Arius didn't run.
He should have. Any normal boy would've bolted the second some celestial warlord materialized out of thin air with glowing eyes and enough divine pressure to crush a mountain.
But Arius stood rooted to the earth, sword in hand, heart doing flips in his chest.
The stranger's steps were silent—like the ground dared not make a sound beneath him. His armor shimmered with constellations, shifting like living starlight. Power radiated off him in waves, and when he spoke again, it was with a gentleness that somehow carried the weight of eternity.
"You are no ordinary boy, Arius."
Arius blinked. "...You've got the wrong guy."
The stranger tilted his head, amused. "Do I?"
His hood fell back, revealing a face that didn't look old, but felt it. Like it had seen empires rise and gods fall. And his eyes—those impossible eyes—burned like galaxies folding in on themselves.
"You are the heir of the gods."
Arius's laugh was more of a panicked exhale. "Okay, sure. And I'm also the King of Stars and Champion of Sheep Herding. What are you talking about?"
The man didn't even flinch. "The blood of creation runs through you. You are not just a mortal. You are a descendant of the Primordials—the architects of the universe. You are their last heir."
Arius staggered back, gripping his sword like it could protect him from whatever this insane truth was trying to crack open inside him.
"I… I'm a farm boy," he whispered. "I have chores. My mom makes stew. I—this isn't real."
The stranger stepped closer, and for the first time, there was no thunder in his voice—only calm certainty.
"You have always felt different. That fire inside you—it's not just ambition. It's legacy."
Arius's heart skipped. The memories came rushing in—how the sword pulsed in his hand during storms, how sometimes the wind bent toward him, how the stars whispered his name when no one else could hear.
"Why now?" he asked. "Why me?"
"Because the gods have summoned the heirs. And the Arena… is awakening."
The man extended his hand, and behind him, the air tore open into a swirling portal of light and sound. Arius could see a world beyond—shifting spires, thunder-lit skies, titanic structures that defied the laws of physics.
And something in him—something ancient—pulled forward.
He looked at the stranger's hand. Then at the portal.
And without another word, he took the leap.