"We unmade the heavens,Lit pyres with their light — And now curse the darkness we called down."
——
Darkness.
In an archaic, ruined, roofless temple. Wind blew through shattered arches. Stone columns, half-swallowed by moss, leaned like drunken titans. The scent of damp earth clung to the air.
Eyes fluttered open, slow and strained. A soft wince escaped his lips.
Where in hell… am I?
He was lying flat on his back with his arms sprawled and his vision blurry. A dozen stars blinked in the night sky above him, framed by the gaping hole where the temple's ceiling had once stood.
His head turned, sluggishly. Moss-covered pillars. Collapsed marble. Archways that led to halls choked with rubble. No torches. No fire.
His eyes narrowed.
What is this place?, he thought to himself.
Groaning, he shifted and tried to sit up.
Pain answered.
A jolt of agony exploded through his ribs like a bolt of lightning.
"ARGHH!!"
He collapsed, skull hitting the stone with a hollow crack. Breath ragged, he rolled onto his side with another sharp gasp.
"Urghh… aaaaa…"
His fingers dug into the gravel as he turned onto his stomach. Again, he tried to rise—only to fall to his knees, clutching the right side of his chest. Sweat trickled down his face. Each breath came short and shallow.
"W-What's happening to me?" Panic started to surface.
A hum.
Then a soft warmth followed.
Radiating slowly from his chest—but enough to twist the world sideways. His vision swam. His balance faltered. His stomach churned.
He remained still, kneeling, eyes shut—like a man in prayer. The strange heat pulsed, steady and silent.
And then… it faded.
He exhaled. The pain dulled. His thoughts cleared—barely.
His eyes opened again, adjusting to the dark.
What was that…?
No—before that…
He glanced around.
The hall was vast and silent, overtaken by moss and greenery. The shattered remnants of the building—rubble, broken walls, vines creeping through the cracks.
A palace? A temple?
Why am I here?
Confusion settled in like fog. His thoughts slowed. His chest ached—but not from injury.
And then, without knowing why, he stood.
No pain stopped him this time.
He rose slowly, gaze drifting across the ruined hall, and for a single moment, he stood completely still.
One question surfaced, like a blade through still water.
Who… am I?