Etarion Online: Rise of the Void Sovereign

Nova took a deep breath, steeling himself for the final part of his task after the awakening was complete. 

The air in the grand hall within the cathedral was thick with anticipation, charged with the weight of what lay ahead of him, nothing but uncertainty, a path that had many doors, each of which had to be chosen carefully, for one mistake could open the gates to hell itself. 

Whatever happened next would not only determine where he stood when the Order was concerned but also seal his fate in Etarion, which was something that made him feel uneasy. 

Pushing himself off the cold marble pillar, he straightened himself and walked away, heading for the exit of the building, for there were things he needed to take care of in order to fully start walking the path of this new chapter in his life. 

The sharp gaze of others that had completed their awakening, even those who had not or could not, bore into him—some were curious, others judgmental, believing that his talent was not that worthy of praise, but he ignored them all.

His focus remained on the task and the steps he needed to take. His predicament was already precarious, yet he carried another burden on his young shoulders, the ones that were the remnants of the former owner of the body that was now his. 

Their unresolved problems, broken relationships within their family, and lingering shadows of their life clung to him, threatening to derail his path. Troubles that were not his but had become his, nonetheless, for the original Nova did not come from an ordinary background. 

He was just steps from the cathedral's exit when a sudden, yet strange sensation washed over him. An unfamiliar energy pulsed through the air around him, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.

His natural instincts flared, and he froze mid-step, his eyes narrowed as he cast a cautious glance over his shoulder, wondering who was watching him. 

There, in the shadows of the cathedral's stained-glass light, stood a figure cloaked in black and red. The air around them was slightly heavy, mysterious and distorting. The figure's gaze locked onto Nova with an intensity that made him uneasy. 

At that very moment, he could tell that whoever was there, was not just any ordinary observer—it was something else, something powerful, and it had taken an interest in him, one that did not make him feel good in any way, but instead it did the exact opposite. 

Nova's muscles tensed, every fiber of his being urging him to stay on his guard. His eyes glowed slightly blue as he paid close attention to their movements, waiting to see what they will do next. 

He forced himself to remain still and not do anything drastic that would probably cost him, but his mind racing as he tried to figure out what was going on and whether or not that person was a friend or a foe. 

The energy radiating from the figure before him was—neither purely magical nor entirely spiritual, but something far older and deeper mixed with a tinge of darkness, for he could sense it, due to his newfound abilities. 

"Who are you?" Nova asked, his voice steady despite the tension coursing through every fiber of his body. 

The figure looked at him closely but did not respond immediately. Instead, it tilted its head, as if studying him, its form shifting ever so slightly within the shadows nearby him. When it finally spoke, its voice echoed, it was both calm and slightly unnerving to Nova's liking. 

"You bear the burden of another as well as many more, yet your soul blazes with its own fire. A rare sight indeed young one... and a perilous one."

Nova's jaw tightened at the stranger's tone. The words were cryptic, but they hinted at his unique condition—the merging of his consciousness with the body's previous owner and no one knew of that except him, the system and whatever or whoever was the reason he was sent to Etarion. 

"What do you want from me?" Nova demanded, his tone firm but cautious. He subtly shifted his stance, preparing himself for whatever might come next, since he still had no clue, whether this person could be trusted, given from the tone, he could tell it was a man. 

The man took a few cautious steps toward Nova and out of the shadows he was previously in. "Not want," he said, "but a piece of advice for.... Let's say for your own good. A choice lies before you, Nova. Embrace the pieces of the life you have inherited or shatter them entirely and forge a new path one that only you can control. Both are perilous, but only one leads to true strength, for in this world not everything is as it seems."

Nova's heart pounded in his chest as he listened to the advice that was being given to him,he could hear the wisdom in his words, but he also knew better than to trust something—or someone— just like that, especially when he could not fully understand their intentions. 

"Why do you care about the path that lies ahead of me and about what I choose?" He asked, as his eyes narrowed, skeptically. 

The man laughed at his tone; his voice was a low hum as he looked at Nova carefully. 

"Oh, dear boy, do not misunderstand me, I do not care. I am merely an observer of the world around me... and I try to guide those who prove themselves worthy."

The area in which they stood, within the cathedral seemed to grow colder, the weight of his words pressing down on Nova slightly. At that point, his mind churned with many questions.

Though, It was not the first time; it was from the very moment he woke up in a world unfamiliar to him, yet parts of it felt right. 

But he knew he wouldn't get answers by hesitating even if he needed time to adjust. Taking a steadying breath, he met the man's gaze with an unwavering one of his own. 

"If proving myself is what I need to do, then I will, but not to please others but for myself and I will do what I must and the right things," He said, his voice was firm and resolute.

The man chuckled at his words as the air around them calmed, he extended a hand towards Nova, and a small flickering yet dying blue flame mixed with a red hue, appeared in his palm. 

"This world is currently like this flame, it has both sides, the path that is right for you, will eventually reveal itself. But be warned, Nova—there is no turning back once it begins, your trial into becoming one with this world will soon begin and after it, only destiny can tell, where it will lead you, I am not an enemy nor an alley, you will soon know of my existence, until then good luck and farewell."

Within a heartbeat, the main disappeared within the shadows, leaving no trace behind.