Within the room Skyler was peeking into, a pair of deep emerald eyes snapped open.
Their owner—a tall, scarred man radiating an overwhelming presence—slowly turned.
"Who’s there?"
His sharp gaze locked onto the narrow gap in the door, and Skyler instinctively flinched, then bolted without thinking. But it was too late—he crashed face-first into a shield that had suddenly materialized, trapping him.
Skyler turned back with an awkward smile, but it vanished the moment he saw Argon Steel standing before him. The man’s eyes burned with a deep hue as he studied him.
He stood bare-chested, wearing only a pair of pants, with golden lines tracing intricate patterns across his body like glowing veins.
A sudden pressure fell over Skyler—so intense it forced a sharp gasp from him.
Argon, clearly struggling to contain the divine power coursing through his body, narrowed his eyes at Skyler’s face. Despite the familiar clear blue eyes, the unfamiliar features sparked no recognition—he was certain he had never seen him before.
So, who was he?
And how had he entered the guild building and even reached his room so effortlessly?
"Who... no, what are you?"
His aura spiked. Was this kid a villain?
One of the Dark Lights? Because this boy was anything but an ordinary human—he radiated danger. His instincts shouted it.
And yet, it didn’t make sense. The kid was weak—painfully so—except for one thing: the swirling dark and white shadows.
Countless figures loomed behind him, so many that Argon could hardly keep track.
Their shadows coiled around his soul, completely obscuring it from view.
Skyler stepped back in a hurry, only for his back to collide with the barrier behind him.
"What if I say I’m just a passerby?"
Argon frowned, his patience wearing thin. He had endured far too much over the past few months to stay composed for long. He had grown quite detached from reality—so much so that he no longer knew what was happening in his own continent.
"Should I just kill you?"
Skyler let out a nervous chuckle.
He knew all too well—this man wasn’t bluffing. Argon really might kill him. He needed to get out of there quickly.
"I’m a Thorne. I would like to believe you wouldn’t kill a pitiful young royal who isn’t even 20 yet. I only entered this building in a rush after seeing the sky fracture. I had no ulterior motives—I needed a place to hide. I should go now—I have a class to attend—"
He turned swiftly, only to find himself face-to-face with the shield once more.
"...."
Argon’s dark voice echoed from behind.
"Where do you think you are going? We’re not done talking yet. You’re far too strange. Your soul... the numerous crystals in your heart—it’s not normal. What are you?"
He rubbed his forehead as a splitting headache tore through his skull, only to blink in surprise when Skyler scoffed.
The boy’s expression—and tone—took a sudden turn. He stopped cowering under the pressure and began resisting it. Then, with a sharp turn, he faced him with a look of pure annoyance and simmering anger.
"Alright, let’s talk. I have a question of my own! You... old man with no sense at all!"
Argon blinked again, stunned.
"What...?"
Skyler’s expression didn’t waver.
"Why did you consume it?"
"Huh?"
Skyler let out another scoff.
"I’ve been thinking. You’re the strongest Light in this continent, so I’m sure you’re the one who became a Divine Being! You must’ve consumed some kind of powerful treasure—but why did you do it so soon?"
Argon’s eyes widened, but Skyler wasn’t finished. He had to let out his frustration.
"That voice that echoed earlier said that since we now have our first Divine Being, the beginner’s grace—the shield that was protecting us—is going to vanish! Isn’t this just like a video game? What if calamities start showing up now?"
Skyler stepped forward, anger in his eyes.
"And I can see you’re struggling to contain that golden power! How are you supposed to protect us if you’re already falling apart? So why did you use that treasure so soon? Do you even have a brain?! Why didn’t you give that treasure to another instead?"
He huffed, and Argon stepped back.
"Wait... wait. How do you know all that? There is no way your brain came up with that theory by connecting a few dots."
He raised his hand, ready to grab Skyler by the collar and place him under arrest until he discovered everything about him—but it was stopped midair by Queen Elizabeth.
Skyler smirked.
’Gotcha! Good thing I sensed the Queen. Now you can’t touch me, you old man!’
Elizabeth glanced at her grandson, her icy eyes narrowing dangerously—like she was trying to peer straight into his thoughts to uncover whatever secrets he was hiding.
"Leave. We will talk later. I have plenty of questions for you after overhearing you."
Skyler flinched slightly, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. Damn his loud mouth. Still, he had made sure everything he said sounded logical—there was no way anyone would suspect he knew the future.
Hopefully...
Elizabeth turned her gaze toward Argon.
"As for why Argon consumed the treasure—it wasn’t his fault. I heard there was a time limit, and it would have vanished in a few days. We couldn’t hand it over to another continent, so Argon was the best choice."
She shook her head.
"We never imagined things would turn out like this—let alone that Argon’s body would be overwhelmed by the power. Your uncle Alistair made a big mistake this time."
Skyler stared at her, confusion etched across his face. The treasure had a time limit? This was the first he’d heard of it!
Well, in the story, Max had absorbed it immediately after finding it, so the time limit was never mentioned... He frowned, unaware of the many eyes fixed on him.
Elizabeth and Argon weren’t the only ones watching—many powerful Lights who had followed the Queen when she disappeared were also observing his every move.
Skyler scratched his chin and nodded. It seemed he had misjudged Argon—he had even called him an old man. Hopefully, the guy wouldn’t hold a grudge against him.
"Alright, I’ll go for now, Grandma."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Argon watched Skyler’s fading figure, then turned to the Queen with a solemn gaze.
"Your Majesty, why did you let him go so easily? He knows far too much. Shouldn’t we be questioning how he knows all this? Or do you really believe that boy made up that entire theory on his own? And... why did you reveal even more to him?"
Elizabeth let out a quiet sigh.
"Damien said he’s special. Let’s trust his judgment. He insisted we let the boy do as he pleases, despite how unusual he is... It seems his grandfather is favoring him."
She smiled, leaving the Lights watching in shock. It was rare to see the Queen smile—especially at a time when they were facing a threat that could very well mark their end.
The voice that had thundered across the universe had declared that the protection once granted to them was now gone. In a way, Skyler’s words made a lot of sense.
What if... just what if the ’chaos’ the voice spoke of was a form of calamity—one that could strike their universe at any moment?
How were they supposed to fight it when Argon Steel—their only Divine Being—could barely endure the power he had obtained?
Meanwhile, Skyler peeked out from the staircase he had just begun to descend.
’Grandfather is favoring me? I better find out who he is and thank him properly.’
That was what he had planned. But just as he stepped out of the guild building, he was met with the sight of a familiar middle-aged man coughing up blood, surrounded by a lot of Lights. Skyler felt a wave of déjà vu as he met the tall man’s purple eyes—that smiled at him despite the man’s bloodied state.
"Don’t tell me he’s my grandfather? The fallen angel... Why is everyone powerful I know either dying or in need of help?"
He shook his head solemnly. Naturally, he dismissed the fact that all of this was a consequence of his own damn actions.
However, he was reminded of that harsh truth when he returned to the academy—only to find that Max Hales had vanished, both literally and figuratively.
"Oh, great! Just great! The protagonist is gone! What’s next now? Is the sky going to fall on my head?! I dare you!"