The silence after the battle was almost deafening. Kairo stood in the rubble of the city’s outer wall, his breathing heavy, his Behemoth Form retreating into his human shape. The Colossal Titan of Ruin lay in shattered pieces, but the victory felt hollow.
As the dust settled, Lia approached cautiously, her spear glowing faintly in the twilight. "You barely pulled yourself back this time, Kairo," she said softly, her voice carrying a note of both relief and concern. "How much longer can you keep this up?"
Kairo’s fists clenched, still aching from the monstrous fight. “As long as it takes,” he muttered, staring at the destroyed city walls, his mind already racing with thoughts of the next battle. But a part of him feared Lia was right. He could feel it—the Behemoth inside him was growing harder to control.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance, moving through the wreckage of the battlefield. A cloaked stranger with a mask, their presence eerie and out of place in the wake of destruction. Kairo's eyes narrowed as the figure approached them, making no sound, their footsteps leaving no trace.
“Kairo Drakos,” the stranger’s voice was a hollow echo, as if coming from the depths of a forgotten place. “The Titans are only a symptom of something far worse. And you, with your cursed power, are the key to it all.”
Kairo felt a shiver run down his spine. "Who are you?" he demanded, stepping forward, ready to summon the Behemoth again if needed.
Stolen novel; please report.
The masked figure didn’t answer. Instead, they threw something into the air—a small, glowing crystal that floated in front of Kairo’s face. As he reached out to grab it, a searing pain shot through his head, and his vision blurred.
Memories flooded his mind. But they weren’t his. Images of a dark chamber, Titans being created by someone in the shadows, twisted experiments on humans. And then, the image of a man—someone Kairo had seen before in ancient history books—the very first Valkor, the one who had vanished centuries ago, standing over a massive, bound Behemoth.
Kairo gasped, stumbling backward as the vision ended. Lia rushed to his side, her face pale. “What did you see?” she asked, her hand gripping his shoulder.
Kairo didn’t answer. He couldn’t. The truth was too terrifying.
The stranger turned to leave, their voice lingering in the air like a ghostly whisper. “The Behemoth isn’t just a curse, Kairo. It’s a legacy. And if you don’t discover the truth soon, it will consume you...and everything you love.”
The words left a cold dread in Kairo’s chest. What legacy? What truth?
As the figure disappeared into the shadows, Lia looked at Kairo with fear in her eyes. “What do we do now?”
Kairo stood silently for a moment, staring at the crystal in his hand, its glow fading. Then, with a determination that surprised even him, he clenched his fist.
“We find out who’s behind this,” Kairo said, his voice steely. “And we end it.”
But deep down, he wondered if that was even possible. The more he fought, the more he realized that the Titans were only the beginning of a much larger, more dangerous conspiracy—one that could tear the entire world apart.