Night settled quietly over the Nasarik estate.
The storm Eryndor rode in on had long since faded.
Now—
Only a calm breeze moved through the gardens.
Eryndor sat alone.
On the edge of the courtyard.
One arm resting over his knee.
The other loosely hanging.
His gaze tilted upward—
Toward the sky.
But something about it felt…
Off.
"…Fractured."
He muttered under his breath.
Footsteps approached.
Soft.
Measured.
Darius stepped beside him.
Didn't say anything at first.
Just stood there.
Looking up too.
"…You felt it too?"
Darius asked quietly.
Eryndor didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…It's getting closer."
Another presence joined them.
Kaelus dropped down onto the stone behind them, stretching his arms back.
"Man…"
He exhaled.
"First day back and you two already look like you're about to start a war."
Eryndor smirked slightly.
"…Not yet."
Stellar walked in next, arms folded.
Rein followed behind her, hands in his pockets.
The group naturally came together again.
No effort.
No call.
Just instinct.
Rein glanced between them.
"…Alright."
He tilted his head.
"Someone wanna explain why the air feels like it's watching us?"
Silence.
Then—
Eryndor stood up.
"…There's something I didn't tell you guys."
That got their attention.
Darius narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Go on."
Eryndor looked at all of them.
Calm.
Serious.
"…There's a prophecy."
Kaelus blinked.
"…A what?"
Eryndor didn't react.
"…Not a normal one."
"…It's not from this world."
Stellar's expression shifted slightly.
"…Upper Realms?"
Eryndor nodded once.
"…Noxis."
That name alone made the air heavier.
Even Rein's expression changed.
"…You serious?"
Eryndor exhaled slowly.
"…It comes from something called the Astral Archive."
"…Or what's left of it."
Darius crossed his arms.
"…Fractured records."
"…So incomplete information."
"…Not incomplete."
Eryndor said quietly.
"…Broken."
He looked back at the sky.
Then spoke.
"When the Black Sun bears lineage beneath a fractured sky,
The chains of space shall tremble.
The False Thrones will rise in fear.
The One Who Walks Beyond 'Where' must ascend—
Or all realms will collapse inward upon themselves."
Silence followed.
No jokes.
No interruptions.
Kaelus scratched his head.
"…Yeah, I'm not gonna lie."
"That sounded hard as hell."
"…But what does it actually mean?"
Eryndor glanced at him.
"…Break it down with me."
"When the Black Sun bears lineage beneath a fractured sky"
Eryndor's voice lowered slightly.
"…That's me."
"…And Aren."
Rein frowned.
"…Your son?"
Eryndor nodded.
"…His birth triggered something."
Stellar's eyes sharpened.
"…The sky fracturing…"
"…That wasn't just visual."
"…No."
Eryndor shook his head.
"…It was dimensional instability."
"…The moment the Higher Realms started watching directly."
Kaelus spoke quietly.
"…That white-haired woman."
Eryndor didn't respond.
But he didn't need to.
Kaelus leaned forward slightly.
"…So basically…"
"…Aren's existence sent a signal upstairs?"
"…Yeah."
No one laughed.
"The chains of space shall tremble"
Eryndor continued.
"…This one…"
"…We already experienced it."
Darius' eyes narrowed.
"…Samsura."
"…Exactly."
Kaelus nodded slowly.
"…Space user."
"…Room Five."
Eryndor stepped forward slightly.
"…That fight wasn't just a fight."
"…It was alignment."
Rein frowned.
"…Alignment with what?"
Eryndor looked at his hand.
"…The realization."
He clenched his fist slowly.
"…That I shouldn't be fighting inside space."
"…I should be above it."
Stellar's voice was quiet.
"…Beyond 'where.'"
Eryndor nodded.
"The False Thrones will rise in fear"
Darius spoke this time.
"…That one's obvious."
Rein smirked slightly.
"…Atlas."
"…And more."
Darius added.
"…Much more."
Eryndor continued.
"…False Thrones aren't just strong people."
"…They're systems."
He looked at them.
"…Artificial god systems."
"…Suppressed High Deities."
"…Realm Administrators."
"…Upper Realm rulers who didn't ascend…"
"…But were placed."
Kaelus let out a low whistle.
"…So basically—"
"…Frauds with power?"
"…Not frauds."
Eryndor corrected.
"…Structured."
Stellar nodded.
"…And you're not."
"…Exactly."
Eryndor's eyes darkened slightly.
"…The Black Sun isn't part of a system."
"…It's judgment."
"…Conceptual."
Rein's smile faded a bit.
"…And concepts…"
"…Break systems."
Silence again.
Heavier this time.
"The One Who Walks Beyond 'Where' must ascend"
Eryndor exhaled slowly.
"…This is the important part."
He looked at each of them.
"…It doesn't say I control space."
"…Or destroy space."
He raised his hand slightly.
"…It says beyond 'where.'"
Darius understood first.
"…Position doesn't matter."
Stellar added—
"…Neither do domains."
Kaelus leaned forward.
"…Or dimensions."
Eryndor nodded.
"…Exactly."
Rein crossed his arms.
"…So what does that make you?"
Eryndor answered simply.
"…Not a mid-level deity."
A pause.
"…Something meant for the Upper Realms."
The words settled heavily.
Eryndor continued.
"…There are levels beyond what we've seen."
"…Three that are confirmed."
He counted calmly.
"…The Astral Apex."
"…Noxis."
"…And the Crownless Horizon."
Even Darius went quiet at that.
"…That white-haired woman…"
Eryndor said.
"…She wasn't warning me about Atlas."
His voice lowered.
"…She was warning me about staying here."
Rein frowned.
"…Why?"
Eryndor looked up again.
"…Because if I stay…"
"…I'll be suppressed."
"…Targeted."
"…And eventually…"
"…Reality itself won't handle it."
Kaelus blinked.
"…Wait—what?"
Eryndor turned to him.
"…My growth…"
"…Isn't compatible with this world long-term."
Silence.
Stellar spoke softly.
"…So ascending isn't optional."
"…No."
Eryndor said.
"…It's necessary."
Darius finished the thought.
"…Or everything collapses inward."
Eryndor nodded.
Rein spoke this time.
"…So this prophecy…"
"…It's not about you getting stronger."
"…No."
Eryndor said quietly.
"…It's about balance."
Stellar added—
"…Or imbalance."
"…Yeah."
Eryndor looked toward the estate.
Toward where his family was.
"…Because it's not just me."
Kaelus followed his gaze.
"…Aren."
"…Yeah."
Eryndor's voice was calm.
But heavier than before.
"…The Black Sun isn't a one-time event anymore."
"…It's a bloodline."
No one spoke.
Because they all understood.
Power?
That could be contained.
Controlled.
Even erased.
But a lineage?
That meant continuity.
Growth.
Inheritance.
Evolution.
Rein exhaled slowly.
"…So the Upper Realms…"
"…They're not scared of you."
Eryndor shook his head slightly.
"…No."
His eyes sharpened.
"…They're scared of what comes after me."
The wind picked up slightly.
Darius stepped forward.
"…Then we don't stay weak."
Kaelus grinned.
"…Yeah."
"…We train."
Stellar nodded.
"…For a year."
Rein cracked his neck.
"…And next time…"
"…We're not just breaking towers."
Eryndor smirked slightly.
"…Next time…"
"…We're stepping into the sky itself."
Far beyond them—
In realms unseen—
Something shifted.
The game had already begun.
And now—
The players were finally aware of the board.