My eyes were closed. I felt something warm—yet a bit heavy—covering me. I tried to open them, but even that felt too painful, like every part of me was weighed down by something invisible.
The flow of Aen around me was different. I could tell, even without looking. I wasn't in the Soul Point anymore.
I was in the Scape.
"Master…"
That voice—Ren. His voice was soft, full of emotion I'd never heard from him before.
I forced my eyes open. Light stung at first, but I blinked past it. Ren stood there, eyes swollen. He'd been crying.
I didn't understand. Why was he here? Why was he crying?
I summoned the Everbloom from my side. I was thirsty. He gently took it and brought the glass to my lips. The cool water hit my throat like life itself, clearing away the fog in my chest.
I pushed myself up slowly. "How long was I out?"
"Two days."
I blinked. Two days…? The toll must've been far greater than I realized.
Then, a strange feeling washed over me—an instinct. Something had changed.
Words appeared before me .
---
Rune
Attributes: [Shadow], [Light]
Traits: [Night Pierce], [Shadow Devour], [Seal], [Shadow Kin], [Shadow's Blessings], [Divine Light]
[Seal]: A seal made by someone forgotten. Its power is weak, but its will to restrain still remains.
Rank: Divine
[Divine Light]: The light which was hidden away, bound by regret. Yet warmth still radiates. The truth is said to be hidden in the light.
Rank: Sealed
---
I stared at it, heart steady but mind racing. So it was true. The Divine Light was sealed. That Seal… it was the reason. But even sealed, the light I felt when it awakened—it had been too strong. Too real. How could that much power still be restrained?
A quiet intensity fell over the Scape.
"Ren… I'm sorry. For the stress. For everything."
He nodded, eyes still soft. "Master, you should rest. I know you want to find the truth. We will."
Before I could speak again, another presence stirred around me. Her voice was calm, but it struck deep.
"You've changed again, Night."
Sylvia stepped forward, her eyes studying me—not with suspicion, but something deeper. Something personal.
"The more I think about it… your power—no, you—you're something far more than I can describe. I have no reason to question you, but… have you made your choice? Do you wish to dominate? Or to sacrifice? Why... why do you want power?"
Her words didn't accuse me. They invited the truth.
I didn't pause. I didn't look away. The answer had been with me for a long time—I just hadn't said it out loud.
"I'm broken."
That was the truth. Not poetic. Not dramatic. Just honest.
I lowered my head slightly. My voice didn't tremble, but something in me loosened.
"I don't have a real reason to live… not one that feels enough. But I still want to live. I keep moving forward because I'm scared—scared to die, scared to lose. And I know that if I stop now, everything I've carried… all of it will be for nothing."
I looked at her, straight in the eyes.
"But I won't stop. I have to get stronger—not just for me, but for everyone who's felt the same way. Everyone who's ever broken and couldn't stand back up. I'll carry their pain too. I'll fight so no one else has to feel like I did."
My voice quieted, and the words came from somewhere deeper.
"I will destroy what needs to fall… but I'll protect what must be saved. I've buried this part of me, hidden it behind strength and silence. But not anymore."
Tears ran down my cheeks freely, and I let them. I didn't care how it looked. I wasn't hiding anymore.
"I want to live. Not just survive. Live."
Sylvia was quiet. Her expression changed—softened.
"I didn't know…" she said, voice low. "Actually, I couldn't tell. It seems I chose the right person. I want to see the change you'll bring. Maybe… you really will become the strongest."
Ren stepped forward. "Master…"
He hugged me.
It was strange—hugging myself. But he wasn't me. He was Ren. The part of me born from broken light and darkness.
For once, I didn't feel hollow. I felt human.
---
Three days later, my body was healed, but my mind hadn't forgotten the weight of Divine Light. The pain of wielding it echoed faintly, like a scar I couldn't see.
A wooden sword flew at me with speed that could kill a normal person.
I caught it.
"You ready, Night?" Sylvia asked, that blood-hungry grin pulling at her lips. Her gaze held sorrow, but her presence screamed challenge.
I nodded, falling into stance. The second I moved, Aen pulsed through my limbs. My sword danced, not just with power—but with memory, pain, and the desire to grow. My movements weren't just trained—they were lived.
She pushed me back with every strike. Her strength was monstrous. But I wasn't fighting alone.
Ren was beside me, syncing perfectly. His body moved where I needed him, almost like he could hear my thoughts.
We pressed forward again. I switched to the style I knew best—Sorrow Style. My blade flowed like water and pain, like grief shaped into motion.
I hit her arm—barely. A smirk touched my lips. It was something.
Then her blow crushed into my chest, sending me flying.
"Never drop your guard," she muttered, clearly annoyed.
I smiled. Somehow, it still felt good to smile.
A shadow moved in the forest. Sylvia turned, her wooden blade slashing with such force it split the trees and the creature behind them.
She was terrifying.
"Rematch," I said, grinning.
---
I was on the ground again, panting. After nearly dying a dozen times, Sylvia still looked fresh. Like she hadn't even warmed up.
"Is that all you can do?" she asked, eyes cold. "This is nothing. If that's your limit, your dream might as well stay a dream."
I stood again, using my sword like a crutch. Ren was worse off—but he still stood. We didn't need words.
I moved. She swung. I turned intangible. Her eyes flickered with surprise.
I reformed. My shadow poured over Ren. The plan was set.
Bloodlust surged from me. She felt it.
"Night… you think tricks will save you?"
She swung again. Mist split.
Ren charged. She went to stop him—but I shadowed him just in time. He touched her.
A veil bloomed, wrapping around her completely.
We won.
I dropped to the ground, smiling.
But then Ren's expression changed. Fear.
The veil... split.
"Night."
She stepped through, her presence heavier than ever.
She was pissed.
I dismissed Ren and ran—leaping through trees, pushing off trunks. Her voice boomed behind me—
"COME BACK HERE, NIGHT!"