MrEmperor9167

In a world where cities float above the earth and ancient beasts roam the land, truth has long since been buried beneath the clouds…

Seventeen-year-old Aryan has lived his entire life in a cursed land city — a crumbling outpost surrounded by monsters with fangs like swords and demons with human faces. His mother, a low-tier Light wielder, died from a mysterious illness when he was seven. His father? Vanished in a classified government mission years earlier, investigating the very secrets the world refuses to speak of — the beasts, the demons… and the floating cities themselves.

No one knows Aryan exists — not the ruling government, not the elite nobles who live high above in shining cities suspended 1000 feet in the sky, not even the assassin guilds and rebel warlords fighting for scraps of power on the surface.

But Aryan is about to shatter their silence.

Hidden within this fractured world lies a shattered ancient artifact — a mysterious cube once powerful enough to hold the balance between land, sky, and beyond. Split into four fragments, each held in secret corners of the world — from the heavenly Sky Government cities to the beast-infested wilds — its true purpose is unknown… but it calls to Aryan.

As he journeys across deadly lands aboard flying warships, hunted by assassins, tracked by beasts, and haunted by fragments of his parents’ forgotten legacies, Aryan begins to uncover a terrifying truth:

The cities were never meant to float...
The beasts were never meant to exist...
And he was never meant to survive.

But fate doesn’t care what the world intended. Aryan is coming — and he’s not just looking for answers.
He’s looking to break the sky open.

The Shadow in  Void

Thicker. Heavier. As if it carried the weight of something unseen—something watching.

Aryan stood still, his back against the cold stone wall of the chamber. The dim, flickering torches on the walls did little to pierce the darkness that lingered in the corners of the room like a living thing. The ceiling above curved like a dome, and the walls were rough, cracked, and ancient.

Kat pressed a palm against the stone and let out a bitter chuckle. "Tch… This place. I've heard whispers about it."

Aryan turned his eyes toward him. "What kind of whispers?"

Kat's voice dropped, barely above a growl. "They say… there's a group of bandits. Hidden deep in the Wasteland. They don't just kill—no, they kidnap. Hunters, travelers, anyone who dares to stray too far. Bring them to places like this."

He looked around again, jaw clenched. "I thought it was a ghost story. A scare for rookies. But this… this is real."

Aryan cursed under his breath. "That bastard old man was one of them."

Kat nodded. "He lured us here. Smoke magic… illusions. Just enough to make you lower your guard."

He hated this feeling. Trapped. Deceived. Powerless.

"We need to get out of here," he muttered, scanning the walls for any opening. "There must be a way."

But before Kat could reply, a sound broke the silence.

Not hurried. Not loud. Just steady. Like someone wanted to be heard.

He turned his head toward the shadowed archway at the far end of the chamber, where the footsteps echoed from. A faint glow—torchlight?—began to flicker beyond the corridor.

Kat tensed beside him, slowly unsheathing his blade. "Get ready."

Aryan nodded, lowering into a stance, his breath steadying.

"So, the two little lambs have finally woken up."

From the darkness, a tall man stepped forward. His armor was mismatched—taken from fallen hunters, dented and stained. A cruel smile twisted his lips beneath a thick beard. Behind him, more shadows moved. Men. Dozens. All armed.

"Welcome to the pit," the man said with a smirk. "You've been chosen to entertain us."

Aryan didn't blink. He could feel it now—the scent of blood in the air, the iron tension in the ground beneath his feet. This place was ancient, yes… but more than that—it was cursed.

A pit where strength was tested… and the weak were forgotten.

Kat stepped forward, sword gleaming faintly in the firelight. "We're not here to entertain anyone."

"Oh, but you are," the man chuckled darkly. "Fight. Survive. And maybe we'll let you leave."

He raised a hand, snapping his fingers once.

The gates on the far wall began to rise with a deep grinding groan.

On the other side—emerging from the dark—were other prisoners. Hunters like them… some bruised, some armed, all dragged into the same trap.

He felt something stir deep within him—rage, resolve, a strange pressure in his chest that hadn't been there before. Something was changing. Something old and buried was rising.

Kat exhaled beside him. "We fight… or we die."

Aryan cracked his knuckles, a thin smile curving his lips.

"Then let's make them regret letting us wake up."

Chapter 14: The Arena of Shadows