The Holder of Light

The sun slowly dipped beneath the western horizon, leaving behind an orange sky that gradually faded into shadow. Night crept over the city of Niagara—and with it, movement began.

Inside the fortress of Wastu, Arion and his small team prepared to leave their base.

"This way," said Archer as he opened a hidden panel in the corridor wall, revealing a narrow tunnel descending underground.

"This is a secret passage to the city. You won't need to use the main gate."

Before Arion stepped inside, Archer slipped a small device into his ear—barely visible.

"This connects directly to me. If the Champion Sword reveals any new signs, I'll let you know right away," he said calmly.

"Good luck."

"Good luck, everyone!" Zayyan added, raising his hand in a mock salute.

Aiden, on the other hand, leaned silently against the wall—expressionless, as if lost in thought... or perhaps just unwilling to get involved.

Just as Arion and his team were about to descend into the tunnel, a small figure darted past Archer at full speed.

"WAAAAIT!"

Everyone turned. It was K.A.I., helmet strapped on and a heavy backpack clinging to his back. He stood in front of Arion, panting hard.

"I'm coming too!" he declared enthusiastically.

Archer narrowed his eyes.

"No. You'd only be a burden. This mission—"

"I'm not a burden!" K.A.I. snapped back quickly.

"If Nari gets to come, why not me? I can cook, I can pick locks, I can make smoke bombs, I can—"

"You can also blow up the kitchen," Nari muttered under her breath.

K.A.I. turned to glare, but didn't have time to retort—everyone's attention had shifted back to Archer, waiting for his verdict.

Archer exhaled slowly. Logic had lost this round. He stared into the boy's eyes.

"…Fine. But you follow Arion's orders. No exceptions."

K.A.I. nodded eagerly.

"I'll do my best!" he said with fire in his voice, pumping a fist into the air.

Arion gave a faint smile and led the group down into the hidden tunnel.

Crystal-blue lights flickered to life as they descended, illuminating the narrow path. Behind them, the stone door sealed shut, marking the start of their journey toward the city... under the veil of night.

They didn't know where the road would take them.

But tonight, their first step toward destiny had begun.

"He's got good spirit," Aria whispered with a small smile, watching K.A.I. charge ahead.

Arion merely nodded and quickened his pace to catch up.

Nari, Aria, and Zayyan followed close behind.

"Hey K.A.I.," Arion asked, matching his pace,

"How long has that massive fortress been there? Every time I came to the city, I never saw anything like it."

"Oh, that's because Wastu is hidden," K.A.I. replied casually, eyes locked on the dark trail ahead.

"Archer placed a barrier around the whole fortress. From the outside, it just looks like a normal forest. The fog gets thicker at night too, so no one dares to wander close."

"So... it's completely invisible?" Nari asked in awe.

K.A.I. nodded proudly.

"Unless you know where to look or Archer grants you access."

Their trek through the woods took about ten minutes before they finally reached a towering wall that guarded the outskirts of Niagara. No gate. No path in. Just a sheer wall of black stone stretching endlessly in either direction.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Arion asked warily, his hand resting on his sword.

"Matches the coordinates Archer gave us," Nari murmured, eyeing a small tracking device in her hand.

K.A.I. only chuckled and walked forward confidently.

"Told you. Just trust me."

Without hesitation, the boy stepped forward… and passed straight through the wall like a ghost. His body faded through the stone as if it were air.

"He vanished?!" Nari gasped.

"No. It's an illusion," K.A.I.'s voice echoed back coolly.

"A cloaking barrier. Optical and magical camouflage."

One by one, they followed K.A.I.'s lead and stepped through the wall.

On the other side, they were met by the soft glow of night lanterns. The peaceful streets of Niagara stretched out before them, rooftops lined neatly in the distance beneath the moonlight.

"We're in," Arion muttered, scanning the surroundings.

"Be careful," Aria warned.

"Even if it looks peaceful, the city's under tight surveillance. We don't know if the enemy's searching for Nate's chosen too."

Arion nodded.

"Let's move toward the town square," he said, tapping the comm device in his ear.

Everyone agreed.

In the quiet of night, with only the moon as their witness, they slipped into the city—hoping to find the one chosen by Nate's armor… before someone else did.