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

The moon hung low over the elven sanctuary, casting a pale silver glow across the stone bridges and glowing crystal walls. Inside the small healing chamber, Aryan sat on the edge of his bed, still feeling the weight of the flames that once threatened to consume him.

Zane stood near the doorway, arms folded, his face more serious than usual.

"You asked earlier… about this place," he said quietly. "There's something you need to understand."

Aryan glanced up. "I'm listening."

Zane exhaled. "Long ago, this land was whole. One region. One people. Elves of all kinds—light, dark, shadow-born—we lived together."

Aryan's eyes widened. "You were… united?"

Zane nodded. "Yes. Until something changed. A war broke out. Not just over land or power—but ideology. Our ancestors believed in balance. The Dark Elves… believed in dominance."

Aryan's brows furrowed. "What happened?"

"They split from us. Formed their own region deep in the abyssal forests. Since then, there's been nothing but blood and betrayal. Our leader, Cylobicus, is preparing for war again. The Dark Elves… they're planning to take our region back. By force."

Aryan's chest tightened. "That's why you have guards everywhere. Alarms. Patrols."

"Exactly," Zane said grimly. "That's also why we're forbidden to bring outsiders here. Especially humans."

Aryan lowered his gaze. "Then… why me? Why take the risk?"

"…Truth is," he said slowly, "we didn't know why at first. When we found you in the Scraplands, half-dead, I wanted to leave you."

"But Mira…" Zane continued, "he saw something. He said your body wasn't dying—something inside you was fighting to live. Like… someone—or something—was trying to break free."

Aryan's hands clenched at his sides. "Something inside…?"

Zane looked away. "Whatever it is, it's not normal. You're not just some lost human. You're something more."

"Rest. You'll need it. And don't cause trouble, or Mira will throw you out."

He turned and stepped out of the chamber, the heavy curtain falling behind him.

Aryan stared at the glowing crystals lining the wall. The room felt suddenly colder.

He whispered to himself, barely audible—

"I need to find Kat… I need to know if he's alive."

"I don't care what power's inside me. I'll control it. But first… I have to reunite with him."

The wind howled faintly through the canyon outside, like a distant warning.

Chapter 38: The War That Split Us