Then I suppose… it is time."
The blood beneath Arisle's feet stilled.
Completely.
Not a ripple.
Not a shift.
Like the entire space itself was listening.
"In the world of Elyra…"
The darkness seemed to stretch as the words formed, as if the very name carried history within it.
"…people are born with fragments."
As it spoke, faint shapes began to flicker in the void around them—ghostly, incomplete visions. Silhouettes of people, standing still, each with a faint glow buried somewhere within their chest.
"Fragments… are pieces of power placed within you at birth."
The silhouettes pulsed faintly.
"A gift… from the Dragons who created this world."
For a brief moment—
Something vast stirred behind the darkness.
Something ancient.
Gone just as quickly as it came.
"But most fragments…"
The light within the silhouettes dimmed.
"…remain dormant."
One by one, the figures faded into stillness. Lifeless. Ordinary.
"Only a select few ever awaken them."
New figures appeared—stronger, brighter. Their bodies surrounded by flowing energy, elements bending around them like extensions of their will.
"Those born into noble families…"
The light within these figures burned stronger.
Controlled.
Refined.
"…are far more likely to awaken their fragments."
The images shifted—fire twisting in a hand, water bending midair, lightning crackling along a blade.
"The moment a fragment awakens…"
The void flickered violently.
"…you gain the power to control and manipulate an element."
Silence followed.
The images faded.
The darkness returned.
And all that remained—
Was Arisle.
The figure's presence shifted slightly.
"But you…"
The words felt heavier now.
"You were not born into nobility."
The blood beneath him rippled faintly again.
"You were not meant to awaken anything."
A pause.
Long.
Deliberate.
"But…"
The darkness seemed to tighten.
"I have a different idea."
Arisle's gaze hardened.
Before he could respond—
The figure spoke again.
"Look within yourself."
Arisle frowned slightly, confusion cutting through the weight of everything else.
"…What?"
"Look deeper."
Its voice didn't rise.
Didn't change.
But something about it—
Demanded obedience.
"What do you see?"
Arisle's brows furrowed.
"What am I supposed to see?"
Silence.
"I cannot answer that for you."
The words came calmly.
"Or…"
A slight pause.
"Do you not seek revenge?"
The moment the word left its voice—
Something inside Arisle snapped.
The image of the creature flashed through his mind.
Those three mouths.
That twisted smile.
His mother—
Gone.
His fists clenched tightly at his sides.
"…Don't."
His voice dropped.
"…Don't say that like you understand."
"Then prove it."
The figure didn't hesitate.
"Look within yourself."
The blood beneath his feet began to fade.
Not disappear—
But lose meaning.
Arisle closed his eyes.
At first—
Nothing.
Just darkness.
Endless.
Silent.
Then—
A flicker.
Far away.
Barely visible.
A small point of white light.
His breathing slowed.
His thoughts narrowed.
Everything else faded away.
The void.
The blood.
The figure.
Gone.
Only the light remained.
He focused.
Step by step—
He moved toward it.
The closer he got—
The clearer it became.
Until finally—
He stood before it.
A crystal.
Floating.
Perfectly still.
Its outer shell was pure white—smooth, flawless, almost glowing faintly in the surrounding darkness.
But inside—
It was empty.
Hollow.
At its center sat something shaped like a vial—
Clear.
Transparent.
And completely devoid of anything.
No light.
No energy.
No power.
Nothing.
"…This is…"
Arisle's voice came out quieter now.
Confused.
"Empty…?"
The figure's voice returned.
Right behind him.
Closer than before.
"Let me ask you something."
The air tightened.
"Is your will… stronger than your conviction?"
Arisle froze.
"…My will?"
The words echoed.
Uncertain.
Then—
The image came.
That monster.
Smiling.
Enjoying it.
Enjoying her death.
Something ignited inside him.
Not slowly.
Not carefully.
Instantly.
Violently.
The doubt—
Gone.
The hesitation—
Gone.
The question—
Answered.
The empty vial trembled.
Then—
A spark.
Small.
Weak.
But real.
It appeared at the very bottom.
A flicker of fire.
Then another.
Then more.
Until suddenly—
Flames surged upward.
Filling the vial completely.
Bright.
Violent.
Unstable.
The crystal pulsed.
Light spread through its outer shell, cracks of glowing energy forming along its surface like veins.
The darkness around it recoiled.
"Perfect."
The figure's voice carried something new now.
Approval.
"You are more than ready."
The world snapped back.
Arisle's eyes shot open.
The blood returned.
The darkness returned.
The figure stood before him once more.
But now—
Everything was shaking.
The surface beneath his feet rippled violently, waves of blood crashing against nothing. The air distorted, bending unnaturally as if the space itself was struggling to hold together.
"Who are you…?"
Arisle asked, his voice steadier now—but sharper.
More dangerous.
The figure tilted its head slightly.
"I am… nothing."
A pause.
"Nothing you can understand yet."
Then—
A step closer.
"But who you are…"
The darkness seemed to lean in.
"…that is far more important."
Arisle's mind raced.
Who was he?
A boy.
Just a boy.
From the outskirts of the kingdom of Aurelion.
A nobody.
His mother—
A waitress.
Their life—
Small.
Simple.
Insignificant.
"…Then tell me."
His voice tightened.
"Who am I?"
The figure remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"It is not that simple."
The space cracked.
The blood surged violently beneath him.
"Grow stronger."
The figure began to distort slightly, its edges breaking apart into shadows.
"Come back."
"And then…"
Its voice began to fade.
"I will tell you."
"No—wait—!"
Arisle stepped forward, panic flashing across his face.
"I need to know—!"
But the figure was already breaking apart.
The darkness collapsed inward.
The blood churned violently beneath his feet, pulling everything into itself.
"Well…"
The last of the figure's voice echoed faintly—
"Looks like time is up."
The world shattered.
And Arisle—
Fell