Whooooshhh...
An eerie wind howled in the pitch-black void.
Lioran stood alone—suspended in darkness.
His breath echoed, slow and shallow.
"Where... am I?" he whispered, his voice swallowed by the vast emptiness.
Suddenly, behind him—FWOOOOOSH!—a warm, radiant light flared to life. Golden. Luminous. Alive.
He turned, eyes widening. A glowing flame burned a short distance away, pulsing with divine intensity.
"What is this fire?" Lioran stepped forward, awestruck. "And why is it... golden?"
The flame shimmered and flickered, casting strange shadows across the void. It wasn't just burning—it was growing. The fire licked upward, stretching higher like a living entity breaking free.
Crackle... CRACK!
"The flames... they're increasing," he muttered, eyes locked on the expanding inferno. "Why do I feel like... it's calling me?"
He stepped closer—
BOOOOOM!!!
A golden shockwave exploded outward, hitting him square in the chest and flinging him back through the void.
"AAAHHH!!"
GASP!
Lioran jolted upright, drenched in sweat.
Beep... beep...
A soft machine rhythm echoed nearby. He blinked rapidly. He was lying in a bed, bandages wrapped around his head, arms, and chest. Plaster immobilized his right leg.
"Where... am I now?"
Memories flooded back. That monstrous green creature. The screams. The chaos. His body engulfed in golden energy—his strength and speed exploding beyond reason. His eyes had glowed. His aura had flared. And the creature—
"...I was overpowering it."
He winced, clutching his side. The memory of flight—of smashing through buildings, of releasing a blast that scorched the very earth—played in his mind like a dream.
"What was that power?" he whispered. "How did I do all that?"
His hand trembled. He stared at it, remembering how he'd deflected a green energy orb with a single palm... how he'd created a golden sphere that vaporized half the monster's body in one magnificent eruption.
BOOMMM!
He could still hear the echo of that moment.
Determined, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, staggering to his feet. Pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth.
Creaaak...
He opened the door and stepped into a corridor. The walls were stone—ancient, almost medieval in architecture.
"This place... feels old," he murmured.
Down the hallway, a faint humming noise lured him forward. He pushed open a door and froze.
Beep-beep! VMMM... VRRRRRRR!
Inside was a room pulsing with life—screens, machines, monitors blinking with coded data, radar arrays spinning slowly under soft lights.
"...What the hell is this?" Lioran muttered, stunned. "This looks like... a secret base?"
Suddenly—
"Aaaahhh!!"
A scream!
"Sharin!!" Lioran's eyes snapped open. That voice... it's him!
He sprinted toward the sound, heart racing. The memory of Sharin's injuries tore through his chest. He slammed a door open.
"SHARINNN!!"
What he saw stopped him cold.
An old man calmly pressed golden acupuncture pins along Sharin's back. Steam rose from the points, and Sharin—though screaming—wore a look of pure relief.
"How's that feeling?" the old man asked with a wry smile.
Sharin arched. "AAHHH—It's... amazing! I feel... alive!!"
Lioran blinked, stunned. "What... is going on?"
Sharin spotted him—and burst into tears.
"Liooooraaan!" He leapt forward, embracing him with his good arm, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I... I'm so glad... you're okay!"
Lioran's chest tightened. He looked at Sharin's plastered arm, bruised skin, stitched wounds. His jaw clenched.
Then his eyes turned to the old man.
"...You're the blind beggar," he said slowly. "The one I gave bread to."
The old man smiled, removing his glasses.
"Yup," he said. "But I'm not really blind. I was just... observing."
"Observing?" Lioran asked. "Why? And what is this place?! Where are we?"
"Follow me," the man said, turning on his heel. "I'll explain everything."
He led them back into the control room. Sharin's jaw dropped.
"WOAH!" he gasped. "Is this like... a military control center?"
The old man chuckled. "Something like that. We use this tech to monitor the entire world."
"The whole world?!" Sharin exclaimed. "But why?!"
"To protect it," the old man replied.
"Protect it? From what?" Lioran asked, suspicious.
The man's expression grew dark. He clicked a small remote.
Beep...
One of the giant monitors lit up with a crimson word that pulsed on the screen:
> N A R V A N S
Lioran read it aloud slowly. "Nar...vans...?"
Sharin echoed. "What are they?"
The man answered in a grave tone: "The ones you fought. The ones who are coming."
Meanwhile, in another world...
Thunder rumbled. The sky churned with black clouds.
A jagged castle pierced the heavens, its spires twisting like claws. Inside, monstrous creatures loitered—fangs bared, claws twitching.
The massive hall fell silent as Bhoochal entered—limping, half his body torn and charred.
"Wait—" one whispered. "Is that Bhoochal?!"
"He's... alive?"
"He was supposed to kill Vaelion—did he fail?!"
"Shut up!" Bhoochal snarled, his voice a rasping growl. "You worms have no right to speak my name!"
CLACK... CLACK...
From the shadows, a presence stirred.
A black figure sat on a throne of bones—horns curling from his skull, red eyes glowing like molten lava. Dark crimson aura oozed from his body. At his side stood a silent warrior in blood-red armor, face hidden behind a demonic helmet.
The king spoke—his voice cold and slow.
"What happened, Bhoochal?"
Bhoochal immediately dropped to his knees, trembling.
"My lord... I—I failed... to kill Vaelion. He was too powerful. Stronger than expected. Please... grant me one more chance—"
The throne room darkened.
"You say he is stronger than me?" the king said, voice laced with contempt.
BOOOOM!
A tidal wave of pressure slammed into every being present. Bhoochal's body convulsed.
"N-no, Your Majesty! I didn't mean—!"
SWIIISH—CHOP!
A blade gleamed.
Bhoochal's head hit the floor.
Silence.
The king raised a finger—
FSSHHHH!!
The corpse burst into ash.
Terror swept through the chamber.
The king smirked, baring jagged fangs.
"Well done... Vaelion," he whispered, voice oozing with menace. "Let's see how long you can entertain me"
His laughter rang out—deep, echoing like a nightmare across the stone walls.
Ha... ha... HAHAHAHAHA...!
TO BE CONTINUED…