The surface of Earth was never silent.
It only pretended to be.
Far beyond the floating cities, beneath a sky choked with dust and forgotten time, stood a ruined castle… ancient, cracked, and wrapped in chains that glowed faintly like dying stars. Inside it, something stirred.
Not a creature.
Not a man.
But something that had waited.
For centuries.
A voice echoed within the hollow halls.
"Soon..."
Meanwhile, high above, Aarav stood at the edge of the surface gate, his fingers glowing faintly with flickers of magic. Days had passed since he found the ancient book, and each spell he learned felt like unlocking a piece of a forgotten world.
Fire danced in his palm.
He smiled.
"Getting better…"
But something felt… off.
As he walked through the city earlier that day, he noticed a strange man. Brown, worn-out clothes. Old… too old. Like he didn't belong to this time.
Their eyes met for a second.
Cold.
Empty.
Aarav ignored it.
Back on the surface, the air felt heavier than usual.
He began practicing again, summoning flames, shaping them, controlling them like a wild beast learning obedience. The forest around him flickered with orange light.
Then—
BOOM.
A shockwave tore through the ground.
Aarav stumbled back.
"What was that?!"
Another tremor followed. The trees shook violently, and birds—if any still remained—would have fled in terror.
Then he saw him.
The same man.
But not the same anymore.
The brown clothes still clung to him, but now he held a massive sword… dark metal, jagged edges… and at its center burned a glowing red gem, pulsing like a heartbeat.
In front of him stood a demon.
Tall. Twisted. Screaming.
The man moved first.
One swing.
The air itself split.
The demon roared and lunged—but then its eyes shifted.
Toward Aarav.
Too late.
It charged.
Aarav's heart slammed against his chest, but his hands moved faster than his fear.
"FIRE BLAST!"
Flames erupted—wild, uncontrollable, furious.
The explosion swallowed everything.
Trees burned instantly. The ground cracked. The forest turned into a sea of ash within seconds.
When the flames faded…
The demon was gone.
Silence.
Heavy. Dead.
Aarav panted, staring at his hands.
"What… was that power…?"
He looked up.
The man… had vanished.
Like he was never there.
Far away… beneath the ruins of the ancient castle…
The chains shattered.
One by one.
Crack.
Crack.
CRACK.
A massive hand burst through the stone.
Dark energy spilled out like smoke, poisoning the air itself.
A figure emerged.
Tall. Armored in shadows. Eyes glowing like burning coals.
The seal…
Was broken.
Back on the surface—
Aarav turned, sensing something behind him.
Too late.
A massive figure stood there.
Silent.
Terrifying.
Before he could react—
The villain raised his fist.
And swung it toward Aarav.