CHAPTER 42: THE LUNARIS (4) THE ORIGINLESS ONE [2/2]

"I can help you two awaken and become protectors of your world."

His greatest wish since he could tell his right from his left was to awaken his system and become strong enough to not only protect his family but the world at least.

A few hours back, when his parents died as a result of one of the Lunaris using its devastating power, his wish changed from protecting the world to destroying the Lunaris.

And now the same being he would give up anything to kill was offering him what he wished for the most. It was a cruel paradox.

Norian wasn’t a fool. He would never believe anything that came out of the mouth of a dying enemy. It was one of the sayings his grandfather always uttered, and he understood it now — the Lunaris was only trying to buy time.

"You still don’t believe me...?"

Before he could utter a word, after the long silence that lasted for half a minute, the dying Lunaris finally spoke. Its tone sounded heartbroken.

Norian glared at it and didn’t respond.

"Fine." It let out a long sigh and continued. "I didn’t want to do this, but I have no choice."

As it spoke, two tiny specks of soft light appeared from its hand and swiftly drifted toward the two of them.

Norian noticed this and immediately hugged his sister, using his body as a shield to protect her. He thought the Lunaris had finally shown its true colors and attacked. His heartbeat quickened as he blamed himself for listening instead of killing it earlier.

But after two seconds had passed, he felt no excruciating pain as expected. Instead, a splitting headache struck him, lasting only a second or so before fading away.

And as it disappeared, his head became filled with fragmented memories — not his own, but those of the dying Lunaris called Sylon.

In those memories, there were only four scenes.

The first revealed an aerial overview of a unique and beautiful world. This world was unlike Arden; it was the exact depiction of futuristic technology and peace. The beings that roamed this world weren’t human but Lunaris, living in a civilization so peaceful that Arden could be considered a warzone in comparison.

The second scene revealed a broad meeting room where several powerful Lunaris sat and discussed. The details of their conversation were mostly broken, but two phrases were clear and repeated often — the cosmic prophecy and the birth of the originless one.

With those two registered, the other discussions became easier to understand.

According to the prophecy, the Lunaris believed that the originless one would arrive in Arden. The high-ranking ones among them suggested taking over Arden, becoming its lords, and monitoring the birth and growth of every living thing to find and capture the originless one.

From the fragmented memories, he couldn’t tell exactly what the cosmic prophecy was or who the originless one was, but from the tone and discussion, one thing was certain — they were special, special enough for a peaceful civilization to seek war and expend all their resources.

Then came the third scene.

The Lunaris, Sylon, was in a fierce battle against his own kind for sharing a different opinion about the war. In the end, he was defeated, lost his powers, and was bound with chains that sealed him completely, preventing any chance of recovery.

And then came the fourth scene.

Sylon was back, steering a ship, hopelessly watching as his fellow Lunaris destroyed cities and slaughtered millions mercilessly. From the memory, his helplessness could be felt vividly. And in that memory, a special but short scene appeared.

A human, covered in white light like an angel from the Bible, descended upon the Lunaris and wiped them out one after another. It was brief, but the power of that human was undeniable.

The next memory showed countless spaceships retreating back into space, and in the final one, Sylon was tossed down from a great height into the destruction below — discarded by his own people.

"T-This..."

Norian’s eyes widened in disbelief.

His entire understanding of everything shifted. He finally grasped what Sylon truly meant when he said he was on their side, and even more, the real motive behind the bloody war now stood painfully clear before him.

Anger roared inside his chest as his fists clenched tight. His world had been reduced to ruins, millions slaughtered, and his beloved parents taken from him — all because of a prophecy he couldn’t even comprehend. It was far worse than the lies the Lunaris had once fed them, claiming they invaded Arden merely for control and resources.

But while rage burned within him, beside him, Crimson held her head as unbearable pain overwhelmed her.

"B-Brother... I-I can’t feel my head anymore," she muttered weakly, her voice trembling.

Norian immediately turned toward her. Seeing her condition, his expression changed to one of pure panic. He quickly hugged her tightly, his voice desperate. "Crimson! Talk to big brother... How are you feeling?"

But she didn’t respond. Her eyes rolled weakly, her body trembled, and then, the next second, she went limp in his arms.

He froze, staring at her motionless body before roaring in anguish, all his pent-up emotions breaking loose. Tears welled up in his eyes as his voice thundered across the empty streets. "CRIMSON!!"

There was no response. She remained still.

The tears he had been holding back for so long finally burst forth, soaking her clothes as he held her tightly, lamenting his helplessness.

Cough.

Sylon coughed violently and straightened himself against the wall he was leaning on. He reached into his torn clothes and brought out two glowing red crystals.

Their light shone brightly, illuminating the dark night and drawing Norian’s attention. He turned toward the Lunaris.

"These are awakening crystals..." Sylon said weakly, his voice dry and broken by another cough.

"Feed one to your sibling and take the other," he continued. "It will heal her quickly and awaken her powers."

Hearing that, Norian hesitated briefly, but then the memories flashed through his mind, and he moved without delay to collect them. He had to save his sister.

But as soon as he grabbed the crystals from Sylon’s hand, the Lunaris suddenly lifted his other arm and grabbed Norian’s wrist, stopping him.

Their eyes met. Sylon’s were dim, filled with tears that traced down his fading face.

He summoned what little strength he had left and spoke his final words — a warning.

"These two awakening crystals will grant you both unique powers. When the time comes, use them to protect and nurture the Originless One," he said weakly.

His voice faltered, his breathing grew shallow. He coughed out mouthfuls of black blood, and with a faint, fulfilled smile, he whispered his last request. "When I die... burn my body."

Then, his hand slipped from Norian’s grip and fell lifelessly.

He was dead.

Norian stared at the corpse for several seconds, a mix of remorse and sorrow in his eyes. In a soft, trembling voice, he whispered, "Thank you."

He lingered a moment longer, paying his final respects to the being he had only just begun to understand, and then turned back to his sister’s lifeless form.

He lifted her gently, opened her mouth, and fed her one of the awakening crystals, praying with all his heart that it would work.

And his prayers were answered almost instantly. Her body was engulfed in a blinding red light that pulsed with powerful energy, lifting her gradually into the air until she hovered more than eight feet above the ground.

As he watched, he noticed her hair shifting from black to a brilliant red, her skin glowing with life, and other subtle transformations showing she wasn’t just healing — she was evolving.

Seeing this, Norian turned to his own awakening crystal. Without hesitation, he swallowed it. Immediately, his body too was engulfed in crimson light, and he began to levitate beside her.

His form changed — his hair turned bright red, his eyes glowed like those of an ancient vampire, and his lean frame strengthened, his muscles defined.

The two siblings floated there for a long time.

Crimson’s transformation was faster due to her smaller size. Her changes stabilized gradually, while Norian’s were slower but far more physical.

Under the dark night sky, on the day humanity faced its first interplanetary war, two new beings were born.