Prologue to the Siege of Asterra's Royal Palace
Rainwater trickled down the stone streets, whispering across each bloodstain as if saying, "Here, death once lingered." Under the bleak sky, Asterra's central palace loomed like a gutted soul—haunting, silent.
From the depths of darkness they had come—many, yet never enough. This was their final defiance against the cosmos.
From the Night's Edge
Sophia brushed the rain from her soaked hair, steadying herself beneath her dark armor as she focused on the aura of ancient incantations. Beside her, Casmir stood silent, sword resting against his shoulder, lost in thought.
"Do you think this is our final battle?" Sophia asked softly.
"It's not a battle—it's the shadow cast before death," Casmir replied, eyes fixed on the horizon.
In the distance, Kyrell approached—his gaze fearless, yet smoldering with quiet vengeance.
"What if we don't return alive? This palace might not be the end... but the beginning," he whispered.
On the Eastern Wing
Sephist and Nevan examined the palace's hidden entrances. The rain striking their armor sounded like destiny's heartbeat.
Nevan traced the old glyphs carved into the stone and murmured:
"Et nox venit. Et lux fugit." ("When darkness comes, light flees.")
Sephist nodded slowly.
"Darkness hasn't merely arrived... it has become."
A shadow stirred behind them.
Kraan — Alone
Before the towering palace gates, Kraan stood alone. Across his back, Dark Moon Light pulsed with a crimson gleam in the rain.
He inhaled deeply—still, calm. Yet his heart thundered like waves against ancient cliffs.
"Farella... you closed your eyes, but I carry the weight you left behind."
Though his gaze softened, a darker fire burned within—merciless vengeance, bitter truths, and the justice the divine never delivered.
The Assault Begins
The moment came. They struck from all sides. Casmir raised his hand:
"Now."
Sophia hurled a shard of her blade into the sky. Rain and a scarlet bolt converged, shattering the palace's protective wards.
Nevan, tears blending with rain on his cheeks, whispered:
"Tenebrae regnat." ("Darkness reigns.")
The Holy Guardians Prepare
Deep within the palace stood the Nine Heralds—the final bastion of divine will. Their chants were hushed, fearful.
One whispered:
"What if the gods have abandoned us…?"
No answer came. Only thunder replied.
Words Piercing the Cosmos
Kraan drew his sword and stepped forward—no words, no hesitation. Dark Moon Light glowed red as blood, its colossal shadow swelling from the depths of his soul.
"Death is not the end. Light is not salvation. Gods are not promises."
His whisper echoed like a curse cast across the stars.
The Eve of Severance
(The Final Battle of the Nine Heralds)
In the grand hall stood twelve saints, nine Heralds, and two angelic guardians—silent, still. But beyond the doors, death waited.
Lightning cracked. Rain hammered the roof—each drop a heartbeat counting down fate.
Then... a door creaked open.
One step. Heavy. Like judgment descending.
Kraan steps forward again.
Behind him stood Sephist, Casmir, Sophia, Nevan, and Kyrell—unflinching, resolute. They were guided by one truth: Termination.
Casmir touched his sword:
"The blood-oath is broken. We owe nothing to anyone."
Sophia summoned a soft, glowing orb:
"This light brings no salvation—only cold finality."
Sephist's voice was hollow, distant:
"Revenge sustained us. Now let it be fulfilled."
Grand Hall – Light vs Shadow
The door burst open with a single strike. Dark Moon Light tore through the barrier between worlds, stirring the realm from slumber.
The first to enter wasn't Kraan—it was Nevan.
Encased in rocklike armor, silent as gravity, he hissed:
"Lux perpetua… mea voluntas est." ("Not eternal light—but my will shall endure.")
The Heralds stepped forward—but they did not yet understand.
The Battle Begins: Nine Heralds vs Six Shadows
A bell tolled. Light and shadow clashed in a tempest of arcane force.
This was no battle.
It was a rebellion against the very story of the world.
Kraan:"We chose to live in a world without gods. You remained bound by their strings…"
Laurian:"Your darkness will destroy you in the end, child."
Kraan:"Destroy? I've already been reduced to ash. This blade was forged from those ashes."
The Blade of the Black Heart
Dark Moon Light swept through a Herald's neck in a flash of crimson. The floor became slick; prayers were drowned in blood.
Sophia lifted her head and cried out:
"Behold your heavens! The louder you pray, the quieter your gods become!"
Casmir's Judgment
Casmir drove his sword into another Herald's chest:
"Your god burned my family—now I'll set your holy halls ablaze."
As the Herald collapsed, Casmir muttered:
"My sin will not haunt me… only your sacred name will rot."
A Whisper of a Herald's Heart
A kneeling cleric whispered through tears:
"You're just like us… why do you hate us?"
Kraan paused, raising his sword:
"We were like you. But you shed your humanity to wear the mask of divinity. That mask—I'll tear it off."
The End Approaches…
The final Herald stood beneath the cracked marble pillar. Sephist stepped forward and plunged his sword into the man's chest.
"Do you remember my daughter?"
The Herald nodded, terror in his eyes.
Sephist's voice was sharp as steel:
"Too late."
Palace Collapses. Old Faith Dies
Pillars toppled. Marble cracked. Snow-mixed rain, blood, and screams echoed through the dying halls.
Kraan's blade scraped against stone.
"Without light, we live in a dream of shadows. But if you embrace the darkness... you too may become light."
To Be Continued…