Darkness Born from Light
The royal palace of Asterra had begun to collapse. Marble walls cracked, lightning flashed like a divine scream, and what was once a holy sanctuary moments ago now reeked of ruin, smoke, blood, and death.
Farella's corpse lay still on the stone stairs. Her face bore not sorrow—but shock. Even in her final moments, she could never have imagined that the boy named Kraan would become this powerful.
Kraan stood beside her. His black armor was dulled by ash and smoke, and his sword—Dark Moon Light—gleamed with a different glow now. He planted the blade into the ground, leaning on it, catching his breath.
– "Some light is born from darkness… then why can't darkness give birth to light?" he murmured.
His voice carried the tone of someone wrestling with a deeper truth. This wasn't the voice of a man holding a weapon—it was the cry of one who had fallen into an abyss seeking meaning.
Sofia, standing quietly in a smoky corner, trembled slightly. But it wasn't fear. She felt the sharp ache of watching everything she once believed in crumble before her.
Kraan turned his head slightly, eyes locking with hers.
– "Sofia. Go to the main city gate now. Draven needs your help."
Sofia nodded. There was hesitation in her eyes for a brief moment, but she swallowed it. There was no room for doubt anymore.
Casmir tapped his sword on the stone floor and looked around.
– **"Draven? Last I saw, he'd gone into the back alley..."
– "And that's exactly why I'm worried,"** Casmir added. "This temple fell too easily… but the three that surround the palace…"
His breath caught in his throat. Each of those temples had their own defenders, holy warriors, a thousand blades. Even a war veteran would be crushed beneath that weight.
Kraan placed a hand on his shoulder—each finger heavy, like the flame of eternal pain.
– "Don't worry. Sephist and Nevan are there. They won't fall easily."
Casmir nodded. Hearing their names brought a brief spark to his eyes… but beneath it all—grief, fear, and the readiness to face truth loomed.
Kraan's silhouette cast a deep shadow across the walls as he walked away. Every step echoed with weight. These were not the steps of a conqueror—they were the steps of a man who had lost his faith and was seeking a new truth in its ashes.
Meanwhile…
The Third Temple – Radiant Glimmer of Sanctity
The temple, built from white stone, was protected fiercely by its holy guards. Sacred banners waved atop the spires, bolstering their faith. But something was coming… something they had never faced before.
Nevan—though clad in armor bearing the seal of an ancient temple—had no light in his eyes. His face was expressionless, but inside him raged a storm, seeking a way out.
– "Who are you?" the temple captain demanded.
Nevan tilted his head slightly and replied in a voice so calm it felt inhuman.
– "I was once a believer."
– "Then why raise your sword against your brothers of light?!"
Nev