The wind whipped at the edges of Sohan's torn cloak, and dried blood still stained his injured arm. Yet, he didn't slow down. He ran through the southern passage, slipping between ruins and rocks, until the towering walls of Niram rose before him — gleaming with the color of the Grand Crystal that crowned the city's heart.
But the city was not as he had left it.
Emergency lights glowed, the gates were half-shut, and soldiers moved in haste. The flare arrow he had launched hours earlier still flickered faintly in the sky.
As he approached, he shouted, "Sohan! From the Eyes of Light division! Open the gate!"
A moment of silence, then a familiar voice answered:
"Is it really you?"
It was Leo, one of the guards who had trained with Sohan.
A portion of the gate opened, and Sohan stumbled in. Stunned faces greeted him — a mixture of concern and shock.
"Where's Valo? Where are the others?"
"What happened?"
"Are they alive?"
But Sohan raised his injured hand and said,
"Take me to Ryder… there's no time to waste."
Inside Niram's Command Hall
Ryder, the man with short gray hair and eyes like blades, stood before a massive map covering half the wall, surrounded by the leaders of the four divisions.
Sohan entered, his breath heavy. He bowed slightly and said:
"Commander, we must evacuate the western borders immediately… Sol Weather — one of the Withered leaders — has raised an army. And he has a dragon."
A deadly silence fell upon the hall.
Ryder stepped closer: "Sol Weather? A dragon? Are you certain of what you saw?"
"I saw it… he spoke to me. He knows my name. He said this land is no longer ours."
Lyra, leader of the Iron Division, shouted: "A dragon?! That's impossible… the Withered don't control dragons!"
But Valo, who returned later with the wounded, entered the hall and confirmed:
"What Sohan says is true. This enemy is different… organized, intelligent… and deadly."
Ryder sat down quietly, then said:
"So the shadow has begun to move at last…"
Then he looked at Sohan:
"Did he say anything else? About you? About Niram?"
Sohan hesitated, then said:
"He said I'm only the beginning… and that the light is over."
Later – At the Training Grounds
The four divisions gathered to receive their orders. Ryder spoke loudly:
"We face a battle unlike any we've seen before. Our enemy is no longer just hollow beasts, but an army with a leader, a purpose. Because of this… I am restructuring the missions."
He pointed to Sohan:
"Sohan… you will be temporarily transferred to Ashen Shadow, under Valo's command. Your skills in stealth and survival can't be ignored. As of today, you will be one of the bearers of the Special Sun Shards."
Sohan raised his head: "What are the Special Sun Shards?"
Ryder: "A secret weapon… Crystals sealed with pure solar energy, recently activated. Only a few can use them without being burned."
At night, Sohan stands atop Niram's wall, holding a small sun shard glowing in his palm. He whispers to himself:
"If the darkness has begun to creep… so be it… I'll be the first to reignite the light."
And a voice from behind him — calm, but firm:
"Or the first to burn in it."
Sohan turned… to see a stranger standing in the shadows, bearing no insignia of any division.
Who is he? And is he an ally… or something else?