Morning mist draped over a quiet rural village in Vietnam. The air was cool, carrying the scent of wet soil and ripening rice fields stretching endlessly beyond the horizon
Van Thien slowly opened his eyes,For a moment, he didn't move.Just silence. Just breath.Then he sat up, stretched his arms, and stepped down from his simple wooden bed.Outside, everything was peaceful
Too peaceful
As he stepped onto the porch, a gentle breeze passed through the yard, rustling the leaves above. Sunlight filtered through the trees, soft and golden, scattering across the ground like melted glass. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once… then stopped.Then
Crack
Van Thien froze
"…Huh?
It was faint. Not loud. Not even fully real.Like something deep inside the world had just… broken.He frowned and scanned the surroundings. Nothing.Silence returned immediately, as if the sound had never existed.He exhaled slowly.And looked up.The moment his eyes met the sky
Reality shattered
The blue heavens fractured like a sealed memory being forcibly opened. Thin cracks spread across the sky, and beyond them, darkness spilled through like ink bleeding into water.Stars replaced daylight.In an instant.He was no longer on his porch.He was in space.A battlefield stretched infinitely in every direction. Warships burned silently, drifting like dead giants. Explosions tore through the void without sound, only light—violent, endless light
And in the center of it all.A man stood.Shattered golden armor. Blood drifting from his arm in zero gravity. Breathing uneven, like he had already lost everything but refused to fall.It was him
Van Thien.Before him loomed a presence made of pure darkness.Only one thing could be seen.A single red eye
Smiling
"Your light… has already faded."?" the voice whispered.
A burst of white light swallowed everything.Then.Darkness.And in that darkness, a small, fragile spark flickered… as if something was refusing to die
Crack
Reality snapped back.Van Thien stumbled slightly on his porch, chest rising and falling rapidly.His hand gripped his shirt instinctively.His cross pendant trembled against his chest.Memories flashed through him like broken fragments.Running barefoot through rice fields.A glowing birthday cake
A woman's warm embrace
"Thien! Where are you? Come eat!"
"Thiên! Con đâu rồi?"
The tension in his body slowly melted.His expression softened
"…Yes, Mom. I'm coming."
Inside the house, warmth returned like nothing had ever happened.A modest Vietnamese home. Familiar walls. Familiar sounds. Familiar life
On the table
A steaming bowl of canh chua cá linh, sweet and sour aroma rising gently. Stir-fried vegetables glistening with garlic. White rice still warm
Van Thien sat down.His mother looked at him with quiet concern
Did you sleep well last night, son? You look so pale this morning... maybe you should go back and rest a bit more?".
"I'm okay, Mom. Don't worry.
But as he lowered his chopsticks.For a split second.A faint red reflection flickered in his eyes.Gone instantly.Only he noticed.If only… I were stronger.Later that day, he helped Bà Tư at her small bánh mì stall
The smell of toasted bread, pâté, and fresh herbs filled the air
"Your bánh mì is the best in the neighborhood, Bà Tư," he said with a grin
She laughed warmly
"Wow, someone's trying to flatter me today!
She handed him a fresh loaf. Still warm.Normal life.Too normal.By afternoon, he was in the fields.The wind moved gently through the rice crops.Children were playing nearby, laughter scattered across the open land
Then.A bull charged.Chaos erupted instantly. The animal rushed straight toward a group of children.Time slowed
Van Thien moved.No hesitation.He stepped forward and caught the bull barehanded.The impact shook the ground.Dust exploded outward.Veins surfaced along his arms as he held the beast in place for a single moment.A moment that shouldn't have been human
The bull backed away in fear and ran.Silence returned.The children cried, then ran to their families
Van Thien knelt slightly, breathing heavier than he should have been
"…Was that me?
Or something else inside me.His eyes narrowed.Something was wrong with this world.Or with him.Far beyond the atmosphere of Earth.Inside a massive warship drifting silently through the void.A man stared at a pulsing red signal on a holographic screen.Location detected
Vietnam
The man smiledCold. Calm. Certain
"Looks like we found something… interesting.
The screen flickered.The signal pulsed again.And somewhere fa
r below.
Van Thien's pendant trembled once more.