As day waned, the sun began its descent, casting a crimson glow across a vast forest of towering trees. These trees were strange—dark as obsidian from root to leaf. As night approached, they loomed like colossal pillars of shadow.
Within a small clearing deep in the forest, the echo of a voice could be heard.
"See what cannot be seen, hear what cannot be heard, feel what cannot be felt."
A young boy stood there, clad in light leather armor from head to toe, facing a tall cloaked figure wielding a slim dagger. The boy's breaths came hard and uneven. Sweat trickled down his smooth youthful face, and his long spiky hair, nearly covering his eyes, was disheveled.
His eyes.
That was what drew the cloaked figure's attention. Sharp and piercing, they held a depth far beyond his years—eyes that belonged not to a child, but to one who had already borne the weight of life.
The boy's leather armor creaked as he drew in a deep breath. In a respectful tone, he addressed the cloaked figure.
"Master Souni, I appreciate you offering to train me, but Aspirants of the Nox Temple only begin learning the Secret Arts after their fifteenth life cycle."
The boy drew his own slim dagger, mirroring his master's stance, his gaze unwavering.
"I am only in my tenth life cycle. Why am I learning them now?" he asked calmly.
Master Souni chuckled, raising his dagger and taking a poised stance. The boy felt a chill race down his spine, and his grip on the dagger tightened.
"You are the son of one of the priests of Lord Hakai. Our expectations of you differ from the rest, Kioku."
"A man in his twenty-seventh life cycle fighting a boy in his tenth—wouldn't most call this bullying the weak?" Kioku replied with a faint smile.
"Spare me your nonsense, child. We both know others your age cannot match you."
"And if I beat you?" Kioku asked, confidence glinting in his dark eyes.
"You are welcome to try, boy."
The moment Souni finished speaking, Kioku hurled his dagger with lightning speed. Souni reacted instantly, throwing his own blade to intercept it before ducking as a foot shot toward his face from the side.
He leapt into the air, countering with a blindingly fast kick. Kioku barely managed to raise his arms in defense before the force sent him crashing into a nearby tree.
The metallic clang of colliding daggers echoed just after.
"Cough… haa… cough… I'm starting to regret this," Kioku muttered, blood spilling from his lips. He staggered to his feet despite the searing pain that threatened to make him faint.
Because fainting would be weakness.
And one who aspired to be an Adept—an Angel of Lord Hakai—could not afford weakness.
His sharp eyes darted around the clearing. Master Souni had vanished. At any moment, an attack could come. In a real battle, hesitation meant death.
"A good attempt," Souni's voice echoed.
Two daggers shot from the shadows, aimed for Kioku's head and heart. He grit his teeth and charged forward, twisting mid-air in a desperate spin that carried him between the blades. He landed with his head bowed in a dramatic pose.
A grin crept across his face—until his eyes widened at the fist that stopped just a breath away from his nose.
"But poorly executed."
'Oh damn me to hell,' Kioku thought.
♤♤♤
Blood dripped from Kioku's nose as he limped angrily through the dense forest, Master Souni strolling leisurely behind him. Night had fallen, but with the moon veiled by thick clouds, the darkness was absolute. For worshippers of Lord Hakai, however, night and day were the same.
Souni lowered his hood, revealing majestic features: a chiseled jaw seemingly sculpted by divine hands, a trace of beard, silver eyes glowing faintly, and short black hair that lent him a heroic aura.
"Anger will not change the fact that you lost," he said. "Though if you wish to shed tears, I will not judge you."
Kioku snorted and kept limping ahead, trying to put distance between himself and his master. Souni had always been harsh, but today's beating was merciless.
"You grew arrogant, blind to your limits. That required correction. Blame no one but yourself," Souni said, as though reading his thoughts.
"Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed beating up a child nearly thrice your junior, Master," Kioku muttered bitterly.
Souni halted, his expression tightening, before speaking more gravely.
"Arrogance breeds delusion, and delusion leads to fatal error. How many times must I remind you? As the son of—"
"Yes, yes. As the son of a priest of the Nox Temple, I must never falter," Kioku cut in sharply. "Trust me, I've heard the 'great honor' speech enough times already."
They soon reached the edge of the forest, where a road of black bricks stretched ahead, leading to a cluster of square, black buildings.
The Village of Ju.
"I'll leave you here," Souni said. "It is my turn to lead the guard."
"See to your wounds. I won't be so lenient next time."
"You call that lenient?" Kioku scoffed.
"You are alive, are you not?"
And with that, Souni vanished into the night, leaving Kioku limping alone toward the village.
Kioku sighed as he limped into the village. Most of the houses and shops were the same: square, black, and lifeless, as though carved from the very essence of darkness. For an outsider, walking alone here might bring unease, but to Kioku this was home.
The pain in his legs was fading, though his limp remained. He muttered to himself with a tired smile:
"Maybe I should see the Sisters for mental treatment."
The long black road through Ju was the only major street, leading directly to the Temple of Nox. Kioku's house stood near its end, close to the temple itself.
He had lived most of his life alone. His father was always at the temple, busy with duties. Not that Kioku resented him—it wasn't hatred or distance. Rather, he preferred solitude.
Because when he was alone, the pressure pressing down on him was lighter.
"You are late."
Lost in thought, Kioku hadn't noticed the figure waiting at his door. Ina stood there, draped in long black priest robes that suited her slender frame, her gaze sharp.
"Damn the heavens," Kioku muttered under his breath.
She was the last person he wanted to meet right now. Her waist-length black hair swayed in the wind, framing a heart-shaped face. Her warm silver eyes glowed faintly, soft as moonlight—yet to Kioku, she was no goddess. She was an annoying little demon.
"I see Master Souni finally taught you a lesson," Ina said, her voice calm and graceful. But Kioku could hear the smugness beneath.
"The number of people who take joy in watching a child beaten is concerning," he grumbled.
"I mean, the great Kioku Himira, son of the Holy One, the boy most likely to become an Adept—limping home with a broken nose like he was struck by a hurricane? It's not something you see every day. I'll savor it."
Kioku flushed. He could best most Aspirants his age, but this tiny demoness always got the better of him.
"As if you'd have done any better," he retorted.
"I wouldn't have ended up with a broken nose, that's for sure."
She tossed folded black robes at him. He fumbled the catch, making her smirk.
"The Holy One summoned you. Let's go."
"Huh? I just got back. Do I look like I'm in any condition for temple summons?" Kioku complained. Truthfully, his injuries healed quickly thanks to the rituals of the temple. He just wanted to avoid showing up after such a humiliating loss.
Ina rolled her eyes and raised her hand. A soft wind swirled around him, wrapping his body in a gentle pressure. His wounds slowly knit closed, bruises fading until not a trace remained.
"There. Any more excuses? Or should I fetch you a massage and a meal too, my liege?" she asked with mocking sweetness.
"Damn you to hell. Let's go," Kioku muttered in defeat.
♤♤♤
The pair walked along the black road, leaving the village behind. Kioku now wore the priest's robes Ina had given him. On his small frame, they lent him an imposing air, his long spiky hair casting shadows across his eyes. He carried himself arrogantly, almost regally, for one so young.
Ina, however, was not impressed. She scolded him endlessly as they walked.
"You're aiming to be an Adept, yet this kind of training nearly breaks you? Talent alone won't take you far. You need discipline. Hard work. My mother says you grew arrogant after the baptism, and she might be right. You received Lord Hakai's blessing and suddenly act like you're above everyone else."
"You're only human. A clumsy one at that."
"I know," Kioku said through gritted teeth.
"I still say your goal is too big. Do you even understand how powerful Adepts must be?" she pressed, asking for what felt like the hundredth time.
Kioku sighed, anger bubbling. He was tired of hearing this—tired of repeating his reasons. From Ina. From others. Even from his father.
"Annals of the Great Historian, first scripture," he began. "During the First Period, Lord Hakai stood alone against the entire Divinum Sedes."
"I already know—"
"No. You don't know." Kioku stopped and turned to her, his eyes sharp, deadly serious.
"For one being to stand against all that is divine, against authority itself… the will and strength required to even imagine such defiance is beyond comprehension. Even the Great Historian spoke of the immensity of Lord Hakai's will again and again."
He caught himself. Damn, I got too passionate.
Turning away, he continued walking. His air, his backlit figure, left a deep impression on Ina.
You walk so far ahead of others… and grow lonelier with every step, she thought, concern flickering in her heart.
"That's the kind of person I aim to be," Kioku said flatly.
And I won't rest until I achieve it, he thought.
♤♤♤
He stopped again, this time not from passion, but instinct. Something was wrong. The air itself felt twisted, unnatural.
"Huh? Don't tell me you're making excuses again to avoid temple teachings," Ina said.
Kioku ignored her. The wrongness grew stronger, and it came from the path ahead—the one road that led to the temple.
"The temple," he muttered. His heart dropped. He had felt this only once before.
The day the village was attacked.
The day his mother died.
Without another word, Kioku sprinted forward, his speed startling Ina.
"Wait, you idiot!" she shouted, chasing after him.
But he only made it a few strides before an immense presence crushed down on him, paralyzing his body.
A booming voice split the night.
"THE DIVINE DECREE HAS BEEN ISSUED. FOLLOWERS OF THE ACCURSED—"
A shriek pierced his ears. Behind him, Ina screamed, clawing at her own face as blood poured from her eyes.
"I-Ina?!" Kioku gasped, helpless.
She wailed louder, her silver eyes bleeding streams of red. In her agony, she dug her fingers into her sockets, tearing them apart. Her robes became drenched in blood.
"YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES."
Kioku's vision blurred. Agonizing pain erupted in his own eyes, crimson spilling down his face. His world darkened as his screams joined Ina's, echoing through the night.
♤♤♤
Far away, a lone figure in a long dark-purple hooded cloak walked through the forest near Ju. His steps were slow, deliberate, as though time itself bent around him. Peace hung in the air, tinged with an unsettling mystery. From time to time, he would pause to ponder before continuing on.
"Who goes there?"
Souni appeared on a thick branch above, eyes narrowed at the intruder. No one should have been able to enter this forest—not without guidance from a creature of power.
Or unless they were powerful themselves.
The cloaked man lifted his head. Two glowing purple eyes shone beneath the hood. A chill gripped Souni's chest.
A divine being…
"The Age of Seekers… its story begins here," the man's voice echoed—deep, slow, resonating not only in Souni's ears but within his mind.
"What is your purpose here?" Souni tried to sound firm, but fear cracked his tone. His instincts screamed at him to flee and warn the High One.
"Within that story…" the figure whispered, continuing forward.
Souni moved to retreat—only to watch in horror as his own form began fading, unraveling into nothingness.
"Your name," the man intoned, "is not written."