John stood at the edge of the cliff, watching the sun dip below the horizon. The sky glowed with vibrant shades of orange and red, and the endless ocean stretched far into the distance. Waves crashed against the jagged rocks below, filling the air with the scent of salt. A cool breeze brushed against John's face, yet despite the peaceful scenery before him, his mind refused to calm.
The tests he'd done earlier — fire, wind, water, earth, and especially space — had revealed just how much stronger he'd become. His control over these elements had improved drastically, yet John felt there was still so much more to discover.
"Just how much stronger will I become once I reach the peak of this path..." John wondered.
He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside. Dwelling on distant goals wouldn't help him now. But then something clicked in his mind — a thought he'd overlooked.
"Wait... I haven't checked my Eye of Truth since the breakthrough!"
His heart pounded. The Eye of Truth — a talent that had carried him this far — had always revealed hidden mysteries and around him. Yet with all the excitement of his recent growth, he'd completely forgotten about it.
Without wasting another second, John closed his eyes and focused. A familiar warmth spread through his mind as he activated the ability.
When he opened his eyes again, his irises glowed gold.
The world changed.
Bright streams of energy filled the air, swirling like rivers of light. Reds, blues, greens, and silvers danced together, forming intricate patterns that twisted and curled in endless motion. The ground, the sky, even John's own body — everything was bathed in these flowing colors.
"Incredible..."
Before his breakthrough, Origin Energy had appeared faint, like scattered sparks barely visible in the air. But now? Now it was everywhere — vibrant and powerful, as if the world itself was alive. The energy seemed to shift and flicker, sometimes forming shapes — birds taking flight or serpents slithering before dissolving back into the colorful streams.
"This is... amazing."
John felt like he was seeing the world for the first time. The air hummed with power, and he could sense how the elements flowed, intertwined, and clashed. He was mesmerized.
But then, something strange caught his eye.
A rune.
It floated nearby, glowing faintly. Unlike the runes he'd seen before — which always shone brightly with colorful energy and a white core — this one was different.
Its outer glow was black, yet its core was light yellow.
John's awe turned to confusion.
"What the hell is that?"
He stepped closer, narrowing his glowing eyes at the strange symbol. The rune seemed to pulse slightly, almost like a heartbeat.
"None of my previous runes ever looked like this..."
Before, runes had always been clear — representing fire, wind, earth, or water — each aligned with familiar elements. But this rune...
Then, for a brief moment, John felt something — a pressure that pressed down on him like cold iron. Heavy and suffocating. His breath caught, and his muscles tensed.
But just as quickly as it came, the pressure vanished, and the rune dimmed.
John exhaled slowly.
"That... wasn't normal."
He stared hard at the rune, memorizing its twisted design, its yellow core, and that unsettling black glow. His strengthened mind after the breakthrough made it easier to remember the details.
"I don't know what you are... but I will find out."
After examining his surroundings a little longer, John deactivated the Eye of Truth. The golden glow in his eyes faded, and the world returned to normal. The vibrant energy streams, the strange rune — all of it was gone.
Yet the image of that rune lingered sharply in his mind.
"Whatever that was... I'll figure it out later."
The air had grown colder, and the sky was now dark, lit only by scattered stars.
"I should head back."
With a thought, John activated his teleportation ability. Space rippled around him, and in an instant, he reappeared inside Avengers Tower.
---
Back in his room, John sank into his bed, exhausted. His muscles ached, and his mind still buzzed with the memories of the strange rune.
"I'll deal with it tomorrow..." he muttered.
But just as sleep began to claim him, another thought surfaced — one he'd forgotten.
"Wait... the five new runes!"
John's eyes shot open.
During his recent breakthrough, he'd sensed five new runes appear in his spiritual sea — yet with everything else happening, he hadn't examined them properly.
Sitting up, John closed his eyes and focused inward. His consciousness dove into his spiritual sea — an endless expanse of swirling energy within him. Floating there, five glowing runes flickered faintly.
"Let's try inscribing one..."
He picked the simplest-looking rune and began the familiar process of carving it into his mental space. His fingers moved instinctively, tracing the symbol's shape with his mind.
Nothing happened.
Frowning, John tried again — this time focusing more carefully. Yet no matter how precise he was, the rune refused to form properly.
He tried another, and another. Each attempt ended in failure. Hours passed as frustration built inside him.
"Why isn't this working?"
Then, an idea struck him — a risky one.
"Maybe... I should try injecting Origin Energy into it. Let's see what happens?"
As his mind moved , John directed a small stream into one of the runes.
At first, nothing happened. Then —
WHOOOSH!
The rune flared to life, blazing brighter than anything he'd seen before. John's eyes widened in shock as the rune began devouring his energy — not absorbing, but consuming it like a hungry beast.
"No!" John gritted his teeth, trying to stop the flow. But no matter how hard he tried, his energy kept pouring out of him, draining him faster and faster.
His breathing became ragged. His limbs trembled. His vision blurred.
"I'm... not gonna make it..."
Just as darkness began creeping into his mind, the rune abruptly stopped. The energy flow ceased, and for a moment, John felt nothing but cold emptiness inside.
Then —
BOOM!
A blinding light erupted from the rune, bursting out from John's chest like a miniature sun. The brilliant glow filled the room, swallowing everything in sight.
John barely had time to register what was happening before his body was pulled into the light.
And then... he was gone.