The night fell faster than usual.
The peaceful warmth of the valley disappeared as Aria and Rowan continued their journey toward the distant mountains. The sky above them slowly turned darker—not the natural darkness of night… but something heavier.
Something unnatural.
The wind howled softly, carrying a strange chill.
Rowan walked a few steps ahead, his expression more serious than before.
"That crack in the sky…" he muttered, "it didn't feel like the Abyss."
Aria nodded.
"It wasn't."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
"The Abyss was chaotic. Wild. Hungry."
She paused for a moment.
"But this… felt controlled."
Rowan stopped walking.
"Controlled?" he repeated.
Before Aria could answer—
🔥 A sudden sharp pain shot through Rowan's body.
He dropped to one knee instantly.
"—Rowan!"
Aria rushed toward him.
Rowan grabbed his shoulder tightly, his breathing becoming heavy. His red mark began to glow… brighter than ever before.
Not just glowing—
Burning.
"Ahh…!" Rowan clenched his teeth.
The mark spread faint lines of red energy across his arm, like cracks of fire beneath his skin.
Aria's eyes widened.
"This never happened before…"
The air around them grew cold.
Too cold.
And then—
A voice.
Low. Deep. Ancient.
It did not come from the sky.
It came from inside Rowan.
"So… the seal has weakened."
Rowan froze.
His eyes lost focus for a moment.
Aria stepped back slightly, her hand reaching for her sword.
"Who's there?!"
The voice echoed again, calm… yet terrifying.
"You have grown… stronger than expected, vessel."
Rowan's fingers trembled.
"Vessel…?" he whispered.
Aria's heart sank.
"No…"
The red light suddenly flared—
🔥 BOOM!
A wave of energy burst outward, forcing Aria a few steps back.
When the light faded—
Rowan slowly stood up.
But something was wrong.
His eyes…
For a brief second—
They were not his own.
A faint dark glow flickered within them.
Then it disappeared.
Rowan blinked, confused.
"What… just happened?"
Aria didn't answer immediately.
She stared at him, her expression serious.
"The mark…" she said quietly,
"It's not just power."
Rowan frowned.
"Then what is it?"
Aria looked toward the dark sky.
Her voice turned cold.
"It's a connection."
A distant rumble echoed across the mountains.
Far beyond the horizon—
That same black crack appeared again.
But this time…
It didn't disappear immediately.
It stayed.
And from within that darkness—
Something… moved.
Rowan felt it again.
A strange pull.
Like something was calling him.
Waiting for him.
He clenched his fist.
"Whatever that thing is…" he said slowly,
"I think it knows me."
Aria stepped beside him.
"Then we find it first."
Her eyes burned with determination.
"Before it finds us."
The wind roared louder.
The journey had truly begun.
And somewhere in the darkness beyond the sky—
A hidden power slowly awakened.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.
🌑 Message for Readers
Sometimes, the greatest enemy is not the one we fight…
But the one that lives within us.
💬 Readers Comment Line
"What do you think Rowan's mark really is? Is he a key to the new darkness… or its greatest enemy? Share your theories below!"