The sky above Luminary was pale with the first light of dawn.
Cold air drifted through the wide marble plaza that stood before the royal palace of the. The plaza, which was usually reserved for royal ceremonies and celebrations, had been transformed into something far more dreadful.
An execution ground.
Tall banners bearing the radiant emblem of Luminary hung from the surrounding towers, their white fabric fluttering gently in the early wind. Beneath them stood rows of armored royal guards, silent and unmoving as statues. Their spears pointed toward the sky while the edges of their shields glimmered faintly in the morning light.
Beyond the ring of soldiers, thousands of citizens filled the plaza. No one spoke loudly.
Whispers traveled through the crowd like uneasy wind.
At the center of the execution ground stood a raised platform made of polished stone. Chains hung from heavy iron posts, and at the center of the platform was a single kneeling figure.
Erebus.
His long dark hair stirred slightly as the wind passed through the plaza. Heavy chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles, binding him to the iron pillars that had been placed behind him. Each chain was etched with sacred runes meant to suppress Veilheart power.
Yet even bound by such restraints, the air around him felt strangely heavy. Some in the crowd shifted uncomfortably. Others refused to look at him directly because even now, kneeling in chains, the man before them carried the presence of someone far greater than an ordinary warrior.
Erebus lifted his head slowly. His gaze moved across the vast plaza without fear.
Rows of nobles and officials stood on the elevated balconies overlooking the execution ground. Among them were the representatives of the kingdoms of Eclipsara, envoys and rulers who had come to Luminary only days earlier to celebrate the High King's birthday.
That celebration had ended in chaos. The sacred relic known to balance Eclipsara had vanished from its sanctuary within the royal palace and the blame had fallen upon him. A royal official stepped forward onto the execution platform, his voice carried across the silent plaza.
"Erebus," he announced, his tone rigid with authority, "you stand accused of committing a crime against the entire realm of Eclipsara."
The murmuring crowd grew quiet.
"You are charged with the theft of the Astral Aegis Core, the sacred relic entrusted to the protection of the High King and the Luminary Kingdom."
The official paused.
"Your actions have endangered the balance of this world."
Erebus said nothing. He merely looked forward, calm and silent.
The official continued.
"For this act of treason against the realm, the judgment of the High King has been passed."
The man raised his voice. "You are to be executed."
A ripple of uneasy whispers spread through the crowd. Some stared at Erebus with hatred, others watched with quiet uncertainty but the nobles on the balconies remained silent.
Erebus lowered his eyes slightly. He already understood. The truth had never mattered.
Someone powerful had wanted him removed and they had succeeded.
The executioner stepped onto the platform.
He was a massive man clad in gold armor, carrying a heavy blade that gleamed faintly as it caught the morning light.
The sword was designed for a single purpose, a clean execution. The executioner stopped behind Erebus and rested the blade against the stone platform.
For a brief moment, the plaza fell completely silent. Even the wind seemed to stop, Erebus slowly lifted his gaze toward the sky,
the pale clouds drifted quietly above Luminary's golden towers. Somewhere beyond them stretched the endless heavens of Eclipsara.
He exhaled softly. "So this is how it ends," he murmured.
His voice was calm, not angry and not afraid.
Only quiet acceptance, he already knew that the real thieves of the Astral Aegis Core were still out there, hidden behind the shadows of power and politics.
But he would not live long enough to expose them. The royal official raised his hand,
the signal was given, the executioner lifted his sword, the steel gleamed and the crowd held its breath.
Then the blade fell. For an instant, the world seemed to freeze a sharp flash of steel cut through the morning air. Blood touched the stone.
Erebus' body collapsed forward as the chains rattled against the pillars. A gasp rippled through the crowd. The Sovereign of Darkness had fallen.
But the moment his life left his body, something strange happened. The sky above Luminary darkened. The sunlight dimmed as though hidden behind unseen clouds. A sudden pressure spread through the plaza.
It was not wind, it was not mana, it was something older, something vast. Many in the crowd dropped to their knees without understanding why. Others stared upward in fear, even the royal guards felt their hands trembling against their weapons because a presence had descended upon the plaza.
A presence that did not belong to any mortal being. The air trembled as a voice echoed across the execution ground. It wasn't loud, yet it reached every corner of the city.
"An unjust judgment." The voice carried no anger.
Only quiet certainty. A faint radiance gathered above the fallen body of Erebus.
The nobles on the balcony stepped back in shock. The executioner dropped his blade.
Because they all understood. A divine being had answered. The presence continued.
"This soul shall not end here." A faint sphere of light rose from Erebus' body and to his soul.
Before it could fade into nothingness, the divine presence enveloped it. Invisible power flowed around the soul like gentle chains.
The voice spoke once more.
"The Veilheart shall be sealed."
"The memories shall be sealed."
"The path shall begin again."
The soul of Erebus disappeared from the plaza. Vanishing beyond the skies of Eclipsara.
Far away.
Beyond stars and worlds. Toward a distant planet called Earth.
The divine presence slowly faded. The pressure lifted, light returned to the sky and the execution ground fell into stunned silence. None of them understood what had just happened.
But one truth remained. The Sovereign of Darkness had been executed that day.
Yet somewhere far beyond the world of Eclipsara…
His story had only just begun.