"Ah… why is it so dark?"
My voice trembled as it echoed into nothingness.
I couldn't see my hands. I couldn't feel the ground. There was no up or down—only a suffocating void that pressed against my senses like a living thing.
"…Replica?" I called. "Where are we?"
For a moment, there was no answer.
Then—
"I'm sorry, Aariz," Replica said quietly. "But I believe you are not ready yet."
My heart skipped. "What are you talking about? Not ready for what?"
Before I could ask anything else, an invisible force crashed into my consciousness.
"W–Wait—!"
The world flipped.
My thoughts shattered, my vision imploded, and before fear could fully take hold—
Everything went black.
"…Now," a voice echoed through the darkness, smooth and amused."You may come out."
The void shifted.
From the darkness itself, footsteps echoed—slow, deliberate.
A figure emerged.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, untouched by dust or blood, as if he did not belong to any battlefield. His hair was dark, his smile faint, and his eyes—
His eyes were terrifying.
They glowed with a depth that felt endless, like staring into an abyss that stared back.
"Hello, Replica," the man said lightly. "It's been a while."
Replica's presence hardened instantly. "Umbrael," Replica replied. "Why did you show yourself so soon?"
Umbrael chuckled softly, hands tucked into his pockets. "Soon? I disagree. I simply couldn't resist."
His gaze shifted.
It landed on my unconscious body.
"So this is the new successor," Umbrael murmured. "How interesting."
Replica's tone sharpened. "He is not ready. He has only just begun leveling. This was his first dungeon."
Umbrael stepped closer, crouching beside me.
"At least let me look," he said.
Replica did not stop him.
Umbrael tilted my face slightly, examining me with unsettling interest.
"Oh my…" he whispered. "What a beautiful face."
Replica said nothing.
Umbrael smiled wider. "Well, I suppose it makes sense."
Replica finally spoke. "…What do you mean?"
Umbrael straightened and looked directly into the darkness above.
"He is the son of Varkos, after all."
The name caused the void itself to tremble.
Replica fell silent.
Umbrael laughed softly. "Ah, I see. You didn't deny it."
Replica replied coldly, "This discussion is unnecessary."
"But fascinating," Umbrael continued. "Varkos's blood still flows. Even dormant, it feels… nostalgic."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I wonder," Umbrael mused, "how strong he will become."
Replica's voice was firm. "That is enough. You have seen him. Now send us out."
Umbrael paused, then shrugged. "Very well. But—"
He reached into the darkness and produced a jet-black key. Its surface pulsed with ancient symbols, chains of mana coiling around it.
"Give this to him," Umbrael said. "When he reaches the proper level."
Replica hesitated. "…You intend for him to enter your dungeon?"
Umbrael smiled. "When he is ready. Not before."
Replica accepted the key without argument.
Umbrael stepped back as the darkness began to warp.
"Tell him," Umbrael said lightly, "that I'll be waiting."
The void started collapsing.
"See you later, Replica," Umbrael added. "And goodbye… young successor."
With a final amused glance at me—
Umbrael vanished.
The darkness dissolved.
Replica stood alone, looking down at my unconscious form.
"…You have no idea," Replica murmured, "what kind of eyes are already watching you."
A faint, almost imperceptible pause.
"…I can't wait either."
Light surged.
And the world rejected me.