The hand that had pulled Takaviel into the darkness vanished without a trace, leaving him alone in an eternal void. Wandering through this endless blackness, he lost all sense of time. Questions relentlessly echoed in his mind: *What will happen to me? What will happen to Hana? Am I already dead? Is this the heaven they spoke of?* Each thought stirred a fresh wave of emotion. He tried to shout, to call out for help, but every word was devoured by the void.
Then, in the midst of the oppressive silence, a tiny point of light emerged a solitary star. One by one, more stars ignited the darkness, their gentle glow gradually dispelling the all-consuming black. With the arrival of light, Takaviel noticed shapes moving within its soft radiance. Drawn to the flickering glimmers, he hurried toward a cluster of living beings.
"Excuse me, can I ask you a question..." he began, only to halt as he took in their appearance. The creatures before him were unlike any human he'd ever seen. One figure was small and compact, sporting short, curved horns above its eyes, delicate, almost translucent wings, and a thin tail that flickered in the starlight. Another was taller, with a lithe, elongated form; its skin bore subtle, iridescent scales, and it had a pair of sweeping, feather-like appendages instead of arms. Their features horns, wings, tails, and other uncanny details marked them as beings from a realm far removed from any human experience.
A humanoid among them turned to speak in a low, unfamiliar language. Takaviel tried to reply, stuttering, "Sorry, I can't understa—" but before he could finish, a deep, powerful voice boomed through the darkness:
"Chosen."
The word reverberated inside him, and a sudden, piercing pain shot through his head. "Why is my head hurting?" he gasped aloud. Glancing around, he saw that the other creatures, too, were grimacing as if in shared agony.
Then, one by one, enormous titans emerged from the darkness. Their forms varied greatly a towering figure with a demonic visage, its skin etched with intricate, scar-like patterns and eyes that burned with an eerie light; another, broader and more imposing, bore a semblance of ancient armor formed by natural ridges and dark, weathered skin. Their presence was overwhelming, and Takaviel trembled in their shadow.
In a voice that was soft yet carried immense authority, one of the titans addressed the assembly. "You have been brought here by the will of the Star Core. Each of you is chosen to become a Star Lord a protector and a conqueror. In time, you will wield power to guard countless worlds and bring order where chaos reigns." The titan continued, explaining that the Star Core selects its hosts for reasons not solely of might but for qualities hidden deep within a balance of courage, resilience, and the capacity to embrace both light and shadow.
Overwhelmed by the titan's words, Takaviel's mind swirled with confusion. *Why me? What is so unique about me? I'm just a normal boy from the village...* he wondered silently.
Soon, luminous orbs the Star Cores descended slowly from the firmament, each seeking its host. As the chosen ones merged with their orbs, they began to glow softly, radiating newfound power. Takaviel's heart pounded with both excitement and trepidation. *If I am chosen by the Star Core, if I become powerful could I return to my world? Could I find my parents and learn the truth of my destiny?* he thought fervently. But as minutes turned to an hour, the orbs passed him by, as if deliberately avoiding him.
When the final Star Core had merged with its host, Takaviel was left standing alone in a growing sea of doubt. Countless orbs still lingered in the darkness, yet none chose him. *Am I not worthy? What will happen if I am not chosen?* he questioned silently. The other creatures, noticing his isolation, regarded him with a mix of curiosity, pity, mockery, and even disgust.
Tears welled in his eyes as he mustered a trembling, respectful plea, "Ex-excuse me, since I wasn't chosen… can I return h-home?" His voice quavered with fear and sorrow. The titan regarded him with quiet curiosity. In hushed tones uttered in a language beyond Takaviel's comprehension, the titans conferred among themselves. Though neither Takaviel nor the other creatures could catch their words, their decision was clear: they would return him to his world. In unison, the titan's response echoed through the darkness, "As you wish."
The tallest among them a titan with a distinctly demonic appearance, towering above the rest extended a massive hand that shattered the darkness itself, tearing open a dimensional crack. Overcome with relief, Takaviel thanked the titan, hope kindling in his heart as he was drawn toward what he believed was the passage home.
Yet, as the dimensional rift pulled him forward, Takaviel noticed unsettling distortions. The crack twisted and churned like a relentless storm, its edges darkening ominously. Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he was hurled through the turbulent portal and cast into a new world.
He tumbled from the sky into a harsh, rugged landscape. The ground was barren and rocky, while the sky burned with streaks of deep red. Slowly rising to his feet, Takaviel realized with a sinking feeling, "Where am I? This is not Everglen. Did they make a mistake? How can I come back to my world?" His voice, filled with confusion and fear, was lost amid the savage winds and distant roars that marked this brutal realm Zyterra a world where monstrous creatures roamed and survival was a constant struggle.
Standing amid this alien wilderness, Takaviel's mind raced with questions and uncertainty. The path home was now shrouded in mystery, and the answers he sought lay hidden within the chaos of this new, unforgiving world.