Eyes followed, whispers spread through the crowd. He turned toward the great spire at the city's heart—the Guild. Mana pulsed faintly from its core, though weaker than what he once knew.

"That's where I'll start," he muttered. "Let's see what the Guild remembers of me."

As he said that, he sensed a strong force of mana from the west direction in the capital. Ryu was intrigued, not having felt a good person with this much mana for a while.

"The Guild can wait for now. This feels like a good encounter worth my time," Ryu said with a cold smirk.

More interested in this presence than the Guild, Ryu calculated almost every possibility and activated the ‘Acceleration’ spell to get there.

What he found was unexpected. A young woman, about nineteen, playing with a couple of kids outside the church. Ryu approached her.

"Hello there. Do you need any help?" she asked kindly.

"What's your name, young girl?" Ryu asked politely.

"I'm Eira Luneth."

"Eira Luneth, from the Luneth lineage? That lineage still survives after a millennium? I'm surprised. So this is why I sensed strong mana from here," Ryu said coldly but politely.

Eira was surprised by how the mysterious man knew her. "Do I know you? Can you name yourself?" she asked, her voice uneasy from the mana she sensed from Ryu.

"My apologies. Follow me. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything. This place isn’t very confidential," Ryu said, glancing at the church kids.

"Okay," she answered, suspicious.

"I'm making you fly with the Flying spell," Ryu said calmly as he lifted them to the top of the clock tower.

Eira panicked but trusted him a little.

"Here we go. I’m Aetherion Ryu, the Archmage," he said without emotion.

"A-A-Aetherion Ryu?! The legend who created many magics and spells?! Is it really you?!" she stammered, trying to steady herself.

"Yes."

"You seem skilled. I knew someone from your lineage long ago, about 800 years ago. Vaelric Luneth—a name that sends chills. A legend, though not as great as you," he bragged lightly.

"Vaelric’s will passes through our lineage," Eira said.

"Let’s test you," Ryu said.

He cast a spell revealing Eira’s mana essence—her soul’s color.

"Magic reveals more than words," Ryu said quietly. "Let your mana flow. I’ll see who you really are."

Ryu released a fraction of his true power—controlled but overwhelming. The air shifted. Mana trembled, bending toward him like gravity. Eira struggled to breathe but refused to kneel.

Ryu smirked. "Good. You're not weak."

He was surprised. Her mana showed Valeric’s will.

"As expected from one of Valeric’s blood. You have potential, Eira," Ryu said, acknowledging her finally. But inside, Ryu wondered about the mana fluctuations from her. Ryu continues, “Are you… okay? Is something wrong?”

Eira panics a little but decides to hide it. “Y-Yes. I am perfectly fine.”

"This was worth my time. We’ll meet again. Farewell," he said. But he knew that Eira was lying about something which willfurther affect him… in a good way… or perhaps a bad way…

Ryu flew off; Eira descended the tower stairs.

Ryu headed to the Guild for info on the fallen Luminaries.

Ryu reached the guild and entered it. He goes to the receptionist, still disguised.

The receptionist asks, "Hello there! Here to register? Or for a quest?"

Ryu replies, "My name should be in the records. Aetherion Ryu. I'd prefer you keep quiet. And, I'm here for information."

"The information I want is about the Eight Fallen Luminaries." said Ryu calmly.

The receptionist's fingers hesitated over the crystal ledger. Pale blue light reflected off her eyes as the runes danced, forming lists of registered names and archived records. A few seconds passed before she frowned.

She said, "I... I don't see any entries for that, sir. What did you say again?"

Ryu's voice was quiet, but firm. "The Eight Fallen Luminaries."

The air seemed to still. Conversations nearby dimmed beneath the faint hum of the crystal. The receptionist froze, her expression draining of color"

"T-The Fallen Luminaries?" she stammered. "As in—the—"

"Yes," Ryu interrupted softly. "The seven who survived the Great War."

Her hand trembled slightly over the ledger.

"I... I don't think the Guild keeps records of them, sir. Those names are... forbidden to speak in some provinces. They say even mentioning one can draw misfortune."

"Superstition," Ryu murmured, unimpressed. "Records don't vanish because of fear."

The receptionist looked around nervously.

"S-Sir, even if they exist, that kind of information would be sealed under royal authority. The Guild isn't allowed to access anything tied to the Eight Fallen Luminaries."

He watched her carefully. The tremor in her voice wasn't an act. She truly didn't know — only what the world had turned those names into: curses, legends, monsters whispered in the dark. He said quietly, his tone unreadable.

"Of course, I expected as much."

He descended the marble steps, eyes tracing the distant horizon — toward the west, where the towers gave way to the darker parts of the city. The official Guild might cling to its order and laws, but truth thrived in chaos, and secrets were kept in the cracks of civilization.

"Looks like the answers aren't written in light," he said quietly. Mana flared faintly at his feet, forming a soft circle of shifting sigils. The air around him warped, light bending into stillness.

"There's only one place left that doesn't flinch at their names."

His form blurred — and in the next instant, he was gone.

The next place he was at was the Shadow Guild.

Ryu was still disguised.

Ryu is looking around, checking his surroundings. Ryu goes to the bulky male receptionist.

Ryu says "Hello," then asks "you have all kinds of information from my knowledge?"

The receptionist replies with a sense of curiosity "Yes. That is what the Shadow Guild is for, after all."

Ryu asks, "Then," Ryu speaks silently "do you have information on the Fallen Luminaries? After En died."

The receptionist replies, "That'll be 629 gold coins. Take it for the information on the Fallen Luminaries. Your wish."

Ryu replies, "All right. Here, 10 platinum coins. Tell me everything you know."

The receptionist is surprised but doesn't let it show. He replies, "I won't pry but you should spend your money wisely. Follow me."Ryu follows him into a spot used for trading information in the Shadow Guild."So, how much information do you have on the Fallen Luminaries?" Ryu asks."Little, but this'll be worth it for you." he said with a small smirk.

"Very well." Ryu said with a hint of curiosity.

"First, to clear things up. We only have information on four Fallen Luminaries after ‘The Cursed Sovereign’—En died.”

The Heavenly King

The first one, 'the Heavenly King'—Lucien. His race is Angel." The receptionist lowered his voice the moment Ryu mentioned the name. He didn't waste words, "Calmest one among the Fallen Luminaries. Silver-white hair, sharp eyes, the type who never panicked no matter what was happening around him. He wasn't the strongest, but if he was there, no ally ever died. That's why they called him a king."

He tapped the table lightly, "He used Celestial sorcery with the legendary weapon 'Solstice Twins'. Shields, wings, blades—he made them instantly, clean and precise. Never flashy. Just effective. His race is half-Spirit."

The man exhaled, "After En fell, Lucien succumbed to his desires from the Celestial sorcery. It made him want power, wanted him to be perfect. He didn't abandon his humanity. There was still some of it left deep inside him. But, the way the Celestial sorcery was, he became what he is now. The perfect, ruthless one out of the Fallen Luminaries. The most calculating. This is what the information the Shadow Guild has on the Heavenly King."

The Wanderer of the Depths

"The information on the next Fallen Luminary is the 'Wanderer of the Depths'—Naelith." the man pauses, before continuing, he continued in a low voice, "Quiet type. Not unstable, not corrupted. Just... deep. Abyssal sorcerer who could reach mana layers no one else could touch, and somehow stayed completely sane."

A faint tap on the table. "Average look. Dark hair, distant eyes. Doesn't feel dangerous, but being near him is like standing over deep water—you can't tell how far it goes.”

He shrugged, "After En died, he didn't lose himself. He just wandered. Ruins, caverns, any place where mana sinks unnaturally. Not running, not searching for power—just following the depths only he can sense."

The receptionist closed the record, "That's all we know. If Lucien is the sky... Naelith is the silent abyss beneath it. He doesn't use any weapons, but his sorcery along with his mastery of various magic and sorceries, he became someone when a person gets close to him, they get crushed."

"His most used and most terrifying ability is Abyssal Flow. His passive is the Abyssal Calm. People don't get close to him if they encounter him in depths of ruins. That's currently all the information we have on the 'Wanderer of the Depths.'"

The Angel of Death

The man breathes deeply before going to the next one, "The next one, the 'Angel of Death'—Seraphel. Her race is half-Angel, half-Demon. She uses 'Null sorcery' along with the legendary weapon the 'Lifeless Edge.'"

He kept his voice steady, but even he couldn't hide the discomfort the name brought, "Cold. Precise. Never acted out of anger or emotion. If Lucien was the calm king, Seraphel was the executioner who didn't need orders. Always silent. Always efficient."

He scratched lightly at the table's edge, "She used Null sorcery—the kind that erases mana instead of shaping it. Sorcery that was supposed to be extinct. Spells, barriers, weapons—gone the moment his sorcery and blade touched them."

He nodded once, checking the records, "Her weapon was the 'Lifeless Edge'. A scythe that doesn't cut flesh—it cuts existence. If it touches something, it leaves nothing behind. Not even residue. Perfect match for her personality."

A short pause, "After En died, Seraphel didn't rage or mourn. She just continued being the Angel of Death. Wherever she goes, death is inevitable."

He closed the book with a soft thud, "That's all the Shadow Guild has. If Lucien is the sky, and Naelith the depths... then Seraphel Nocturne is the silence that comes when life itself stops."


The Arch Bearer of Sins

The man exhales and breathes deeply, "The last one is the 'Arch bearer of Sins'—Vaelgarde. His race is Human. Unlike the others, he wasn't calm or quiet—he was excited. Too excited. Every battle, every spell, every discovery about mana made him grin like a child handed a new toy. But his eyes always carried a sharp clarity beneath the madness. He wasn't insane... just tilted. A little too fascinated by the world. A little too eager to push limits others feared to approach."

“His sorcery is called 'Sinborne sorcery'—magic that manifests the emotional weight inside living beings. Not curses, but the "sins" people try to hide. He could draw them out and turn them into weapons, chains, or even living constructs. And every time he did, he laughed—not cruelly, but like someone thrilled by the complexity of human emotion. He knew exactly what he was doing. He understood the burden of every sin he manipulated. But he treated those burdens like art, like puzzles he couldn't wait to take apart.”

“That was what made him terrifying: he was perfectly aware... and completely unrestrained. After En died, Vaelgarde didn't fall or break. He simply became more enthusiastic—too enthusiastic. He wanted to "understand" the sins. Wanted to see how deep they could go. He wasn't consumed by his sorcery. He just embraced the parts everyone else tried to run from.

“A bright smile, a tilted mind, and sorcery born from everything humans tried to hide. That was the Arch bearer of Sins.”

Ryu walks out the Shadow Guild and heads out to look for the information of the remaining three Fallen Luminaries.

Ryu goes out of Aetheria and heads out for the Elven Kingdom–Elyndoriel which has people that have information even the Shadow Guild doesn’t have. Then…

The End of Chapter 1