In the midst of the crowded settlent, the air was thick with tension. A blend of fear, hope, and anticipation clung to every soul gathered. So sat quietly, hands clasped, praying silently for safety. Others kept glancing toward the settlent walls, their expressions shadowed with unease, worried that a beast might break through at any mont.
Among them were students—young, inexperienced, yet burdened by the knowledge of the chaos beyond. Despite the soldiers stationed nearby, clad in armor and standing like pillars of strength, many students couldn’t shake the gnawing anxiety pressing into their chests. Even with the protection, fear had a way of creeping in unnoticed.
But not everyone was paying attention.
Sarah stood alone in the crowd, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her gaze was distant, eyes fixated on nothing in particular. She was lost in thought—so deeply absorbed that the bustle of the crowd beca a re background hum.
’Where are you?’ she wondered, her chest rising with a heavy sigh. ’Why haven’t you co back?’
Her thoughts consud her. Everything around her beca a blur—until soone erged silently from the crowd behind her. Without a word, the stranger moved close and suddenly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into an unexpected embrace.
Startled, Sarah stiffened.
Her first reaction was alarm. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she instinctively glanced sideways to catch a glimpse of the person’s face.
Cloaked.
Nose mask.
Unfamiliar.
Completely disguised.
’A rchant?’ she speculated, her expression hardening. ’Another one of those n teleported with us... trying to take advantage of the chaos?’
A surge of anger coursed through her veins. Without hesitation, she drew back her elbow and swung it backwards with all her strength. It landed squarely in the gut of the masked man.
The impact knocked the wind out of him.
He released her imdiately, doubling over as he clutched his stomach and gasped for air.
Sarah didn’t stop to hesitate. She spun around, fury blazing in her eyes. Her leg pulled back, ready to land a finishing kick—not out of spite, but to send a clear ssage.
Never disrespect won.
But before her kick could fly, the man raised a hand, his voice hoarse.
"It’s , sis."
The words brought her to a halt.
She froze.
The world around her fell into silence. Her arms dropped limply to her sides, her body trembling.
’Brother?’
It didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be real. A dream, perhaps. A cruel hallucination born from longing. But as the man slowly pulled down his mask and tilted his head, giving her just a glimpse of his face, reality shattered the illusion.
Tears welled in her eyes, overflowing almost instantly. They stread down her cheeks as her breath caught in her throat.
"Mike..." she whispered, voice cracking under the weight of emotion.
Without a second thought, she launched herself into his arms, wrapping him in a tight, desperate embrace—like she feared he might disappear again.
Her sobs were loud, raw, and uncontrolled. The sight drew a few curious glances from onlookers, but in a place riddled with uncertainty and pain, even a girl crying into a rchant’s chest didn’t raise too many questions.
"They told you were dead!" she wailed, pounding her fists lightly on his back. "You were gone—everyone said you were gone—I believed them!"
Mike remained silent. His arms gently circled her back, patting softly. He said nothing, only listening to every word she scread into him. His eyes dimd, his thoughts elsewhere—on a bargain made in blood and pain.
’Amidst the chaos, you may see your sister... but only for fifteen minutes. Then...’
His jaw clenched. The mory was fresh. The pain even fresher. That alleyway. That monster.
Kairos Veyl.
Mike’s hand tensed as the image of that battle flickered through his mind—blades flashing, shadows writhing, blood spilling.
’After fifteen minutes... co back to take revenge.’
---
Far from the crowd, outside the bustling settlent, Ravin Elteth stood silently on the rooftop of a half-crumbled building. The structure beneath him was ancient and cracked, with a thick concrete layer spread across the top like a forgotten battlefield. It stretched out like a stage, unstable yet oddly fitting for what was to co.
Ravin’s cloak danced with the wind. His eyes, sharp and distant, narrowed at the sight of movent on the horizon.
A monstrous shadow lood, surging toward him at unnatural speed.
A Titan.
Summoned. Massive. Alive.
’It’s even bigger than I rember,’ Ravin thought, unfazed but calculating. He exhaled slowly, adjusting his footing.
"If I fight that thing directly," he muttered, "I’d die eventually."
He spoke aloud, not to anyone—just himself. It was a habit now. Maybe it was the loneliness. The years without a voice to respond. Maybe he had just grown used to hearing his thoughts out loud.
"The strength of legendary summons lies not in size alone," he continued. "It’s the autonomy... the growth. They beco entities—independent minds with wills of their own."
He folded his arms behind his back.
"Compared to mythic summons—re illusions born of power—this one is already far beyond. A true being. A loss for if I engage carelessly."
He turned his head to the right, gaze drifting away from the Titan.
Two more energies approached—rapidly closing in.
He didn’t need a closer look.
’The summon thief... and a female.’
"Perfect," he whispered, a sharp grin slowly curling across his face. "After all this ti, all this planning... finally, it begins."
His mind wandered, pulled by a na—no, a mory. A person who had ignited the fire in his soul, whose shadow still lingered behind every step he took.
His motivation.
The one who started it all.
’Kara Veyl.’
***Author’s note***
Thank you for the constant follow up, please continue to gift and support the work.
This is the main the of this volu, the main part starts now and a series of big reveals are going to happen in the next few Chapters so does the volu also co to an end.
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