The sky didn't shine the next morning.
There was no sun. No warmth. Just a heavy stillness in the air — like the world knew something was about to break.
Kairo sat at the edge of the ruined chamber, staring at the tunnel that led back to the surface. The ground above them was Elaria. Quiet. Pretending to be peaceful. But he knew better.
They wouldn't let him live in peace.
Not now.
Not after what they saw.
Behind him, Lira stirred awake. She didn't yawn. Didn't stretch. She sat up like a soldier, alert and calm.
"They'll come today," she said.
Kairo nodded. "I know."
"You should run."
"I won't."
She watched him for a moment, then stood. "Stubborn."
"I've been called worse."
She walked toward the desk, picked up a dagger, and tied it to her belt. "If we fight, we won't win."
"I'm not trying to win."
"Then what?"
"I just want them to feel it," Kairo said. "Feel what I've felt my whole life."
She looked at him. "You want revenge?"
"No." He looked down at his hands. "I want truth. But I'll settle for breaking their pride."
Lira cracked a smile. "Now that sounds like a plan."
The sun still refused to rise when the first knight dropped into the slums.
He didn't make a sound. Just appeared from the rooftops — a blur of steel and speed. His armor was sleek. Black and blue. Enchanted. He moved like water. Quiet. Focused.
Two more followed.
Then five.
Then ten.
A whole unit.
They surrounded the building without a word. Each carried a different weapon — blades, staves, even glowing gauntlets pulsing with white mana.
They were trained to kill monsters.
Not boys.
Inside the hideout, Kairo stood still.
The marks on his arms itched. Something deep inside him was starting to wake.
Lira stood at the door. "They're here."
"How many?"
"A lot."
He pulled his hood over his head. "You can still run."
She looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "You think I'd miss this?"
He smiled. "Didn't think so."
Outside, a voice rang out — loud, clear, and full of judgment.
"Kairo Vale. You are ordered by the Crown to surrender."
Kairo stepped forward.
"You are a threat to balance. A wielder of corrupted power. A danger to the kingdom. You will be taken in for purging."
Lira rolled her eyes. "That sounds friendly."
Kairo shouted back, "How many of you are out there?"
Silence.
Then: "Enough."
Kairo grinned. "Guess we'll test that."
The wall behind him exploded first.
They came from behind — smart move. Try to catch him off guard.
But the second the dust cleared, the first knight froze.
Kairo's shadow moved on its own. Fast. Hungry. It reached up like a claw and dragged the man to the floor.
The knight screamed once — then vanished beneath the black.
The others charged.
Kairo raised both arms.
Black energy pulsed outward like a wave, throwing the first row back into the alley. The ground cracked. The sky dimmed. His eyes burned with a color that didn't belong in this world.
Lira moved like fire beside him. Fast, sharp, precise.
She didn't use normal magic. Her blade glowed faintly, but it wasn't mana. It was something else. Something ancient.
She danced between the attackers, cutting their weapons, dodging spells, laughing like this was the best day of her life.
"You're enjoying this?" Kairo shouted.
"Of course!" she said. "This is the most fun I've had in years!"
Kairo slammed a fist into the ground. Black spikes shot from the earth, piercing armor and steel alike.
The knights were strong — trained to kill mages and monsters.
But they didn't expect him.
Didn't understand the thing inside him.
Didn't know what cursed power really looked like.
One of them — a commander in golden armor — stepped forward, planting his spear into the stone with a thunderous crack.
He pointed at Kairo.
"You will kneel before the Light."
Kairo stared at him.
Then laughed.
"Kneel? You think I survived the Rite just to bend the knee now?"
The commander raised his hand. A massive spell circle formed above him — bright, divine, terrifying.
"Heaven's Chain," he called. "Bind the cursed soul!"
Chains of pure light dropped from the sky, moving with unnatural speed.
They wrapped around Kairo's arms, legs, chest.
His body stopped moving.
The commander marched forward. "You are done."
Kairo looked up, gritting his teeth. The chains burned. His skin sizzled. His muscles locked.
Inside him, the voice returned.
"Do you want to be free?"
He clenched his fists.
"Yes."
"Then break."
The chains cracked.
The commander froze.
Kairo's arms split with black flame. His eyes turned pitch. His voice dropped.
"Your light doesn't work on me."
BOOM.
The chains shattered. The spell exploded outward in a shockwave of darkness and sound.
The commander flew back, crashing into a stone wall.
Kairo stood in the center, surrounded by smoke and falling ash. His clothes were torn. His body steamed. The marks on his arms now glowed like living ink.
He breathed in. Then out.
Lira landed beside him. Her blade bloody.
He looked at her. "Still having fun?"
She grinned. "Even more now."
He turned back to the remaining soldiers.
Half were on the ground. Some still stood. All looked shaken.
He pointed at them.
"Go back. Tell your masters. Tell your kings. Tell your gods."
The wind blew hard around him. The shadows danced in the rain.
"I'm not a Void."
He stepped forward.
"I'm not a mistake."
His voice was louder now.
"I'm Kairo Vale."
He raised his fist.
"And I don't kneel."