"Ngh!"

I blink, slowly opening my eyes. As my vision clears, all I see is… black.

"What the…"

I sit up, scanning my surroundings, but everything is shrouded in darkness—a vast, empty void stretching in every direction. What is going on? Where am I?

You have unlocked a Skill!

Skill Name: Chronicle Insight

Type: Mental / Sensory Skill (Passive/Active)

The System's notification flashes in the void, and I freeze, caught off guard by the sudden development. A new skill has been unlocked, but I have no idea what it does besides being labeled as a Mental or Sensory Skill.

"System, describe the Skill."

Skill Name: Chronicle Insight Type: Mental / Sensory Skill (Passive/Active) Rank: A++ Description:

▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣ Effect:

▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣

Huh? Why isn't it showing the description or effects of the skill?

Skill Activating...

Wait, what? It's activating? But I didn't even try to activate it!

Borrowing the ▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣ ▣▣▣▣▣▣.

I am borrowing the what now?

Before I can make sense of it, everything goes black again.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

-BOOM!

I jolt awake, my heart pounding as the loud explosion reverberates. Panic surges through me as I take in the scene around me.

The city of Aurelior lies in ruins. Once majestic and towering, buildings are engulfed in flames, their skeletal remains barely standing. The acrid smell of smoke fills my lungs, and my eyes sting as I gaze upon the devastation. The streets are littered with the lifeless bodies of soldiers and civilians alike, their faces frozen in expressions of terror and despair.

-BOOM!

Another explosion echoes in the distance, sending a shiver down my spine. I turn my head and see a massive cloud of smoke rising ominously into the sky.

An inexplicable urge compels me to follow it. I must know what's causing this destruction to understand the chaos in Aurelior.

With that, I start running toward the source of the smoke.

As I navigate the shattered streets, the full extent of the carnage becomes horrifyingly clear. Mangled corpses lie strewn across the cobblestones, their blood mingling with the soot and ash.

The dying cries fill the air, a haunting symphony of agony and despair. I see families huddled together in death, their bodies charred and broken.

Among the fallen, some have twisted horns protruding from their skulls, their eyes lifeless and devoid of any spark.

"Demons?" I whisper to myself, my voice trembling. "Did demons attack Aurelior? What in the world happened here?"

-BOOM!

The ground shakes beneath my feet as another explosion rips through the air, much closer this time. The thick, black smoke now billows just ahead of me, filling the sky with its suffocating presence.

I force myself to keep running, my legs heavy with exhaustion and fear.

-BOOM!

Yet, another explosion and this one feels right on top of me. The force of the blast knocks me off my feet, and I scramble to my hands and knees, coughing and choking on the thick, acrid air.

As I round a corner, I stumble upon utter devastation. The road ahead is only rubble, and the nearby buildings are reduced to unrecognizable heaps of twisted metal and shattered stone. Fires rage uncontrollably, their heat searing my skin even from a distance.

The area is completely desolate, devoid of any signs of life. It's as if the very essence of Aurelior has been obliterated in a heartbeat.

"AHHHH!"

A pained scream pierces through the chaos—a man's scream.

I snap up just in time to see a “meteor” streaking through the sky, leaving a vivid blue trail in its wake.

-BOOM!

The “meteor” slams into a nearby building, sending a plume of smoke and a cascade of rubble. The impact shakes the ground, nearly knocking me off my feet.

-Thud!

From the swirling smoke, a figure tumbles out, rolling across the debris-laden ground. The figure is a man, but his face is obscured by the darkness and the direction he's facing. He wears a white dress shirt, black vest, pants, and shoes, now marred with dirt and blood.

"Ngh!"

He groans in pain as he struggles to his feet, clearly injured and beaten. I notice he clutches a pair of guns, but their details are lost in the shadows.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"History is but a cycle of shadows, ever repeating. You, however, fail to learn its lessons. Pathetic."

The voice is dark and ominous, sending a chill down my spine. I look up, searching for its source, and see a shadowy figure hovering above. It has long, flowing hair, twisted horns that curve menacingly, and enormous wings that blot out the faint light of the burning city.

A high-ranking demon.

The air around it seems to darken, a palpable aura of malevolence radiating from its form. It gazes down at the injured man with a cruel, predatory smile, its eyes glowing with an unholy light.

"Your struggle is futile," the demon taunts, its voice dripping with contempt. "This world will be consumed by darkness, and you will be nothing but a forgotten whisper."

The man grits his teeth, raising one of his guns with a trembling hand.

"Over my dead body," he growls, defiance burning in his eyes despite his battered state.

The demon laughs, a sound that is both chilling and mocking. "As you wish."

"Entropic Storm." The demon then raises his hand, his voice dripping with malevolence.

-Crackle!

-Fwoosh!

The already darkened clouds churn and boil, turning pitch black as thunder rumbles menacingly—lightning forks through the sky, illuminating the scene with blinding flashes. Torrential rain begins to pour down in sheets, driven by howling winds that whip through the ruins of Aurelior, scattering debris and embers in chaotic swirls.

"Tch!"

The man grunts, slowly rising to his feet, his body now enveloped in a brilliant red aura.

"Evoco Draconem Lacertae!" he shouts, his voice echoing through the storm.

A giant dark portal suddenly tears in the sky, red lightning crackling and sparking around its edges.

-Vwoom!

From the portal emerges a massive dragon-like creature, its tough, dark scaly skin glistening in the storm's light. It unfurls its enormous wings, each beat creating gusts of wind that feed the chaos. Its mouth, filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth, opens in a roar that shakes the ground. Its glowing yellow eyes are fixed on the demon.

"RAHH!"

The dragon's roar echoes the ruined city with primal fury and power.

"Hmph! You dare wield my kin as weapons against me? Foolish and pathetic!" The demon sneers, raising his hand. His body begins to glow with a sinister red light. "Zorge!"

A giant red portal materializes behind him, crackling with dark energy.

-Vwoom!

A colossal twin-headed dragon emerges from this portal, its scales shimmering like molten lava. Each head has eyes that glow like burning coals, and its wings span wide enough to cast a shadow over a small town.

"RAHHH!"

It lets out a bone-chilling roar that seems to resonate with the very fabric of reality.

""RAHH!""

The two dragons launch at each other with earth-shaking ferocity. The air fills with the loud sound of their roars and the clash of their massive bodies.

-BOOM!

The dark-scaled dragon lunges forward, its jaws snapping at the twin-headed beast, which retaliates with a swipe of its colossal tail, sending shockwaves through the ground.

-BOOM!

-CRACKLE!

Lightning from the Entropic Storm strikes both dragons, but they seem unfazed, their battle intensifying with each passing moment.

The dark dragon unleashes a torrent of fiery breath, but the twin-headed dragon counters with a blast of molten lava from one of its mouths.

-BOOM!

-CRACKLE!

Buildings crumble under the force of their attacks, and the ground splits open, creating deep fissures. The sky seems to tremble as the dragons fight, their wings creating hurricanes of wind, their roars mingling with the thunder.

-BOOM!

The chaos of their battle is overwhelming, each strike and counter-strike sending shockwaves through the city. The air is thick with smoke, rain, and the acrid scent of sulfur.

Time stands still momentarily as the twin-headed dragon launches into the sky, then dives down with both heads spewing molten lava. The dark-scaled dragon meets the attack head-on, its fiery breath creating an explosion that lights up the stormy sky.

-BOOM!

The ground shakes violently, and a wave of energy ripples outwards, toppling what remains of the ruined buildings.

"Ah, now the true game begins. This is getting interesting indeed," I hear the demon's voice, a chilling whisper that cuts through the chaos.

I see the demon's hand glowing a sinister red, casting an eerie light through the dark, stormy atmosphere.

-RUMBLE!

The ground beneath us starts shaking violently, and to my astonishment, it begins to lift and break apart. Chunks of earth and stone float upwards, defying gravity. I stumble, trying to keep my balance as the very foundation of Aurelior rises into the air.

-RUMBLE!

The platforms where the dragons battle also start to ascend, but instead of approaching us, they float away, separating into distinct islands of destruction.

The twin-headed dragon and the dark-scaled dragon continue their ferocious fight, their roars echoing across the distance, now suspended mid-air on their respective platforms.

-RUMBLE!

The buildings around us join the chaos, breaking free from the ground and drifting upwards. Their structures twist and turn, some flipping over entirely, yet they maintain their form, creating a surreal, almost nightmarish landscape.

-RUMBLE!

The ground beneath us begins to flatten out, forming a vast arena. The surrounding buildings hover in a circular formation, their glitching structures flickering in and out of coherence.

It's as if reality is breaking apart, unable to contain the sheer power and hostility of the forces at play.

The arena now stands as a floating platform amidst the chaos, with dark clouds swirling above and roaring dragons fighting in the distance. The buildings around the arena crackle with energy, their forms distorted and unstable, creating a disorienting backdrop of flickering lights and shifting shadows.

As the ground settles into its new, elevated form, the demon's presence becomes even more imposing. He stands at the arena's edge, his hand still glowing with dark energy, a malevolent smile playing on his lips.

"Does this seem familiar to you?" the demon asks, his voice echoing with sinister glee. "Regardless of the paths you choose, regardless of your actions, this scene will eternally recur! Your destiny is unalterable!"

I watch as the man slowly stands up, his body radiating determination despite his evident injuries. He points both of his guns at the demon with unwavering resolve. Even though his face remains obscured, his actions speak volumes about his unyielding spirit.

"Even if this scenario will repeat for a trillionth time, I will still find a way to beat you!"

As I stand here, witnessing this surreal confrontation, a whirlwind of confusion and uncertainty swirls within me.

What is this cycle the demon speaks of? How could such devastation and chaos be destined to repeat endlessly?

The man's defiance seems almost futile in the face of such overwhelming power. Yet, there's something undeniably inspiring about his unrelenting determination.

I can't grasp the full extent of the situation. Why am I here amid this apocalyptic nightmare? What role do I play in this recurring battle?

The air is thick with tension, and the very fabric of reality seems to waver as these titanic forces prepare to clash once more.

"Hehehe, as you wish!"

The demon's grin widens as he raises his hand and brings it down to touch the ground.

-RUMBLE!

Instantly, the earth convulses, and giant spikes shoot up from the ground, hurtling toward the man with deadly precision.

The man quickly leaps into the air.

Dark, enormous wings burst forth from his back, unfurling with a powerful sweep that propels him upward. He flies toward the demon, his actions blazing with determination.

"Hah!" he shouts, echoing through the chaotic arena.

The man draws back his arm, preparing to deliver a powerful punch. As he does, a massive portal opens behind him, crackling with dark energy. From its depths, a gigantic fist emerges, mirroring his movements.

With a fierce gesture, the man thrusts his fist forward, and the colossal fist from the portal surges toward the demon.

-BOOM!

The impact is cataclysmic, resulting in a massive shockwave that ripples through the arena—smoke and debris billow outwards, obscuring everything in a thick, choking haze.

As the smoke begins to clear, my eyes widen in shock. The demon stands there, holding the giant fist with one arm, his expression one of mocking amusement. He's doing it with ease, his power and confidence radiating ominously.

"Tch!" I hear the man grunt in frustration.

"Hahahaha! See? You persist in your errors! How delightfully futile!" the demon taunts, his laughter ringing through the air.

The demon powerfully shoves the man and the giant fist away, unleashing a colossal shockwave that sends tremors through the floating arena.

"Ugh!" the man grunts as he's propelled backward. But he regains his balance and spreads his wings, stabilizing himself mid-air.