Youssef_aizen2

When the blood awakens, the legend begins...

In a world ruled by gods and shadowed by Ragnarok, a young warrior named Shao discovers a mysterious power coursing through his veins — the blood of the Chosen. A blessing… and a curse.

Torn between sacrifice and redemption, Shao must traverse the Nine Realms, confront fallen gods, and battle the undead. By his side stand Astyr, the swift-hearted warrior, and Hym, the silent giant burdened by a dark past.

But in the end, only one question remains:

Will he save the world
or destroy it to save the one he loves?

Blade of god x orisols-BOGX

Location:* The Burning Gate of _Orin_ – outskirts of the Seventh Kingdom.

Amid the ashes of a crumbling world and fires that refused to die, Xiao, Hem, and Leona stood before the ruined gates of Orin. Smoke choked the heavens, fire danced atop the bones of civilization, and the enemy awaiting them… was no stranger.

When Aster emerged, she was no longer the Priestess of Light they once knew, but a terrifying incarnation of the _Surrendered_. She wore a robe black as night, her eyes glowed with an eerie violet light, and upon her face rested a strange mask—etched with the symbol of _Loki_.

> *Leona (fearfully):* "That's… not her anymore… the shadow is wearing her!"

> *Hem* (drawing his sword): "I'll end her suffering, just like I did with my own shadow…"

But Xiao raised his hand and cried out, voice breaking:

> "No! Don't touch her… she's still fighting inside… I can hear her!"

Deep within Aster's soul, a silent war raged. The shadow sought to devour her completely—but the echoes of her past… Xiao's voice, her father's voice, and the light she once carried as a priestess, all resisted from within.

Inside her mind, this dialogue unfolded:

> — *Shadow's Voice:* "Why cling to light… once you've tasted the strength of darkness?"

> — *Aster:* "Because the light gave me meaning… gave me purpose… gave me _Xiao_!"

The fight began, but Xiao's goal was never to destroy her—only to free her.

He threw down his weapon and faced her with bare hands. The shadows assaulted him, breaking his ribs, tearing his skin—but he whispered:

> "Aster… do you remember the first winter? When you told me I was light in your darkness? _You_ saved me… now it's my turn to save you."

The shadows screamed within him. Hem shouted:

But at that moment… Aster's body shed a tear.

The black circle around her erupted. The mask shattered into fragments.

Aster collapsed into Xiao's arms—frail, gasping for breath.

> *Aster (softly):* "I never wanted to hurt you… Loki… used me…"

> *Xiao:* "You came back… that's all that matters."

In the distance, a strange figure stood—one that resembled Loki but was cloaked entirely in black iron. And he whispered:

> "Lovely… love is always the weak spot. It's time for the next phase, Xiao."

*End of Chapter 49: The Mask of Shadows*

> "Darkness does not fear the light… it fears when the light dwells in the heart."

chapter 49: The Mask of Shadows