gate forming in the distance.
Reina exhaled. "That must be it. The source you were looking for."
Kaien sheathed his sword slowly. "No. That's not the source. That's an invitation."
The gate pulsed like a living thing — veins of light crawling across its surface, symbols of both divine and demonic origin twisting together. A faint voice echoed from within.
Come home, Kaien Draven.
Reina's eyes widened. "It's calling you by name."
Kaien's jaw tightened. "Then we're close."
They approached cautiously. The closer they got, the heavier the air became, as if gravity itself tried to pull them backward. Every step felt like wading through water.
Reina struggled to breathe. "What is this power?"
Kaien's eyes glowed faintly. "The pure essence of the abyss. It's not just darkness — it's the reflection of creation itself. Everything the gods cast away when they made the light."
"Then this isn't just a gate," she whispered. "It's a mirror."
Kaien nodded slowly. "And I'm what it's reflecting."
Before she could stop him, he reached out and touched the gate.
The world vanished.
A cold wind tore through him, pulling his consciousness into an ocean of darkness. He saw flashes — his past, his battles, Ethan's death, his own blood spilled countless times. Then, at the center of it all, he saw himself.
Another Kaien.
But this version's eyes burned red, his armor pulsed with black fire, and his voice was a twisted reflection of his own.
"So," the dark Kaien said, smiling. "You finally came back."
Kaien drew his sword. "You're the abyss's vessel."
The shadow laughed softly. "No. You are. I am what you tried to bury. Every ounce of rage, guilt, and bloodlust you've ever denied."
Reina's voice echoed faintly in the distance, trying to reach him, but Kaien couldn't hear her clearly anymore. The two versions of him stood face-to-face in the void — mirror and man, reflection and reality.
Kaien's grip tightened on Noxveil. "If you're my darkness, then I'll end you myself."
The shadow smirked. "You can't kill what you are."
Their blades met.
The clash shook the void, sending ripples through the entire Ashlands. Light and shadow collided, each strike tearing through the fabric of space itself. The echoes of their battle reached the mortal world, where Reina stood helplessly outside the gate, watching the world tremble.
Inside, Kaien roared as the darkness closed in around him. But even in the blackest storm, a single thought pierced through — Ethan's voice, faint but clear.
Balance, not destruction.
Kaien's aura shifted — the black flames of the abyss merging with the golden light of his soul. His sword blazed brighter than ever before, cutting through the shadow's chest.
The dark Kaien staggered back, eyes wide. "You can't—"
Kaien's voice was calm, almost sad. "I'm not trying to destroy you. I'm reclaiming you."
He thrust his sword forward, merging the two halves of himself.
The void exploded with light.
When Kaien opened his eyes again, he was standing before the gate. Reina was beside him, tears of relief on her cheeks. The Ashlands were silent. The whispers were gone.
Reina asked quietly, "Did you find it?"
Kaien looked at his hand — the black sigil on his chest had changed. It now glowed with both light and shadow. "No," he said softly. "I became it."
And as the wind swept through the dead plains, carrying the last traces of darkness away, Kaien Draven — Slayer, Sovereign, Shadow, and Light — took his first step toward a destiny that would reshape the very balance of worlds.