The next morning, sunlight poured through the window. Birds
chirped. The world felt normal again—eerily normal. I got up
and stretched, trying to shake off the weight of those dreams.
But they clung to me, sharp and vivid.
Outside, Loken greeted me. "Hey! Feeling alright? Yesterday
was kind of... strange."
"Yeah," I said, trying to sound casual. "Just dreams, right?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Your mana feels strong today.
But... disturbed."
I laughed it off. "Come on, Loken. I'm fine."
"Actually," he said, his tone shifting, "if you're headed into
town, stop by my friend's place. He has information on
elemental spirits. We might be able to bind one to you."
I blinked. "Really?" A flicker of hope sparked in me. "That
would be incredible."
Maybe I wasn't just dreaming. Maybe something was awakening in me.
I looked down at my hands, imagining the possibility. A royal
knight. A true warrior. Could that really be me?
But even as hope flickered in my chest, a shadow of doubt
lingered. I'd tried before, reaching out for a bond with an
elemental spirit, but the connection never formed. No matter
how much I trained or how deeply I believed, something inside
me blocked it.
Still, maybe this time would be different. Maybe Loken's
friend had the answers I needed.
Loken noticed the look on my face and gave a reassuring nod.
"It's worth a shot, Helion. You've got a strength in you that's
waiting to be unlocked."
I nodded, determination battling uncertainty. "Yeah, I'll go.
Maybe this time..."
Suddenly, visions of my other selves flashed before me—king,
warrior, the fleeing boy. Their lives tangled in mine, blurring
the line between dream and destiny.
"Helion?" Loken's voice cut through the noise. "You ready?"
I took a breath and nodded. "Yeah. I'll see what I can find
out."
Loken smiled. "I'll stay here and dig deeper into the spirit
lore. Let me know what you learn."
As I turned to leave down the mountain trail, Loken called
out one last time.
"Helion."
I paused and looked back.
He was staring at the sky, his expression distant. "If you see
anything strange... anything that doesn't make sense, that feels
bigger than you—don't ignore it."
"Like what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Loken didn't answer right away. The wind rustled the trees,
and his voice dropped a little.
"There's a name I've only ever seen in the oldest texts. It's
barely even spoken anymore, but I want you to remember it—
just in case."
I waited, suddenly uneasy.
"The Devourer."
The word hung heavy in the air.
"It's not a spirit. Not even a force of nature," Loken continued.
"It's a calamity. A void given will. They say it consumes entire
worlds... stripping them of mana, elemental spirits—everything.
Leaves nothing behind. Just dust and silence."
I frowned. "And you think it's real?"
He met my eyes. "I think there's a reason ancient civilization's
feared it more than death. And I think some doors, once opened,
don't close quietly."
I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded.
"Go on now," he said with a thin smile. "Don't be late. And
remember: not every power is meant to be tamed
As I headed down the mountain path, the sun warming my
face, one thought pulsed through me:
Maybe I'm not just dreaming. Maybe I'm becoming...
As I made my way down the mountain path, the crisp morning
air filled my lungs, grounding me in reality. The sun's rays
warmed my face, but my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts,
still reeling from the visions. The powerful king, the fearless
warrior, and the frightened boy—all of them were me, yet none
of them were. What was I supposed to learn from all this?
The path wound through a dense forest, the scent of pine and
earth filling the air. I couldn't help but replay the image of that
younger version of myself—the fear in his eyes, the way he ran
from the shadows. Was he a reflection of my own hidden fears,
or something more?
I tightened my grip on my pack, focusing on the journey ahead. Loken's friend might have answers about elemental
spirits and the strange disturbance in my mana. Maybe there,
I'd find a clue to these visions—or at least a way to make sense
of them.
With each step, I felt a growing resolve. Whether these visions
were dreams, prophecies, or something else entirely, I knew
one thing: I wasn't going to run from them.
The forest began to thin as the path descended further,
revealing glimpses of the village below. The rooftops and
winding streets of the town nestled in the valley were just
coming into view when, suddenly, the wind picked up, growing
stronger with each step. It became so intense that I found it
hard to breathe. I glanced around, bewildered. What's going
on?
And then, boom. The ground beneath me started to rumble.
The sky, which had been clear and bright moments before,
turned gloomy and eerie in an instant. I didn't know it was
supposed to be stormy today, I thought. It was just beautiful a
second ago.
Another tremor hit, stronger this time, almost like an earth-
quake. My heart raced. What's happening?
In the distance, I saw a flock of birds take flight, their cries
drowned out by a deafening bang. Trees began to topple, and
without thinking, I broke into a run, heading toward the source
of the commotion. Whatever was happening, it was something
I needed to see for myself. As I sprinted toward the disturbance,
dodging fallen branches and weaving through the underbrush,
I caught sight of something in the distance. It almost resembled
a humanoid figure, but it was enveloped in a glowing green
aura. It looked almost sentinel-like, radiating strength and an
omnipotent presence. The sight of it made me instinctive want to step back and run away, but I gritted my teeth and
stood my ground, trying to appear brave.
A vortex of shrieking wind tore the forest air apart. From its
heart stepped a being forged from the storm itself—a humanoid
figure cloaked in clouds, eyes churning like hurricanes. Power
pulsed from his every breath.
"You..." the spirit growled, his voice a thunderclap. "Do you
carry royal blood?"
Helion froze. His fists clenched. "I—I don't! Who are you?!
Why are you doing this?"
"I am Zelpho, spirit of the northern gales," the being declared,
stepping forward as the earth trembled. "And I am here to tear
down every throne built atop our suffering. The balance is
broken. I will see it restored—through fire, wind, and ruin."
"You're destroying everything!" Helion shouted over the
rising storm. "The forest, the villagers—innocent people!"
Zelpho's gaze was sharp as lightning. "Then let their screams
draw the cowards out from their palaces."
Without warning, the sky split. A bolt of lightning screamed
downward, slamming into the earth beside Helion. The blast
hurled him off his feet, flames licking his skin as he crashed
into the dirt.
Zelpho observed, curious. "You moved... without a spirit.
Unusual. You bear the scent of those who betrayed us. Perhaps
you're more than you appear."
Helion scrambled to his feet, trembling. "I don't want to fight
you. I just want to protect this mountain—these people."
Zelpho's eyes flared with violent memory. "Too late, child.
I already silenced the old man who tried to shield the palace
path from me."
Helion's breath caught. "No..." The word crumbled out of
him. "You didn't... you couldn't have—Loken?"
Zelpho smirked, his voice cold as sleet. "The hermit who
stood defiant with crumbling wards and fading strength? He
died whispering your name."
The forest blurred. The wind screamed in Helion's ears. His
knees buckled, his mind flooded with memory:
Rain on broken windows. The orphanage. The other kids
avoiding him like a curse.
The cane raised above him—
—and Loken's hand catching it in midair.
"That's enough," Loken had said, drenched in rain, eyes
glowing with soft fury. "You're not cursed. You're gifted."
He had given Helion shelter. Knowledge. A name. A future.
He had been his family.
Back in the present, the grief shattered into rage.
"He was all I had left," Helion whispered. His voice rose to a
roar. "You took him from me!"
Zelpho raised his hand, wind curling around his fingers.
"Then join him."
But Helion was already surging forward.
Grief became fury. Fury became power.
He lunged, mana erupting around him like a wildfire. Zelpho
met him with a flick of the wrist—an unseen gale struck Helion
mid-charge, hurling him like a doll into a tree. The impact
cracked the bark and his bones alike.
He fell hard, coughing blood.
"I can't move... My ribs..." he gasped. "But I have to. For
Loken. For the village..."
Zelpho descended, a storm given shape, each step shaking
the ground.
"You speak of power," he sneered, raising a hand wreathed in
electricity. "But all I see is weakness."
Awakening
As the killing strike fell, time itself seemed to slow.
A memory pierced the darkness—a small hand, trembling in
the storm, and Loken's voice cutting through the cold:
"Are you lost, boy?"
Helion's eyes opened.
"I won't die here..."
A scream tore from his chest. His mana surged—wild, primal,
unchained. A shockwave exploded outward, flinging Zelpho
back with a snarl.
"You still resist?" Zelpho hissed. "How—"
From above, a beam of radiant light speared through the sky,
engulfing Helion in its warmth. His wounds closed. His blood
shimmered with golden light.
"What... what is this?" Helion whispered, staring at his
glowing hands.
A voice echoed in his soul—calm, vast, divine.
"Helion. You deserve to live"
The storm fell silent. The world went white.
From that light stepped a figure, blinding and beautiful. Clad
in radiant armor, hair like sunlight, and a cloak of stars.
"I am Luminox," the figure said, eyes shining like dawn."
Spirit of the Living Light. Healer. Protector. Guardian of balance.
And now... your ally."