The road stretched quiet again.
Wind brushed the fields in slow waves, carrying the scent of rain and dust. Rykaou walked ahead, steady as always. Dantero trailed behind, kicking at stones like a man who had finally run out of patience.
Dantero: We've been walking for three days. You know that, right?
Rykaou: I do.
Dantero: And we're still on the same planet.
Rykaou: Correct.
Dantero: I hate it here.
Rykaou: Then walk faster.
Dantero groaned and threw his hands into the air.
Dantero: You're impossible. Do you ever get bored?
Rykaou: No.
Dantero: You're lying.
Rykaou: Maybe.
Dantero squinted at him.
Dantero: You're the worst travel partner ever.
Rykaou: Then leave.
Dantero stopped. His grin returned.
Dantero: Don't tempt me.
Rykaou: I wasn't.
Dantero turned away, looking toward the sky. The clouds had thinned, revealing a soft blue atmosphere that shimmered faintly with streaks of light — tiny cracks that hinted at worlds beyond.
Dantero: You know what? Maybe I will.
Rykaou: Go where?
Dantero: Up.
Rykaou looked up too.
Rykaou: You can't breathe up there.
Dantero: I'll figure it out.
Rykaou: You're serious.
Dantero: Dead serious.
He smiled, stepped back, and the ground cracked slightly under his feet.
Rykaou: Wait.
Dantero: Relax, I'll be back before dinner.
Rykaou sighed.
Rykaou: You don't even know what direction dinner is.
Dantero: That's what makes it fun.
And then he was gone.
The air rippled. A gust of wind flattened the grass where he had been standing. A heartbeat later, he broke through the upper sky, the color of the world bending around him until everything turned black.
Silence.
Stars unfolded like scattered fire. Dozens of planets hung around a faint sun — some glowing blue, some wrapped in silver clouds, one spinning with rings of molten glass.
Dantero floated for a moment, coat drifting behind him, eyes wide.
Dantero: Damn. Now this is more like it.
He moved forward, his body glowing faintly with a soft crimson aura. The energy around him pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, letting him breathe in the vacuum.
Dantero: Alright. Where's the fun part?
His eyes locked on a planet not far from the sun — green and black, covered in what looked like spirals of metal cities. He grinned.
Dantero: Bingo.
He angled downward and dove.
The planet's atmosphere flared bright as he entered. Blue streaks cut through the sky, burning behind him like comets. The world below came into view — massive towers of steel and glass, floating platforms, and silver rivers that flowed through the air.
Dantero landed on one of the hovering roads with a soft thud. Dozens of beings turned toward him — tall, lean, humanoid but with shimmering metallic skin and eyes that glowed like neon lights.
Dantero raised both hands in mock surrender.
Dantero: Hi. Don't shoot.
A group of guards approached. Their armor gleamed like mirrors. The one in front tilted its head.
Guard: You are not registered. State origin.
Dantero: Earth. Kind of. Long story. Look, I just need a ship.
The guards exchanged glances.
Guard: A vessel? For what purpose?
Dantero: Traveling. Obviously. You think I came here to sightsee?
Another guard stepped forward.
Guard: Vessels require clearance from the Aeric Council.
Dantero sighed dramatically.
Dantero: Great. Bureaucracy. Even out here.
He looked around and noticed a few younger aliens watching from behind the line — curious, whispering. One of them stepped forward nervously.
Alien: You're... human, right? From the lower worlds?
Dantero: That's me. The one and only.
Alien: You came all the way here alone?
Dantero: Yeah. I was bored.
The alien blinked, then started laughing softly. The guards didn't.
Guard: You cannot be given a vessel without authorization.
Dantero: What if I trade something?
Guard: What could you possibly offer the Aeric Dominion?
Dantero thought for a moment, then smiled.
Dantero: Entertainment.
He cracked his knuckles. Energy sparked faintly around his fingers.
A moment later, the air exploded.
The guards stumbled back as wind pressure surged through the platform. Dantero's aura flared red and white, lighting up the city around them. His hair whipped with the force, eyes glowing bright.
He grinned.
Dantero: You ever seen someone punch light before?
He vanished.
A shockwave rippled across the entire plaza. The nearest tower shook, the air bending as the explosion of kinetic energy stopped inches from a guard's face — not a single scratch, but enough to make their armor hum like struck metal.
Dantero stood back upright, smiling calmly.
Dantero: There. Free demo. You like?
The guards didn't answer. But the young alien from before looked at him with awe.
Alien: You can have my ship.
Dantero blinked.
Dantero: Wait, really?
Alien: Take it. It's old, but fast. No one uses it anymore.
Dantero: That's... unexpectedly generous.
Alien: You made the lights dance. The Dominion hasn't had fun in centuries.
Dantero laughed and clapped the kid on the shoulder.
Dantero: You're alright, kid.
The guards stepped aside reluctantly as the young alien led Dantero to the docking platform. The ship waited there — small, sleek, dark silver with faint blue lines running across its hull.
Dantero whistled.
Dantero: Beautiful.
Alien: She's called the Reia. Treat her gently.
Dantero: No promises.
He jumped into the cockpit, the systems lighting up instantly, reacting to his presence.
Dantero: Oh, she likes me.
Alien: Humans always think that.
Dantero: Because we're usually right.
He grinned and waved before the ship rose from the dock. The young alien smiled faintly, stepping back as the thrusters flared.
Moments later, the Reia tore through the clouds, breaking the atmosphere with a flash of light.
Dantero: Now, let's go pick up the quiet kid.
He angled the ship toward the distant blue planet below.
Back on the surface, Rykaou stood in the same spot where Dantero had left, arms crossed, eyes closed. The grass around him swayed gently.
When the sky suddenly split with a burning streak of silver light, he didn't even flinch.
The ship descended, kicking up dust and bending trees backward. The ramp lowered, and Dantero leaned out of the doorway, waving with a wide grin.
Dantero: Told you I'd be back before dinner.
Rykaou: You missed lunch.
Dantero: Worth it.
Rykaou stared at the ship, unimpressed.
Rykaou: You stole it.
Dantero: Borrowed it permanently. There's a difference.
Rykaou: You're insane.
Dantero: And you're still walking. Get in.
Rykaou hesitated, then sighed and stepped aboard. The ramp closed behind them, the engines humming with low power.
Dantero jumped into the pilot's seat and spun it dramatically.
Dantero: Welcome to the Reia. Please fasten your seatbelt. Or don't. I don't care.
Rykaou: You don't know how to fly this thing.
Dantero: I didn't know how to walk once either. Look how that turned out.
He pulled a lever. The ship jolted violently upward. Rykaou grabbed the nearest rail, glaring.
Rykaou: You're going to kill us.
Dantero: Relax. I'm a natural.
The ship steadied, breaking through the clouds again. Below them, the world shrank into patches of green and blue.
Dantero: See? Smooth as silk.
Rykaou: For now.
Dantero laughed.
Dantero: You really need to learn to enjoy life, man.
Rykaou looked out the window. The stars stretched before them — countless lights across an endless black.
Rykaou: I enjoy it. Just quietly.
Dantero: You know, that almost sounded like humor.
Rykaou: Don't get used to it.
Dantero: Never do.
They flew in silence for a while. The Reia glided between drifting asteroids and ribbons of energy that shimmered like auroras. Dantero kept his hand on the controls, humming to himself.
Rykaou watched the stars.
Rykaou: How far is your world?
Dantero: A few jumps. Maybe more. Depends on how much chaos decides to show up.
Rykaou: You talk like it follows you.
Dantero: It does. But hey, it keeps life interesting.
Rykaou: Interesting isn't always good.
Dantero: Neither is boring.
The stars ahead pulsed brighter — a vast field of fractured light, worlds stacked upon worlds.
Dantero smiled.
Dantero: There it is. The edge of everything. Beyond that is where he sleeps.
Rykaou: The Emperor.
Dantero: Yeah. Dark.
The ship sped forward. The stars blurred into streaks of white. Rykaou felt the faint hum of power ripple through the hull, like the ship itself understood where it was going.
Dantero leaned back in his seat, grin fading into something calmer.
Dantero: You ready to meet him?
Rykaou: I've been ready my whole life.
Dantero: Then hold on. The Emperor doesn't like waiting.
The Reia vanished into the folds of light.
Space warped behind them, colors twisting back into blue. Below spread a land that stretched forever — plains of black glass, rivers of light, and towers so tall they pierced the clouds. The heart of the Dark Empire pulsed beyond the horizon, a fortress city surrounded by countless realms stitched together. Every world that had merged left its mark here: floating islands, inverted mountains, cities built upside-down and sideways, forests glowing with gold instead of green.
Dantero whistled.
Dantero: Still the prettiest place in the multiverse.
Rykaou leaned forward, eyes wide. His beast-born senses went wild. The air itself was alive — thick with power, memories, and blood. He could smell thousands of races, thousands of stories, all moving in one rhythm.
Rykaou: It smells like... everything.
Dantero: Welcome to the center of it all. Home sweet home.
He tilted the ship downward. The Reia cut through a thin barrier of light and descended. The ground rushed up, glowing with sigils and shadow veins that pulsed beneath the soil.
Dantero: Hold tight, rookie.
Rykaou: Rookie?
Dantero: You'll see.
They landed just outside the outer gate. The ramp lowered with a hiss. Warm wind hit their faces. Ahead stretched the massive entrance — two black towers carved from stone older than time, engraved with markings that glowed faint red. At their base stood soldiers in deep gray armor, spears resting against their shoulders.
Dantero stepped out first, hands in his pockets, whistling, doing half-hearted spins as he walked.
Dantero: Home delivery complete. No scratches, no explosions, ten outta ten landing.
Rykaou followed, cautious, eyes scanning everything. His instincts twitched at the hundreds of auras nearby. Each guard carried a different energy — some divine, some demonic, some neither. No one felt normal here.
One of the guards raised his weapon slightly.
Guard: Halt. Identify.
Dantero threw his arms up like he'd been caught stealing bread.
Dantero: Dantero. Shadow-side delivery service. I work for the Emperor, technically.
The guards exchanged looks, then lowered their spears almost in unison. One even smiled.
Guard: Dantero. Of course. The loud one.
Dantero: I'll take that as affection.
The same guard looked at Rykaou.
Guard: And him?
Rykaou stepped forward.
Rykaou: Rykaou. Traveler. No title. No empire.
The guard studied him quietly. Others leaned closer, sniffing faintly like predators catching a strange scent.
Guard: You smell... wrong. Not bad. Just different.
Rykaou: Beast Source. It lingers.
Another soldier approached, eyes bright gold, skin marked with faint cracks that glowed when he spoke.
Soldier: Beast Source? That hasn't walked these lands since the Southern Collapse.
Rykaou: I don't know what that is.
Soldier: Then perhaps you are its echo.
Dantero clapped his hands together, breaking the tension.
Dantero: Great chat, everyone. Now if you don't mind, we've been walking for like three arcs straight. Can we get inside before my sanity respawns?
The soldiers laughed lightly. One nodded toward the massive gates.
Guard: Welcome back, Dantero. Welcome home, stranger. The Empire always has room for those who walk with purpose.
The gates opened.
They stepped through.
Inside, the city sprawled endlessly. Streets of dark stone glowed beneath crystal lights that floated in the air. Every building reflected a different origin — gothic towers beside desert domes, neon temples beside stone shrines. The people were just as varied: beings of flame walking beside armored giants, silver-haired scholars speaking with scaled merchants, children made of mist chasing mechanical birds.
It wasn't chaos. It was harmony through difference.
Dantero spread his arms dramatically.
Dantero: And that, my friend, is the Dark Empire. The melting pot of every world that ever decided to stop killing itself long enough to live.
Rykaou watched silently. His sharp senses picked up everything — laughter, sweat, metal, hope, exhaustion. None of it was fake. None of it was perfect either. It was alive.
A small group of civilians noticed them.
Merchant: You're new, aren't you?
Rykaou nodded.
Rykaou: First time.
Merchant: Where from?
Rykaou hesitated.
Rykaou: Nowhere that exists anymore.
A murmur went through the small crowd. One woman stepped closer — skin blue like crystal, eyes gentle.
Woman: Then maybe this is where you start again.
Rykaou blinked, unsure what to say.
Dantero grinned and leaned closer.
Dantero: See? Told you they're nice once they realize you're not gonna vaporize anyone.
A group of kids ran past, laughing, waving little flags marked with Dark's insignia — a black crown within a white circle.
Child: The Emperor will wake soon! Mama says the sky feels heavy again!
Rykaou looked up. The sky above the Empire shimmered faintly with layers of shadow and light. Somewhere deep within, he could feel it — that heartbeat, that weight, that presence.
Rykaou: He's here, isn't he?
Dantero: Yeah. Sleeping. Healing. Thinking. Probably all three.
Rykaou's hand brushed the small wooden carving the little girl from his old village had given him.
Rykaou: Then maybe I was meant to come here.
Dantero: Everyone ends up here eventually. Some for peace. Some for purpose. Some just to stop running.
Rykaou smiled slightly.
Rykaou: Which are you?
Dantero shrugged, turning toward the crowded street.
Dantero: Depends on the day.
They kept walking, passing through markets filled with traders from worlds that shouldn't even touch each other. One stall sold glowing fruit that floated in bowls of air. Another displayed armor made from petrified dragon bone. Each region had its own accent, its own rhythm, but they all spoke the same unspoken rule — This is the Empire. You are safe here.
Rykaou felt it in his bones. The balance. The order. The quiet chaos that somehow worked.
A young boy tugged at his sleeve.
Boy: Mister, are you a new soldier?
Rykaou crouched down.
Rykaou: No. Just a traveler.
Boy: You smell like storms.
Rykaou smiled faintly.
Rykaou: Maybe that's because I've walked through too many.
The boy giggled and ran off.
Dantero stretched his arms as they approached the inner gates that led toward the central citadel — where Dark slept.
Dantero: Alright, kid. This is where things start getting serious.
Rykaou: I was born serious.
Dantero: Sure you were. Try not to faint when you feel his aura.
Rykaou: I don't faint.
Dantero: You will.
Rykaou: Then I'll stand again.
Dantero smiled.
Dantero: Good answer.
They reached the stairs leading to the citadel's entrance. The sky above dimmed slightly, like it knew who was coming. The hum of the Empire grew deeper, slower, steadier — a heartbeat echoing across worlds.
For the first time, Rykaou's expression softened completely.
Rykaou: Alyra... I made it.
Dantero stood beside him, eyes on the horizon.
Dantero: Welcome home, Beast of the Valley.
The gates of the citadel opened, light spilling through the cracks like dawn breaking across eternity.
To Be Continued.
End Of Chapter 6.