The Queen gestured with her hand, and a projection of the earth appeared before him.
The mystery he witnessed earlier — the lights appearing and being consumed by darkness — was once again revealed.
Just as before, he watched the yellow lights being devoured by darkness, until a bright blue light emerged, pushing it back and restoring them once more. Then, a greater mass of darkness appeared, consuming the blue lights. As it did, it expanded rapidly, swallowing the nearby yellow lights along with them.
But as it spread, another light appeared—brighter than any before. It shimmered with a radiant silver glow, and as it approached, the darkness did not merely retreat… it was consumed entirely.
The Queen then spoke, her voice calm and steady, yet clear enough for him to understand.
"That which you have witnessed… is the hidden war that has endured for over a thousand years."
He heard her words and immediately had a question, but she continued speaking, so he held onto the thought.
"The yellow lights you see represent the souls of humanity. In accordance with the purity each soul carries, some shine more brightly than others. What I say next is of great importance… do not attempt to interpret it through the limits of human understanding. Instead, open your mind to the truth — that worlds exist beyond your own."
He simply nodded, offering no resistance. After everything he had experienced, very little could still surprise him.
"The darkness you witnessed consuming those lights are beings born of the Dark Realm… known as dark spawns. They cross into the human realm to steal the light from those of pure soul, and to further corrupt the hearts of those already touched by darkness… all for a singular purpose."
She raised her hand once more, and a clear portal formed before her.
As he stepped closer to observe, he saw a castle suspended in a distorted space, as though caught between two realms. Surrounding it were beings that resembled stars, their brilliance radiant as they circled the structure. Their formation made one thing clear — they were not guarding against escape… but preventing anything from entering.
With a soft snap of her fingers, the image shifted. At first, what he saw was obscured… but slowly, it began to take shape.
A figure, shrouded in darkness, stood bound by chains. The chains themselves glowed with the same yellow light he had seen before, stirring his curiosity. Their glow shifted—at times bright and intense, at others dim and fragile. Another mystery he longed to understand.
As he stared at the bound figure, it suddenly snapped its head toward him, its crimson eyes piercing straight through him. In an instant, the Queen dismissed the projection, and the portal vanished.
"The dark spawns seek to free that which you have just witnessed… the Darklord—one of the seven Primordial beings of existence."
Looking at Rico, she could sense the weight of questions building within him, so she offered him the chance to ask just one.
He didn't hesitate.
"Are you a Primordial too?"
Of all the questions he could have asked, she found it curious that he chose that one. Yet… a part of her understood why. With a gentle nod, she answered.
"Yes… I am. In the beginning, the Creator of All brought me into existence and entrusted me with dominion over the night. Yet that duty was not mine alone. It was shared between myself and the Darklord… before his corruption. Even so, that truth, too, shall be revealed to you in its proper time."
Though he wished to know more, he chose to trust her judgment. After all, from where he stood, she owed him nothing.
The Queen guided his gaze back to the projection, and almost instinctively, his attention fell upon the blue lights.
"Those you now behold represent the ones who, for over a thousand years, have given their lives in battle to defend the human realm from the dark spawns. These… are my blessed and honored moon warriors."
She fell silent, allowing him the space to process what he had seen, to arrive at his own understanding. He stood there for a moment, deep in thought, his expression heavy yet resolute.
"I understand now… Those things were consuming the souls of humans before the moon warriors tried stopping them. Still... The darkness… it grew stronger when it consumed the soul from the moon warriors. But why?"
She regarded him with quiet approval.
"Moon warriors possess not only pure souls, but also moonlight energy. When that energy is consumed by dark spawns… it strengthens them."
His fist tightened, anger surfacing each time he heard those words — dark spawns.
'Good… that is how you should feel, my child. Let that anger guide the choice you are yet to make.'
He looked toward her, his eyes burning with rage as everything began to fall into place. His parents' deaths… no longer felt like some cruel, isolated tragedy. To him now, it was the result of a war they had never been part of. They had died without reason—at least, none that he could accept. Wrong place, wrong time… or perhaps, to those creatures, they had simply been nothing more than prey.
The thought ignited something within him.
His eyes flickered, glowing intensely as shadows stirred beneath him. From that darkness, his weapon rose — the Orb. It pulsed with energy as it spun in the air, soon becoming engulfed in a dark blue aura, shadows coiling around it.
Then, its form began to shift — one end extending outward, while the other curved into the shape of a crescent moon.
Almost as if he were no longer in control, he reached out and grasped the newly formed weapon. But the moment he did, the Queen raised her hand, forming a sigil that embodied the moon. Instantly, the weapon reverted back into its Orb form before slowly descending into his shadow once more.
"W-what just happened…? For a moment, it felt like I went unconscious… like I was there, but not."
She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, and a calming warmth washed over him.
"The weapon you bear… do you remember its name?"
He nodded.
"Yes… it was called Moon's Shadow."
As the words left his mouth, the Orb rose once again from his shadow, drifting toward her. It pulsed erratically, like a raging creature being soothed. With a subtle flick of her hand, it returned to his shadow once more.
He stared, fascinated, about to speak — but she already answered the question forming in his mind.
"As its name suggests, this weapon was forged from my own shadow. The moment you chose it, a bond was formed between you. It responds to your emotions, shaping itself into the form that best reflects them."
"This weapon is known as a Celestial Treasure… ones wielded by my Apostles."
His gaze dropped to his shadow where the weapon had vanished. It hadn't even occurred to him that it remained with him. He had assumed it was left behind in the arena. And more than that… this was now the second time he had heard the term Apostle. Back in the arena, the announcer had mentioned something about a New Moon Apostle.
Now, it was finally time to understand.
But before he spoke, his attention shifted. Slowly, he turned toward the projection once more, the bright silver light drawing his focus.
He stared at it briefly… then turned back to her.
"The bright silver lights… those are the Apostles?"
She gave a slow nod. Though she said nothing, there was a quiet sense of approval in her gaze — he had pieced it together.
"And you're saying that I'm one of those Apostles? But how… and when?"
With a faint smile, she lowered her gaze toward his shadow, her eyes lingering with quiet intent. Then she lifted her head once more, her crown glistening with eight radiant gemstones.
"In the beginning, I spoke of two truths you must come to understand. One has already been revealed — the hidden war. Now… I shall unveil the second."
He remained silent, listening.
"Soon, my child… the seal upon the Darklord will be broken. And when that moment arrives, the world shall once again stand on the brink of total annihilation."
His eyes widened at her words. A moment ago, he had been nothing more than a man awaiting death. Now, he was being told the world itself could soon follow.
It was… a lot.
"Only days ago, one of my Apostles fell in battle. A successor had already been chosen by the Moon Council."
"Since the first eight apostles were chosen a thousand years ago by myself, I entrusted them with the duty of selecting those worthy to inherit the title... their successor. They were referred to as Apprentices."
She paused, meeting his gaze as he looked back, still trying to steady himself.
"But you… will be the first whom I choose by my own will… to inherit the title of the New Moon Apostle."
Her voice softened, yet carried weight.
"Though you may not yet understand it… I believe you hold the key to ending this war… and to stopping the Darklord."
The Queen spoke these words with confidence, yet Rico's expression only showed doubt.
She raised her hand deliberately, and one of the gemstones from her crown drifted forward, hovering before him with a subtle glow. From it, a small fragment separated, floating beside the main gem. With a gentle pull, the larger piece returned to her crown, while the fragment remained suspended in the air.
He stared at it as it flickered with a faint glow. Somehow, he could feel it… the tremendous power contained within the fragment.
Her voice rang out once more, firm and resolute.
"As you stand now, you are but human… with the potential to become something greater. Though you may be unsure and filled with doubt... There was never a great man who escaped those feelings. So, I offer you a choice."
She held his gaze.
"Will you accept… and become the thirty-third New Moon Apostle?"
His chest tightened, his heart pounding against his ribs. Never in his life had he been faced with a decision that carried such weight.
What did it even mean to accept this? Why should he? What purpose would it serve? Questions collided in his mind, leaving him overwhelmed.
He took a moment… just to think. And as she waited patiently, he finally looked up at her, hesitation still lingering in his eyes. To most, it would have been subtle.
But to her… it was clear.
'So… that is your choice,' she thought, a trace of concern resting upon her expression as she looked at the young man.
....
A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter or see potential in this novel, please show your support by adding to your library - this would greatly help. I also would be thankful for any power stone donation you give.