— The Choice of Fate —
With dinner over, a cool draft drifted down the corridor, stirring the smell of dust and the faint tang of rust from the old iron doors.
The flickering lights threw serpent-like shadows across the walls.
The heavy iron door groaned open.
Aveline stepped inside, flanked by two men.
She wore her crisp uniform as always, the badge on her chest catching a shard of icy light.
The two behind her couldn't have been more different—
One in a warden's military uniform, steady and towering like a steel pillar;
The other cloaked in deep black, his presence so dense it seemed to swallow the dim light, as if he'd been carved straight out of the night.
"Eren."Aveline's tone was unusually solemn.
"This is Warden Kane. And this gentleman..."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
But the man in the dark cloak spoke first, his low, weighty voice pressing down on the air like an anvil:
"Ethan Cross of the Vigil-Wyrm Order. I'm here today to request Mr. Eren's assistance."
His tone was calm, but the weight behind it fell like an invisible blade.
Eren's heart sank sharply.
—The Vigil-Wyrm Order?
A name whispered in rumors and classified reports.
And now they were here—
in his cell.
Calling him by name.
He frowned slightly.
"Me? A condemned inmate?"
"That's right," Ethan replied, gaze steady and piercing. "You."
Eren exhaled slowly.
"Go on."
Ethan nodded, as if delivering a briefing capable of shifting global tides:
"Anomalous black fog has appeared in a mountainous region on the southern side of the Himalayas. It covers hundreds of kilometers, affecting more than a dozen villages—over ten thousand residents.
The Order has classified it as an S-Rank event. Multiple investigation squads have been deployed... none have returned."
He paused, then fixed his gaze on Eren:
"Aveline's report indicates you possess a unique resistance to this kind of phenomenon. On behalf of the Vigil-Wyrm Order, I formally invite you to join this S-Rank mission. Mr. Eren—what say you?"
The air seemed to solidify.
Eren's fingers brushed the cold iron shackles, a silent storm churning beneath his composed surface.
"The southern Himalayas..."He repeated the words, barely audible.
They pierced straight into a long-buried memory.
—Aarav.
College classmate. Internship partner.
He'd returned home a month before Eren's arrest... and then disappeared without a trace.
Eren lifted his head, voice steady but edged with tension:
"With the Vigil-Wyrm's resources, why seek help from a prisoner like me?"
Aveline answered gently but firmly:
"Eren, you don't react to that cold, invasive aura. The black fog in the Himalayas might share the same nature. If you come with us, you won't be a burden—you might be the key."
Eren fell silent.
In just a few seconds, three thoughts crossed his mind—
—Success in this mission might delay his execution.
—He might uncover what happened to Aarav.
—And that black fog... could be invaluable for his cultivation.
Ethan repeated quietly,
"Mr. Eren—your answer?"
Eren raised his head.
Calm expression, yet a faint glint flashed behind his eyes.
"The Vigil-Wyrm Order has my respect. I'll go. However..."He lowered his gaze to the shackles on his wrists.
Warden Kane stepped forward, voice steady and authoritative:
"This operation has special clearance. The Order has full authorization. Officer Aveline will accompany the team for coordination and security."
Unable to contain her delight, Aveline hooked her arm around Eren's.
"Fantastic! Eren, on behalf of the Order—welcome aboard!"
Eren arched an eyebrow.
"You... speak on behalf of the Vigil-Wyrm?"
Kane and Ethan exchanged a knowing smile and chose not to comment.
"Then it's settled," Ethan said, extending his hand.
"We depart at dawn—private jet, straight to the Himalayas."
— Awakening of the Psionic Awareness —
Dawn.
A thin blade of light slipped through the crack in the cell wall and fell across the frozen floor.
Eren opened his eyes slowly, letting the last stale breath drain from his lungs.
He hadn't slept at all.
All night, he had pushed himself against the first layer of the Lumivora Art , forcing his body past its limits.
Muscle and flesh trembled—caught between tearing and reforging.
He'd barely reached a third of the threshold, yet his strength was already nothing like the day before.
Right now, a single punch from his bare fist could shatter a boulder.
As for the iron shackles binding him?
A slight twist—
and they crumbled into dust.
But raw power wasn't what shook him most tonight.
It was the feeling that a hidden door inside him had opened.
The breath of heaven and earth poured into his body, as if a second set of lungs had awakened outside his chest.
Every draw of that unseen energy came faster, deeper, hungrier than yesterday.
He knew this was only the beginning—
the first step of the Sevenfold Lumivora Realm.
Ahead waited more nourishment, more battles... and far greater danger.
Eren folded his legs beneath him, steadied his breath, and closed his eyes.
And in that instant—
A faint ripple—sharp as a needle—brushed across his consciousness.
Not heard by the ears.
Not felt by the skin.
It lit up from somewhere deep within his soul.
He saw beyond the door.
Aveline was walking down the corridor, humming a cheerful tune, carrying something in her hands.
Her steps were light, her mood bright—
he could even "hear" the quick flutter of her heartbeat.
Eren frowned slightly.
His eyes remained closed.
This was no illusion.
A cold, piercing awareness was blooming inside him, expanding outward like a spreading tide.
—His Psionic Awareness had awakened.
Perception across distance.
Locking onto life with pure intent.
Sensing the faint pulse of living beings.
According to the manuals, this shouldn't appear until the third layer of the Lumivora.
Yet here it was—early, impossible, undeniable.
Eren sank into thought.
In the depths of his mind, the Lumin & Umbra Sigil flickered with a soft glow, as if answering him.
"...So that's it," he murmured, a quiet realization crossing his eyes.
"The Sigil... pushed me forward."
— The Journey of Fate Begins —
Footsteps echoed beyond the cell.
Click.
The door unlocked and swung open.
Aveline peeked in, eyes bright.
"Eren, ready? Change into these—we're heading out."
She smiled, deftly removing his shackles and handing him a set of plain, travel-ready clothes.
Eren dressed quietly and gave a faint smile. "Let's go."
What preparation did a dead man really need?
Still, he slipped a single thread from his prison uniform into his pocket—infused with his energy.
A simple, seemingly insignificant weapon.
"Let's move out!" Aveline said cheerfully, looping her arm through his.
Her steps were light, her presence bright as morning sun—too bright for the road ahead.
Eren's gaze softened—but deep within, something stirred,
a pulse older than fear, older than choice.
This wasn't just a mission.
It was the restart of fate.