The battlefield had gone silent.
Moments ago it had been filled with explosions, screams, and the violent clash of powers beyond imagination. Now the only sounds left were the soft whisper of the wind and the slow drip of blood falling onto the cracked stone ground.
At the center of the ruined battlefield knelt Asher.
Blood covered his clothes. His breathing was heavy and uneven. One of his arms hung weakly by his side, trembling from exhaustion.
His vision blurred.
Every breath felt heavier than the last.
Still… he forced himself to remain conscious.
I can't fall yet…
But his body was already reaching its limit.
A shadow slowly approached him.
Heavy footsteps echoed across the broken ground.
Lord.
His presence alone felt suffocating.
The man looked almost untouched by the battle. His long coat moved slightly with the wind as he walked toward Asher like a predator approaching a wounded animal.
Asher lifted his head slowly.
Their eyes met.
Lord looked down at him with cold indifference.
"So this is the end," Lord said quietly.
Asher tried to stand… but his legs refused to move.
He fell back to one knee.
Lord's gaze hardened.
"You fought well for a child."
Then suddenly—
BAM!
Lord's foot slammed violently into Asher's stomach.
The impact was brutal.
Asher's body lifted from the ground for a moment before crashing back down, coughing blood.
Pain exploded through his entire body.
His vision darkened.
But strangely…
Lord didn't continue the attack.
He stood still.
Silent.
Something had changed.
His eyes slowly shifted toward the distant battlefield… toward the place where the Moonlight had once shined.
His expression froze.
"…Diana?"
No answer.
His eyes widened slightly.
For the first time since the battle began… genuine shock appeared on his face.
"…Impossible."
His voice was low. Disbelieving.
The moonlight that had filled the battlefield earlier was gone.
Completely gone.
Lord clenched his fist slowly.
"…Diana is… dead?"
The words sounded unreal even to him.
His breathing became heavier.
For a brief moment, rage flashed through his eyes—but it disappeared just as quickly.
Then he slowly turned back to Asher.
The boy was barely conscious, struggling just to breathe.
Lord stared at him silently.
Seconds passed.
Then he spoke.
"…This isn't over."
His voice was cold again.
"Prepare yourselves."
His eyes narrowed.
"Next time… I won't leave anyone alive."
The wind blew across the battlefield.
And then—
Lord turned around.
Without another word…
He walked away.
Within seconds, his figure disappeared into the darkness.
Time passed.
The battlefield remained quiet.
Asher lay motionless on the ground.
His body refused to move.
His mind drifted slowly into darkness.
So this is… how it ends…
The last thing he saw was the cloudy sky above him.
Then—
Everything faded.
Footsteps rushed across the battlefield.
A girl's voice echoed.
"ASHER!"
It was Lina.
She ran across the ruined ground, panic clear in her voice.
Her eyes quickly found him.
"Asher!"
She dropped to her knees beside him.
The sight made her heart sink.
His body was covered in wounds.
Blood stained the ground around him.
"…No…"
Her hands trembled as she checked his breathing.
A small breath escaped his lips.
Relief washed over her.
"He's alive…"
Without hesitation she carefully lifted him into her arms.
"Don't worry," she whispered.
"I'll get you out of here."
The wind blew softly as Lina carried Asher away from the destroyed battlefield.
Behind them…
Only silence remained.
Darkness.
Endless darkness.
Asher floated inside it.
There was no pain.
No sound.
No sense of time.
Just darkness.
Then—
A faint light appeared in the distance.
Asher slowly opened his eyes.
He was standing somewhere unfamiliar.
The ground beneath him looked like black glass.
Above him… there was no sky.
Only darkness stretching endlessly.
"…Where am I?"
His voice echoed strangely.
Then—
He saw someone.
A child.
A small boy stood a few meters away.
The boy's back faced him.
He looked about ten years old.
His hair moved slightly in a wind that didn't exist.
Asher felt something strange.
A deep feeling in his chest.
He knew this boy.
Somehow.
But he couldn't remember from where.
"…Hey," Asher called.
The boy slowly turned around.
His face was familiar.
Painfully familiar.
But Asher couldn't understand why.
The boy smiled slightly.
"Hey, Asher."
His voice sounded calm. Friendly.
But Asher frowned.
"…Do I know you?"
The boy tilted his head slightly.
"You forgot again."
Asher's confusion deepened.
"What are you talking about?"
The boy ignored the question.
Instead, he looked around as if searching for someone.
Then he spoke again.
"Let's call Vale too."
He smiled wider.
"We can all play together again."
Asher's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Vale…?"
The name felt important.
But he couldn't remember why.
"…Who are you?" Asher asked again.
The boy stepped closer.
His eyes were strangely calm.
"You really don't remember…"
He sighed softly.
"That's okay."
Then he said something strange.
"Next time… you will."
The darkness around them began to crack like broken glass.
The ground trembled.
The boy's figure slowly faded.
"Wait!" Asher shouted.
"Who are you?!"
The boy's voice echoed one last time.
"You already know…"
Then—
Everything shattered.
Asher's eyes snapped open.
He gasped loudly.
Air rushed into his lungs.
His body jolted slightly as consciousness returned.
A familiar voice spoke nearby.
"So you're finally awake."
Asher turned his head slowly.
It was Wang.
He was sitting nearby with his arms crossed.
His clothes were damaged and bandaged, but his expression looked calm.
"You slept for a long time," Wang said.
Asher blinked.
"…Where am I?"
"A temporary safe place," Wang replied.
"Lina brought you here."
Asher tried to sit up.
Pain shot through his body instantly.
"…Easy," Wang said.
"You nearly died out there."
Asher clenched his teeth and slowly forced himself into a sitting position.
His mind was still foggy.
But one memory returned clearly.
"Lord…"
Wang's expression darkened.
"He escaped."
Asher looked down.
"…Diana?"
Wang remained silent for a moment.
Then he answered quietly.
"She's gone."
The room fell silent.
Even though Diana had been their enemy…
Her death still felt heavy.
Asher remembered the dream suddenly.
The strange boy.
"Who is he?"
Wang looked at him.
"What?"
Asher shook his head.
"…Nothing."
He didn't understand it himself.
But something deep inside him felt like a door had opened slightly.
A memory waiting to return.
Wang stood up.
"We don't have time to rest forever."
His tone became serious.
"Lord said he'll come back."
Asher looked up.
"And next time… he won't hold back."
Wang stretched his arm slightly before speaking again.
"So…"
He looked directly at Asher.
"We need to get stronger."
A small confident smile appeared on his face.
"Fast."
Asher took a slow breath.
The pain in his body remained.
But his eyes had changed.
Determination burned inside them again.
He nodded slowly.
"…You're right."
He stood up despite the pain.
"Let's start preparing."
Outside…
The wind blew quietly across the land.
Far away in the darkness…
Something was already moving.
The next battle…
Was coming.