Chapter 6 – Wings of the Fallen
Riku left Greyhollow under cover of night.
He couldn't sleep after what Valen told him—thirty-seven summoned, most already dead, Cleansers hunting the Marked, and the whisper of something godlike stirring in the shadows of Velmora.
But what haunted him most… was the idea that he wasn't the only kind of Marked.
The world outside the gates was quiet, but not safe. The forest stretched in every direction like a maze of shadows. Riku walked fast, the Death Sword ready in his palm at a thought. His phoenix mark still burned under his hoodie—faint, but pulsing.
Then he felt it.
Not a noise. A presence.
A pressure in the air, like gravity itself was tilting.
Someone was watching him.
The next moment came fast—blades whistled from the dark.
Riku twisted, slashed—metal on metal. He staggered back.
Out of the trees stepped a tall figure clad in silver and white, his armor etched with sun symbols. A long black cloak trailed behind him, dragging across the leaves.
On his neck glowed a different mark: an eight-winged symbol in golden light.
"Found you, Reborn," the knight said calmly. "You carry the Phoenix Brand. A reckless one."
Riku gripped his sword. "Who are you?"
The knight drew a glowing longsword. "I am Ser Elyos, First Spear of the Cleansers. Hunter of the Marked. Slayer of twenty-six reborn."
Riku's stomach twisted.
"You're one of us," he said. "You've died too."
Elyos nodded.
"I was blessed by the Seraphim Crest, the highest of Lirith's brands. Unlike you… I did not waste it."
Riku stepped back.
"There's more than one type of blessing…?"
Elyos lifted his blade. "The Mark of the Phoenix is for those who seek rebirth through struggle. Pain. Desperation. A wild flame. Unstable."
He pointed to his own neck.
"But the Seraphim Crest is different. It grants absolute control. Flight. Light. Divine judgment. I rose from my first death with clarity—and chose to purge Lirith's mistakes."
"You kill others like us?"
"I cleanse them. I give their cursed souls peace."
Riku raised his sword.
"I'm not asking for peace."
Elyos didn't blink. "Then I'll give you mercy."
The battle began in a flash.
Elyos moved like lightning—faster than any monster Riku had faced. His wings of golden light unfurled behind him, propelling him like a comet. His sword struck like divine fire—every hit nearly shattering Riku's defense.
Riku bled.
He was fast. Strong.
But Elyos was beyond human.
Too far above.
"I see it," Elyos said between strikes. "You hesitate. You don't want to die again."
Riku's body shook.
He was right.
He didn't want to give up Death Sword. It had become part of him. Powerful. Familiar. But deep inside, he knew it wasn't enough.
Not for this.
He was going to lose.
Unless…
Unless he chose.
Unless he died.
Riku gritted his teeth.
"I'm not afraid to die…"
He charged.
Elyos frowned. "Fool."
A piercing stab of divine steel punched through Riku's heart.
<
You have died.
Power Slot: [Death Sword] — ERASED
Choose new power.
As darkness wrapped him, the menu appeared again.
This time… the list was different.
He saw a line glowing brighter than the rest:
> [Specter Pulse] – Control and become intangible shadow. Slip through matter. Accelerated movement in darkness. Cannot be touched while phasing.
Riku smirked in the void.
"Let's see you try and cleanse a ghost."
He chose.
<
Resurrection Commencing...
Riku's body reformed in shadow.
His heart no longer beat the same. His blood felt cold. His skin hummed with dark energy.
Elyos turned in time to see Riku fade into smoke—then reappear behind him.
"Impossible—"
Riku's fist, now crackling with shadow, slammed into the knight's back.
"You're not the only one with wings anymore."
End of Chapter 6
Next:Chapter 7, where Riku discovers the different Blessing Paths—Phoenix, Seraphim, Abyss, Titan, Chimera—and must choose which one to follow permanently before his soul fractures?