Morning came gentle and silver after a night of steady rain. The streets of Insomnia glistened under the barrier's blue shimmer, towers reflecting streaks of dawn like blades of glass. The city's hum was softer than usual, as though it too waited for something to begin.
Sirius Blake stood before the Citadel gates, his uniform pressed sharp, cloak still damp from the walk through misty streets. In his hand rested a sealed summons—emblazoned with two crests: the royal Crown of Lucis and a black wolf's fang wreathed in flame. He had known this day would come. He had trained for it, bled for it, and now, it was time to step into the shadows he had long prepared to embrace.
The guards saluted without question as he passed. He entered the marble hall, boots echoing steadily against the floor. Every step seemed to draw him further from the world above and deeper into something unseen—something permanent.
The elevator carried him down, past the Citadel's familiar levels, past archives and training grounds, into depths where few ever went. The air grew colder, the walls darker, glowing faintly with runes that pulsed like veins of magic. When the doors opened, he found himself in a circular chamber of stone and crystal, illuminated by a soft blue fire that burned without smoke.
Cor Leonis stood at the center. The Immortal's posture was as unwavering as always, hands clasped behind his back. Two armored figures stood at his sides, faces hidden beneath black visors. Zangan leaned against a pillar nearby, wearing his usual faint grin, but there was something different in his eyes today—something respectful.
Sirius stepped forward and saluted. "Reporting as ordered."
Cor nodded once. "At ease."
Zangan tilted his head. "You look like a man about to carve his name into history."
"I'm not here for history," Sirius replied. His voice was calm, but beneath it was something steady, like tempered steel.
"That's what makes it inevitable," Zangan said, smirking faintly.
Cor motioned toward the center of the chamber. "Step into the circle."
Sirius obeyed. As he crossed the rune-lined floor, the symbols brightened, their light coiling around his boots like mist. The air thickened, humming with restrained energy.
An older officer—Captain Draen—stepped forward carrying an obsidian case. Inside lay a single badge, black and polished, shaped like a stylized fang surrounded by runic lines.
"Candidate Sirius Blake," Draen intoned, voice resonant against the chamber walls, "by command of the Immortal and decree of the Crown, you are called to bear the Oath of the Lucian Shadow Guard. Once taken, you will no longer stand in the light, but behind it. You will serve unseen, protect without praise, and bleed without witness. Do you accept this duty?"
"I accept," Sirius said without hesitation.
"Do you swear to keep faith with the Creed and never betray it, even if the world itself forgets your name?"
"I swear it."
The blue flames rose higher, wrapping him in their glow. Cor unsheathed his blade, its edge catching the light like silver fire.
"Then rise," he said quietly. "By blade and creed, you are one of us. Remember—shadow exists not to hide the light, but to shield it."
He touched the flat of the sword to Sirius' shoulders, left then right, in silent benediction. The runes dimmed to embers. The air stilled.
Draen held out the badge. "Welcome, Candidate. From this day, your silence serves the realm."
Sirius took it, feeling its cold weight in his palm. It was heavier than metal had any right to be.
Zangan clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Well, look at that—you didn't pass out. You're officially invisible."
Sirius almost smiled. "That's the point, isn't it?"
"Exactly," Zangan said. "Do your job right, and no one will ever know you existed."
Cor's gaze lingered. "You've earned this, Sirius. But remember—power is easy to wield. Humanity isn't. Never lose the reason you started down this path."
"I won't," Sirius said.
"Good," Cor replied. For just an instant, something softened in his eyes. "Go home. Be a son tonight."
When Sirius stepped out of the Citadel, the morning had turned bright and clear. The barrier shimmered faintly overhead, its glow washing across the rooftops like sunlight caught in crystal. Below, the city thrived—children running to school, vendors opening their stalls, magitek trams gliding through the streets.
No one looked up. No one knew. And that was how it should be.
He tucked the badge into his coat and made his way home.
The familiar warmth of the Blake residence greeted him—fresh bread baking, broth simmering, and the faint melody of Lyla humming by the stove. She turned as he entered, her white hair shining softly in the kitchen light.
"You're home early," she said, smiling.
"Ceremony's done," Sirius replied.
Dominic entered from the hallway, still fastening his Crownsguard jacket. "Ceremony?"
Sirius held up the badge. "They accepted me."
Dominic stared for a moment before breaking into quiet laughter. "About time. I was beginning to think Cor had forgotten what talent looks like."
Lyla approached, hands trembling slightly as she touched the badge. "I'm proud of you, Sirius," she whispered. "But promise me one thing."
He nodded. "Anything."
"No matter how dark the path becomes, don't lose your warmth. That's what keeps you human."
Sirius smiled faintly. "I won't."
That evening, they ate together by the hearth. The conversation was light, easy—Dominic teasing about his old missions, Lyla laughing softly, Sirius listening more than speaking. For the first time in months, the house felt like peace again, untouched by the weight of training or the noise of duty.
Later, when the city outside fell quiet, Sirius stepped onto the balcony. The night air was cool, carrying the faint hum of the barrier overhead. Insomnia stretched before him like a sea of light—countless windows flickering like stars below the dome of magic.
He drew his katana, resting its sheath against the railing. The steel caught the glow, reflecting both city and sky.
The System flickered to life in faint light before his eyes:
[Status Update]
Name: Sirius Blake
Designation: Shadow Guard Candidate
Resonance: Stable
System Note: "Balance Achieved."
He smiled to himself, a quiet, satisfied sound. "So it finally listens."
He sheathed the weapon with a soft click. "Protect unseen. Bleed without witness. Live with purpose."
Beyond the barrier, thunder murmured on the horizon. He looked toward it, not in fear, but in recognition. "Whatever's coming," he whispered, "I'm ready."
At the same hour, inside the Citadel, Cor Leonis stood by his window, watching the same skyline. Zangan leaned against the wall beside him, arms folded.
"He's not a boy anymore," Zangan said quietly.
"No," Cor replied. "He's a blade now."
"You proud?"
Cor paused, his reflection unreadable. "Every day."
Zangan smirked faintly. "Then maybe there's hope for this world after all."
Cor's gaze stayed on the horizon. "There's him. That's enough."
Midnight settled gently over Insomnia. The barrier shimmered like a second sky, its light tracing faint rivers across the stars. Within the Blake home, the hearth glowed low and steady. Sirius remained on the balcony, motionless, his eyes lifted toward the heavens beyond the barrier.
For the first time since he'd awakened in this world, he didn't feel torn between what he was and what he had to become. The boy, the warrior, the protector—they were one now.
He breathed deep and whispered, "The light doesn't need to see me to know I'm here."
The wind stirred his hair, carrying the words into the night.
And so, beneath the quiet hum of the Crown City, Sirius Blake stood in silence—no longer just a prodigy, but the unseen guardian whose shadow would one day preserve the dawn.
The legend of the White Wolf of Lucis had begun.