The bright moon hung high above the holy mountains, bathing the vast landscape in silver light. Ancient temples stretched across the peaks, their stone walls whispering stories of forgotten ages. Temple bells echoed through the night slow… heavy… sacred.
Towering statues of Kali, Vishnu, and Shiva stood in silent vigilance, their shadows long and divine under the moonlight.
At the heart of it all rose a single mountain isolated, revered, untouchable.
Four colossal pillars encircled its summit. Ancient energy pulsed through them, radiant streams of light flowing across their surfaces like living fire.
An icy wind swept across the stone paths, carrying the scent of river mist. The sacred waters surrounded the mountain on every side, dark and endless beneath the night sky. Only one narrow bridge stretched across the current the sole path to the temple at the peak.
The bells rang once more.
Then suddenly—
They stopped.
The wind fell still.
The river quieted.
And an unnatural silence consumed the mountains.
"I can see it clearly from here…"
a masked figure murmurs from a distant cliff.
A lone man stands in the shadows.
His face hidden behind a mask.
A sword rests across his back.
His long coat sways in the cold night wind as he looks down toward the mountain.
Below, at the entrance of the bridge, two soldiers stand guard.
One of them sighs.
"In a war-like situation, and we're stuck guarding a temple?" he mutters. "Haven't those pillars sealed that box for centuries?"
"Duty is duty," the other replies sternly. "Or are you questioning the King?"
"No… I just mean—we could be fighting on the front lines. Doing something for our country."
The temple bell echoes through the silent mountains.
Dang… Dang… Dang…
"It's midnight," one soldier says, glancing toward the dark sky.
"Yeah. My shift's supposed to change now. Where is that bastard? He's always late."
The wind suddenly grows colder.
High above them
The masked man continues watching.
Without moving.
One of the soldiers suddenly glances toward the cliff.
"…Who is that?" he whispers.
"The hell are you talking about?" the other replies, turning to look.
The cliff is empty.
"…He was right there."
"Huh. Maybe you saw an animal."
The wind howls softly between them.
Then—
A sudden wave of cold, oppressive energy washes over their backs.
Both soldiers freeze.
It's coming from the temple.
Far in the distance.
"W-What is that energy…?" one of them stammers.
The other feels it too. Heavy. Creeping. Wrong.
They turn toward the bridge entrance—
Their commander stands near the gate, inspecting
something on the ground.
"Don't worry," one soldier mutters, trying to steady himself. "The commander will handle it."
He swallows.
"There's something stored inside that temple… something cursed."
"We don't need to worry about that," one soldier says, forcing a laugh.
"Those pillars have suppressed whatever is inside for centuries."
He looks up at the glowing structures surrounding the summit.
"They're far more powerful than—"
Suddenly—
The light from the pillars flickers.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
It goes out.
Complete darkness swallows the summit.
"W-What's happening?!"
The soldiers panic and rush toward the temple.
Near the gates, chaos erupts. Monks and guards stare at the darkened pillars in disbelief.
"For the first time in centuries… the gates can be opened…" someone whispers.
A thunderous voice cuts through the fear.
"Calm down! Everyone!"
Commander Surii steps forward, his presence commanding immediate silence.
"Return to your assigned positions. No one abandons their post!"
The soldiers who had rushed from the bridge freeze.
Surii's sharp gaze lands on them.
"Back to your duty," he orders.
They hesitate for only a second before turning and running back.
Surii slowly turns toward the massive temple gate.
His eyes narrow.
"Contact the higher-ups. This is an emergency."
He stares at the lifeless pillars.
"The light has disappeared…"
His jaw tightens.
"It can only mean that—"
No.
Let's not think about that.
A suffocating presence spreads through the air once more.
Every soldier feels it.
Cold.
Oppressive.
Watching.
Captain Surii's expression darkens.
"Whatever is inside… it may be trying to escape."
The air around him feels heavier with each passing second. Harder to breathe.
"I'll remain at the gate."
Despite the crushing pressure, Surii does not move.
He stands firm.
Then—
In the distance, someone appears.
Walking slowly to
ward the bridge.
Surii's eyes sharpen.
The masked man.
The same one from before.
At the front of the bridge, two guards raise their weapons.
"Hey! Who are you? Stop right there!"
Soldiers at the gate
take their positions.
The night is still.
Then—
tik… tik… tik…
Something small rolls across the stone.
One guard frowns.
"…What's that?"
It stops between them.
For one brief second—
Silence.
BOOM—!!
The explosion tears through the gate.
Smoke and dust erupt into the air.
Bodies are thrown back.
From the bridge—
"What was that blast?!" a soldier shouts.
Captain Surii's eyes snap toward the gate.
The smoke begins to settle.
A shadow stands within it.
Surii slowly draws his sword.
Steel sings in the cold air.
Both charged to towards each other
They collide—
CLANG—!!
A violent shockwave erupts across the bridge.
Wind blasts outward.
The watching soldiers stagger back in panic.
CLANG! CLANG!
Steel screams against steel.
Surii's eyes sharpen.
He's good…
The masked man moves with frightening speed.
—FLASH—
A thin cut opens across Surii's cheek.
His eyes widen.
The masked man's blade begins to glow blue.
Slash—!!
Surii barely raises his sword—
CLANG—!!
The impact drives him backward across the bridge.
Boots scraping.
Stone cracking beneath his feet.
So heavy…
Before he can reset—
The masked man is already above him.
Blade blazing blue.
Surii's eyes snap wide—
He twists away—
BOOOOM—!!
The blade slams into the bridge.
The ground shatters.
A massive shockwave tears outward.
Fragments of stone rain into the river below.
Surii steadies himself, breathing hard.
He's going to break the bridge…
The masked man's left hand begins to glow blue.
Energy gathers—
Condensing into a pulsing sphere.
Without warning—
He hurls it toward Surii.
Surii's eyes widen.
But he doesn't retreat.
SLASH—!!
His blade cuts straight through the incoming sphere.
The attack splits in two—
Both halves streak past him—
BOOM! BOOM!
Twin explosions erupt behind Surii, fire blazing against the night.
Smoke rolls across the shattered bridge.
Surii lowers his sword slowly.
His eyes burn with resolve.
"Looks like I have no choice…"
He steps forward.
"We'll repair the bridge after I'm done with you."
"Let's go… once again," Surii growls.
Both of them surge forward—
CLASH—!!
Shockwaves ripple across the bridge.
For the first time—
The masked man feels the pressure.
Surii explodes into motion.
His blade ignites—
Fire roaring along its edge.
He goes on a relentless rampage.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The masked man raises his blue energy sword—
Blocking each strike in rapid succession.
CLANG! CLANG!
Sparks and blue light scatter into the night.
Surii roars—
Pouring more power into his swing.
"AAAHHH—!!"
BOOM—!!
The masked man is driven into the ground.
Stone fractures beneath him.
—but he recovers instantly.
His left hand rises.
Blue energy gathers—
Denser.
Darker.
More unstable than before.
It condenses into a sharp, glowing spear.
Without hesitation—
He hurls it.
Surii's eyes sharpen.
He barely twists aside—
The spear misses him by inches—
BOOOOM—!!
It slams into one of the pillars—
The light there flickers violently.
Surii doesn't stop.
He's already closing the distance.
CLANG—!!
The masked man blocks again—
—but this time—
CRACK.
A fracture spreads across his energy blade.
Surii pushes forward relentlessly—
Driving the masked man backward across the bridge.
Surii's free hand ignites—
A blazing fireball forms in his palm.
The masked man's eyes narrow.
"Wind Shelter."
Blue energy spirals around him—
Rotating rapidly into a defensive barrier.
Surii roars—
Driving the burning sphere forward.
"AAAHHH—!!"
The fireball slams into the wind barrier—
For a moment—
They resist each other.
Then—
SHATTER—!!
The flames punch straight through.
BOOOOM—!!
The masked man is blasted off his feet—
Hurled across the bridge—
He crashes hard against a stone pillar.
CRASH—!!
The structure trembles.
His body drops to one knee.
Silence.
A thin crack spreads across his mask.
…tick…
…tick…
CRK—
The mask fractures.
A line of blood runs from the corner of his mouth.
Then—
He smiles.
Slowly.
Surii's eyes narrow.
"Who are you…?"
"Who am I?"
The mask had already fallen.
A young man stood there — early twenties, strikingly handsome, medium-length black hair swaying in the cold wind.
He slowly rose to his feet.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I am misfortune."
Surii's eyes narrowed.
"Misfortune?"
His grip tightened.
"Misfortune is what I bring to you."
The young man laughed softly.
"Hahaha… you're right."
His gaze sharpened with interest.
"You're kinda strong."
Then his voice turned cold.
"But you know… you're going to die today."
Surii let out a rough laugh.
"Me? Hah… I can die anytime."
His expression darkened.
"My life was never guaranteed. I'm a soldier."
His eyes hardened.
"…But not from someone like you."
The young man tilted his head, amused.
"Scary."
A brief pause.
"Don't you think it's better to introduce yourself before asking someone else?"
Surii stepped forward.
His sword began to glow, flames crawling along the blade.
"No need."
His voice was firm.
"I'll introduce you myself… after I kill you."
The young man's smile widened.
"Yeah… that's right."
Blue energy surged into his sword.
"Let's get ready."
The blade ignited—
—and suddenly—
CRACK.
The blue sword shattered.
For the first time, the young man's eyes widened.
The young man glanced down at his broken sword.
He turned it slightly in his hand.
A small click of his tongue.
"Tch… it broke?"
A faint, annoyed sigh.
"I'm going to kill that swordsmith."
Surii lifted his burning blade, confident.
"I guess your weapon couldn't handle my earlier attacks."
Flames roared along the edge.
"You've lost."
A pause.
The young man's lips slowly curled.
"I've… lost?"
He let out a quiet smirk.
Then—
"No… you have."
Surii's eyes narrowed.
Before he could respond—
The young man spoke calmly.
"The sphere hasn't exploded yet."
—!!!
Surii's eyes widened in sudden realization.
Behind him—
The earlier blue sphere was still lodged deep in the pillar.
…silent…
…waiting…
The young man smiled.
Cold. Certain.
His body tilted backward toward the broken edge of the bridge.
"By the way…"
His voice was light.
"I'm Kalien."
He began to fall into the darkness below.
His eyes never left Surii.
"Now… explode."
The sphere embedded in the pillar suddenly began to rotate—
Faster.
Brighter.
Swelling with unstable energy.
Surii's voice thundered across the bridge:
"Everyone evacuate! The pillar's going to fall!"
Too late—
BLAST—!!
The pillar shattered.
BOOOOM—!!
Stone and fire erupted into the night.
Smoke swallowed the bridge.
And Surii
Dust choked the air as the shattered pillar lay collapsed across the bridge, crushing everything beneath its immense weight. Broken stone and splintered debris were scattered in all directions.
Beneath the rubble Captain Surii.
Only his blood-soaked hands remained visible, barely protruding from the wreckage.
A massive eagle descended from the dark sky, its powerful wings cutting through the smoke as it landed heavily before the ruins. Perched atop the beast stood a masked figure a girl, her face hidden behind a sleek, expressionless mask.
Kalien stepped forward slowly.
Unmasked.
Calm.
His boots came to a halt just inches away from the spreading pool of blood dark and thick, crawling toward him across the cracked stone.
He looked down at it… and smiled.
"I won."