The sky was burning.
Not red… not orange…
But a deep, suffocating gold—like the heavens themselves had decided to fall.
Screams tore through the night.
Wood cracked. Stone shattered. Fire devoured everything it touched.
And in the middle of it all—
A small figure ran.
"Nime! Don't look back!"
The voice echoed in his head, even though the one who said it was no longer there.
Nime's legs moved on their own, stumbling over broken ground. His chest burned. His throat ached from screaming.
"Mom…!"
No answer.
"Dad…!!"
Only flames answered him.
The world behind him collapsed with a deafening roar.
BOOOOM!!!
The shockwave threw him forward. His body hit the ground hard, air forced out of his lungs.
For a moment…
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
"…Get… up…"
The words escaped his lips, weak and broken.
His fingers dug into the dirt.
Slowly… painfully…
Nime pushed himself up.
That's when he felt it.
Something was watching him.
No—
Something was hunting him.
The air turned heavy.
Cold.
Wrong.
A shadow stretched across the burning ground behind him.
Nime froze.
Every instinct screamed at him to run.
But his body refused.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each footstep echoed like thunder.
Nime turned.
And his world stopped.
It stood there—
A towering creature of darkness, its form barely held together by shifting shadows. Its eyes glowed like molten gold, empty… yet filled with something ancient.
Something cruel.
Its gaze locked onto him.
Nime's heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the fire.
"…Why… me…?"
The creature tilted its head.
As if it understood.
As if it had been searching.
For him.
It raised its arm.
A massive claw of darkness forming at its side.
The air cracked.
Power gathered.
Nime's vision blurred.
I'm going to die…
His legs gave out.
He fell to his knees.
"…I don't want to…"
His voice trembled.
"I don't want to die…"
The claw came down.
Fast.
Merciless.
Absolute.
Nime shut his eyes.
—
ROOOOOOOAAARRRRR!!!
The world exploded.
A golden flash tore through the darkness.
The ground shattered.
The air screamed.
And the claw—
Stopped.
Nime's eyes shot open.
Something stood in front of him.
Massive.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
A lion.
But not just any lion.
Its mane flowed like living sunlight, each strand glowing with a quiet, overwhelming power. Its body was carved with scars, not of weakness—but of battles survived.
Its presence alone pushed the darkness back.
The creature hissed.
The lion didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't even hesitate.
Then—
It roared.
And the world listened.
—
The battle was short.
Too short.
The shadow creature lunged—
But it was already too late.
The lion moved once.
Just once.
And the darkness… broke.
Shattered.
Erased.
As if it had never existed.
Silence returned.
Only the crackling of flames remained.
—
Nime couldn't speak.
His body trembled as the lion turned toward him.
Each step it took felt heavy… yet controlled.
Deliberate.
Like it had done this before.
Many times.
It stopped in front of him.
Close enough for him to see his reflection in its golden eyes.
"…Y-you…"
His voice barely came out.
The lion studied him.
Then—
It spoke.
"You survived."
Nime's breath hitched.
"…W-what… are you…?"
The lion's gaze didn't waver.
"A guardian."
The word felt… ancient.
Heavy.
"Your guardian."
Nime shook his head weakly.
"I… I don't understand…"
The lion looked past him.
Toward the burning ruins.
For a brief moment—
Something changed in its eyes.
"…They fought well."
Nime's chest tightened.
"No… don't…"
"They knew this would happen."
"STOP!"
His voice cracked.
Tears spilled freely now.
"You're lying…! They can't… they can't just—!"
"They entrusted you to me."
Silence.
The words sank in slowly.
Too slowly.
"…Entrusted…?"
The lion lowered its head slightly.
"For years… I waited."
The air grew still.
"For this night."
Nime's hands clenched.
"…Why me…?"
The lion's eyes sharpened.
"Because you are not ordinary."
The words felt wrong.
Everything about him felt weak.
Broken.
Useless.
"I couldn't even save them…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I couldn't do anything…"
The lion stepped closer.
Its presence wrapped around him like a storm held back by will alone.
"That is why you will change."
Nime looked up.
Eyes filled with pain.
"…How…?"
The lion's voice hardened.
"You will train."
The flames flickered.
"You will suffer."
The ground seemed to press down on him.
"You will break."
Nime's heart pounded.
"And when you can no longer stand…"
The lion leaned closer.
Its golden eyes burning into his soul—
"I will force you to rise."
Silence.
"…What if I can't…?"
A long pause.
Then—
"Then you will die."
No hesitation.
No comfort.
Only truth.
—
The wind passed through the ashes.
The night began to quiet.
But inside Nime.
Something had changed.
Not strength.
Not yet.
But something deeper.
Something that refused to disappear.
He wiped his tears.
Slowly… shakily…
He stood.
His legs trembled.
His body screamed.
But he stood.
The lion turned away.
"Follow me, Nime."
Nime froze.
"…You know my name…?"
The lion didn't stop walking.
"I know what you are."
The words sent a chill down his spine.
"What… am I?"
The lion paused.
Just for a second.
Then—
"The last vessel."
—
High above the burning world…
Beyond sight.
Beyond reach.
Something stirred.
Ancient.
Awake.
Watching.
"…So the seal has finally begun to break."
—
Nime took his first step into the unknown.
And the world…
Would never be the same again.