Raen stood still, watching as his father faded away, along with the village that dissolved like a fading memory. He wasn't sure if this encounter had been real or just a manifestation of his father's lingering will, but one thing was certain… he was no longer the same.
He had accepted his inheritance.
He didn't yet understand all the details of this legacy, but he knew that he was no longer just someone struggling to survive. He had become the heir to the greatest power this world had ever seen.
When his consciousness fully returned to reality, Raen found himself standing amidst ruins, the very place where his last battle had taken place. The air was thick with the scent of blood and ash, and lifeless bodies lay scattered around him.
There was no sound except for the whisper of the wind and the slow flutter of the black butterfly circling around him.
"Your era has begun, Raen."
The words echoed in his mind, not as a threat, but as an undeniable truth.
Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze toward the horizon. There was no more hesitation, no more room for retreat.
But he wasn't the only one who had changed.
Miles away from the battlefield, atop a distant hill, a woman clad in a black cloak stood silently, observing everything with her silver eyes. She did not blink, not even once, as she watched the events unfold.
"He has finally begun to embrace his destiny..." she murmured softly, a faint, knowing smile crossing her lips.
Behind her, a man in black armor stepped forward, his eyes glowing with an eerie green light. "Do you still believe he will be our savior, or is he just another catastrophe waiting to happen?"
The woman did not respond immediately. Instead, she turned to face him.
"That depends on his choice. If he follows the path his father set for him, he will become nothing more than another pawn in fate's game."
"And if he chooses otherwise?"
"Then… he might become the greatest threat this world has faced since the dawn of creation."
Elsewhere, deep within the halls of a dark fortress, an elderly man sat on an enormous throne, draped in a regal crimson cloak. Before him stood a group of knights, their faces stern and grim.
"So... the boy survived." The king's voice was cold as he tapped his fingers against the armrest of his throne.
One of the knights nodded. "Not only that, my lord… but he has begun displaying power far beyond expectations."
"As expected from the son of that damned demon."
He paused for a moment before turning to one of his commanders. "Prepare the army. We failed to eliminate the father, but we will not make the same mistake with the son."
Far from all these schemes and plots, Raen walked alone along a desolate forest path, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
He didn't need anyone to tell him what was coming next.
He had become the world's most wanted enemy.
But this time… he wasn't running.
If they saw him as a threat, then so be it.
If they thought he was merely a shadow of his father, then he would prove them wrong.
If this world refused to accept him, then he would force it to kneel.
And deep within his soul, he knew one undeniable truth…
This was no longer just a battle for survival.
It was the beginning of the Blood Era.
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- To be continued in the next chapter…