A light rain began to fall as a 17-year-old boy counted each drop with a C4 in hand.
—"Boom!"
A massive explosion rocked the area. Guards rushed in, heavily armed, but Nova was gone. He had already escaped.
—"Are you all idiots?! Go after him, you failures!" shouted the commander.
The guards couldn't find him. Nova had vanished, heading toward ancient ruins in search of the Ring of Eternal Night, an artifact said to grant incredible power.
Before entering, he paused to reflect... remembering why he was imprisoned.
—"Damn you, Jack... You sold me out for money. You betrayed me. You'll pay for this, bro. >:v"
Jack had betrayed Nova for gold. The real reason the Empire hunted him was because of his father, Kael—a fugitive accused of nearly killing the Empire's leader, Maxius.
Now calmer, Nova entered the ruins. They led to a labyrinth with three trials:
The first tested strength and agility.
The second, intelligence.
And the third, the hardest of all: emotional and psychological fears.
Nova passed the first two challenges with ease. But as he approached the third, a strange fog surrounded him—and he collapsed.
He had entered the world of nightmares.
There, he saw a horrifying vision: a cheering crowd witnessing the execution of a woman... his mother.
Suddenly, he caught fire. His father stood before him, aiming a weapon at his head.
—"This isn't real… It's not real!" —Nova cried out.
And then, he understood: to pass the trial, he had to accept his mother's death.
He hugged the false image of his mother, tears in his eyes. The illusion faded. He had passed.
Before him appeared the Ring of Eternal Night.
He climbed the stairs. As he grabbed the ring, its dark power surged through him.
But soldiers burst in. Nova had to retreat. Bullets flew, but with a spell, he summoned the True Night Blade, a sword capable of reflecting bullets.
He spotted an exit and rushed toward it. He made it through—only to be knocked down.
What he didn't see coming were the Devourers: three-meter-tall beasts weighing 300 kg each.
With his sword, he defeated them all—but then, darkness took over.
A demon had entered his mind.
Strangely… the demon was female.
She demanded the ring. Nova refused and pushed her back. Shocked, she realized he could touch her.
—"Impossible! No human should be able to touch a demon!"
—"Oh yeah?" —Nova replied, slashing her arm—. "I warned you: I'll end this."
—"Give up, human! You can't defeat me!"
—"Any last words?"
—"Ha ha ha! Then we'll die together!"
A massive explosion sent Nova flying. He crashed to the ground, unconscious.
Hours later, he woke up. But something was wrong—he couldn't feel his legs.
—"What the—? I can't feel my—AHH!"
A small figure was lying on his legs… sleeping.
It was the demon… but now she looked younger, smaller—almost human.
—"What are you doing?" —Nova asked, confused.
—"My name is Lia," —she said with a smile—. "And from now on… you'll be my big brother."
Nova stared in disbelief.
To be continued…