Chapter 18
A silence, deep and unnatural, settled over Sky City.
Not peace but shock.
The stillness that follows catastrophe.
That hangs in the air like smoke after fire.
Cracks veined the sky, remnants of a mana explosion just moments before.
The city's protective barriers flickered, dimming with every second.
Buildings had collapsed.
Streets were torn apart.
The once-proud Citadel of Light stood in ruin, its pristine towers fractured and burning.
And from the depths of the earth—where ancient seals once held firm—the Dragon had emerged.
But now... something else was rising.
At first, no one saw it clearly.
Not the cultivators shielding civilians.
Not those desperately casting barrier after barrier, trying to contain the beast.
A blinding eruption of gold-white light burst from the shattered ground.
It wasn't fire, lightning, or even pure mana.
It was light essence, regal and timeless.
It tore through the clouds, clearing the skies.
It washed over the city, not with fear, but warmth.
With hope.
Then—he appeared.
The Sky King.
Hovering above the palace ruins, cloaked in radiant light.
His golden hair flowed like fire behind him, crimson eyes calm, yet filled with immeasurable power.
His ceremonial robes were gone—shredded in the explosion—revealing glowing sigils carved into his skin.
He floated, untouched by the broken world beneath him.
And in his arms... a child.
Wrapped in mana-cloth, faintly glowing, resting quietly against the King's chest.
The baby didn't cry.
Didn't move.
But his heartbeat was strong—steady, and pulsing with something beyond life.
From the broken balcony of a half-destroyed chamber, Amy watched.
Her face pale.
The man who had ruled the skies for decades.
Feared by enemies and Revered by his people.
He descended slowly, light bending around him.
As if even the world dared not interrupt.
"Amy," the Sky King said softly, kneeling before her.
Her hands trembled against the balcony rail. "Y-You…"
"I held the seal as long as I could," he said, voice low and steady. "But even the Light element has limits."
He looked at the child.
"He was born the moment the seal shattered. And because of that, you aren't in any state to contain the Mana Beast. He's the only one left from the Imperial Clan who can."
Amy reached for her son, hands shaking. "Give him to me."
The King didn't move.
Instead, he said gently, "Amy, Listen."
"I need to seal the Dragon into him."
Her eyes widened. "No."
"Amy—"
"No!" she screamed, grabbing her son and pulling him close. "You can't! He's just a baby! Not yet! You'd curse him with that monster? After everything?!"
The King lowered his head.
"I didn't want this either," he said. "But he's the only vessel strong enough. You… you can't, not with your life force this weak."
Tears spilled from Amy's eyes. "Then find another way! You're the Sky King—you always find another way!"
"This is the way," he said, more firmly now.
She stepped back. "I won't let you. You talk like fate is unchangeable, but I won't let you make my son a prison!"
His fists clenched.
And for a moment—his voice cracked.
"I know what I'm asking is cruel. But if I don't, every soul in this city will die. The Dragon is already pushing free… and worse—it's being controlled."
Amy stared at him, horrified. "You want to use him to fight a war he never chose."
"No," the King said. "I want to give him the strength to survive it."
The golden light dimmed slightly as his voice softened.
"Do you know why I've lived for over Four hundred years?"
Amy stayed silent.
"I've been binding my life essence to the Light element and using my massive amount of mana to extend my lifespan, because I knew the seal would fail… and that the Imperial Clan would fall"
He met her eyes.
"I protected this city, This continent, This world. I did it with my own hands, knowing I'd die alone—forgotten."
He looked down at the child.
"But now… there's a chance. To pass the burden on. Not to a weapon… but a protector. One born of hope. Born of you."
Amy's grip loosened.
The King continued, gentler now. "I don't see him as a vessel, Amy. I see him as salvation."
Her lip trembled.
"I know what it's like to carry the weight of the world," he said. "But I won't leave it all on his shoulders. I'll help carry it too."
She looked at her baby.
His peaceful face, untouched by the hatred of this world.
But she could feel it.
Inside him—deeply—mana that didn't belong to him.
The Dragon's essence. Already binding itself to his soul.
"What if it's too much?" she whispered.
The King placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Then I'll carry it with him."
He smiled softly.
"I don't plan to die—not until he's safe."
Amy let out a quiet sob.
Then… she nodded.
And placed her child into his arms.
She wanted to say
Don't let this world take him from me.
But all she said was: "What's his name?"
The King looked to the horizon.
To the looming shadow of the Dragon, rising like a mountain.
"Call him Orion," he said.
Amy blinked. "Why?"
"Because it means Sky," he answered. "And now… he carries it."
Through tears, she managed a smile.
Orion.
She mouthed the name.
The King rose, lifting the child toward the sky.
And then—power surged from his body.
Wings of pure light burst from his back, stretching wide across the heavens.
Not feathers, but shifting symbols.
Ancient runes of Light, alive with Mana.
"I, Solas Regnum, 4th Sky King of the Order of Light," his voice thundered across the ruined city," swear upon my name and throne—this child shall not fall. Let the world crumble if it must, but he will rise."
All across the city—people looked up.
They saw the King they thought untouchable.
They saw the child, glowing gently in his arms.
And for the first time since the explosion...
They hoped.
Then the King turned skyward.
Toward the Dragon.
The beast had emerged halfway from its prison.
Its massive form moved like a living continent, shimmering with star-like scales.
Mana poured from its breath—thick, heavy, suffocating.
Elsewhere, on the ruins of a distant tower, Lucas crouched in silence.
His black mask glinted in the wind, mana-eyes scanning the battlefield.
Clad in dark combat gear, he murmured beneath his breath:
"…The Sky King, Solas. He's too powerful."