Chapter 13: The Sky Turns Black – The World’s First Warning

At exactly midnight, the sky shattered.

It started as a whisper—a tremor in the air, a flicker in the clouds.

Then a crack tore through the heavens like a broken mirror, and everything fell silent.

Not quiet.Silent.

Even the wind held its breath.

Lucius stood at the highest tower of the ruined castle, cloak snapping in the sudden gust of void air. Below, the girls gathered—drawn by the same primal instinct that something was wrong.

Velda stepped beside him, her expression grim for the first time.

"That's not a storm," she said.

"No," Lucius replied. "It's a message."

[System Alert: "The Black Omen" Event Has Begun][All Divine Systems Affected][Heroic Contracts Terminated][Demonic Seals Weakened][The Forgotten Will Rise Again]

Claire stumbled back. "Wait… all Heroic Contracts are broken?! That's every Chosen across the continent!"

Zara grinned, baring her teeth. "Finally."

Lilith trembled. "No, you don't understand. If those contracts break... they'll go mad. Some of them are strong enough to level kingdoms just by existing."

Lucius narrowed his eyes.

"Then we're not facing heroes anymore."

Velda nodded. "We're facing monsters with delusions of justice."

From the cracked sky, something descended.

Not a person.

Not a god.

A massive obsidian shard, spiraling like a meteor, wrapped in screaming shadows and burning chains.

It slammed into the ground outside Velgrath, turning a third of the old city into a crater.

Then it pulsed.

[New Quest Triggered: "Omenfall"][Objective: Investigate the Fallen Shard][Warning: Proximity will affect minds, memories, and morality.][Suggested Party: Lucius + All bonded allies.]

Lucius turned to the girls.

"We leave in one hour."

As the others moved, Velda stayed behind, staring at the sky.

"Lucius."

He turned.

"You know what that shard really is… don't you?"

He didn't answer.

She stepped closer.

"That's not just a fallen weapon."

"…It's the piece they cut out of me," Lucius said quietly. "In my first life."

Velda's eyes widened. "You mean—?"

Lucius nodded.

"That shard holds the part of me that used to believe in salvation."

[Hidden Quest Revealed: "Reclaim the Hope You Abandoned"][Optional: Accept or Destroy][Reward: Unknown | Cost: Everything]