Eclipse Requiem

Kael's arm still burned where the **Eclipse Seal** had appeared. He could feel it pulsing faintly beneath his skin, as if something ancient and powerful had taken root inside him.

He flexed his fingers. No pain, no immediate change. Just the same strange mark that now branded him forever.

Lyra sat nearby, her arms crossed as she stared at him with worry. "That thing appeared the moment you passed out," she said. "And before you woke up, you were… muttering things."

Kael frowned. "What was I saying?"

Lyra hesitated. "Something about a 'watcher' and 'the abyss.' It was like you were talking to someone."

Kael's blood ran cold.

That vision. The masked figure. The collapsing world.

It hadn't been a dream.

"Lyra," Kael said, keeping his voice steady. "I think… I think something's coming after me."

Lyra let out a frustrated sigh. "Great. Just what we need. As if the guards weren't bad enough." She kicked an empty crate across the warehouse floor. "We need to figure out what this mark means and why it appeared on you."

Kael nodded, but before he could say another word—

BOOM.

The warehouse door exploded inward.

A powerful gust of wind howled through the room as three figures stepped through the wreckage.

Kael barely had time to react before a spear embedded itself into the ground just inches from his foot.

"Kael Stryx," a voice rang out, strong and commanding. "By the order of the **Celestial Vanguard**, you are under arrest!"

Kael's heart nearly stopped.

The Celestial Vanguard.

The strongest warriors in Astra City, handpicked by the gods themselves to uphold balance and eliminate threats to the world. They were legends—untouchable, unstoppable.

And they were standing right in front of him.

The leader stepped forward, tall and draped in gleaming silver armor. His helmet bore a golden crest, and his piercing blue eyes locked onto Kael like a predator sizing up its prey.

"I am **Sir Gideon, Captain of the Celestial Vanguard**," he announced. "Surrender now, or we will take you by force."

Lyra grabbed Kael's arm. "We have to run—"

She didn't get the chance to finish.

In a flash, one of the armored warriors moved with inhuman speed, appearing right behind her. A powerful hand grabbed her shoulder, yanking her away from Kael.

"Gh—!" Lyra gasped as she was thrown backward.

Kael's instincts screamed at him. He lunged toward her—

Another warrior raised their palm. A bright, golden **barrier** erupted between them, cutting Kael off from Lyra.

"Lyra!" he shouted, slamming his fists against the barrier.

She was struggling, kicking against the soldier holding her down, but it was no use. These weren't common thugs. They were trained warriors, far beyond anything Kael had ever fought before.

"Enough," Gideon's voice boomed. He lifted his spear, pointing it at Kael's chest. "Do not resist. The power within you is forbidden. The **Eclipse Seal** is a curse upon this world, and it cannot be allowed to exist."

Kael's blood turned to ice.

They knew.

They knew what the mark was.

And they weren't here to capture him.

They were here to kill him.

Kael took a step back, his mind racing. He had no weapon. No training. No way to fight back against the **Celestial Vanguard**.

But he did have one thing.

The mark.

It had appeared on his arm for a reason. He didn't understand it yet, but he could feel something stirring inside him—a force he had never felt before.

Gideon's spear glowed with radiant energy. "This is your last warning."

Kael clenched his fists.

Then, something inside him snapped.

The **Eclipse Seal** flared to life.

A deep, raw power surged through his veins. His senses sharpened, the air around him vibrating with unseen energy. The ground beneath his feet cracked.

Gideon's eyes widened. "What—?"

Kael **moved**.

Faster than he had ever moved before.

One moment, he was standing in front of the golden barrier—

The next, he was **behind Gideon**, as if he had teleported.

The Celestial Captain barely had time to react before Kael's fist slammed into his armor, sending him skidding backward.

The golden barrier flickered.

Lyra took her chance. She twisted out of the soldier's grip and **slammed her knee into his face**, knocking him back.

The barrier shattered.

"Run!" Lyra shouted.

Kael didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed her hand, and together, they **bolted** through the wreckage of the warehouse, weaving past fallen crates and broken beams.

Behind them, Gideon let out a furious roar. "AFTER THEM!"

The Celestial warriors charged forward, their weapons glowing with divine energy.

Kael and Lyra sprinted toward the docks, their feet pounding against the wooden planks. The city stretched out before them—if they could just make it to the underpass, they could disappear into the maze-like streets of Astra's underground network.

Kael glanced back.

The warriors were gaining. Fast.

Gideon raised his spear. "Divine Lance—"

Kael's **Eclipse Seal** pulsed.

He didn't know how, but his instincts screamed at him—

**Dodge.**

Kael grabbed Lyra and **jumped** just as a massive golden spear **exploded** into the ground where they had stood, shattering the wooden planks and sending debris flying.

They tumbled into the water below.

Kael barely had time to take a breath before the freezing ocean swallowed him whole.

---

### **Somewhere Beneath Astra City…**

Kael's head broke the surface of the water, coughing and gasping for air.

Lyra surfaced beside him, shaking off the cold. "You okay?"

Kael didn't answer. His body felt strange.