The darkness stretched endlessly. No walls. No floor. No sound. Just a vast, suffocating nothingness that swallowed everything whole.
Rynan drifted in this abyss, his thoughts like broken glass, sharp and scattered, cutting into him with every passing second. His body felt weightless, yet the crushing silence pressed down on him, wrapping around his chest like iron chains.
He clenched his fists.
I hate this.
I hate being weak.
Why was I born like this? Why do I always lose?
The words echoed inside his head, louder than the silence, heavier than the void. His entire life had been a battle he couldn't win, a cruel joke where he was always the punchline. His anger burned, but it had nowhere to go. It festered, twisted, and dug into his ribs like barbed wire.
Then—
A voice.
"You..." Rynan barely recognized his own voice. It was hoarse, dry, as if the weight of his emotions had drained the life from it. "You're the guy from my visions..."
In the distance—or maybe right in front of him, it was impossible to tell—a man sat in the darkness. His short black hair blended into the void, his expression unreadable. A sword rested against his hip, an extension of him, an inseparable piece of his existence.
He didn't speak. Didn't move.
He simply was.
A long, heavy pause filled the space between them before the man finally exhaled. "I have lost everything," he murmured, his voice carrying an exhaustion so deep it felt eternal.
Rynan's lips pressed into a thin line.
Everything, huh?
He didn't know what he expected to feel. Maybe sympathy. Maybe connection. But all he felt was numb.
Without thinking, he sat down beside the man. The void didn't shift, didn't react. It was endless, unchanging. Yet somehow, sitting there, he felt... understood.
"I'm weak," Rynan admitted. "No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try... I'll always be weak."
The words hung in the air. Cold. Final.
The man gave a quiet sigh, a sound that carried the weight of centuries. "After I fought that man... I wasn't blessed with anything. Not from the gods. Not from anyone. But I suppose… it was foolish to expect something. Something that was never coming."
His voice was calm, but beneath it, Rynan could hear it—the bitterness, the regret, the kind of pain that had no end.
"But still..." The man inhaled slowly, as if breathing itself was painful. "I just wanted to rest. Forever."
He turned slightly, his gaze finally meeting Rynan's. "Instead, my humanity was taken from me. And now... I'm here. Stuck. For eternity."
The words hit harder than Rynan expected.
Stuck. For eternity.
His breath caught.
No heaven. No hell. Just this void, forever.
Compared to that, his problems suddenly seemed... small.
*The Infirmary, Castle of Alphael—Ylza*
The room smelled of herbs, medicine, and faint traces of healing magic. Soft candlelight flickered against the stone walls, casting long shadows over the still body lying in the center of the room.
Ria sat beside the bed, her arms crossed, her gaze locked on Rynan. His breathing was steady, but that was the only sign of life. He hadn't woken up. He hadn't stirred. He was there, but he wasn't.
Her fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeves.
What the hell happened to you?
For hours, she had sat here, waiting. Watching. It wasn't like her—she wasn't the type to hover. But something about the way he looked... it unsettled her.
The door creaked open.
Leo stepped inside, his expression drawn tight. "Commander, has Rynan woken up yet?"
"No." Ria's voice was clipped.
Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn..." He hesitated, then walked over, his eyes lingering on Rynan's face. "He looks... worse than I expected."
Ria exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah."
A tense silence settled between them.
Leo shifted awkwardly. "So, uh... training's cancelled, then?"
Ria shot him a look.
Leo raised his hands in defense. "Just asking. It's not like I want to spar while Rynan's in a coma."
Ria leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "It wouldn't matter even if you did. Nobody would be able to focus."
Leo nodded, but his eyes never left Rynan. "You think he'll be okay?"
The question hung in the air.
Ria wanted to say yes. She wanted to say he'd wake up, crack some dumb joke, and everything would go back to normal. But the words refused to come.
Because the truth was—
She didn't know.
All she could do was wait.
...
The air around Rynan felt heavy. His breathing, shaky. His heart, pounding. The man's words echoed in his head, looping over and over, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.
"Rynan," The man spoke out his name.
He clenched his fists. "Wha—how do you know my name?" His voice came out quieter than he intended.
The man didn't react. Didn't blink. He stood there, watching, waiting, like he could see right through Rynan.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Tell me. Why are you weak?"
The question hit harder than it should have.
Rynan's lips parted, but no words came out. He stiffened. What was he supposed to say? That he had always been weak? That no matter how hard he tried, nothing changed? That his body—his own damn body—was the thing holding him back?
His fingers twitched at his sides. "I… I was born weak," he muttered, voice tight. "A disease makes me weak."
The man didn't look surprised. He just stared at Rynan like he was waiting for more.
"Then why not get stronger?"
Rynan's mind stopped. His stomach twisted.
'Is this guy stupid?'
He bit back the thought, forcing himself to stay calm. But the frustration was bubbling. It clawed at him, pressing against his ribs.
"I can't—"
"Why can't you?"
The interruption was sharp. Unyielding. Like the man wasn't asking, but demanding an answer.
Rynan's patience snapped. He took a step forward, his hands curling into fists. "Because I can't! I have a disease that prevents me from getting stronger!" His voice cracked, frustration spilling out.
Silence.
The man didn't move. Didn't blink. His expression stayed the same—calm, unshaken.
And then, after what felt like forever, he spoke again.
"Then why not train?"
Rynan froze. His breath caught in his throat.
'What?'
His pulse pounded in his ears. His body trembled, anger rising again, stronger this time.
"Are you even listening!?" His voice rose. "I already told you! I can't!"
The man didn't flinch. He just stared, his gaze piercing, unwavering. "Why?"
Rynan felt something snap.
His vision blurred, rage flooding his veins. His chest ached with the force of his own heartbeat.
"I HAVE A DI—"
"If that's the case," the man cut him off, his voice steady, firm, undeniable.
"Then break the cycle, Rynan."
The world stopped.
Rynan's breath hitched.
His mind went blank.
The words sank into him, deep and heavy, pressing against his ribs, his lungs, his heart.
'Break the cycle…?'
He didn't understand. But at the same time, he did.
The man stepped forward. His presence loomed over Rynan now, taller, stronger, filled with something that made the air itself feel different.
"You control your life, Rynan," he said. "Break it. Break the cycle."
Rynan swallowed, his throat dry.
The man's voice rose. "TRAIN. GET STRONGER. GO ON, ON, ON, AND ON. BREAK THE SHACKLES. SEEK FREEDOM. YOU COULD HAVE JUST DONE THAT."
His words echoed like thunder, shaking the ground beneath Rynan's feet.
"YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT!"
The air rippled. The force of his words slammed into Rynan, pressing against his skin, his chest, his soul.
His breathing turned shallow. His head spun. His body trembled.
Break the cycle...
The words wouldn't leave his mind.
And then—
The man exhaled, the fire in his voice fading. His expression softened, just a little.
"The visions I gave you," he said. "They were a warning."
Rynan's heart stopped.
The man lowered his gaze. "After a thousand years of peace..."
"Humanity has gone docile. They have forgotten the horrors of the past."
Silence.
Then, his eyes locked onto Rynan's.
"Rynan," his voice was quiet.
But the words?
The words shook him to his core.
"The 113th Demon King is coming."