"For the people, for the families, I could not save, I promise, in blood, their deaths shall all be repaid, for my kingdom, for my wife and child. for the love you betrayed, we shall see this feud ended here sister. Let us be at war, just as you wished. I now offer you the bloodshed you've craved. Let's see who's thirst is stronger."
A young man paced his porch, kicking a ball as the cool rain fell, marking the long-awaited end of an island-wide drought. The three-and-a-half-week dry spell had seemed endless, making the sudden shower a relief. Earlier, he had played in the rain, sliding on the wet grass before coming inside, drying off, and resuming his quiet routine—kicking the ball while lost in thought. His family had been asleep for six hours, leaving him time to cook, clean, and enjoy his solitude. If he had a phone, he might have been playing games, but without one, he had to find ways to entertain himself. He was recently intimate after a long time and was sure he had done well—his partner had left all smiles, a fact he relished.
As he kicked the ball, he reflected on all that had happened and the future he wanted to carve out, making little plans of his own to "take over the world." He played carefully, avoiding noise that might wake his baby sister. Though he loved her, he treasured his rare moments of alone time. Eventually, deciding it was time to wake everyone for dinner, he prepared for one last powerful kick. This time, he didn't care about being quiet—he intended to wake them all one way or another. Drawing his right foot back as far as possible, he swung with all his strength—only to miss the ball by an inch. The force sent him flying, landing hard on his tailbone and knocking the wind out of him.
Though he failed to kick the ball, he succeeded in making enough noise to stir his family. As he lay there, gasping for breath, he heard them waking. He wanted to get up, but his back throbbed, and walking without a limp was impossible. He couldn't risk telling his father—it would only earn him relentless teasing. Instead, he snuck inside, avoiding everyone, and collapsed in his room. He managed two hours of sleep before his younger siblings found him. His two baby sisters and baby brother, led by his determined four-year-old sister, had searched the house to find him. Though his room was the last place they thought to check, they discovered him in the end, waking him with a heavy dog pile.
His youngest sister tugged at him, urging him to eat. Calming down, he gave her his hand, and his other two siblings joined in, pulling him up and leading him to the kitchen. He ate while his youngest sister sat beside him, animatedly recounting their search. His dad and stepmom had already gone to bed, leaving him with the kids once they confirmed he was awake. He didn't mind. He made them some snacks, sat with them to watch cartoons, and soon, they all fell asleep again.
It had been a good day. Over the next two days, he carefully hid his limp from his father while he healed. Fortunately, there was no lasting damage.
Solaria lay in bed laughing, her sides aching from the effort. Yohan had made it something of a routine to tell her stories from his life back on Earth. Isolated for so long, Solaria had been cut off from the outside world, and this was his way of helping her catch up. Through their conversations, Yohan made a startling discovery: Oreath—Solaria's home planet—was Earth, his own home, long forgotten under another name. From then on, he shared more and more of its past. Earth, as he knew it, was far from the peaceful utopia Solaria remembered before the fall of Ventris. War had ravaged the land, chaos consumed its people, and nations turned against one another. Still, scattered corners of the world managed to hold onto peace, where people struggled to build better lives. But it was no paradise. In truth, one could argue—and Yohan often did—that after Ventris took control, Earth had been utterly abandoned. And he wasn't wrong.
Ventris had left Earth to its own devices after taking her sister's child. Over time, the world moved on—many forgot the gods they once served, ushering in the modern age as we now know it.
On the other hand, Yohan had helped Solaria grasp the concept of time—something she had long forgotten in her isolation. With his guidance, they began to track its passage, marking days and nights as they came. As some of her power returned, she no longer stood idle in the barren silence of the black zone. A day and night cycle emerged, bringing movement to a world that had stood still for far too long.
Still, Solaria retained the power to revert her paradise to its original desolate state, a deception she used whenever an apostle dared to intrude. From afar, she would strike with ruthless precision, responding to their presence with the same fury she always had. It was not uncommon for an apostle—or two—to go missing when sent to her domain. Solaria was simply that powerful. The ones they sent were never strong enough to pose a real threat; they were scouts, not warriors. Disposable. As a result, no one paid them much attention. Even the angels assigned to monitor her grew lax, their reports infrequent and late. But none of it mattered to Ventris. In her mind, the war had long been won. Millennia had passed since Solaria's imprisonment, and Ventris had not yet discovered the newest reincarnation of her beloved—the only tool that truly tormented Solaria. With no urgent leverage to use against her, Ventris had long grown complacent, and Solaria was left alone, able to make a home with Yohan thanks to the neglect of her captors.Even more importantly, somewhere in the rhythm of their days, the two fell into something tender. Their bond deepened into a charming friendship—equal parts fierce and soft, forged in laughter, loyalty, and shared solitude. They cooked, played, slept, and trained side by side—building routines that brought comfort amidst the ruins of forgotten wars. Over the next five years, Solaria taught Yohan to harness the power that now pulsed through him thanks to Aurelius and were putting together plans to free Solaria. The plan was to train Yohan, to get him strong enough to face an apostle, while figuring out how to break the rest of the shackles.
Yohan and Solaria were able to carve out a quiet, almost simple life together. He grew strong, at this point in time he had grown to be even stronger than Aurelius in his prime but unfortunately was starting to reach a bottleneck. He felt like he had made some progress but all the same felt like it wasn't enough, he needed to be strong enough to at least defeat Solaria in a fight, though severely weaker than she was in her prime, her raw physical strength alone was enough to defeat Yohan no matter how much he tried, no matter what progress he had made he could still not seem to get over this wall in front of him. Solaria made sure to remind him that he was now strong enough to fight most apostles which are basically demigods but he would need to be stronger than that, in his mind he would need to be even stronger than Solaria to make sure that no matter what came his way he could handle it but for now he was unable to escape this sinking feeling and it was affecting his training.
As he sat on a cliff at the beach far away from the castle, he stared out into the horizon and took a deep breath, then crossing his legs, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state trying to rack his brain to see if there was something he was possibly doing wrong, he opened one eye to peak at Solaria back at the castle, with the progressions he had made before he was now able to see miles away. Solaria was in the castle kitchen making dinner, Yohan had recently taught her how to cook, and tonight she wanted to make dinner on her own. So, he decided to take a walk. In truth, she was worried about him—constantly trying to figure out ways she could help. But the energy within him belonged to Aurelius, and she didn't understand how it worked. She couldn't guide him through it due to the energy being a different type than hers. All she could do was teach him her own methods, and for a time, they worked—until he hit his bottleneck.
She suddenly felt as if someone was watching her. Glancing out through the kitchen window, she saw Yohan sitting on the cliff, staring back at her. She smiled warmly and blew him a kiss. He closed his eyes, a faint blush rising to his cheeks, and smiled in return.
Trying to steady his racing thoughts, he took a deep breath.
"Calm down... just remember everything she taught you—and everything you already know. There has to be something I'm missing."
He racked his brain for answers, recalling cultivation methods he'd read about in old manhua. Most of them, as he remembered, were overly complex—layers of rituals, obscure breathing techniques, or intricate internal visualizations. None felt right. None felt like him.
So, he took a different approach. "What if I make my own?"
He focused inward, searching for a way to shape his chaotic energy—not through someone else's path, but through one forged by his own understanding and instinct.
He tried to clear his mind, focusing inward to visualize his energy. In the past, he'd relied on generating it throughout his entire body, and it had worked—allowing him to unleash devastating bursts of power. His favorite technique involved concentrating energy in his hands and feet, then releasing it in explosive surges.
The inspiration had come from one of his favorite anime characters—a certain spiky-haired boy with explosive powers and a short fuse. It was flashy, effective, and felt right.
But now, he needed more than just raw output. He needed a way to strengthen not just his magic, but his physical body as well. Deep down, he knew he wasn't weak. Maybe he just hadn't found the right method to push beyond his current limits—if only for a moment.
Yohan closed his eyes and visualized his energy—a surging storm of power, wild and crackling like lightning through his core. He focused, steadying his breath, gradually drawing the chaos inward. The storm coiled tighter and tighter until it condensed into a single, glowing blue orb—calm, controlled, and pulsing with raw strength. But as he studied it more closely, he noticed something else lingering at its edge—a second presence, dark and cold, like liquid shadow curling around the light.
The sensation was faint but unmistakable.
He recognized it—it was Solaria's.
Then it hit him
At some point during his training, Solaria had infused a small amount of her own energy into him—not to empower, but to stabilize. His energy had once gone berserk, lashing out uncontrollably, and she had acted quickly, using her power to contain the surge. It was a temporary measure, meant only to suppress the chaos—not linger.
Yet now, as he stared at the cold presence wrapping itself around the orb, he realized it had never truly left.
The wisp of dark energy began to curl around the orb, almost as if it were trying to enter it—drawn by some unseen pull. Yohan, equally curious and cautious, focused his will and gently removed the barrier he had placed around the orb, keeping the energy compressed but no longer sealed off.
The moment the barrier dropped, the wisp slipped inside.
The fusion was immediate. His bright electric-blue energy began to shift, its color deepening into a dark violet, glowing like molten glass. The storm-like crackle faded, replaced by a steady, thrumming pulse. The energy took on a new form—liquid fire, roiling with both heat and cold, chaos and control.
He could feel it—different, but still his.
With the fusion came an explosion—a violent eruption of energy that radiated outward in a blinding flash. The force of it sent shockwaves through the air, a burst so powerful it could have been seen from the castle where Solaria stood. The ground trembled beneath her feet, and she felt it instantly—a surge of uncontrolled power.
Her heart skipped a beat. Without a second thought, she rushed toward Yohan, her instincts telling her that his energy had spiraled out of control once more. She prepared herself to channel her own power, ready to stabilize him as she had done before.
But as she neared, she sensed something different.
This wasn't the wild chaos she had dealt with before. This was… something new.
The combined essence of Aurelius' electric energy and her own darkness had created a force unlike anything she had felt. It was dangerous, volatile, and unpredictable—but it wasn't the destruction she feared. It was something mutated—a new form of power, far more intense and potent than either energy on its own.
As Solaria watched the swirling vortex of energy, she immediately recognized the mix of her dark power and Aurelius' electric power. But this—this was impossible. Mortals weren't supposed to wield both these types of power at once, in fact not even gods could, the only reason Ventris was able to use her power when it was stolen was because of their shared blood and filtering it through her angels. What Yohan did was beyond the natural order.
Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of it. The only logical explanation, she concluded, was that Yohan's lack of inherent magic had somehow allowed him to blend both energies. He was human, fundamentally without the typical magic that ran through the veins of others, and that may have been the key to what had happened. The absence of magic had somehow made him a vessel, open to both forces without the usual constraints.
The massive vortex of energy continued to spiral, crackling with both the cold chill of Solaria's darkness and the raw heat of Aurelius' power. Desperately, she called out to him, her voice filled with both concern and command, trying to reach him through the storm.
But the energy snapped at her, almost as if it were alive, warning her away. It repelled her touch, a barrier she couldn't break through. She called again, her words growing more urgent.
Then, as if hearing her pleas, the storm calmed. The chaotic energy began to dissipate on its own, settling into stillness.
But Yohan... was different.
His form had shifted, his body now resembling the state he had taken when he fought Aurelius—stronger, more solid, yet radiating a fierce, uncontrolled power. The energy around him had changed him
Yohan's transformation was nothing short of breathtaking. His long dreadlocks, once calm, now flowed with an unnatural energy, rippling as if alive, covered in the same dark energy that had surged through Solaria. His body pulsed with power, radiating a dark, violet hue that mirrored Solaria's own power. His eyes, now glowing like blue gems, shone with an intensity that seemed to pierce the very air around him.
His tunic had vanished, replaced by his now bare, toned body, brimming with raw strength and energy. Strange, arcane markings shimmered across his skin, swirling like tattoos of power. His shorts were gone, replaced by warrior's Pteruges, traditional armor hanging around his waist, symbolizing both protection and battle-readiness.
His arms were adorned with bands that seemed to be forged from gold, gleaming with an otherworldly luster. And his face—his face was now partially obscured by a skull mask, covering only his mouth, but still giving him an eerie, intimidating presence that was entirely new.
He stood there, a fusion of raw energy and dark elegance, both human and something more.
Yohan looked down at his hands, a sense of wonder and power swelling within him. With a simple wave, a wisp of dark energy materialized, swirling around his hand like a living thing. The energy pulsed and shifted, its color swirling from deep violet to shades of black and blue, ever-changing but always retaining that core, dark hue. It was like gazing into a nebula—mysterious, beautiful, and infinite.
His idea of merging the energies had worked, but in ways he hadn't expected. The power felt more uncontrollable, wild and chaotic, yet somehow more potent, more alive. It was no longer simply destructive—it was creative, versatile, and dangerous in equal measure.
Curious, he focused on shaping the energy. He gathered it into his hand, and in a flash, a blade of pure energy extended from the back of his hand, crackling with dark power. Before he could fully appreciate the weapon, another surge of energy flowed through him, and a Naginata—a long Japanese polearm with a curved blade—formed from the liquid-like energy, as if it were alive, its dark edge humming with raw power. In an instant, a small, round shield took shape in his other hand replacing the blade he had before, solid and unyielding, the liquid energy flowing into its form like molten metal.
The weapons emerged as if the energy itself had a mind, reshaping with fluidity and purpose. His body had become an extension of this dark force—fluid, unpredictable, and alive with power.
Solaria looked at him with a subtle mix of wonder and worry. Her eyes traced over his transformed form—his exposed muscles, pulsing with power—and despite herself, a soft blush touched her cheeks. Then came a wave of pride. She could already piece together what he had done, and the realization filled her with awe. He had managed to merge their energies—something thought impossible—and not only survived, but adapted.
"He really did it." She thought. "He found his own way."
But before she could say anything, a sudden flash of light enveloped him, and in an instant, his empowered form vanished. He was back to normal—and already on his way to collapsing.
She rushed forward and caught him just before he hit the ground. His body was heavy with exhaustion, his breathing shallow but steady. Solaria immediately recognized the signs—his body wasn't ready to sustain that power for long. Not yet.
She cradled him gently in her arms, holding him close. With a sweep of motion, her great wings unfurled—majestic and radiant —and with a single powerful beat, she lifted off the ground. Carrying him against her chest, she began flying back toward the castle.
As the wind rushed past them, she looked down at his resting face and gave a proud smile.
"When he wakes up… I'll have some food ready for him." She thought.
He had shattered his limits, and knowing Yohan, that would only fuel him to go even further. She could already picture the determination in his eyes. And this time, she'd be there to guide him every step of the way.
His eyes fluttered open, and there she was—Solaria—sleeping beside him, her head buried in his chest. But then she began to wake, her eyes meeting his and greeting him with a sleepy smile. She nestled her head deeper into his chest, and he smiled back nervously as she drifted off again.
Yohan thought it best to let her sleep, so he tried to slip out of bed quickly. Unfortunately, he used a bit more force than intended—and ended up catapulting himself out of the bed, slamming into the opposite wall. His head hit the stone with a resounding thud, loud enough to rattle the silence and stir Solaria awake
She blinked, then burst into laughter at the sight before her.
"If you wanted to move…" She said, grinning. "You could've just asked me to get up."
Yohan lay there rubbing his head, feeling quite embarrassed "Yeah I know, you just looked too peaceful. I didn't wanna disturb you."
Solaria had already walked over to him and offered him her hand which he took and pulled her down to him, the exchange ending in a bit of rough housing. Soon after they went into the dining hall to have a meal. They both didn't need to eat but it was a special ritual and in Yohans words, it was a shame to not eat all that food.
Yohan looked at the beauty in front of him, happily scarfing down her seventh bowl of stew, for a long time he was lost in the grandeur of this otherworldly quest he found himself on but in this moment of calm his other thoughts surfaced, he was afraid, afraid he would fail, afraid of possibly dying again, afraid of what might happen to Solaria if he did fail. He looked up at her with somber eyes and upon meeting them she knew something was wrong.
"Is everything alright?" She asked, voice full of worry
He looked at her then dropped his head.
"Sol, I'm scared, I mean, what if I fail? Before coming here, I was just a kid who barely started his life just to lose it a few months later. I'm no warrior, I'm no Aurelius and I'm no great saviour. I was serious when I said I wanted to free you, but what if I screw it up? What if you're even worse off with me here?" His voice started to crack as tears welled in his eyes, memories of his past started flowing into his mind, times he had let people down, where making a simple choice for himself seemingly spelt ruin for others.
Family, friends, no matter what he did it was as if nothing he did was enough or the right choice and now with the odds stacked against them and with all that he knew was at stake, he worried that the same might happen here. "What if I make the wrong choice? What if I'm not strong enough? What if I make a mistake and it ends up costing you?" I don't want to disappoint you…or even worse have you hate me like everyone else did, for the first time in a long time I feel at home with someone….with myself. I guess all I'm trying to say is that I'm afraid of losing it all… Of losing you."
Solaria listened to it all, her heart aching for her love and the worries that plagued him. How foolish of her. She had forgotten for a moment that Yohan had an entire life before they met here, forgotten that he had been out there on his own and from the sounds of it; alone. Her dearest had experienced such hardship and she rue that she hadn't been there to support him and lighten his darkest days. She couldn't change any of that, alter what he had gone through but… She reached out and cradled his hand in hers, undeterred when he hadn't lifted his head to acknowledge it. She could change now and the future.
"Did you know?" Solaria asked softly as she stroked his rough palm with her thumb, finding the texture soothing. "Fear is a constant in all beings. Even gods and goddesses have been afraid." She told him and Yohan peered out at her from beneath his bangs, eyes rimmed red. "... My greatest fear is an eternity on my own in this place, in this prison, only knowing sorrow and isolation… It was a fear that gripped me so tightly, it was suffocating… But in the depths of that fear and loneliness, a miracle happened…" She smiled as she glanced through the window behind him. "An odd soul had wandered here, in this inescapable prison of mine and had latched himself to my side. He vowed to stay with me, to be my comfort and my saviour from this realm that confines me. He's brought laughter to the emptiness of this place, warmth, comfort, even some of my powers too. I was afraid he might disappear one day, that I would wake up to find that it was all a dream, a cruel joke my mind has played on me. But this strange soul hadn't shown any signs of going anywhere. Instead, he has become the last thing I see when I go to sleep and the first thing I see when my eyes open. His warmth is a constant reminder that he will always be with me and his smile tells me that he is happy to be here with me…" Her smile slipped a bit.
"I think to myself sometimes… Am I selfish to keep them here, when just being next to me will be dangerous to them? Am I making the right choice to have them be so deeply involved in my situation.. Forced to stay with me in isolation in hopes that we may be able to break free…" Her smile returned. "But then, they would smile at me, would wrap their arms around me, would laugh with me and plan with me… And I decided that if they are so willing to do all this for me, someone they just met… Then the least I can do is to have faith and meet them halfway…" She focused on him and cupped his cheeks, using her thumbs to swipe his tears away. "Not even gods know if our next move is the right one. We don't know if the next choice would be the best one either. We mess up too, you know, so there's nothing wrong with making mistakes or screwing up or anything like that. Whether you mess up or choose wrong or whatever, it doesn't matter to me. If anything, I'll only be grateful that you acted or chose with me in mind. Anything that comes after that, we can work on together. I know the risks and I'm ok with them. The only cost I can't take is…" She trailed off as she brushed his bangs away so their eyes could properly meet before she gave him a soft, affectionate smile that had a small twinge of fear in it.
"... Is losing you. My love." She whispered to him with feeling. She chuckled a little at that. "I suppose losing each other is a fear we have in common, but I have no plans on going anywhere any time soon. After all, we have to escape this place together… And who knows. We could visit an actual beach when we do." She smiled at him.
Her words hit him like a boulder,"Yeah, I'd love that." He chuckled, giving a teary smile. He felt stupid for feeling this way all along, it's almost as if he forgot his promise to give his all, that whatever came their way they would handle it together. He scoffed "Thank you Solaria, I needed that, I forgot that I had already promised you that we would be doing those things, yet here I am like an idiot, I should focus on what's at hand."
Solaria smiled at him tenderly
"Took the words right out of my mouth." She laughed.
It had been a little over six years since the pair started living and training together, and a little over a year an unspoken tension had been building between them. Yohan having lots of trouble with women in his past had finally met one that looked at him with admiration and respect, she stood by his side and genuinely cared for him and he slowly started to develop feelings for her but he decided to hold them back due to the current situation, preferring to confess to her after he freed her, wanting to keep his head on the mission, despite the last words Aurelius spoke to him, he more or less guessed he could be an incarnation of him but again tried to think of Solaria first and didn't want to be selfish, having feelings for her while she was clearly still hurting. So he kept his feelings to himself. In the same breath Solaria had also started having feelings for Yohan, after all, he was the first man she had met in eons and the first man to remind her of Aurelius, even so she did not want to be with him just because he had reminded her of Aurelius, that would just feel like she was replacing him or just being with Yohan just because he resembled her beloved, and that would be unfair to Aurelius' memory and to Yohan as a person.
After this exchange the two could feel it, their feelings were genuine, and both of them knew that the other truly cared and with that the two smiled at each other as they held hands, they then finished their meal quietly smiling all the while never releasing their hands, when they were finished they walked to the kitchen, dishes in hand so they could wash them together before training. "So, 'my love' huh?" Yohan said with a cheeky smile only to be met with a swift strike to the face from Solaria's tail, the force causing him to spin a few times before crashing to the ground,using her speed to catch the dishes Yohan was carrying before they hit the ground her blushing face hidden behind the plates as she ran to the kitchen at top speed. Yohan looked up and as he collected himself smiled. "A tsundere huh?" He chuckled to himself as walked to the kitchen behind her, picking up a cup she dropped in her hurry.
When he got to the kitchen Solaria had already started doing the dishes, Yohan smiled at her then gently hugged her from behind, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and gave her a small peck on the cheek which despite her having a rather cold temperature caused her temperature to rise tremendously and Yohan laughed jokingly using his new frost attribute to send a cold shiver down her spine, causing her to settle down, then gently placing her arms on his, asked in a somber tone "Are you sure about this? About me? About us?"
Yohan smiled gently, his warm breath touching her neck released his arms from around her and motioned her body to face him, then took her hand and kissed it. He looked into her shimmering eyes and smiled as he lovingly placed his hand on her cheek. "I would stand beside no other." He then moved his shirt to show her the rune he carved into his chest, despite having a healing factor now. Yohan had decided to leave that mark unhealed and scarred to forever show his promise to her. Solaria looked up into his eyes, he had grown so much since they had met so long ago. He had lost a lot of weight and gained a lot of muscle. He now had a sort of wisdom to him as a hardened warrior, his childlike eyes no longer looked as bright as they did before but still carried their kindness. In her eyes, he was perfect all the same, and with the overwhelming feeling of release, she fell into his arms and on the tip of her toes, reached up and kissed him, Yohan obviously not expecting this turn of events, racked his brain for ways how he could react but quickly gave up and decided to go with the flow. Besides, she initiated so it should be ok to reciprocate.
He gently wrapped his arms around her small waist kissing her ever so gently, then slowly lifting her up, he put her to sit on the counter, continuing their tender exchange, they both pulled away at the same moment taking the time to look at each other, sweat had started to form on their bodies as the warmth they generated continued to build and almost as if they had the same thought, ran up to their bedroom, The rest of the morning—and much of the afternoon—was filled with soft moans, whispers of sweet nothings, and the unmistakable rhythmic thuds of love echoing through the room.
The next morning, Solaria was the first to wake, the passion of the night before still fresh in her mind—and echoing through every part of her body. She turned to look at Yohan, still sound asleep beside her, a faint smile resting on his lips. It had been eons since she had lain with a man, not since before her imprisonment, and the memory of last night played back vividly in her thoughts, drawing a deep blush to her cheeks. For all her divine strength, it was Yohan who had proven to be the stronger one last night.
I can't believe I let him see me like that…" she thought, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "All that control, all that power—and I melted in his hands like starlight on water." Her fingers hovered just above his chest, as if afraid to touch him again too soon. "Gods, I must've looked ridiculous… Was he always that strong? Could he feel how fast my heart was racing?"
She bit her lip softly, glancing away. "I never thought I would be able to feel like that again. Looking at him again she could not help but smile. "With this I belong to him now, and he belongs to me". She smiled to herself as she got up and headed downstairs to prepare some training equipment. Today she was going to teach Yohan how to use her power, she had planned on teaching him the day before getting 'distracted', when he had transformed previously, she remembered how his energy now felt similar to hers but more volatile, his feat of combining light and dark energy was totally unheard of and she had no idea how she would guide him but since he had absorbed some of her energy she thought that maybe if she showed him how to use her energy, he might be able to progress even further.
A few hours later, Yohan was awoken by the sounds of metal clashing, last night's festivities had left him drained and struggling to stand held on to one of the bed posts, upon getting up he realized that the ground was actually closer to the base of the bed and upon closer inspection, he realized that not only was the bed lower, the base of the bed was completely shattered, causing him to blush uncontrollably. "I'll have to fix that." He sighed. As he walked towards the bedroom window and gazed at the beach outside, he could see Solaria taking a swim in her dragon form, her beautiful white scales shimmering in the water, diving and rising repeatedly. Spotting him, she used a swing of her powerful arm to send up a huge blast of water towards the window. Luckily the window didn't break. Yohan understood the invitation and proceeded to open the window and jump out, wings of dark energy forming behind him as he fell. When he reached Solaria she had already shifted back to her human form but something was different, standing on the water, she was dressed in full battle armour, borrowed from a suit of armour in the dining hall.
"Hello darling. Today I will be teaching you how to use my power and what better way to teach you than through combat?" The smile on her face carried a sort of mischief to it that Yohan couldn't help but feel worried by. She threw him a sword and sent him flying before he could even grab it. His hellish training had just begun.
The power that Solaria wielded was given the name Prya when she was younger and still discovering her power beside her sister. She had a handmaiden that had played a huge part in her training. Being one of the strongest magic users on Oreath, originally a member of the Barbarus court and was a powerful light magic user. She was there long before Solaria, Ventris and Aurelius were born. She was appointed to Asura's court and was made to be Solaria's magic teacher, when it was discovered that she could also use Solaria's element— darkness. Even though she had only been able to use the darkness element for a few weeks prior, she had made leaps and bounds while experimenting with the application of that kind of magic, especially when she realized that the two powers shared similar attributes. She was like a mother to the sisters, able to live a rather peaceful life; she had died at the ripe old age of 4,824 years. She had the chance to become immortal and was stronger than most trancendents of her time but decided to live her life till it's end came naturally. On the day of her funeral, Ventris and Solaria had made the decision to name the power they used Prya, in her memory. Through her teachings, they had found that their powers were similar and felt that it was ok to give their powers a name that would put them under the same category. Thus, Ventris' power was called Light Prya and Solaria's Dark Prya.
Solaria was born with the rare and volatile power to manipulate all forms of matter and energy—an ancient force woven from chaos itself. Her magic held the brilliance of stars and the fury of wild suns, capable of shaping reality in a thousand ways. But this power, unlike her sister Ventris's, was inherently unstable. Its frozen, conflicting nature required years—centuries—of discipline, meditation, and struggle to master. Where Ventris's abilities bent matter with precision and ease, Solaria's power fought her every step of the way, like trying to contain a storm in a glass jar.
Both sisters were gifted, but Solaria's magic was far broader in scope. Her power may have been born from the dark but produced starlight that could heal or burn; her power could forge or destroy. With it, she had once split mountains, fed and healed millions and bent the very fabric of space around her fingertips. Yet after her sister's betrayal—after Ventris stole a vast portion of her magic—many of those grand abilities were lost. Solaria could no longer summon celestial constructs or manipulate energy on a planetary scale. The more delicate, complex branches of her magic had been ripped from her like petals from a flame.
But there was one thing Ventris could never steal: Solaria's raw, physical strength.
Even stripped of her powers, Solaria's body remained divine—an unshakable force of celestial muscle and will. When she was only a baby, she once reached out and wrapped her tiny fingers around her father's—the mighty God-King Asura himself—and squeezed. The king, whose strength was the stuff of myth, winced. The court had fallen silent. No one had ever hurt him before.
That strength never left her. It was not born from her magic but from her very being. No spell could take it, no betrayal could touch it. And now, though her energy still smolders beneath the surface, fractured and unstable, her hands alone could still bring gods to their knees. This power was now what she had turned on Yohan
With what little power she still possessed, Solaria made a decision—one forged in divine fire and unyielding will. If Yohan was to rise, to become more than mortal, he would have to learn what it meant to stand among gods. No more holding back. No more gentle sparring. From this moment forward, she would train him the only way she knew: through battle.
She would break him down—not out of cruelty, but necessity. Blow by blow, she would drive the weakness from his limbs, burn the hesitation from his heart. He would learn to stand, to strike, to endure. And he would do so without relying on borrowed magic.
She permitted him to meditate, to reflect, and to explore the power awakening within him on his own time. He could train his spirit, hone his potential, and deepen his understanding of the forces beginning to stir in his soul. But when he faced her—when it came time to fight—there would be no magic. No shortcuts. No power beyond what his muscles, bones, and heart could offer.
She would not share her energy—not yet. That was a gift reserved only for the worthy. First, he must prove he could defeat her—not with spells, not with tricks, but with strength alone.
Only when he could face her fully, match her blow for blow, and bring her to the ground by sheer will and physical might, would she grant him the secret fire that once lit stars.
And it would not be quick. It would not be easy. This challenge would take him three thousand years.
Three millennia of pain, of persistence, of rising after every fall. Three thousand years of standing before a goddess who held back nothing.
This was to be his trial: To beat a god… With nothing but his hands.