Yun felt it before he saw anything.
It wasn't a sound, nor was it something visible at first it was a presence. A sharp, undeniable sensation that cut through his thoughts like a blade, sending a warning straight through his body. Every nerve in him reacted at once, and before he could even understand what was happening, his body moved.
He stepped back.
No he didn't just step. He vanished from where he stood and reappeared several meters away, as if time itself had been forced to bend around him. The motion was so sudden, so precise, that even Yun himself didn't fully grasp it until it was over.
His breathing caught in his throat.
For a brief moment, the world slowed.
"…That wasn't normal."
Then he saw the reason.
Standing exactly where Yun had been a second earlier was a man if he could even be called that. His appearance resembled a human, but something about him felt fundamentally wrong. His gray hair, slightly long and unkempt, swayed gently despite the still air, and his yellow eyes glowed faintly, cold and unnatural. They carried no warmth, no hesitation only purpose.
He wore a fitted outfit, dark and unfamiliar, something between armor and cloth, designed for movement and combat rather than appearance. In his hand, he held a spear, and around it, lightning crackled violently, coiling and snapping as if alive.
Yun's eyes locked onto it immediately.
"…Lightning."
Before he could think further, the man moved.
There was no warning.
No buildup.
Just motion.
The spear shot forward, and with it, a surge of lightning tore through the air toward Yun. It wasn't just fast it was instantaneous. A direct attack meant to kill, not to test.
Yun reacted again.
Not consciously.
Not logically.
But instinctively.
His body shifted, his form slipping just out of reach as the lightning struck the ground where he had stood, exploding into a violent burst of energy that shattered stone and sent debris flying.
The man paused.
For the first time, his expression changed just slightly.
"…You dodged."
Yun didn't answer. He couldn't. Because at that exact moment, he realized something else.
The man was just as surprised as he was.
"…He didn't expect that either…"
Which meant only one thing.
Whatever had just happened…
Was new.
To both of them.
Yun clenched his fist slightly, forcing his thoughts into order. This wasn't a situation he could afford to misunderstand. The attack had been real. The intent had been clear. If he stayed here people could get hurt.
Without hesitation, Yun turned and ran.
Not in fear.
But with decision.
He didn't look back, but he didn't need to. He could feel it the presence following him, unwavering, unrelenting. The man wasn't chasing blindly. He was tracking him.
Good.
That meant Yun had control over where this would end.
The buildings disappeared behind them as Yun led the chase further away from civilization, past empty roads and abandoned land, until finally, they reached a place where nothing remained.
A barren field.
Dry earth stretched endlessly, cracked and lifeless. No movement. No sound. No witnesses.
Yun stopped.
Slowly, he turned around.
The man stood a short distance away, as calm as before, his spear still humming with quiet, contained lightning.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Yun spoke.
"Why are you trying to kill me?"
The man stared at him for a second.
Then he laughed.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't wild.
But it was empty.
"Hahaha…"
The sound faded, leaving behind something colder.
"Because," the man said, his voice steady, "you are the chosen one."
Yun's expression tightened.
"…Chosen?"
"Our goal," the man continued without hesitation, "is to bring humanity under our control."
The words settled heavily in the air.
Yun felt something rise inside him.
Anger.
But beneath it tension.
Because he still didn't understand anything.
"I don't even know what I am," Yun said quietly.
The man smiled faintly.
"That doesn't matter."
And then he moved again.
Faster this time.
No hesitation.
His fist surged forward, wrapped in violent lightning, aimed directly at Yun's core.
Yun tried to react.
But this time he was too slow.
The impact hit his stomach with overwhelming force.
The air was knocked out of him instantly, and his body was thrown backward like a ragdoll, slamming into a large rock behind him. His head struck it hard, and for a moment everything went silent.
His vision blurred.
Pain spread through his body in waves, sharp and disorienting.
"…I… can't…"
He tried to move, but his limbs felt distant, unresponsive. His breathing was shallow, uneven. The world tilted.
Through half-open eyes, he saw the man walking toward him.
Slow.
Certain.
No urgency.
Because the outcome was already decided.
"…Pathetic," the man muttered.
Yun's vision darkened.
"…So this is… it…"
The man raised his spear.
Then Something changed.
The air shifted.
A presence appeared.
Sharp.
Immediate.
The man stopped.
"…What?"
Before he could react a blur crossed the space between them.
Fast.
Too fast.
A figure appeared between Yun and his attacker.
A girl.
Yun couldn't see her clearly.
Only fragments.
Long hair.
A faint glow purple.
Not soft.
Not gentle.
But destructive.
In a single motion, she moved.
Her sword flashed once.
And in the next instant it was already over.
The blade had pierced through the man's chest.
Clean.
Precise.
The lightning vanished instantly.
The man's eyes widened in disbelief.
"…Impossible…"
Then his body collapsed.
Still.
Silent.
Gone.
Yun's vision flickered one last time.
The last thing he saw was the girl turning toward him then darkness swallowed everything.
When Yun woke up, the world felt different.
He wasn't outside anymore.
The air was heavy, still, almost suffocating. Darkness surrounded him, broken only by faint light from somewhere above.
His body ached.
Every movement sent pain through him.
"…Where am I…?"
He tried to sit up, but stopped when he noticed someone beside him.
The same girl.
She was focused, her movements precise as she treated his injuries.
"You're awake," she said calmly.
Yun blinked, trying to focus.
"…Who… are you?"
She didn't answer immediately.
So Yun looked closer.
And then he froze.
"…Serna…?"
His voice was weak, uncertain.
"My cousin…?"
The girl paused.
Silence filled the space.
Then a voice spoke from behind.
"So you've finally woken up."
Yun turned.
And saw him.
The old man.
The same one from the forest.
But now, clearer than before.
A short white beard.
Hair half black, half white.
A strong build.
Clothing resembling a traditional cloak.
Then Serna spoke quietly.
"Grandfather."
Yun's mind stopped.
"…What?"
He looked at her.
Then at the old man.
"…Why did you call him that?"
Serna hesitated.
Then said it.
"…He is your grandfather."
The words hit harder than any attack.
"…My… grandfather?"
"He's been missing for twenty-two years," she said softly. "Before you were even born."
Silence fell.
Yun's thoughts clashed, unable to settle.
Then the old man stepped forward.
"Listen carefully," he said.
"Do not tell anyone you saw me. Not even your parents."
Yun frowned.
"…Why?"
"You'll understand when the time comes."
Yun clenched his jaw.
"No. I want answers now."
A long pause followed.
Then the old man sighed.
"…Fine."
His expression changed.
"Over a thousand years ago, the world was at peace."
Yun listened.
"Until something appeared."
"A king."
"A king of beasts."
"And an army that followed him."
"They sought to take over the world."
"And the ones who stood against them…"
"…were six."
"The chosen ones."
Yun's heart tightened.
"They fought," the old man continued.
"And in the end, they sealed them deep beneath the ocean."
Silence.
"But something went wrong."
"One of the stars fell into the wrong hands."
Yun's hand slowly moved to his chest.
"…The star…"
The old man nodded.
"Its name is the Meteor."
"It is one of the six."
"And it carries immense power."
Yun's voice lowered.
"…Then who am I?"
The old man looked at him directly.
"…You, Yun… are the bearer of the Star of Balance."
The words settled deeply.
"But you don't understand it yet," he continued.
"And you cannot control it."
Yun stayed silent.
"…How do you know all this…?"
The old man smiled.
"…Because my grandfather told me."
Then he added quietly:
"And I have been waiting for this moment… for a very long time."
Yun looked down.
Confused.
Overwhelmed.
But one truth stood above everything else Nothing in his life would ever be simple again.