When Kai opened his eyes again, the world had changed. The air was thicker here—laden with an energy he couldn't comprehend. He was no longer standing in the park, no longer in his familiar city. The familiar buildings and streets were gone, replaced by towering trees that stretched endlessly upward, their trunks glowing faintly in the dim light. The sky above him was a swirling tapestry of colors, shades of violet and gold blending together in a way that made Kai feel as though he were no longer on Earth.
He sat up quickly, his mind racing. Where am I? What is this place?
His head swam, and for a moment, he was paralyzed by confusion. The ground was soft beneath him—almost sponge-like—covered in a thick blanket of moss that seemed to pulse with energy. The air smelled different too—fresh, yet faintly metallic, like a storm was about to break.
And then, the sound of battle reached his ears.
The clash of metal against metal echoed through the forest, followed by the low, guttural growls of something monstrous. Kai's heart lurched. His eyes darted around, trying to locate the source of the chaos. He needed to move—needed to understand what was happening.
Without thinking, he scrambled to his feet, the moss slipping beneath his shoes. His heart raced as he stumbled toward the noise, driven by an instinct he couldn't explain.
The clearing ahead was a battlefield.
A group of armored knights were locked in combat with a beast. The creature was enormous—towering over the knights, its form shadowed in the dim light. Its skin was black and glossy, like hardened obsidian, and its glowing red eyes seemed to pierce through the forest. The beast swung its claws, knocking knights aside as if they were mere insects. The knights fought valiantly, their swords flashing in the air, but they were clearly outmatched.
This can't be real. Kai stood frozen, watching the knights struggle against the beast. What do I do?
Then, without warning, a flash of light surged from within him. His hand shot out instinctively, and before he knew it, a bolt of raw energy surged from his fingertips, slamming into the creature's side. The beast roared in pain, stumbling backward. The knights paused, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"Who—who is that?" one of them gasped, his voice tinged with awe.
Kai's eyes widened in shock as the power in his hand crackled like a live wire. What was that? I don't even know how I did that!
The beast, now distracted by the sudden attack, turned toward him, its blood-red eyes narrowing. The knights quickly regained their composure, launching a counterattack.
From behind him, a voice rang out. "Focus on the creature! I'll handle this one."
Kai turned, his breath catching in his throat. A man stepped forward, his silver hair gleaming in the dim light. He wore a suit of polished armor, his expression grim. He was the one who had spoken, and there was something about him that screamed authority.
"You..." the knight said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he took in Kai's confused, startled expression. "You're him, aren't you? The one from the prophecy."
"Prophecy?" Kai's voice cracked with disbelief. "What are you talking about?"
The knight studied him intently, his gaze piercing. "The hero. Ardyn."