The first rays of sunlight spilled across the mountains, bathing the village of Aria in warm gold. Smoke curled from stone chimneys, merchants opened their stalls, and children raced through the streets with excited laughter.

Today was the Harvest Festival.

Kai adjusted the bundle of firewood on his shoulder as he walked through the village. At seventeen, he had grown used to a simple life—working hard, helping neighbors, and trying not to attract attention.

"Morning, Kai!" called the baker.

Kai smiled. "Morning!"

An elderly woman waved from her garden. "Don't work too hard today. Even you deserve to enjoy the festival."

"I'll try," he replied with a laugh.

As he reached the village square, a sharp pain shot through his left hand.

He froze.

Slowly, he unwrapped the cloth covering his wrist.

The strange black mark burned with a faint violet glow.

"No..." he whispered.

Not today.

He quickly wrapped the cloth back around his hand before anyone noticed.

For seventeen years, the mark had remained a mystery. It had appeared on the night he was found as a baby outside the village gates. The elders had warned him never to show it to anyone.

Some believed it was a curse.

Others believed it was the mark of a demon.

Kai didn't know what to believe.

He only knew that every year, it glowed a little brighter.

The sounds of celebration filled the square. Lanterns swayed overhead while musicians played cheerful melodies. Children laughed as they chased one another between colorful market stalls.

Kai bought a warm sweet bun and noticed a little girl staring longingly from a nearby corner.

"You can have mine," he said.

Her eyes widened.

"Really?"

He smiled.

"Of course."

She accepted it with both hands.

"Thank you!"

Watching her run back to her mother made Kai forget the pain in his hand.

For a moment.

The earth trembled.

The music stopped.

A cold wind swept across the village.

Everyone looked toward the sky.

Dark clouds spiraled together as though the heavens themselves were being torn apart.

A deafening crack echoed across the mountains.

The blue sky split open.

A massive black rift appeared overhead.

Something moved inside it.

People stared in horrified silence.

Then the creatures emerged.

Shadows with glowing violet eyes and jagged claws dropped from the darkness like falling stars.

The first monster landed in the center of the market.

Its roar shook the village.

Chaos erupted.

People screamed and fled in every direction.

Buildings crumbled beneath enormous claws.

Fire spread from shattered lanterns.

"Kai!" someone shouted.

He turned just in time to see the little girl frozen in fear as a shadow beast charged toward her.

Without thinking, he sprinted forward.

"Run!" he shouted.

He pushed her out of the creature's path.

The monster swung one enormous claw.

Kai closed his eyes.

Pain exploded through his left hand.

The cloth wrapped around his wrist burned to ash.

The black mark blazed brighter than the sun.

Dark energy spiraled around him like a violent storm.

"What... is happening?" he gasped.

A voice echoed inside his mind.

Awaken.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Black flames burst upward.

From the darkness, a massive sword slowly emerged.

Its blade shimmered like midnight.

Its edge glowed with violet light.

The weapon floated before him.

Waiting.

Kai reached out instinctively.

The moment his fingers touched the hilt, a wave of overwhelming power surged through his body.

His fear disappeared.

Everything became silent.

The monster lunged.

Kai moved without thinking.

One swing.

A flash of violet light split the battlefield.

The creature froze.

Then its body shattered into countless fragments of black smoke.

Silence fell over the ruined village.

Everyone stared.

Not at the dead monster.

At Kai.

He stood alone among the burning ruins, holding the impossible sword.

The villagers slowly stepped backward.

Fear filled their eyes.

"He's... a monster," someone whispered.

Kai looked down at the glowing mark on his hand.

"What... am I?"

Far above the village, a lone figure watched from a rocky cliff.

A woman dressed in a black cloak smiled beneath the moonlit sky.

"After seventeen years," she whispered, "I've finally found you... my king."

Far behind her, hidden beyond the clouds, something ancient opened its eyes.

And the world began to change.