Rain poured endlessly over the forest.
Inside a narrow cave, Lucas sat in silence, back against the cold stone. Blood stained his clothes. His wounds were deep, but his movements were steady as he stitched his flesh. Pain had long become a familiar companion. The Sword of Hell rested across his lap, dark and quiet, as if waiting.
When he finally slept, he did not truly rest.
His instincts never allowed it.
A faint sound woke him.
His eyes snapped open.
Near the entrance, something struggled weakly. A small bird lay on the wet ground, wings trembling. Its feathers glowed faintly, a beautiful golden light, yet fragile, as if it would vanish at any moment.
Lucas watched it for a long time.
In this world, kindness had no value. Saving the weak only created future burdens.
Yet he stood.
He picked it up carefully. The bird was warm, but its life was fading. Without hesitation, Lucas wrapped its wounds using techniques he had once seen his father use on his injured brother.
His mother used to say healing was a quiet form of love.
That memory felt distant now, like a dream from another life.
The bird survived.
For days, it remained unconscious. Lucas neither spoke nor expected gratitude.
When it finally awoke, it immediately ate the food placed beside it. No hesitation. No pride. Pure survival.
When Lucas approached, the bird raised its tail, feathers shining brightly in warning.
Lucas ignored it.
He gently petted its head.
The bird froze.
Then leaned closer.
Time passed.
One night, without warning, flames erupted from its body. Lucas stepped back instantly, eyes sharp, ready to defend. The bird burned completely, reduced to ashes.
Lucas did not move.
Moments later, the ashes trembled.
A soft sound echoed.
A new bird emerged, reborn from the gray dust.
Immortal.
Lucas understood.
He made space beside the fire.
"I'll call you Kart."
The bird chirped softly.
Days turned into months. Months into years.
They fought together. Survived together. Kart's light guided him through darkness, distracted predators, and watched over him during silent nights.
A strange bond formed.
Lucas did not resist it.
When they finally stood before Blood Mountain, it no longer felt unreachable.
The entrance was a vast cavern, swallowing light itself. Lucas stepped inside without hesitation. Kart illuminated the path. Monsters emerged endlessly from the darkness, but Lucas cut them down with cold efficiency.
Hours turned into days. Days into months.
Time lost meaning.
They hunted. They advanced. They rested.
Lucas no longer knew how long they had been inside.
The only constant was Kart's light.
Years passed.
Lucas became eighteen.
Kart grew as well, his body now larger than Lucas. He could even ride him. Their minds connected, thoughts flowing freely between them.
"Papa," Kart's voice echoed in his mind one day, bright and clear. "I will charge toward the light we have been hunting for so long."
Lucas smiled faintly.
"Good idea, Kart."
Lucas mounted him.
Kart shot forward like a falling star, his golden feathers cutting through darkness. Lucas slashed every monster in their path, his blade leaving trails of black light.
Then suddenly, Lucas's expression changed.
"Kart. Stop."
They halted.
Silence filled the tunnel.
Lucas's eyes narrowed.
"This explains everything."
"What do you mean, Papa?"
"We're trapped."
Kart tilted his head.
"A loop."
The word echoed in the darkness.
"It means no matter how far we go, we return to the same place. Endless distance. Endless time. But no progress."
Kart thought for a moment.
"So it's a spell?"
Lucas nodded.
"Yes. An illusion type."
"How do you know?"
"When we kill the beasts, their bodies disappear. They are not real."
Kart's feathers burned with anger.
"Should I burn everything?"
Lucas shook his head slowly.
"No. This is my trial."
A long silence followed.
"It's time I use it."
Kart hesitated.
"But you've never used it before…"
Lucas looked forward, eyes calm.
"I know."
He placed a hand on Kart's head.
"Go. Stay far away."
Kart obeyed, though unwilling.
Lucas stood alone in the endless darkness.
For years, he had avoided this moment. Power always demanded a price. But now, he could no longer move forward without it.
He closed his eyes.
Time itself seemed to hold its breath.
When he opened them again, golden light filled the cave.
For the first time since entering the trial, Lucas activated the power of fate.
"CHRONOS FIRST EYE…"
The air froze.
"DOMAIN OF THE RULER."