— "...We thought we had won. We sent Bell, the Guardian of Light. She soared into the heavens, directing a thousand beams of holy light from the temple tower at the black-armored one. But... she simply exploded in the air. There was no body left behind."
The hall fell silent. Some looked as if they couldn't believe it; others whispered the names of the gods under their breath.
Marcus lowered his gaze, speaking quietly:
— "She... couldn't defeat them. The Light... it wasn't enough."
The High Pope slowly closed the golden-edged tome on the altar before him:
— "You're saying our most powerful guardian... could not stop them?"
Marcus nodded. He looked as if he might cry, but inside, he was already shattered.
— "Even the Light is beginning to waver," one of the priests whispered.
At that moment, the High Pope stood from his seat and cast a piercing gaze around the hall:
— "This is not a simple assault."
— "This is... the awakening of the Ancient Darkness."
The grand chamber doors closed. Winter wind blew through the windows, causing the candle flames to flicker and tremble.
From that day on, the Council of the Holy Temple was never the same again.
...But the light was no longer pure.
Even as the morning sun rose, its light was not bright, but a dim yellow hue—like a faint glow in a shadowed night. People hurried about their lives, as if nothing was wrong.
But Kraan... deep in his soul, he knew something had changed. A cold emptiness had taken hold of him. He tried to convince himself that the meeting from the previous night had just been a dream, but the words echoed within his heart:
"Tomorrow, you will understand everything."
The day passed, and evening came. Kraan stood atop the inn's roof, watching the city below. Suddenly—just like the night before—the shadows began to move again.
— "I knew you'd come," the boy whispered.
Airaa Dökhön appeared once more. This time, two others followed behind him—one a tall, slender woman with eyes sharp as blades, and the other a masked, mysterious figure.
Airaa stepped forward and said:
— "In your heart lies not their false light, but true shadow. You've already faced the bloody truth behind their radiant lies. Now, there is only one question..."
Kraan's heart pounded. But he was not afraid. He knew—nothing in his life would ever be normal again.
In a calm, but terrifying voice, Airaa asked:
— "Will you take your revenge?"
— "Will you burn yourself and all your suffering to destroy them?"
— "Do you wish... to become a Dark Knight?"
Kraan stood silent for a moment. He saw once more the faces of his father, mother, and sister. And then, the words spoken to him in the depths of death rang through his mind:
"Don't cry... Don't speak... Stay alive..."
The boy clenched his lips, brought his blood-stained fist to his heart, and said:
— "Yes. I want this. I... want to destroy them all."
At that moment, Airaa smiled, his heavy armor clanking as he pulled out a small box. From it poured a dark energy, like the night itself burning with hatred.
— "Then this is the beginning. Drink it. You will no longer be a mere human."
Kraan gazed at the dark liquid. It pulsed, as if alive, drawing him in. He took a deep breath... and brought it to his lips.
...And in that moment, Kraan's old life ended, and he was reborn with a new soul—as a Dark Knight.