Blood dripped from the corners of Sagaru's lips.
He stood under the fading moonlight, knees trembling, eyes wide with something he couldn't name — fear, perhaps, or the beginnings of truth.
It had been three days since the ruins incident. The mark on his chest still pulsed like a second heartbeat, glowing dimly in the dark.
But tonight... tonight the dreams were louder.
💤 The Dream
A deep red sky. Screams echoing from nowhere.
In his dream, he saw a young boy standing amidst a field of floating lanterns. His face was covered in ash. His eyes — the same shade as Sagaru's — were staring blankly at the heavens.
Then, the boy whispered in Japanese:
「世界は夢だった...そして私はその終わり.」
("The world was a dream… and I am its end.")
Sagaru tried to move but found himself rooted. Suddenly, the sky cracked open like shattered glass — revealing a towering silhouette cloaked in black fire. The same presence from the ruins.
He was laughing. A low, spine-chilling laugh.
Then… silence.
Everything exploded in a flash of red, and Sagaru woke up gasping — the mark on his chest now bleeding.
🧿 The Shattered Seal
"What… is happening to me?" he whispered, clutching his shirt.
In the mirror, his reflection flickered. For a second, he saw another version of himself — eyes hollow, skin marked with crimson veins, and… a crown of black flames floating above his head.
Then it was gone.
From the corner of his room, the mysterious scroll he found in the ruins began to unravel on its own.
Symbols danced across the air, forming ancient letters. One word stood out:
> "Kenshiryoku (見識力) — The Forbidden Insight."
His pulse quickened.
That was the name of the forbidden magic sealed over 300 years ago… magic so strong, it shattered kingdoms and twisted even the purest hearts.
And now… it was calling to him.
👤 The Watcher in the Rain
Outside, it began to rain.
On the rooftop opposite his room, stood a figure — tall, unmoving, watching.
He wore a long cloak with torn edges, and his face was hidden behind a porcelain mask carved like a crying oni.
He whispered under his breath:
「彼は目覚めた.」
("He has awakened.")
🏮 Sensei's Revelation
Next day, Sagaru met his guardian — Master Ryouji, a retired war-mage who had raised him after the great purge.
But Ryouji's eyes today were not calm.
"You saw it, didn't you? The dream… the mark… the seal," he said quietly.
Sagaru nodded, voice cracking. "What am I, Sensei?"
Ryouji took a deep breath and finally spoke:
> "You're not cursed, Sagaru.
You're what we call a Kriteem (クリティーム) — a vessel meant to carry both hope… and ruin."
Silence fell like a blade.
"The seal on your chest wasn't placed by accident. It was to suppress your lineage — the bloodline of the First Calamity..."
Sagaru's legs gave in. "That can't be... my parents were farmers…"
Ryouji placed a scroll on the table.
It was an old sketch — a young boy standing amidst a battlefield, entire armies falling behind him. The title below:
> "Raion no Namida – The Lion's Tears."
It was… Sagaru.
Or someone who looked just like him — eyes glowing, mark bleeding.
And behind him stood a man with flaming eyes and a broken crown.
Ryouji's voice dropped.
"There's one more thing… the man you saw in your dream?"
Sagaru looked up.
"That's not a memory... it's a prophecy."
⚫ Villain's Whisper (Little Lambu's Entry)
Far away, in a realm hidden beneath the collapsed city of Aozora, stood a lone throne surrounded by endless thorns.
A man sat on it — his left eye blindfolded, his right burning like a sun in eclipse. His fingers were stained with ink and blood.
He murmured:
「サガル…やっと目覚めたか.」
("Sagaru… so, you've finally awakened.")
The air twisted. Shadows bowed before him.
A child approached. "My Lord, the seal on the vessel is breaking."
He smiled — a cruel, sorrowful smile.
> "Then the game begins. Let him feel what I felt.
Let the world see what happens when a god is betrayed."
His name echoed through the cursed halls:
> Lambu, The Veinborn Wasavio
Not just a villain… but a fallen savior.
🌌 Final Lines
Sagaru stood at the temple cliff, staring at the horizon. His chest throbbed again.
He closed his eyes.
"I don't care what I was born as.
If this world wants a monster... I'll show them something worse."
Suddenly, the seal exploded in golden light, forming ancient wings behind him.
The world began to change — one heartbeat at a time.