⚡️ Legacy of Hero: Radiant SagaChapter 18 – When the Thunder Falls Silent
It was raining.
The city—once alive with lights and laughter—now fell quiet under a heavy, gray sky.Each falling raindrop seemed to carry the weight of loss.The banners of the Guilds fluttered at half-mast, and even the Auras seemed dimmer that morning.
Kai's casket, adorned with the symbol of the Guild of a Thousand Lights, rested atop an elevated altar, covered with flowers and gentle beams of light.Around it, the heroes stood.No speeches.No words of comfort.Only silence.
Ray stood with his head bowed, eyes closed.Diana, beside him, pressed a soaked handkerchief against her face.Kelvin held his posture, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed restrained tears.And there—standing like a statue in the rain—was Lorien.
Darius, still a child, held tightly to his hand.
No one dared to break the moment.
"And when even thunder ceases… silence becomes deafening."
Memorial – Late Afternoon
The sky remained overcast, but on the horizon, a faint light pierced the gray barrier.
Lorien and Diana sat near the grave.There were few words to be said… but some still needed to come out.
Lorien (softly, but firmly):— "I won't let anyone close to me die ever again…"
He stared at the headstone.Diana turned to him.When he looked back at her, his eyes held something she had never seen in him before: pain… but also resolve.
Lorien:— "…and one of those people is you, Diana."
She blinked, surprised.Then smiled—shy, warm.
Diana (trying to lighten the mood):— "Of course… I wouldn't let me die either."
Lorien let out a small laugh.One of those rare, real ones—born from pain and a moment of relief.
For a few seconds, only the sound of rain and breathing filled the space between them.
Diana looked at him differently now.For the first time, she saw who Lorien was beneath the surface…And maybe, just maybe, began to understand why her heart beat faster when he was near.
"Maybe… maybe one day."
Beyond the Veil of Life – A Cosmic Dimension
Everything was light. Or darkness. It was hard to tell.
Kai awoke on a shimmering surface—ethereal like crystal, soft like mist.He looked at his hands… they were there, but made of something else.He stood slowly, still dizzy.
Kai:— "Is this… the afterlife?"
No response.Only the echo of stellar void.
Until—a presence.
In the distance, a colossal throne floated above a spiral of stars.Seated upon it, wrapped in an aura of black and gold, was a man of impossible stature.His eyes held galaxies turning slowly, and reality itself seemed to bend around him.
Kai instinctively took a step back.
Kai (nervous):— "W-who are you?"
The figure lifted his face.Even with a faint smile, an aura of divine authority radiated from him.
??? (calmly):— "My name… is Kairon."
Kai's eyes widened.
That name… sounded ancient. Powerful. Eternal.
The Universal Emperor.
Fade to Black.
🔚 End of Chapter
🜂 Next: Chapter 19 – "The Emperor's Call"The birth of a new right hand.Temptation.The rebirth of Kai… as something more.