Shadows of the Past

The night was silent. Not even the wind dared to stir.

Kairos knelt on the shattered rooftop, the aftermath of his battle with Raze still crackling in the air. His body trembled, not from exhaustion, but from the searing pain in his veins. The Eclipse Flame pulsed inside him — wild, untamed.

Raze stood over him, his blade resting against Kairos’s throat. “You’re reckless,” Raze said, his voice low. “That power will kill you before anyone else can.”

Aeris tightened her grip on her weapon, but Raze raised his hand. “If I wanted him dead, I’d have done it already.” He stepped back, sheathing his sword. “You need answers. I can give them to you.”

Kairos struggled to his feet. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because,” Raze said, turning away, “I know what you are.”

They followed him through the city ruins. Raze led them to an abandoned shrine, half-buried beneath the rubble. Inside, ancient murals stretched across the walls — depicting a time when the Zeniths ruled, and the Eclipse Flame burned across the skies.

“The Zenith Guard was created to protect the balance between Ascendants and the Zeniths,” Raze explained. “But the Eclipse Flame… it’s different. It doesn’t just burn. It erases. Rewrites.” He turned to Kairos. “And you’re its vessel.”

Kairos clenched his fists. “I never asked for this.”

“No,” Raze agreed. “But it chose you.”

As dawn broke, Raze revealed the existence of the Eclipse Relics — artifacts created to harness and contain the Flame’s power. If Kairos wanted to master it, he’d have to find them.