The world smelled of ashes and forgotten screams. Auron opened his eyes to a crimson sky torn by cracks of black light. The ground beneath him pulsed like dying embers, each breath thick with smoke and silence.
He didn't know his name. He didn't know where he was. Only one whisper echoed inside his skull— "The Void chose you."
He tried to move, but pain stabbed through his body. Around him lay the remains of a battlefield—broken swords, burnt flags, and the charred corpses of soldiers who once dreamed of glory.
In the distance, something flickered—a faint cry, soft yet desperate. Auron pushed himself up, his vision blurring as he staggered toward the sound. The wind carried the scent of blood and fear.
At the edge of a shattered hill, he saw her. A girl, maybe his age, lying on the ground, surrounded by creatures made of smoke and teeth—shadow beasts, their eyes glowing white. She tried to crawl backward, holding a broken dagger.
"Stay away!" she screamed.
One of the beasts lunged. Auron didn't think. His body moved before his mind could. His right arm burst into black fire—flames that shimmered between night and gold. The beast never touched her. It turned to dust before her eyes.
The girl froze. The fire spread across Auron's arm, wrapping around his veins like living chains. The heat didn't burn him—it sang to him.
"Embrace it… the flame remembers you."
Auron clenched his fist. The ground cracked open, waves of shadowfire devouring every monster in sight. The world turned silent once more.
When the fire faded, he fell to one knee, gasping. The girl stared at him, eyes wide, trembling between awe and terror.
"You… you're not human," she whispered.
Auron looked at his hands. The black flames had vanished, leaving faint cracks glowing on his skin. "I don't know what I am," he said slowly, his voice hoarse. "But I know one thing…"
"If the darkness within me burns the world—then let the world burn before she dies." 🔥
The girl blinked. Tears streaked down her dirt-covered face.
He stood up, looking at the battlefield that stretched beyond the mist. "What is this place?" he asked.
"This is Elarion," she replied weakly. "The Shattered Realm… where light and darkness never stop killing each other."
Elarion. The name echoed in his chest, like an ancient memory buried in fire.
The girl's voice trembled again. "Who are you?"
He hesitated. "I… I think my name is Auron."
She nodded slowly. "Seria. My name's Seria."
Above them, the crimson sky rumbled. Auron looked up and saw something terrifying—thin black cracks forming high above the clouds, stretching wider with every second, glowing faintly like an open wound in reality.
Seria followed his gaze. Her voice broke. "No… not again…"
"What is that?" Auron asked.
"The Void Gate," she whispered. "It was sealed years ago… how is it—"
The cracks pulsed, sending a gust of cold wind through the ruins. Auron felt the same voice echo in his chest again— "The Gate remembers you."
Pain exploded inside his head. Visions flashed before his eyes—a burning temple, soldiers bowing before a dark throne, a hand reaching out from the void itself.
"Born from nothing… destined for everything…"
He collapsed to the ground, gripping his head. Seria knelt beside him, shaking his shoulders. "Hey! Stay with me!"
The voice faded, leaving only silence. Auron's breathing slowed. The black cracks in the sky dimmed slightly, as if waiting.
Seria stared at him, terrified yet drawn closer. "You need to come with me. There's a place… the Academy. They'll help you understand what's happening."
Auron forced a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Help me understand? I don't even know if I should exist."
"Then live long enough to find out," she said, extending her hand.
Auron hesitated, then took it. Her touch was warm—almost painfully human. Together, they walked through the mist toward a faint light on the horizon.
The world grew quieter as they reached the edge of the ruins. An old stone sign stood half-buried in the dirt, the letters barely visible— "Welcome to Solara — City of Light."
Seria looked at him and whispered, "This is where everything begins."
Auron looked back at the battlefield—the black flames he'd unleashed were still burning, refusing to die.
"Every beginning," he said softly, "is just another way for the end to find you."
The wind carried his words away, into the silent sky. As they disappeared into the distance, the ashes shifted. Something deep beneath the earth stirred—and a faint whisper echoed through the void:
"My vessel breathes again…"