Your Mission

["Congratulations, Avon Vyne, you are the New Illumar," an unfamiliar, subtle voice spoke, cutting through the quiet tension that still clung to the air.]

Avon's hand instinctively went to the hilt of Luminous, his sword, ready for any enemy that might still lurk in the shadows. The words echoed in his mind like a haunting prophecy.

["Solar radiance, Mastery 1%."]

Avon's grip tightened. What was going on? The voice had startled him again. His eyes darted around, searching for the source. "Who's that?" he said, lifting Luminous in front of him, his stance defensive, muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap.

["System," the voice answered, its tone calm and almost mechanical.]

"System!!" Avon shouted, his confusion overpowering his fear. "I don't know a System. Where and what are you?" His curiosity pushed through the layers of fear that threatened to consume him.

["I'm System, a guide to help the Chosen One become The Celestial Blazer."]

"Chosen one. Chosen for what?" Avon asked, his voice growing more desperate. "I can't be the chosen one. What makes you say that? I am just a weak little boy. I just let my master get attacked by a demon and meet his end. I couldn't even protect my own master. Who was that, by the way?" He was still reeling from the shock of what had just happened. His master, gone—killed right in front of him.

["That was Zarek, one of the members of the 12 Legion. He is the lowest-ranking member."]

"Lowest ranking?!" Avon's voice shot up, his mind struggling to comprehend. "And he was that strong?"

["Yes," the voice continued, unflinching. "Members of the 12 Legion are unbelievably powerful. That is why we need a Celestial Blazer. Someone to defend innocent people, like your master."]

The weight of those words crashed into Avon's chest, and he stood there, unsure of what to feel. He had never asked for any of this. Never wanted it. But the reality of what had happened—the death of Kareal, his mentor, his father figure—still hung heavy in the air. A demon had killed him, and Avon hadn't been able to stop it.

Avon thought for a moment, his emotions tangled in a web of anger, guilt, and the faintest whisper of determination. He didn't want to be part of some war. Didn't want to become entangled in this fight against demons. But he couldn't just stand by. He had to protect people. He had to stop this madness.

He looked down at Kareal's lifeless body, the weight of his master's last words echoing in his mind. "It is your duty to lead the new generation of Blazers... to claim peace for the world." Avon had promised Kareal he would do it. He would fight.

His face hardened as he made a decision. "I will do it," he said, his voice steady and full of resolve. "I'll be a Celestial Blazer."

["Excellent," the voice replied. "The first thing you'll need to do is—"]

"I can't," Avon interrupted, his frustration spilling over. He glanced around at the ruined remains of his home, the once-holy place that had kept him safe for so long. It was now nothing but rubble, reduced to a pile of broken memories. "At least not now. Look at this place. It's a mess. My home… it's gone." His voice cracked for a moment as his emotions swirled inside him.

He turned back to Kareal's body, the memory of his mentor, his protector, flooding his mind. Avon knelt beside his master once more. His chest ached with the loss. He wanted to weep, to let the floodgates of sorrow burst open, but he knew he couldn't. Not yet. Not now.

He had to be strong. Strong for the mission. Strong for Kareal.

Taking a deep breath, Avon slowly stood and wiped his eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. He had no choice. He had to bury his master, give him the rest he deserved.

The ground outside was cold and unforgiving as Avon carefully moved Kareal's body from the wreckage of their home. His movements were slow, deliberate. He couldn't afford to rush this. Not with the man who had raised him, trained him, and fought for him, now gone forever.

Avon grabbed a shovel, the wooden handle cold against his palms. With measured steps, he moved to the bare ground behind the house, away from the destruction that had once been his home. He dug a small hole, the earth falling away with each thrust of the shovel. He worked quickly but with reverence, determined to give his master a proper resting place.

As the hole deepened, Avon's thoughts flickered back to the times he had shared with Kareal. The endless hours of training, the advice, the lessons—everything that had shaped him into who he was. He remembered the warmth of Kareal's smile when he had passed another test, the pride in his eyes when Avon succeeded. Kareal had always believed in him. Always been there.

But now, all that was left were memories. Memories and a grave that Avon had to fill.

Once the hole was deep enough, Avon gently lifted Kareal's body, cradling it as though it were a fragile artifact, a precious thing that had to be handled with care. With a deep sigh, he placed his master in the earth, gently laying him to rest.

He knelt there for a moment, his gaze lingering on the lifeless form of the man who had shaped his entire world. His thoughts wandered, drifting over every lesson, every word Kareal had ever spoken to him. Avon had never truly understood the depth of what Kareal had given him until now. It wasn't just knowledge or skill—it was love. It was protection. It was a life built around the belief that Avon would one day rise to something more.

Avon let his gaze linger on his master's face for a long time, his heart heavy with grief. He could feel the tears pressing against his eyelids, but he wouldn't let them fall. Not yet.

He had to be strong.

Finally, Avon reached down and scooped the earth back over Kareal's body, filling the hole. Each shovelful of dirt was like a weight added to his chest. The earth piled higher, burying his master in the silence of the night.

When the hole was finally filled, Avon stood and took a deep, shuddering breath. The storm outside still raged, but Avon felt something deep within him—an understanding. He had buried his master, and in doing so, he had promised to carry on the fight.

With one last, agonizing shout that echoed into the night, Avon collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving as he tried to console himself. The weight of everything—the loss, the responsibility—pressed down on him, but he knew this was only the beginning. The beginning of his journey, of the fight he had promised to continue.

He stood again, wiping away the last of his tears. The mission had only just begun, and he was ready to face whatever came next.

For Kareal. For the world. For peace.