"I know you."

That single sentence made the entire grand hall freeze solid.

Surya stared at the old man before him without blinking. He was certain this was their first meeting; the old man's face didn't feel familiar in the slightest.

"Have we met before?" Surya asked cautiously.

The old man didn't answer right away. His gaze only deepened, as if verifying something, before he slowly shook his head.

"No..."

"Not you."

"It's that mark."

He pointed toward the Soul Sigil on Surya's palm.

Every member of the Twilight Vanguard instantly shifted their gaze to Surya's hand. For the very first time, Surya felt the small, crown-shaped emblem grow impossibly heavy.

The old man drew a long, deep breath. "Do you even know what legacy you hold?"

Surya shook his head. "All I know is its name."

"The Ash King."

Hearing that name, the faces of every single organization member shifted. Several took an involuntary step back. Others immediately gripped the hilts of their weapons. Even the man who had escorted Surya earlier now stared at him with intense vigilance.

"Commander..."

"Don't tell me..."

The old man closed his eyes for a brief beat. "Five hundred years."

"Five hundred years we have searched for it."

"Five hundred years we prayed that no one would ever inherit that power again."

The room filled with sudden, frantic whispers.

"Is it true..."

"The Ash King's legacy..."

"It still exists..."

Surya grew more confused by the second. "What on earth is the Ash King?"

This time, the old man didn't dodge the question. He walked toward the massive window, gazing out into the starless, blackened sky of the City Without a Sun.

"Long ago..."

"The Shadow World was ruled by nine kings."

"Each held a legacy that maintained the balance of the world."

"However..."

"The Ash King betrayed the other eight."

Surya hung on every single word.

"He wanted to conquer the entire Shadow World."

"The war lasted for hundreds of years."

"Mountains collapsed."

"Oceans dried up."

"The sky shattered."

"And millions of creatures died."

The old man's voice grew heavier.

"In the end..."

"The Ash King was defeated."

"Yet..."

"His legacy was never found."

All eyes snapped back to Surya.

"And because of that..."

The old man locked his eyes onto Surya's Soul Sigil.

"Your presence will change everything."

Before Surya could process the deluge of information—

CRASH!!

The hall doors flew open violently. A young woman in a black uniform sprinted inside, gasping for breath.

"Commander!"

"Major trouble!"

The old man whipped his head around. "What happened?"

The woman swallowed hard. "Word about the Ash King's Heir..."

"It has spread."

The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned suffocating.

"Impossible."

"We just brought him here."

The woman shook her head. "Not just us."

"Every watchtower in the northern territory is reporting the same thing."

"All the major factions are already on the move."

Surya frowned. "Major factions?"

The old man looked back at him. "The Shadow World doesn't just belong to the Twilight Vanguard."

"There are many factions."

"And most of them..."

"...are hunting for the legacy you carry."

Before he could finish his sentence—

A massive shockwave rattled the fortress.

BOOM!!

The entire hall shuddered. Dust rained down from the ceiling.

"What is that now?!"

A soldier rushed inside. "Commander!"

"The city is under attack!"

Every member of the vanguard snapped into action. The old man instantly drew a long black blade that had been resting at his hip.

"Who is attacking?"

"The Black Crow Legion!"

"And..."

The soldier hesitated.

"The Legacy Hunters are here, too."

The old man's expression darkened instantly.

"Quickly evacuate the survivors!"

"Do not let them find the boy!"

Surya finally realized. "The boy" they were referring to was him.

Moments later, the sounds of explosions echoed from every corner of the city. Flames licked upward into the sky. Screams choked the streets.

Surya followed the Twilight Vanguard members toward an underground tunnel network.

"What is actually going on?" he demanded as they ran.

The old man kept his eyes locked straight ahead. "Everyone wants the Ash King's Legacy."

"Some want to control it."

"Others want to destroy it."

"And you guys?"

The old man fell silent for a beat.

"We..."

"We want to ensure the world isn't destroyed a second time."

That answer only left Surya more bewildered. He didn't know who he could trust anymore.

They had only advanced a few hundred meters into the tunnel when the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from ahead. Dozens of figures emerged.

All of them wore deep crimson cloaks. Stamped across their chests was the emblem of an open eye.

"Twilight Vanguard." A masked man stepped to the front. "Hand over the Ash King's Heir."

The old man immediately stepped in front of Surya. "No."

The masked man chuckled softly. "Then..."

"We'll take him ourselves."

In an instant, combat erupted.

Clang!

The ring of metal filled the corridor. It was Surya's first time witnessing the true power of the Twilight Vanguard members. Their movements were blindingly fast—faster even than the monsters of the Inverted Ocean.

Yet their opponents were equally formidable. Black flames. Crimson ice. Spears of pure light. Bizarre, aberrant abilities collided left and right. Explosion after explosion shook the tunnel walls.

Surya gripped the Ancient Ash Sword. He wanted to help.

But the old man barked over the din, "Don't get involved!"

"They came for you!"

"Go!"

Dimas grabbed Surya's arm. "Let's move!"

With a heavy heart, Surya followed Dimas and the remaining survivors as they bolted deeper down the corridor.

Yet they hadn't run far before three figures blocked their path ahead.

Their cloaks were stark white. They carried no weapons. Yet their auras were infinitely more terrifying.

"Found you," one of them smiled. "The Ash King's Heir."

Dimas scrambled backward. "We're trapped..."

Surya unsheathed his blade. "Then..."

"We break through."

The white-cloaked man gave a dry laugh. "You've got guts."

"But..."

"You don't understand yet."

He raised a hand. The entire corridor suddenly erupted with thick black chains bursting straight out of the stone walls.

Surya swung his sword instinctively.

CRAASSHH!

Several chains snapped. But there were simply too many. They kept multiplying, wrapping around Surya's ankles. Then climbing his waist. The sword was nearly wrenched from his grip.

"Damn it!"

The white-cloaked man stepped closer. "Stop fighting."

"We only want the Legacy."

Surya gritted his teeth. "I'm not giving it to you."

"Pity."

The man reached out toward Surya's Soul Sigil.

Just as his fingertips were a hair's breadth away from Surya's palm—

The Ancient Ash Sword suddenly vibrated violently.

BOOM!!

An explosion of black light erupted from the blade. Every single chain shattered into fine dust. The white-cloaked man was thrown backward several meters by the shockwave.

Surya seized the opening. "Run!"

He yanked Dimas forward. They bolted down the tunnel once more, refusing to look back.

After confirming no one was giving chase—

They stopped inside a small, rubble-strewn chamber. Everyone's chest heaved with ragged breaths. Dimas collapsed limply against the floor.

"We're..."

"We're fugitives now."

Surya didn't answer. He already knew.

Ever since the Ash King's Legacy had awakened... the entire Shadow World had begun hunting him. He looked down at the Soul Sigil on his palm. The black crown still cast a dim glow.

Why does it have to be me...

The Relic's voice finally surfaced. Very quiet. But this time... its tone had changed. It no longer sounded cold. Instead, it was steeped in absolute conviction.

"Listen to me very carefully, Surya."

Surya lowered his head.

The Relic continued.

"They are all chasing you."

"However..."

A brief silence hung in the air. Then, the whisper rang out with crystal clarity:

"They are not your enemies."