The Black Zone was a place where time held no meaning, where even the strongest souls were swallowed whole—but he was here, and he was alive.

  His eyes fluttered open, greeted by a desolate expanse of jagged stone, the ground beneath him fractured with glowing blue veins of energy. Above him stretched an endless sea of stars, vast and shimmering. Meanwhile in the distance, massive planets loomed, galaxies swirled, and dying stars erupted into dazzling explosions, their remnants painting the nebulae in vibrant hues. And far ahead, floating like a forgotten relic in the void, stood a massive castle, its dark silhouette barely visible against the cosmic chaos.

  Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, his gaze fixed on the cosmic chaos unfolding in the distant void around him. The brilliance of dying stars and swirling nebulae held him captive, their light reflecting in his wide eyes. Entranced, he took a step forward, then another—unaware of the jagged ledge rapidly approaching beneath his feet.

  His foot met nothing but air. For a brief, blissful moment, he hovered, realization dawning far too late. Then—gravity.

  With a yelp, he tumbled forward, crashing down the jagged slope in a flurry of flailing limbs and startled grunts. Sharp rocks jabbed at his sides as he bounced not unlinke a skipping stone as each impact was punctuated by a pained, indignant noise. Just as he thought it couldn't get any worse, his descent ended with a resounding thud—face-first into a conveniently placed boulder.

  Groaning, he peeled himself off the rock, blinking dazedly at the swirling galaxies above. "Smooth." He muttered, spitting out a bit of dirt and what he hoped wasn't a piece of his dignity. He laid there for a moment, staring up at the swirling galaxies above, winded but otherwise intact. With a groan, he let his head drop back against the stone. "Well... that could've been worse." He took a moment to look at the peak from which he fell, taking in the ragged trail he left behind leading up to the now cracked boulder that stopped his descent. Normally anyone would be dead, but all he felt was a bit of pain on his forehead.

  He felt lucky to be alive—until he remembered that he had actually died.

  A chill crept up his spine as flashes of memory struck like lightning—the blinding headlights, the screech of tires, the sickening impact. He could still feel the ghost of it, the weightlessness before the pain, especially the crushing stillness that followed.

  "I... I swear I died..." We muttered, his breathing unsteady. He pressed a hand to his chest, half-expecting to feel shattered ribs or torn flesh. Instead, he was whole. Confused, but whole.

  His gaze drifted back to the impossible sky above—the sea of stars, the dying planets, the celestial chaos that stretched infinitely. Wherever this was... It certainly wasn't the afterlife he had imagined.

  "So then… What happened to me?"

  He took a deep breath, steadying himself. Panicking wouldn't help—he needed to stay calm and figure out where he was before anything else.

  His gaze turned toward the massive floating castle in the distance, its towering spires piercing the star-filled void. The sight reminded him of the grand scenes from his favorite manhua and webtoons, stirring something within him—curiosity, excitement and maybe even a bit of hope.

  If there was a castle, then maybe there were people. Maybe there were answers.

  His heart pounded, not from fear, but from wonder. If a place like this existed, what other marvels might it hold?

  With that thought, he took his first step toward the unknown.

  A few minutes into walking, he realized he might actually be alone here. There was nothing but the strange, glowing blue rocks surrounding him. Curiously, he waved his hand over one, and a sudden spark of electricity shot out, striking his palm. He flinched, instinctively pulling his hand back, expecting pain—but instead, he felt... energized.

  Blue liquid energy crackled along his arm, surged through his chest, then dissipated near his stomach, leaving him feeling stronger. Intrigued, he tried it again, touching smaller rocks along the way, each spark filling him with more power. His excitement grew as he punched a few rocks, effortlessly smashing them into pieces.

  He couldn't help but grin. The thrill of growing stronger, the rush of breaking boulders with his bare hands—it reminded him of his childhood dreams of having superpowers.

  As he marveled at his newfound strength, he finally reached another ledge. Just one more ridge, and he'd be at the floating castle. Smirking to himself, he took a few steps back, braced himself—then sprinted forward and leaped.

  Landing on the other side of the ridge, he was met with a massive boulder, its surface veined with glowing blue cracks. Until now, only the smaller rocks had displayed this strange luminescence. Almost instinctively, he reached out to touch it.

  The moment his fingers made contact, an explosion of power erupted. A surge of raw energy shot into his body, slamming into his chest like a hammer. He collapsed, curling into a fetal position as the overwhelming force poured into him.

  For a brief, agonizing moment, he regretted his decision. The energy was wild, untamed, wracking his body with unbearable pain. But through gritted teeth, he fought to control it. Slowly, after what felt like an eternity, the surging power began to settle, regulating itself within him.

  He lay there, panting, his body aching from the ordeal. One thing was certain—he wouldn't be trying that again anytime soon. But despite the pain, he couldn't deny it... He felt stronger than ever but his rest was abruptly interrupted by a distant explosion, so powerful it shook the ground beneath him. His head snapped toward the source of the blast in his surprise. The castle.

  His eyes widened as he watched the massive castle doors collapse with a thunderous crash. A deafening, bestial roar followed, reverberating through the air.

  Heart pounding, he scrambled to his feet and bolted behind a nearby boulder, pressing his back against it as he tried to steady his breath. Cautiously, he peeked over the edge.

  A massive white blur shot out from the ruined entrance, tearing through the air with terrifying speed. Whatever it was, it was huge... And it was furious.

  Another explosion of light split the sky, forcing him to shield his eyes. When the brilliance faded, his breath caught in his throat.

  There it was—a massive dragon, its scales a brilliant white that shimmered like polished pearl under the cosmic glow. Blue and silver accents traced intricate patterns along its body, each line pulsing faintly with an otherworldly energy. Its wings, vast and majestic, carried a faint luminescence, like moonlight spilling through mist.

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  But it was its eyes that truly stole his breath—twin oceans of stars swirling in an endless cosmic dance, deep and unfathomable.

  Heavy shackles bound its forearms and legs, thick chains dangling with an eerie weight, pulsing with the same blue energy that coursed through the floating landscape. Above its head, a halo of dark blue, almost purple energy crackled and twisted, shifting like a living storm.

  And then, the dragon exhaled—a slow, seething breath that sent ripples through the air, the sheer force of its presence pressing down on him like a tidal wave.

  Then the dragon spoke, its voice a deep, thunderous rumble laced with fury, yet beneath the anger, there was something else—grief.

  "Where are you, Apostle? Why are you here? Haven't you all taken enough from me?" The dragon's eyes burned like distant galaxies collapsing in on themselves. "Who sent you? Sirus? Fulgrim? Ventris? Morphos? Can I not even mourn my beloved in peace?!"

  Another deafening roar tore through the sky, shaking the ground beneath him. Then, in a blur of white and silver, the dragon shot upward at an impossible speed, vanishing into the vast sea of stars above.

  The young man stood frozen, his mind struggling to process what he had just seen—what he had just heard. Apostle? Mourn? What did it all mean?

  But before he could even begin to unravel the mystery, a cold, furious voice whispered from right behind him.

  "Found you."

  He barely had time to react before an unseen force struck him with bone-shattering power. The world spun violently as he was sent flying, his body crashing into a distant hillside with a sickening crack. Agonizing pain shot through him, his vision blurred with the force of the impact. His ears rang, drowning out all but his own ragged breaths.

  Through the settling dust and smoke, two glowing, fiery blue eyes pierced the darkness, staring directly at him. Cold. Unrelenting.

  And filled with murderous intent.

  He wanted to scream, but before this overwhelming, unknown force, he remained silent. His body trembled, not from fear, but from something far stranger.

  Pain. Unbearable, searing pain—yet it was healing him.

  He gasped as his broken bones snapped back into place, each one resetting with a sickening crunch. His flesh knitted itself together in slow, agonizing waves, the pain so intense that tears welled in his eyes. He could do nothing but endure it, feeling every fiber of his body stitch itself whole again.

  But before he could even begin to question what was happening to him, a low, guttural growl echoed through the smoke.

  His breath hitched as he turned his gaze toward the swirling dust, locking onto those burning, sapphire-blue slit eyes. As the haze cleared, the figure before him came into focus.

  A woman—beautiful, yet terrifying.

  Her light brown skin glowed softly under the eerie blue light of the realm, intricate glowing tattoos tracing along her arms and face, pulsing like liquid fire. Her long, silken white hair billowed behind her like a phantom's veil. The same shackles and chains he had seen on the dragon now bound her wrists, ankles, and neck, their ancient links humming with an unknown power.

  And those eyes—so bright they nearly looked aflame, yet behind their fury, something unexpected gleamed.

  Tears.

  Her clawed hands tensed, poised to strike, sharp teeth bared in a mixture of rage and anguish. She was ready to tear him apart.

  His instincts screamed at him to run, but instead, he slowly raised his hands in surrender. "Wai—"

  A flash.

  Before he could finish his plea, she vanished in an instant.

  The next thing he felt was an explosion of pain at the back of his skull as he was launched through the air like a ragdoll. His world blurred again as he crashed into yet another hillside, the force of the impact making the ground tremble.

  Darkness crept at the edges of his vision as his battered body lay motionless in the crater.

  What the hell had he just gotten himself into?

  He coughed up blood as he saw the beautiful woman approaching, her fiery blue eyes locked onto him. With every blink, she seemed to close the distance between them, an unrelenting force of rage and power. Fear gripped his body, an all-consuming terror—but beneath it, something else stirred.

  Anger.

  His wounds began to close. The same painful, slow healing as before, but this time… faster. He forced himself to his feet, stepping out of the crater just as she neared.

  Then—

  A flash of golden light.

  Something sharp and jagged grazed his cheek, the sting barely registering before the fragment struck the ground beside him and exploded. The shockwave threw him back, his body skidding across the rocky terrain. It hurt, but not enough to fully disorient him.

  Lying there, breath ragged, he thought back to everything that had led him here. His life. His death. The hardships he endured. The pain, the helplessness—was he really going to die again? Just like that?

  No.

  A heat flared in his chest.

  The same liquid blueish-purple energy that had seeped into him before now roared to life, swirling around him, crackling in the air. The woman slowed slightly, sensing the shift in him. Then, without hesitation, she dropped into a striking stance and launched forward.

  Blades of light shot toward him.

  He could see them this time.

  They weren't slow, but they weren't impossible to follow either. One blade came in from his right—he swatted it aside. The second came straight at him—he caught it, the force pushing him back, his heels digging into the ground. He gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of it, before crushing it in his grasp.

  Then it was her.

  A streak of white and blue, closing in fast.

  He braced himself. He was no over-calculating protagonist, no battle-hardened warrior. He was just a man—one who had never fought a day in his life, running purely on instinct and fear.

  But fear or not, he refused to die on his knees.

  With a deep breath, he steadied himself. The energy coursing through his veins gave him confidence—not much, but enough.

  Then he moved.

  Shooting forward at breakneck speed, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

  He knew he would lose.

  He knew he might die.

  But if he was going down, he would make sure he got at least one hit in.

  As he charged forward, fists clenched, his fear and determination clashed in a violent storm within him. He knew he would lose. He knew he might die. Again. But if he was going down, he would at least get one hit in.

  The woman rushed toward him in kind, her fiery blue eyes locked onto him, her claws poised to tear him apart. Then, just as they were about to collide—

  A blinding flash of light.

  His mind was yanked away from the battlefield.

  Suddenly, he was somewhere else.

  A vast field of white flowers stretched endlessly around him, bathed in a soft, dreamlike glow. The air was warm, peaceful, carrying the faintest scent of something familiar—something he couldn't name. And there, standing among the swaying petals, was her.

  But she wasn't the same woman who had just tried to kill him.

  Her glowing blue tattoos were gone. So were her chains. Instead of a burning gaze filled with rage, her sapphire-blue slit eyes held a warmth he had never seen before. She looked at him—really looked at him—with something almost… Fond.

  Then she laughed, the sound soft and melodic, like distant bells in the wind. Before he could react, she reached out, her fingers curling around his hand.

  Without a word, she pulled him into a spin, leading him in a dance he didn't understand yet somehow followed with ease. She twirled, guiding him through the field of white, her long white hair catching the light as she smiled at him with a familiarity that sent a strange ache through his chest.

  He felt like he knew her.

  Like this moment had happened before.

  Like he had forgotten something important.

  But just as he tried to grasp it—

  It was gone.

  The battlefield snapped back into view. The woman before him was no longer spinning him in a field of flowers but lunging at him with deadly intent. Her claws glowed with raw energy, her chains rattling as she closed the distance.

  The shift was so sudden, so jarring, that his body instinctively hesitated. His momentum slowed, his muscles going slack at the last second.

  She noticed—her eyes flickering with the faintest hesitation.

  But it was too late.

  Her claws tore through his back.

  White-hot agony exploded through him as he gasped, blood spraying from his lips. The force of the strike sent him skidding back, his vision blurring from the pain.

  But something was different.

  She hadn't aimed for a vital point.

  The blow was strong, but not lethal.

  As he struggled to keep his consciousness, he heard her voice—no longer filled with pure wrath, but something else.

  Confusion. Uncertainty.

  "…You're not an apostle… are you?"

  He wanted to answer. Wanted to ask what the hell was happening. But he was already too weak.

  His vision swam, the world tilting around him as his body failed him.

  The last thing he saw was her standing over him, eyes no longer just burning with rage but with something unreadable, her lips moving as she called out to him.

  "Hey! HEY!"

  Then, the darkness took him.