Darkness.
Again.
But this time, it was not suffocating. It wasn't thick with death or soaked in despair. This darkness was cold… distant. Silent—like a graveyard of stars.
Jin's eyes fluttered open.
His breath caught.
He was lying on a translucent, glowing platform suspended in the void. Below him stretched a vast, serene ocean—silver and motionless—reflecting a sky painted with seven pale moons, each etched with ancient glyphs. Constellations drifted lazily across the heavens like threads woven by unseen hands.
This was not Olympus.
This was not Earth.
"…Where am I?" he whispered.
His voice echoed faintly into the infinite distance.
A whisper rode the still wind.
"You've stepped beyond the breath of the divine."
Jin turned sharply, instinctively reaching for his power—but nothing came.
From the mist, a familiar presence emerged—Nyreth.
The former Abyssal Warden walked slowly, his expression unreadable, his cloak torn, yet his aura untouched.
"You're awake," Nyreth said.
Jin scanned the horizon, his heart beating faster. "What is this place?"
Nyreth exhaled. "The Lunar World. A realm beyond life and death… ruled by the last neutral sovereigns of the cosmos."
"But how did I get here?" Jin asked quietly.
"I don't know," Nyreth replied. "All I remember is your body shattering after the destruction of the Central World. Then… this place called to me. As if… we were chosen."
Before Jin could respond, the ocean began to ripple.
A woman walked across the silver sea as if it were solid ice. Her robe was woven from flowing starlight, her hair long and moon-white, and her face hidden behind a crystalline veil. She wasn't merely beautiful—she was transcendent. A concept more than a being.
"The Sovereign calls," she said softly. "Follow."
They walked across the lunar plane until a colossal structure rose before them—a castle of glass, ice, and silver roots spiraling into floating spires. It pulsed with light older than time.
The Lunar Castle.
Inside, the throne hall glowed with soft moonlight. Floating crystalline platforms formed a staircase leading to a dais where five figures stood—waiting.
They looked human. But everything about them rejected mortality. Their very presence distorted gravity, bent time, and reduced even gods to shadows.
The Four Lunar Overlords.
Kaelis – Tall, silver-haired, violet eyes shimmering with galaxies. Calm. Regal. Dangerous. His breath echoed like thunder within silence.
Velka – Draped in ethereal silk, her golden eyes cold and perfect, her voice sharp enough to halt time.
Orion – Sharp-jawed, black-haired, crimson cloak trailing embers. He smiled like a dying star—glorious and lethal.
Selira – Hair like ink in water, skin pale as frost. She radiated sacred calm—like moonlight over a tomb.
And seated upon a throne forged from a living crescent moon was their ruler—
Aurelion, the Lunar Sovereign.
His silver robes fluttered with no wind. Two crescent-shaped horns crowned his head. One eye black, the other white—reflecting all time.
He stood as Jin approached, raising a hand.
"Jin Shang," Aurelion spoke, his voice echoing with countless eras. "You have suffered beyond most. But your tale is not yet over."
Jin did not kneel. He didn't bow. He simply stared.
"…Why am I here?" he asked flatly.
Aurelion's gaze softened. "Because the Moon does not save—it remembers. You were brought here because your pain has not yet fulfilled its meaning."
"I've lost everything," Jin whispered. "Lia… Arden, Kaelros, Lysander, Chris, Rin, Lillian… My power. My purpose. What meaning is left?"
Kaelis stepped forward. "Revenge."
Jin's eyes were hollow. "Even if I kill Zhel-Vorah… they won't come back."
Velka's eyes narrowed. "No. But perhaps their deaths will mean something—if you make it so."
"You still have your wrath," Aurelion said. "Let it become your blade."
"What's the point?" Jin's voice cracked. "Every time I grow stronger… I lose more. I protect, and they die."
"You ask why," Orion said. "But the real question is—what will you do now?"
"I don't know," Jin murmured. "I'm tired of playing their game."
Silence fell.
Then Selira stepped forward—and knelt before him.
Even the other Overlords seemed surprised.
"Lia," she said gently. "Did you forget what you promised her? Was your fight for power, wrath, or purpose? Or was it for something else? Tell me, Jin—why did you keep fighting?"
Jin's heart pulsed at the name. He remembered her final smile. His trembling voice: " I will end this soon."
"…I fought for the ones who were precious to me. For those still left. For Lia. I'll fight again. And again. Until I die."
Selira smiled. "Then that is your answer."
Jin's hands trembled.
Aurelion descended the stairs, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You are broken," he said softly. "Good. Because now, nothing remains to hold you back."
Jin closed his eyes.
He saw Lia, smiling through tears. Lillian, standing tall in her final moment. Chris—the rival he came to respect. Arden. Kaelros. Lysander. Rin. His mother. His father. His loyal follower Athena.
"…Zhel-Vorah," Jin muttered.
Aurelion nodded. "You still have one question, don't you? How do you defeat the Endless?"
Jin opened his eyes.
For the first time in ages—they burned with purpose.
"Tell me."
Aurelion exhaled slowly.
"There are three conditions to defeat an Endless. One, you already know. Two and three… apply only to Overlords and Monarchs."
"Second," he continued, "you must rise—become their equal, or greater."
"Third," Aurelion's tone deepened, "Understand this: the strongest dominate the weak. To challenge an Endless, you must become the apex."
Jin nodded slowly. "So… how?"
Aurelion smiled faintly. "You must awaken… the Requiem."
"…The Requiem?" Jin echoed.
Aurelion chuckled. "It exists beyond creation and existence. A being with its own mind. It chooses its hosts… hides them. It cannot be destroyed. Even in death, it follows. If awakened—it grants the power of its Echoes."
Examples:
Jest – Echo of the Fool
"He dances on broken stars, mocking the fate he once defied."
Gate – Echo of the Door
"She opens what should stay closed—and closes what begs to be free."
Flaw – Echo of the Error
"A whisper in the code of creation, unraveling perfection thread by thread."
Kravlir – Echo of the Tyrant of Change
"He carves new laws with every death."
Owner: Zhel-Vorah
Whim – Echo of the Mystery
"A nameless thing with no origin, no end—only riddles in blood."
Owners: Me, Lia
Axis – Echo of the Balance
"He was the center—but broke. And now all turns to ruin."
Owners: Aurevian, Lillian
Jin's eyes widened. "Lia… she had one?"
Aurelion nodded. "The Requiem chose her. But she never awakened its full power."
He stepped back. "Stay with us. Learn. Prepare."
Jin nodded… then hesitated. "My original body is shattered. This is only a soul."
Velka chuckled. "Then there is a solution."
She glanced at Aurelion, who nodded slightly. Then she handed Jin a glowing map.
"This map shows the Western side of the Lunar World. A temple lies there. Within it—you'll find your answer."
Jin clenched the map. "Then I'll go."
Nyreth moved to follow, but Velka stopped him.
"You're not permitted," she said coldly.
Nyreth paused. He understood.
Jin offered him one last look—and stepped into the silver mist.
And thus, began his path… to awaken the Requiem.
To become what even Endless fear.