The door creaked open as Lumiel stepped into his small, worn-down apartment. Same cracked walls. Same dusty corners. Same eerie silence. Still dark. Still shallow. Still cold.
Still… home.
He sat on the edge of his bed and let his eyes wander the room. Nothing had changed, but something inside him felt heavy — like a part of his heart had stirred awake.
He stared blankly ahead, but his mind drifted back into the past.
A faint memory.
A warmth he could no longer touch.
He remembered the soft embrace of someone — someone whose face was blurry now, but whose kindness was unforgettable.
---
He had been left behind. Just a baby in a box, crying in a cold alley — until a woman found him. She picked him up, held him tightly, and whispered, "You're safe now."
She raised him as her own. For six years, Lumiel felt what it was like to have a family — until one day, she vanished without a trace.
And all that was left were her words, echoing over and over in his head:
> "Lumiel… when you're alone, be strong. Make friends. Be kind. Help others. And never hurt anyone."
He clutched those words like a lifeline, repeating them every time the cold of solitude crept in. Over time, her face faded… her name forgotten.
But her voice — her voice remained.
> She truly was my hero.
---
A warm flashback glowed in his memory.
"Mama, tell me a story — tell me a story!" the small boy said, climbing onto her lap.
The woman chuckled and ran her fingers through his hair. "Okay… but promise me you'll sleep right after, Lumiel."
"I promise, Mama!"
Her voice softened, turning into a lullaby.
"Once, long ago — back when swords and bows were all humans had — monsters roamed the land. Then one day, demons erupted from the Faults. Homes were destroyed. Peace was shattered."
"Mama, is this really about the hero?"
"Yes, sweetheart, just wait." she smiled.
"The gods, moved by pity, gifted certain people with powers. They were called the Gifted. But one man stood above them all — the Great Hero Alvado. He wielded the Sword of Holy Light and could empower people with his voice."
"He marched into the Demon Realm and battled the Demon King for days. And in the end… he won. The Great War ended, and peace was restored."
"The end. Now sleep, my little knight."
Young Lumiel's eyes sparkled.
> "I wanna be a hero like Alvado too, Mama!"
She grinned, pulling him into a warm hug.
> "You already are, my hero. And you always will be."
---
Lumiel blinked.
And just like that, the memory vanished.
He looked down, realizing his cheeks were soaked. He hadn't even noticed the tears falling. He curled into himself, hugging his knees, and wept silently — until sleep finally embraced him.
---
The world faded.
And then — darkness.
Lumiel stood alone in a space where the ground rippled like water and the sky was pitch black. His reflection shimmered beneath his feet.
"...Lumiel."
A voice. Behind him.
He turned quickly.
There stood a man in broken, charred armor — once radiant white, now cracked and ruined. A gaping hole pierced through his chest, yet he stood tall and firm.
"W-who are you?" Lumiel asked. "Did you drag me into this…?"
The man stared back, eyes filled with history.
> "I am the fragment soul of the Great Hero Alvado."
"Alvado…!? The Alvado?!"
"I am… what remains of him," the man said. "And I've come to tell you the truth."
---
"My story didn't end when the world thought it did. After I defeated the Demon King… he was not truly gone.
He had another body, hidden and slowly gathering power. I lived thinking peace had returned. My companions and I went our separate ways… and that's when he struck.
One by one, my friends were hunted — taken from me. I became powerless, alone. And when he came for me, I fought with everything I had.
But it wasn't enough.
I was killed."
---
He clenched his fist, looking at the rippling floor.
> "The world believes I disappeared. That I walked away from the hero's life. But the truth is… I was betrayed by fate itself."
His eyes met Lumiel's.
> "Now, I wander — incomplete, unrested. Because evil still breathes. And I entrust the continuation of my story… to you."