The city of Eidoria shimmered like a jewel beneath the sky.
Built upon ancient ley-lines and shaped by the direct will of the gods, it was called the "Heart of Faith." Its towers were made of polished silverstone, its streets cleaned by living winds, and at its center rose a radiant white spire—The Cathedral of Renewal.
Lucian hated it on sight.
Too perfect.Too polished.Too… false.
He walked through the crowds with Lysia at his side.
No one recognized them. Not yet.
Eidoria was hosting the annual Vow Renewal Festival, a holy celebration where thousands of faithful citizens gathered to renew their oaths to Elyon, the God of Order and Light.
Lucian's lips curled slightly.
Elyon.
The name alone felt like poison in his mouth.
He didn't know the full story. Not yet. But the voice in the Vault—his own voice—had whispered:
"The one who betrayed you still rules."
And the only god worshipped by name in this city...Was Elyon.
Flags waved.
Choirs sang.
Paladins marched in silver formation, each step rehearsed to divine precision.
Children scattered flower petals before the grand platform at the cathedral steps, where the main event was about to begin.
The announcer's voice echoed:
"Brothers and sisters of the Light! Rejoice! For today, our holy guide shall descend to renew our eternal vow to Elyon!"
Lucian crossed his arms, standing among the crowd.
He wasn't here to fight.
Not yet.
He just wanted to watch what kind of god Elyon had become.
A soft bell chimed.
The crowds hushed.
And then—
She appeared.
Elenya.High Saintess of the Church.Pure of heart, untouched by sin, said to have been born under a star that never moved.
She walked barefoot across the platform, her white robes trailing behind her like mist. Her silver-gold hair shimmered under the sun, and her eyes—pale blue like frozen dawn—held a stillness that silenced even the wind.
Lysia whispered beside him.
"That's… her. The Saintess. They say she never cries. Never laughs. A soul sculpted by divinity itself."
Lucian said nothing.
He was staring.
Because something was… wrong.
Elenya's steps slowed.
Her hands trembled slightly—barely noticeable.
And then her head snapped toward him.
Straight through the crowd.
Straight into Lucian's eyes.
Their gazes met.
And in that instant—
She collapsed.
Gasps erupted.
Priests ran toward her.
But she wasn't injured.
She was sobbing.
Tears poured down her face, her hands clutching her chest as if it were on fire.
"I—I don't know—" she gasped. "Why am I crying…?"
Lucian's expression didn't change.
But inside, something stirred.
In her voice… in her tears…He recognized something.
A fragment.A piece of him.
One of the elder priests shouted, "Get her away! Something's wrong with the crowd!"
Another pointed. "HIM! The man in black—!"
Suddenly, guards began pushing through.
Lysia stepped forward, drawing her blade.
"Orders?"
Lucian's voice was calm.
"We're leaving."
But the guards closed in too fast.
One raised a blessed spear.
"By order of the Church of Elyon, surrender now—!"
Lucian raised a finger.
The man vanished.
No scream.
No impact.
Just… gone.
A hole remained in the formation.
The others froze.
Lucian's voice was soft.
"Ask your god what I did."
The statue of Elyon behind the platform cracked.
No physical contact.
No spell.
Just pressure.
The god's image—twelve wings of light, sword raised in justice—split from shoulder to crown, as if something beneath it had pushed upward.
A priest screamed.
"The statue—! The holy image—it's bleeding—!"
Indeed, red ichor flowed from the cracks.
Lucian's gaze turned toward the cathedral doors.
And the stained-glass depiction of Elyon—
Shattered.
Elenya, still on her knees, lifted her face toward him.
Tears and wonder mixed.
She whispered, lips barely moving.
"…Primordius?"
The crowd heard it.
Gasps rippled again.
Not from recognition.
From instinct.
That name meant something even if they didn't understand it.
Lucian nodded once.
And turned to leave.
No fanfare. No battle.
Just truth.
And the truth was louder than thunder.
Back at the edge of the city, Lysia finally spoke.
"You knew her."
Lucian shook his head. "No. But a part of me did."
"…She said your old name."
"I didn't even know it until today."
"…What now?"
Lucian looked toward the horizon.
"A god is bleeding. That means he can still die."
[System Update]
Soul Fragment Detected: [Elenya Valis – Echo of Memory: Heart]Fate Thread CreatedStatus: Unawakened – Awaiting CatalystTrait Unlocked: [Divine Dissonance] – Nearby holy relics will flicker or malfunction in your presenceConceptual Authority Increased: 14%Divine Alarm Triggered: [Elyon – Status: Aware]
In a temple beyond stars, where only true gods walked, Elyon opened his eyes.
His face, once carved in light, now cracked along the edges.
And he spoke:
"…He returns."