"Where am I? Did I die?"
He slowly opened his eyes, but all he could see was darkness. Above him, a bright light drifted further away, growing smaller with each passing moment.
It felt like he was falling inside a well… a bottomless one.
He kept his gaze fixed on the light as it continued to shrink. His mind was quiet, his face calm.
It was as if whatever was happening no longer bothered him. So he closed his eyes and embraced the fall, unconcerned with what would come next.
Back in the arena, some spectators grew worried while others watched with curiosity. Was he dead, or merely unconscious? They weren't sure.
Then, everyone's attention suddenly shifted to the section where Granny sat alongside the other dignified looking individuals.
It was as if they were waiting for a signal… a gesture. Yet none of them moved or spoke. Then, after a brief moment, Granny stood. She glanced at the others seated around her, and they all gave a quiet nod.
In the next instant, she vanished, reappearing beside him. With a small gesture of her hand, a pouch appeared before her. Reaching inside, she retrieved a vial filled with a shimmering green liquid.
Removing the lid, she knelt beside him and placed the rim of the vial to his mouth. Slowly, she poured the liquid in. Almost immediately, he began to cough… his eyes twitching slightly.
Then, within the bottomless well where he had been falling, he began to rise. Even with his eyes closed, they suddenly snapped open as he felt his body being lifted. The light above grew brighter, wider, as he drew closer. And just as he reached out, close enough to touch it, a sudden flash stunned him. His vision blurred, and muffled sounds echoed around him.
He was back in the arena… conscious once more.
A slight migraine throbbed at his temple, the noise around him only making it worse. Slowly, his vision began to clear. As he looked up, he saw a silhouette standing before him.
"G-granny… is that you? What happened?"
She looked at him with a familiar smile, extending her hand to help him up. He struggled for a moment, his feet still numb, yet at the same time, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. The migraine began to ease, and the aches across his body slowly faded.
Noticing the vial in Granny's hand, he had a fair idea of what had happened and returned a slight smirk.
"Granny… please tell me… just who are you?"
"Are you the one who brought me to this place?"
She stared at him for a moment, saying nothing. Then, she reached into her pouch once more and pulled out another key.
This one caught his attention immediately. Unlike the first, it appeared to be made of clear crystal, almost like a gem. It sparkled beneath the rays of the sun, giving off a soft, beautiful glow.
As she held the key in her hand, a sudden silence fell over the arena. One by one, the spectators bowed their heads in reverence, leaving him to wonder what was happening.
The answers he sought came soon after.
The clouds above began to part as something slowly descended toward the arena… a massive door. It fell into place at the center, standing beside him.
It stood roughly ten meters tall, with eight glowing runes aligned along the arch at the top.
He stared at the door with deep curiosity, then quickly turned his gaze to Granny, whose outstretched hand held the key toward him.
With a quiet nod, she offered it. He hesitated for a brief moment before taking it from her grasp. Turning away, she began making her way back up the stadium, giving him a small wave as she left.
'Just who is this lady…?'
Glancing down at the key, he understood exactly what it was meant to do. Without hesitation, he headed toward the door. As he walked, he scanned the arena. Everyone was watching him, their expressions filled with both pride and gratitude.
Now standing before the door, he felt the radiant light it gave off, almost divine. Slowly raising his hand, he inserted the key. A sharp click echoed.
The door creaked open, and a rush of mist spilled out from beneath it, spreading across the arena. Then, as it opened fully, a brilliant light poured through. He watched in awe, the scent drifting from within something he couldn't quite describe.
He stood at the entrance of the door, where a translucent staircase stretched upward into the heavens. A voice, the same one he had heard when he first arrived in this place, spoke.
"Rico Galliga. Enter… and ascend to my domain."
He stepped forward cautiously, glancing back at the crowd one last time as they waved and cheered him on. Then, something strange began to happen.
Before his eyes, the spectators turned pale, their forms fading as if they were becoming spirits. One by one, they were drawn into a bright beam of light and vanished.
He stared in astonishment, a question forming in his mind, one he had never truly considered before —
"Who were those people?"
With that thought lingering, the young man stepped through the door. It closed behind him at once, vanishing completely and leaving him alone upon the translucent stairs.
Above him, clouds formed a natural barrier, separating the realms. He scanned his surroundings carefully, yet all he could see was an endless sea of clouds.
Unbeknownst to him… something below waited patiently.
The staircase beneath him somehow stretched downward toward, as if that was where its very first step began. And while that alone stirred countless questions in the young man's mind, it was the strange phenomenon below that truly piqued his curiosity.
On what appeared to be the earth where the end of the stairs rested, he saw countless bright yellow lights scattered across its surface, resembling stars. Some shone brightly, while others barely flickered at all. Then, dark spots began to form beside them, slowly spreading until the lights were swallowed entirely.
He watched in deep wonder, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Soon, new lights appeared near the darkness, glowing with a vivid blue hue, far brighter than the yellow ones. The darkness began to recede, consumed by these blue lights, and as it vanished, the yellow lights returned.
But that wasn't all.
Some of the blue lights were overtaken as well, consumed by the growing darkness. And as it expanded, he witnessed something even more astonishing. A new light emerged near it, shining with a silver, almost divine radiance. It burned with such intensity that the darkness was completely erased.
'What strangeness is this…? What are those lights… and those dark spots…?'
Rico was puzzled at what he just saw before a thunderous voice spoke behind him.
"That which you witness is the ancient war being waged within the human realm."
He jolted at the sound of the voice.
"W-who's there? Show yourself."
The moment the words left his mouth, a blinding flash erupted. His vision went white, and a sharp ringing filled his ears.
"Dang it… was I flash-banged? By God?"
He rubbed his eyes as his vision slowly returned, his hearing clearing with it. Behind him, a soft glow began to form, and from within it, the voice spoke once more.
"Do not be afraid, Rico. I am aware of the questions that weigh upon your mind… and within my grasp, I hold the answers you seek."
Hesitantly, he turned toward the voice. Fear and curiosity warred within him, yet something about it compelled him to face it. His eyes widened as they met the source, the radiant light reflecting across his gaze.
Instinctively, he raised a hand to shield his face, the light nearly blinding. Peering through his fingers, he caught sight of a silhouette… a woman, floating before him. She said nothing, her gaze fixed solely on him.
As he continued to look, the figure slowly became clearer. He wasn't sure whether the light around her was dimming, or if his eyes were simply adjusting. But as the image sharpened, so did her features.
Her hair glowed with a radiant silver light, small stars woven into it like delicate beads. It drifted upward as if untouched by gravity, moving with a quiet, majestic grace.
When his focus shifted to her face, he noticed it remained slightly blurred, its details not as defined as her hair. Still, from her complexion and form, she appeared to be a woman in her late twenties.
Then, something truly astonishing caught his eye.
At first, they resembled halos… or perhaps glowing chakrams, hovering behind her back as they rotated slowly in an anti-clockwise motion.
'Beautiful… she is… beautiful.'
His cheeks flushed as he stared in awe at the objects floating behind her. Slowly, it became clear what they were, and the realization struck him. Each one represented a phase of the moon, their different glows marking them apart. There were eight in total, just as there were eight lunar phases.
Trying to make sense of what stood before him, he continued observing the supernatural being. Only then did he notice that she hovered upon what seemed to be clouds.
"Excuse me… may I ask who you are? Were you the one who brought me to this place?"
The entity drifted closer, her bare feet gently touching the ground. The moment they did, small, delicate flowers — moon flowers — bloomed beneath her. They each had one single leaf that had the appearance of a crescent moon. They glowed just the same, making them a sight to behold.
As she approached, she placed her hand softly on his head. It was warm, and at her touch, the fatigue within him faded. In its place, a strange sense of rejuvenation flowed through both his mind and body.
But the reason for placing her hand on him soon became clear.
"You're… the moon… but how?"
Rico's mind was quickly filled with a brief overview of who the entity was that stood before him — The Queen who rules the Night.
She remained silent for a moment before lifting her hand from his head and resting it gently on his shoulder.
"Your parents… would you wish to know what manner of creature it was that ended their lives?"
His expression darkened at her words. He clenched his fist, teeth grinding together, before giving a quiet nod.
"Rico… your parents were slain by a creature known as dark spawns—beings that cross into the human realm from the Dark Realm."
He lifted his head, eyes wide and unblinking, his expression caught between anger and confusion.
"Dark spawns? Dark Realm? What do you mean? Are you saying… there's another realm out there? That humans… aren't alone?"
She withdrew her hand from his shoulder and turned, gesturing for him to follow.
"For many, such a truth would be beyond belief… yet for you, who have already brushed against it, the answer has long since taken root within your heart."
He let out a slow breath and followed behind her. As he walked, his eyes wandered, taking in the space around him.
It resembled the grand chamber of a monarch—a vast hall stretching endlessly, supported by towering pillars of blue and white sapphire. Above, the ceiling shimmered like a night sky, adorned with stars, while sigils traced along its edges, each one representing a phase of the moon's cycle.
But the most breathtaking sight he beheld was where the queen was heading—the throne.
It was a radiant seat, crafted from glowing lunar silver that softly mirrored her own light. The backrest formed a great crescent moon, adorned with small crystal stars that shimmered like the night sky. It rested upon a moonstone platform, etched with runes of the lunar phases.
As she turned and took her seat, a gentle silver glow spread from the throne, as though she now sat at the very heart of a full moon.
'Should I ask her age? Pfft… who am I kidding.'
"I am eternal, my child. I have existed since the dawn of creation, when the Creator of All shaped me and entrusted me with my purpose."
'Oh shit… she can hear my thoughts?'
She regarded him with a soft smile, and he lowered his head, embarrassed.
"Rico… there is much you must come to know and understand. Yet the time allotted for such knowledge unfolds in stages. For now, there are but two truths you must grasp."
He nodded slowly.
"Okay… but before you start, can I ask you something?"
The Queen raised her hand, and with a simple gesture, a projection of the earth appeared before him.
"The answer you seek lies before you. Observe once more… and listen carefully."
....
A/N: If you enjoyed this chapter or see potential in this novel, please show your support by adding to your library - this would greatly help. I also would be thankful for any power stone donation you give.