Rael opens his eyes.. and founds himself lying in a cave.. "Huh..? where am i?..."
Rael got up to sit down., then looked around... he felt his head hurt, as he held his head.. "kkkh... My head hurts so much.."
Rael looked at his hands. The star-shaped mark of destiny on his hand was shining brighter and brighter, and it hurt.
"My hand..."
Rael paused, he just remember. where is Lyria?...
"sist.. sister!!!" Rael got up and starts to search for Lyria.
Rael then started looking for Lyria... until, he found a river...He got closer to the river, and he immediately fell silent after seeing Lyria's corpse which was already floating and drifting in the river. Her body parts are incomplete.., she lost one of her hands...
"Sis..ter..?" Rael says in a quiet voice while trembling...
Rael stood frozen, his breath shallow as he stared at Lyria's lifeless body drifting in the cold river. His mind refused to accept the reality before him.
"N-no... this isn't real..." he muttered, his hands shaking as he reached out. His fingers barely grazed the water's surface before an unbearable pain shot through his hand.
"Aghh!" Rael clutched his palm, where the star-shaped mark of destiny glowed even brighter, its light pulsing in sync with his racing heart. The pain intensified, forcing him to his knees.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him trembled. A low, resonating hum filled the cave, as if something ancient was awakening. Rael looked up and saw a hidden passageway behind the waterfall. A strange, otherworldly glow seeped from within.
With a heavy heart, he took one last look at Lyria. Tears streamed down his face, but he knew—standing here in sorrow wouldn't bring her back. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to move forward, stepping into the passageway.
The deeper he went, the more the cave revealed its secrets. Strange glowing symbols adorned the walls, pulsing in rhythm with his mark. Then, he saw it.
A massive crystal, floating in midair, radiating a dazzling light. It felt... alive.
Rael felt an invisible force pulling him toward it. Rael gets closer as he touches the crystal... and suddenly.. The pain in his hand reached its peak as the mark resonated with the crystal's energy. Then—
BOOM!
A surge of power exploded from the crystal, engulfing Rael in blinding light. He screamed as energy flooded his body, burning yet invigorating him at the same time.
"KKKKKKNNNNHHHHGGGGGN!!!!"
Visions flashed before his eyes—ancient warriors, lost civilizations, and a prophecy yet to be fulfilled.
As the light dimmed, Rael collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. His body felt different. Stronger. The pain was gone, replaced by an overwhelming surge of energy. He slowly stood up, clenching his fist.
The mark on his hand had changed, now resembling an intricate emblem of power. Rael knew... he was no longer the same.
But there was no time to waste. His sister was gone, and whoever was responsible for this would pay.
"Sister.. Mom.. dad.. I will take my revenge for you guys.. i promise.. After I become strong.. I will avenge this.."
With newfound strength, Rael turned back toward the outside world, wearing his Coat back . The journey for answers had just begun.
As Rael stepped out of the cave, the cold wind bit at his skin, but he barely noticed. His mind was consumed by one thought—revenge. His eyes, once filled with sorrow, now burned with determination.
The forest outside the cave was eerily silent, as if the world itself mourned alongside him. But Rael had no time to grieve. He had to find whoever was responsible for this tragedy.
The mark on his hand pulsed, and suddenly, whispers echoed in his mind.
"Seek the Fallen Star… Find the Truth… The Crimson Order awaits…"
Rael clenched his fist. The Crimson Order—he had never heard of them before, but if they were tied to his destiny, then they might be the ones responsible.
His journey began.
---
Days passed as Rael traveled through the wilderness, surviving on whatever he could find. His body still ached from the power surge, but he adapted quickly, discovering that he was faster, stronger, and his senses were sharper than before.
Then, on the fifth night, he stumbled upon a ruined village. The smell of blood and fire still lingered in the air. Burned houses, broken weapons, and lifeless bodies scattered across the ground.
Rael's heart pounded. This was no ordinary attack. The wounds on the corpses were precise—too clean, too methodical.
His instincts screamed at him.
He wasn't alone.
"Tch. Another survivor?"
A voice echoed from the shadows. Rael spun around, his body tense. From the ruins stepped a figure draped in a crimson cloak, their face hidden beneath a hood. Their aura was suffocating, dangerous.
Rael's mark flared with power. This was it.
"You… You're part of the Crimson Order, aren't you?" Rael growled.
The figure chuckled darkly. "And if I am?"
Rael didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward, his newfound strength propelling him at inhuman speed. But the figure was fast—faster than Rael anticipated. With a swift movement, they dodged his attack and countered with a powerful strike to his ribs, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Ghh...!" Rael coughed, struggling to rise.
"Too weak," the figure mused, stepping closer. "The mark chose you, yet you can't even land a hit? What a joke."
Rael gritted his teeth. He refused to be weak. He refused to fail.
The mark on his hand pulsed again, and suddenly, power surged through his veins. His vision sharpened, time seemed to slow, and he felt an instinctual force guiding his movements.
"You can't possibly defeat me.. you were chosen by fate.. and yet.. you are too weak!"
The warrior mocked. Rael's eyes darkened... his face blank.. anger started to control him... he raises his hand, then for some reason.. Rael suddenly said something that was.. kinda not normal..
"You must die.. you sinners who killed the family of innocent people.. you must die..."
Rael's voice echoed through the ruins, but the words that left his lips were unfamiliar—even to him. They weren't just words. They were power, raw and ancient.
As Rael's hand was on the air.. he clenched his fist.
The air around him twisted, charged with unseen energy. The Crimson Order warrior's mocking smirk faltered as an unseen force wrapped around his body, paralyzing him mid-step. His eyes widened in shock.
"W-what…?!" he gasped, struggling to move.
Rael's eyes burned with an eerie glow as he extended his marked hand toward the man. The intricate emblem on his palm pulsed violently. He felt no hesitation. No remorse.
A chilling wind swept through the ruins, and in an instant—
SLASH!
The Crimson Order warrior's body convulsed as an invisible force sliced through him. Blood sprayed across the broken ground, his form collapsing into a lifeless heap before he could even scream.
Rael stood motionless, staring at his trembling hand. He could still feel the energy lingering in his veins, the spell's power fading yet leaving an undeniable imprint on his soul.
"What… was that?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
He hadn't learned any spells before. He had never been trained in magic. And yet… he had just killed a man with a single incantation.
The mark on his hand dimmed, but Rael could feel it—deep within. A slumbering power had awakened, one tied to the crystal, to his destiny.
But this wasn't the time for questions. He took a shaky breath, glancing at the dead man before him. If this warrior was part of the Crimson Order, then there would be more of them.
He needed to keep moving. Rael took the warrior's sword. With cold determination, Rael turned away and disappeared into the darkness.
To be continue....
Total words: 1303