FROM THE SKY
Chapter 8 – Two Paths, One Fate
A pale gray mist drifted through the forest like a living thing, curling around twisted trees and shattered stones. Lux walked slowly through it, his senses stretched far beyond what they had once been. Ever since the dungeon core and the black ring had awakened, the world felt sharper—every shift of air, every pulse of Aether, every distant movement now whispered into his awareness.
Somewhere nearby… monsters were breathing.
He tightened his grip on the corrupted knight's sword, its dark-blue blade faintly humming with residual power.
"I won't survive if I stay weak," Lux murmured. "I won't be thrown away again."
With each step, the pain in his wounded body slowly faded, replaced by a strange warmth as absorbed power continued to mend and reinforce him. His ring pulsed gently, as if guiding him.
Then he felt it.
A massive concentration of Aether—thick, violent, and warped.
Lux stopped.
Before him, half-hidden behind blackened trees, stood something that did not belong to the natural world. A towering arch of stone and metal rose from the earth, carved with glowing runes that bled dark light into the air.
A dungeon gate.
Cold energy leaked from it, spreading corruption across the ground like rot.
[Dungeon Detected]
Threat Level: Unknown
Lux swallowed.
Even standing several meters away, his skin tingled, as if the dungeon itself was staring at him.
"So this is where monsters are born…"
The ring on his finger began to glow faintly again, reacting to the dense dark Aether inside the gate. Lux could feel it calling to him—not with words, but with hunger.
Power was inside.
Power he needed.
"I won't hesitate," he said quietly. "Not anymore."
Memories of being called useless… of being hunted… of being left to die burned inside him. He had been discarded by the empire and betrayed by those who summoned him.
Now, he would forge his own path.
Lux stepped closer.
The runes flared brighter, and a deep, hollow sound echoed from within, like a beast breathing in the dark.
[Entering Dungeon…]
Before crossing the threshold, Lux looked back once—toward the distant empire he no longer belonged to.
"Wait for me," he whispered to no one in particular. "I'll come back… stronger."
Then he stepped into the shadows.
Sky Guard Empire – Holy Church
White marble floors reflected the golden glow of holy magic as Alya stood inside the cathedral training hall. Beams of light gathered around her hands, forming delicate symbols that floated gently before dissolving.
Priests and knights watched in awe.
"She's learning too fast…"
"The Holy Light answers her as if she were born for it."
The High Priest approached her slowly. "Alya, with this rate of growth, you will become a Saint within six months."
Alya lowered her hands, breathing softly.
A Saint.
A protector of humanity.
She should have felt proud.
But instead… her heart felt heavy.
Somewhere far away, something dark stirred.
"Lux…" she whispered under her breath.
She could not explain it—but she felt that he was walking toward something dangerous, something that would change him forever.
"I'll get stronger too," Alya said quietly, clenching her staff. "So I can reach you when the time comes."
The holy light around her burned brighter.
And so, under different skies and opposite powers…
Two chosen ones began their true journeys.
One in light.
One in darkness.
And fate watched them both.
📖
---PRIMe ✨