The hall stood vast and silent, bathed in a pale white glow. Ancient pillars rose high toward the ceiling, each carved with symbols of an empire long beyond its peak. The walls were lined with faded murals depictions of conquest, balance, and power. At the center of the chamber rested a massive stone table, circular in shape, its surface engraved with intricate patterns that pulsed faintly with dormant energy.
Five chairs surrounded it.
Each bore a mark,
M1…M2…M3…M4…M5…..
And upon them sat five figures.
Their presence alone carried weight not loud, not aggressive, but suffocating in its authority. No introductions were needed. No names spoken.
They were the core. The rulers behind the unseen.
Among them sat one figure slightly apart in presence not in position, but in aura.
Noir....
Unlike the others, he did not lean forward in discussion. He did not argue. He did not react. He simply listened.
"…this imbalance cannot continue," one of the members spoke, voice edged with restrained urgency. "The gods have made their stance clear."
Another added, colder, sharper, "And we must follow it. That is the order of this world."
Silence followed...
All eyes slowly turned toward Noir.
For a brief moment, he remained still.
Then….he stood…..
No words….No expression…..
Just movement...
He turned and began walking toward the exit.
"M5."
The voice came firm this time. Noir did not stop. A second voice followed, irritation rising.
"What is this? Have you gone mad?"
Still… no response
A third voice, calmer, more calculating, spoke softly,
"No… he hasn't lost control."
A pause...
Then, with quiet certainty,
"He has already chosen his path."
The chamber fell into silence once more. And Noir walked out.
Darkness replaced light. Where the hall had been vast and radiant, this place was deep, enclosed, and heavy.
A throne room...
Cold stone walls stretched into shadow, barely visible under the faint flicker of blue flames that burned along the sides. The air itself felt dense, as though it carried the weight of something ancient… something watching…
At the far end stood a throne.
Black…Massive…..
Carved not with beauty but with dominance. And upon it sat Noir.
Relaxed, yet unapproachable.
One arm rested against the throne, fingers lightly touching the edge, while his gaze remained fixed ahead not at the room, but beyond it.
Below him, at a measured distance a figure knelt.
Silent…..Still...
Clad in dark armor that reflected faint blue light, the warrior's presence was overwhelming even in submission. His physique was powerful, his posture disciplined, and from beneath his helm, a pair of faintly glowing blue eyes could be seen.
At his side rested a sword,
Long…Heavy….Terrifying in presence...
Its blade carried a dull black sheen, as if it absorbed light itself.
"Abyssrend….."
A weapon forged not for war… but for annihilation.
Noir spoke…..
His voice was calm….Deep…Controlled…..
"This power… cannot remain without a will."
The kneeling figure did not move.
"If I fall…" Noir continued, his gaze lowering slightly, "…this world will fall with me."
A faint flicker of tension passed through the air.
"The gods," Noir said, voice sharpening just a fraction, "will not choose humanity."
Silence…..
"They never have."
He leaned back slightly
"The others… M1 through M4…"
A brief pause
"They have become blind."
Not anger….
Not hatred…..
Just truth…..
"They follow what is given. They accept what is decided. They believe obedience is balance."
His eyes darkened.
"I refuse."
For the first time, the kneeling figure spoke.
His voice was deep, steady
"What is your will… my lord?"
Noir looked at him. Not as a ruler.
But as something else.
"…Balance," Noir replied
"Not by the gods. Not by fear."
A pause…..
"But by choice."
His gaze softened, just slightly,
"And for that… I will walk a different path."
Silence returned then,
Noir spoke again.
"If the time comes… you will choose."
The armored figure lowered his head further.
"I exist only to serve you."
Noir exhaled softly.
A rare expression crossed his face, not weakness, but something close to acknowledgment.
"My loyal… and humble friend."
The kneeling figure, Varon, remained still...
"You have stood beside me longer than any other," Noir continued. "Not as a weapon… but as a will."
A faint pause…..
"In the future… chaos will rise."
His voice grew quieter
"Whether I return… or not."
Varon's grip on the ground tightened slightly.
"There will be someone."
Noir's gaze shifted far, distant, as if seeing beyond time itself.
"A successor…."
The word lingered
"And when that time comes…"
He leaned forward slightly
"You will guide him."
Silence....
"You will stand beside him… as you stood beside me."
Varon spoke, unwavering,
"With my life."
Noir nodded once
"Not as a servant."
A pause…..
"But as a guardian…."
The world burned, a battlefield stretched endlessly beneath a darkened sky. The ground was shattered, cracked under the force of overwhelming power. Smoke rose in thick waves, and the air trembled with the aftermath of destruction.
Four figures stood,
Broken….
Wounded….
But still standing…..
M1….M2…M3…M4...
Their bodies bore deep injuries. Their breaths were heavy. Yet their eyes remained locked forward.
Facing them…
Noir....
Even in his weakened state, his presence dominated the battlefield.
His form was damaged, his aura unstable… yet he stood firm.
Unyielding…..
From afar, hidden within the shadows Varon watched. His fists clenched tightly.
"If only…" his voice trembled, restrained but heavy, "…I had been allowed to fight…"
His glowing blue eyes burned with frustration.
"I would have saved you…"
The battlefield erupted once more.
A massive surge of energy collided.
Light… and darkness.
A final clash...
A blinding flash consumed everything.
And then….Silence....
When the light faded…
Noir was gone….
Sealed...
The battlefield fell still. The four figures remained standing but barely. And in the distance…
Varon stepped forward slowly. The air around him grew colder.
He stopped…..
His gaze fixed on the place where Noir had vanished. Silence lingered for a long moment.
Then, "I swear…"
His voice was no longer restrained.
It carried weight.
Rage….Loyalty…..
"I will wait "
The ground beneath him trembled faintly.
"Even if time itself decays…"
His eyes glowed brighter,
"I will remain."
A pause…..
"And when the day comes…"
His voice dropped, cold and absolute.
"The ones who turned against you…"
A faint aura began to rise from him.
"They will face my wrath."
Silence…..
"And the will… of the one you chose."
The wind howled across the empty battlefield and Varon stood alone.
Waiting...