The sky was blue.
The wind was quiet.
The village was still.
Jin opened his heavy eyes.
He was lying on soft grass.
Lizardmen sat nearby, watching him.
Their faces were full of worry.
"Stone Lord… are you awake?" one of them asked.
Jin nodded slowly.
"I'm fine," he whispered.
But he was not fine.
His body felt like it was made of lead.
Heavy. Cold. Slow.
Each breath took effort.
He sat up. His arms shook.
He looked at the line of lizardmen.
They still waited for names.
Their eyes were filled with hope and trust.
Jin sighed.
"I can't stop now," he told himself.
"They believe in me."
He stood up slowly.
The ground under his feet seemed to spin.
His legs almost gave out,
but he stayed standing.
The lizardmen moved closer.
"You don't have to continue now," the chieftain said.
"No," Jin replied, his voice firm.
"I started this. I will finish it."
The next lizardman stepped forward.
Jin placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You are Roga."
A soft light glowed again.
Energy left Jin's core.
It was warm… but it hurt.
His head throbbed.
His hands trembled.
But he did not stop.
Another stepped forward.
"You are Mira."
The glow came again.
More energy left him.
More pain filled his chest.
The world started to blur.
Colors mixed.
Voices sounded far away.
But he smiled.
Name after name,
he gave them identity.
He gave them hope.
"Garo."
"Linu."
"Tako."
His legs bent.
He almost fell.
The chieftain caught him.
"Stone Lord, please—rest."
"No," Jin said, breathing hard.
"I must… give all of them… names."
The lizardmen looked at each other.
They wanted him to stop.
But they also wanted to be named.
So they waited.
Quiet.
Respectful.
Jin moved his stone feet forward again.
His vision was dark on the edges.
He named three more.
His body felt like breaking.
Still, he whispered,
"One more…"
Jin's breath was weak.
His arms were tired.
His body shook with each step.
But he kept walking.
Only one lizardman remained.
He was small. Young.
His green scales were bright under the sun.
He looked nervous.
But also excited.
Jin stood in front of him.
The boy bowed deeply.
"Stone Lord… I am ready."
Jin smiled gently.
He placed his large stone hand on the boy's head.
"You are… Kiro," he said.
Suddenly, Jin's core pulsed hard.
A great wave of energy poured out of him.
White light wrapped around Kiro's body.
It was beautiful—soft and pure.
The air around them shimmered.
The lizardmen gasped.
Some dropped to their knees.
Jin swayed.
His legs felt like jelly.
His vision became dark again.
He took one step back.
Then another.
Then… he fell.
His body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Dust rose around him.
The sound echoed in the village.
"Stone Lord!" many voices cried out.
The chieftain ran to him.
Others followed quickly.
They touched his arms, his chest, his face.
"He's cold!" one shouted.
"He's not moving!" another said.
But Jin could not hear them.
He was already falling—
Not from the ground,
But deep inside his own mind.
Falling…
Quiet…
Dark…
Jin could not move.
He could not speak.
He could not hear the voices around him.
Everything was black.
No sound.
No light.
Only silence.
His heavy body lay still on the ground.
The lizardmen gathered close.
Their eyes were wide with worry.
"Stone Lord… wake up!" one cried.
"Please get up!" shouted another.
The chieftain knelt beside Jin.
He placed a hand on Jin's chest.
There was no breath.
No sound.
Only the soft glow from Jin's core remained.
A dim, golden light inside his rocky chest.
It was still beating—slowly, but alive.
The chieftain stood and turned to his people.
"Do not fear," he said.
"He gave us names. He gave us hope.
We must protect him now."
They built a shelter around Jin.
Wood, leaves, and stone were brought quickly.
The lizardmen worked together in silence.
Some wept quietly.
Some sat and watched, guarding him.
Night came.
Stars filled the sky.
But Jin did not wake.
He was far away, lost in deep unconsciousness.
His mind floated in darkness.
There were no thoughts.
No memories.
Only peace.
Only stillness.
Inside the darkness, Jin was not afraid.
There was no pain.
No work.
No voice calling his name.
He felt calm.
He felt cold.
He felt heavy… like a rock.
He was not standing.
He was not sitting.
He was simply… there.
Still. Silent. Strong.
"I am a stone," Jin thought softly.
"No worries. No hunger. No sadness."
The world around him was quiet.
Wind did not blow.
Rain did not fall.
No monsters. No people.
Only empty space.
He remembered his old life.
The small apartment.
The tired mornings.
The heavy steps to work.
The pain in his chest when his boss yelled.
"I hated it," he thought.
"I wanted to rest. I wanted to stop."
And now, in this strange dream, he had stopped.
No thoughts.
No fear.
Just silence.
Time passed.
Maybe hours.
Maybe days.
He didn't know.
Then, something warm touched him.
It was not real.
But it felt real.
Voices.
Tiny voices.
"Stone Lord… please wake up…"
A young voice, shaking with worry.
"Stone Lord, we miss you…"
Another voice, deeper and older.
"You are our guide… our king."
Jin felt something soft stir in his heart.
Even in this dream, he heard them.
Even in this stone world, he was not alone.
"I am not just a stone," Jin whispered in the dark.
"I am their protector."
A light grew in the black sky above him.
Gold. Bright. Alive.
His stone body began to move.
Just a little.
Just enough.
Then—his eyes opened.