Still Before the Night

  Before the Slowed World

  Still Above the Training Grounds

  When the words of Urius (23 years old) echoed into the silence, in the very next nanosecond, the two were already charging at each other with immense speed.

  One could observe the entire environment of the training area shifting into tones of black and white in mere instants, under the immense pressure being released.

  This wave coursed across the entire surface of the training field beneath the feet of Urius and the Count himself (40 years old).

  Cracking the rigid ground entirely—composed of a material more resilient than even the hardest diamonds found in the human realm.

  This subtle sinking of the ground amounted to nearly five full centimeters, pressing into the training field's surface in less than a nanosecond.

  After Urius and the Count successfully launched forward, using the ground as their springboard, they advanced like flashes cutting through air.

  Their movements took shape with a single fist clenched tightly, each one forming the exact same posture—while on both their faces,

  There was an expression rarely shown to anyone but themselves: a look utterly absorbed in the pure pleasure of battle, and nothing more than that.

  This was the most terrifying side of each of them—because it was the most instinctual part, completely in love with physical combat and swordplay alike.

  It was a breathtaking sight: one fist from each of them extended, propelled by their outstretched arms, meeting head-on with the other's.

  They didn't just ripple the air around them; they seemed to cleave it open with visual shockwaves, channeling an overwhelming pressure to reach such surreal speeds.

  Both wielded their respective Oculi abilities with such refinement and experience, setting the stage for their first clash after so many years.

  It was meant to be just a friendly sparring session—but Urius wanted to show the Count something. And at the same time, the Count wanted to understand what that feeling was.

  That feeling that made him give his all for a few consecutive seconds—because he was once her master, and she, his greatest apprentice.

  In the second nanosecond came the moment of impact—when their fists collided midair, both of them still suspended in the air from their bursts of movement.

  At that moment, each of them could look deeply into the other's eyes—just centimeters apart, with razor-sharp focus.

  Countless streaks of pure energy flashed around them, passing over their bodies without damaging their clothing or wounding their skin.

  And as the streaks passed, their eyes caught glimpses of shadows cast over their figures—an interplay of negative and incandescent colors.

  This was the result of the intense condensation of their abilities colliding, even though they were channeling that power underneath their skin at the time.

  Not visibly exposing the full magnitude of that force, which could easily be felt across a radius of a hundred kilometers surrounding that subterranean base.

  At the exact moment when their fists touched—no longer just their strength at play—

  An energetic resonance burst out in all directions, triggering the energy dissipation system beneath the training field.

  It activated instantly under emergency protocol "DS-1" (Primary Dissipation System).

  In half a nanosecond, it managed to recharge every battery in the base to full capacity—

  Granting an "autonomous life" of approximately five years at maximum energy consumption, if ever needed.

  Without causing the slightest interruption in any of the base's systems—from the security sector to the scientific departments on the upper underground levels.

  In the next half nanosecond, completing a full nanosecond, the secondary system "DS-2" (Secondary Dissipation System) activated sequentially.

  From a striking point of view, Urius could be seen with her long blonde hair dancing in the air—mirrored by the Count's short white hair flowing just the same.

  They were both smiling in that moment where only two souls existed—

  Souls born to fight with everything they have in their hands and everything they carry within their hearts.

  [Urius – Whispering, Extremely Motivated] ...Don't compare me to that little twelve-year-old Urius, my dear master! [Breathes Deeply, Full of Confidence]

  From an Elevated Point of View

  Above the Clouds Sky

  Ancient Capital Oculi in Ruins

  It was no longer the world and its organic and physical existences seen through an ordinary lens, but through the vision of a world interconnected by energetic links.

  All the energy generated by the clash in the training area, located in the deepest section of the Reginae faction's base, seemed to surge through this alternative perception.

  This base lay almost ten kilometers beneath the surface, far below the ancient capital Oculi, now in utter ruin since its fall five years ago.

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  The energy appeared to be immediately dissipated at high velocity through a network of kilometer-long tunnels—part of the fully operational "DS-2" system.

  This system channeled the surplus energy in a matter of seconds beyond the boundaries of the underground base, through a vast evasion network.

  It seemed to travel beneath the horizon, deep underground, at an unreal speed, leaving behind the territory of the Oculi capital in mere instants.

  A territory that spanned more than 10,000 square kilometers, ending that surprising aerial scene viewed through an energetic perspective—

  Of hundreds of submerged veins glowing beneath the earth, advancing toward the horizon, transporting that raw energy through tunnels where no human ever walks.

  Only pipes, made of a secret refined material developed by the Reginae faction—resilient enough to withstand the density of such energy without cracking or fracturing—ran through them.

  As a result, all the pipes used for transport beneath the ground, black in color under normal circumstances, gradually began to glow incandescent white—or sometimes a charred black—as the seconds passed.

  In less than 15 seconds, the energy reached its final destination, 50,000 kilometers away from the underground base of the Reginae faction.

  A Few Seconds Earlier

  Location: Yux Island (Uninhabited)

  Near the coastline of the vast Oculi continent, a bird—its feathers a mixture of dark and white hues—soared through the tranquil night sky.

  It was returning to its nest, nestled in one of the few trees on Yux Island.

  But something made it suddenly turn mid-flight—a subtle pulse of energy passed through it, barely noticeable yet undeniable.

  Still flapping its wings, the bird shifted its gaze away from the island and toward the coastline it had just left behind. There, within the long-dormant volcano, something stirred.

  A faint, narrow beam of light emerged vertically from the crater, instantly piercing through the few clouds overhead.

  The bird, eyes wide with confusion and awe, caught the reflection of that light in its own eyes. Moments later, it saw the narrow beam begin to expand laterally—

  The full width of the crater giving way to an intense pillar of light, pure energy bursting forth with a horizontal pulse from its very core.

  A subtle shockwave followed that pulse, launching the bird backward mid-air, hurling it back toward the island.

  It immediately sought shelter, fearing for its safety in the face of such a unique and terrifying event—an event witnessed not just by it, but by every creature near that place: birds in the sky, fish in the sea, and animals on the shores.

  The ocean around the island began to vibrate in a kind of resonance, drawing its waters away from the coastline in eerie silence.

  That single shaft of light—so purely white—illuminated nearly a thousand kilometers around the volcano's crater.

  This volcano, dormant for centuries, was in fact the final stage of the "DS-2" system, internally restructured by the Reginae faction.

  It had been transformed into a kind of launcher for extraordinary energy, firing it skyward near the continent's shore.

  The volcano's "awakening" served as a diversion, designed to mislead the ever-watchful eyes of the Inanis faction. But the sheer volume of energy released in just seconds into the night sky—

  That pillar of light was so powerful, it pierced multiple layers of the atmosphere, reaching beyond the planet's edge.

  There, in the silence of space, the light became incandescent particles drifting softly from the planet.

  From its nest now, facing the violent ocean, the bird watched the pure white light slowly tint with faint black rays.

  These dark strands spiraled upward from deep within the crater, accelerating toward space, forming rings of energy around the white column.

  The bird trembled instinctively, overwhelmed by the pressure emanating from the light. It was fear—but it was also something more—

  A burning desire, something known only to the Oculi race. No other creature on the planet had ever felt such a sensation.

  Exactly 25 seconds after the beam's release—and the violent winds that followed—everything vanished.

  A final pulse swept outward, reactivating the volcano. Beneath the Reginae's tunnel systems, the earth stabilized.

  The intense energy seemed to resonate with the magma deep below the volcano's solid underground layers—

  Triggering a new explosion, marking the volcano's full awakening. But it was not a volcano that threatened to bring chaos upon the world—

  It was powerful enough, however, to forever reshape that part of the coastline over the coming centuries, should it remain "awakened" as it once had been for millennia.

  The bird abandoned its once-beautiful nest in the tree, seeking refuge as far from that place as possible.

  As it flew, wings beating hard, it looked back—witnessing streams of molten red magma launching from the crater, illuminating the dark sky.

  Jets of magma soared over two hundred meters high, cascading and splashing across the volcano's base and sides.

  The lava reached the ocean, releasing thick white smoke that ascended skyward, now enveloping the entire base—drenched in boiling magma.

  A Few Seconds Later

  Underground Base – Level 0

  In the Central Underground City

  Training Field

  Amid a thick fog covering the training field, two figures could be seen standing back-to-back, each staring straight ahead.

  [Echoing Deep Breaths from Both Individuals]

  They were revealed to be none other than Urius and the Count himself. The friendly duel had finally come to an end—an end that no one expected.

  The lateral and upper energy containment systems that surrounded the training field were deactivated, signaling the conclusion of the combat.

  Immediately afterward, the suction system was activated, clearing the air of the smoke and dust that had risen during the intense confrontation.

  Simultaneously

  In the Central Underground City

  Still on Level 0 – Center of the Base

  Near the Main Square

  Everyone across the base who had been watching the fight was left in disbelief at what they had just witnessed—barely 25 seconds of combat.

  They watched the scene unfold through their holographic wristbands, seeing the silhouettes of the two figures still standing amidst the swirling smoke being drawn away.

  And then, finally, the training field was revealed, leaving everyone stunned by the aftermath of what was supposed to be merely a friendly match.

  A match between the pinnacle of two generations—the elder and the younger—captured in the image of Urius, her long golden hair dancing in the breeze.

  The breeze was generated by the ventilation system, which had been activated due to the low oxygen levels caused by the intensity of the clash, quickly restoring the environment to its standard balance within the base.

  Throughout different sections of the base, people began to cheer as they saw Urius smiling, her eyes filled with pride.

  She knew she had lost the fight to her beloved master, but neither she nor the Count realized that their entire battle had been broadcast to the entire base.

  It had shown everyone that Urius was the definitive choice to lead the military division, having demonstrated not only her strength but also her refined Oculi abilities in close combat.

  She hadn't even used her Oculi blades once—blades formed through the materialization of her own essence. These blades were revered throughout the Reginae faction, still within the Oculi reality, as the sharpest weapons and a symbol of resistance against the forces of the Inanis faction.

  The celebration wasn't merely for her strength—even if it had been just a sparring match—but for what that display meant to many of the onlookers:

  It brought renewed hope and motivation to save what remained of their Oculi society in the face of the ongoing struggle between the two remaining factions of the Oculi world.

  The transmission on the wristbands of every member in the base was then brought to an end by the very same hands that had initiated it just minutes earlier.

  The person responsible was none other than Queen Lilian herself—15 years old and Urius's younger sister—who now smiled, having shown all those who still harbored doubt or hesitation...

  That her sister, Urius, was indeed one of the three blades carrying forward the legacy of their mother, Luna. And because of that, her blade stood upon the flag of the Reginae faction, beside the other two.

  Each blade on the banner symbolized one of Luna's daughters: Queen Lilian at the center, Urius—the middle sister and a princess—on the left, and on the right, the blade representing the eldest daughter of Luna, Princess Nox (25 years old).

  Nox was not within the Oculi reality alongside her younger sisters.

  Instead, she led the entire Reginae force alone in the human reality, waging war against the Inanis forces who had infiltrated and manipulated human society within their own reality.