Night loomed over the city, the cold wind snaking between skyscrapers, carrying distant sirens and the murmurs of a metropolis struggling to rise from its ashes. I stood atop an old red rooftop, feeling the city's pulse beneath my feet. For a moment, I closed my eyes—searching for breath, for peace amidst the chaos that had consumed my life these past months.
—Two months... and no trace of Rinn —I murmured, my voice barely a whisper lost in the wind—. The city rebuilds, people move forward... but I...
My fists clenched tight, emptiness gnawing at me.
Being a hero wasn't my path. Never had been.
The air around me grew colder, freezing my lungs. A shiver ran down my spine as instinct screamed danger. I turned at the last second—but not fast enough. A colossal blow struck my guard with storm-like force. Shockwaves erupted around me, lifting tiles and shattering concrete beneath my feet. My body was hurled with brutal violence, skidding across the surface until stopping right at the roof's edge.
When I looked up, my heart stopped.
Before me, under the pale moonlight, stood Mian... or at least, something resembling her.
—Mian...? —my voice trembled, breaking for an instant.
What I saw froze my blood. It was her—her figure and gaze confirmed it. But something was terribly wrong. Her skin, once warm and full of life, now seemed withered, as if death itself had claimed her. Her eyes, which once burned with fire and determination, were now empty voids, devoid of soul.
I swallowed hard, trying to analyze the situation. "No... she's not Mian." I looked at her cheekbone—black ink stood out against her pallor: "P.12"
—Your name is P.12, am I wrong? —No response. But a small detail alarmed me. Her yellow eyes began to glow. There was no reason for it, but I adopted a combat stance. She moved first.
Before I could react, I felt a fist piercing my abdomen.
Pain exploded inside me like wildfire. The blow didn't just shatter my guard—it launched me skyward in a golden flash. Atmospheric layers ruptured as I ascended, wind roaring in my ears as my body spun uncontrollably.
But she didn't let me escape.
From below, P.12 leaped after me, breaking the sound barrier with a deafening blast. I barely had time to see the shockwave beneath her before a spinning kick impacted my stomach.
The world faded for an instant.
The blow was so brutal I felt my organs compress inside my body. Air fled my lungs, vision blurred, and my mind was trapped in a spiral of pain. I was hurled back to earth like a flaming meteor.
Gravity reclaimed me with fury. My body, wreathed in fire and uncontrolled energy, broke the sound barrier. The city vanished below me in a blink, and in one fatal second, I saw my destiny approaching.
God Mountain.
The impact was catastrophic.
The ancient rock split in two upon receiving my body. The explosion of dust and debris darkened the sky as enormous cracks spread across the land like broken veins. My body bore through the mountain, leaving my silhouette etched in stone.
The pain was unbearable.
Every bone in my body was broken. Blood filled my vision, my mind teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.
And then, she descended.
Like an avenging deity, P.12 landed on me with devastating impact. The ground trembled, the roar shaking the mountain, finishing its destruction. Stone turned to dust.
I felt the earth collapsing around me, my body swallowed by darkness.
For an instant, all was silence.
On my back, staring into the void, I felt blood's moisture filling my throat.
I was drowning.
When I thought all was lost—
I heard footsteps. An echo in the gloom.
Through blurred vision, I made out a silhouette advancing through the rubble. A man of imposing presence, his skin glowing with unnatural radiance, approached unhurriedly. His gaze was cold, inscrutable.
I tried to move, but my body didn't respond.
The man leaned over me and, with one motion, tore off my collar. A low, cruel laugh escaped his lips, as if he relished my misery.
—Let's go, Rinn. Leave this false hero behind.
Rinn? My sister's name.
I moved my hand with effort, pushing a stone, trying to get his attention. But I was ignored. Within seconds, the light emanating from his body faded. My last hope had abandoned me.
The Ego Body's power began to fade, returning me to my normal form. Physical pain vanished... but horror and helplessness remained. My mind was fractured, scarred by that lost battle.
My vision was blurry, but then, a familiar voice broke the silence. Its high-pitched, childlike tone was hopeful, a beacon in the storm. It was calling me, shouting words that reminded me why to keep going.
—How can my champion be defeated like this? Wake up and claim your happiness.
My body didn't want to respond, but with one blink—the world returned in an instant.
I felt a pull on my existence, as if my soul had been forced back to reality.
My lungs filled with air in ragged gasps. My skin tingled, body hair standing on end.
When I opened my eyes, gloom enveloped me.
Around me, dust mounds piled atop ruined structures. Fallen columns and fractured arches stretched across what was once a majestic civilization, now buried by time.
I tried to move.
My body responded, but my mind didn't.
Though my physical wounds had vanished with the Ego Body, mental scars persisted. My hands trembled with memories of the brutality I'd endured. Pain's echo still pulsed in my consciousness.
I forced myself forward.
Ahead, a partially ruined structure stood among the ruins, its roof collapsed and walls cracked. I entered cautiously, my steps raising dust clouds that danced in light filtering through the cracks.
At the room's center, I found an ancient chair, eaten by time.
At the slightest touch, the wood disintegrated into dust.
Beside it, a small table still stood. On its surface, covered in ashes and oblivion, rested a thin, aged book.
I picked it up carefully.
When opened, the pages crackled like dry leaves.
The text inside was incomprehensible. An ancient, illegible language.
But then, something fell into my hands.
A small red-stoned collar slid between the pages, as if waiting to be discovered.
I held it curiously.
On the next page, an image caught my eye.
A colossal kingdom, with towers that seemed to touch the clouds and streets teeming with life. In the foreground, a brown-haired girl smiled radiantly.
The moment I looked at her, the stone in my hand began to glow.
Light expanded instantly, blinding me completely.
My heart raced.
The radiance enveloped me, and for an instant, time seemed to distort.
When my sight returned, everything had changed.
The ruins around me were restored.
Cracked walls now gleamed. Fractured columns stood imposingly. The room, once sunk in abandonment, had regained its original splendor.
Behind me, a touch.
I turned immediately.
Before me, standing with a playful expression, was the girl from the illustration.
Her brown hair swayed gently, her gaze shining with enigmatic warmth. She was the same one I'd seen in the book.
—What are you doing in my room? —she asked, her voice mixing curiosity and surprise.
Before I could utter a word, the girl's warm gaze vanished into pure horror.
—Aaaaaaah! A sellsword! —she screamed, stumbling back with wide eyes.
The instant that shout echoed, the door collapsed.
A boom shook the hall.
A two-meter giant entered, his steps making the floor tremble. His gleaming steel armor reflected lamplight like a war mirror.
Without warning, he raised his fist and struck me with colossal force.
The impact was absolute.
Air detonated around me.
I felt my body lift from the blow's power before crashing to the ground with a dull thud.
I spat blood, returning to that darkness.