Chapter 1583: Black Stones

The buildings in that place were made from black stone. The stones did not look cut or shaped by ordinary tools. They seemed to rise directly from the ground as though the earth itself had pushed them upward and formed them into structures.

Massive slabs curved and twisted into walls, uneven pillars supported roofs, impossibly balanced roofs. The buildings did not follow any consistent architectural style. Some of them leaned at strange angles, others formed sharp geometric shapes.

But despite their unnatural appearance, they still had recognizable features. Windows opened between the dark stones, narrow doors led into the interiors, tall spires rose from their roofs and pointed toward the sky like black needles.

Those details made one thing clear: these were not natural formations. They were homes and structures built for intelligent beings.

If a human from another world saw this place, they would probably stand in disbelief and wonder how such buildings could exist. They would find the architecture strange, but the people living inside those stone structures would shock them even more.

They were humans.

They lived beneath a sky that never truly brightened. Most of the time, the heavens were almost completely black, but in some places the darkness turned a deep, dull orange, as though an ancient fire burned somewhere beyond the clouds while layers of ash and dust covered the sky.

There was now clear sunlight reaching the land, or warm rays touched the black stone streets and the people who walked among them.

Even the sun that existed in this world differed from the suns of other worlds inhabited by humans. Its light offered little warmth and barely pushed back the darkness that had covered this land for so long.

At the center of the land stood the largest building in the entire settlement. It towered above everything around it, with hundreds of enormous spires rising from its structure like spears aimed at the dark sky.

The walls formed a vast collection of towers, bridges, chambers, and enormous arches that seemed to grow from the same mass of black stone. The highest tower reached far above the others and gave anyone standing there a clear view of the endless dark horizon.

A man stood near the edge of one of its towers.

He was tall and carried himself with a clear but quiet strength. Long black hair fell around his shoulders and moved gently in the cold wind.

His face was calm and expressionless, but his blue eyes carried a seriousness that revealed the weight of his thoughts.

He stared toward the distant horizon and watched the darkness stretching across the land. His name was Erebus. He had thought about the future of this land every day since his awakening.

Months had passed, yet he still could not find a solution that offered any real hope. One idea remained in his mind, however. It was dangerous and carried risks that could affect everyone who lived here, but every other possibility seemed even worse.

Erebus knew the council would probably reject his plan when he offered it to them in the meeting later. Their duty required them to protect their people, and his proposal could put countless lives in danger.

Invading another world meant entering unfamiliar territory, confronting its inhabitants, and potentially starting a war. Even if they found a weak world, there was no guarantee that the people living there would surrender peacefully.

Yet Erebus could no longer see another way to save the people of this land.

He had spent months thinking about every possibility. He had considered waiting, searching for another solution, and attempting to restore the land they had lost. There was nothing that could give him ideas to free their people from this darkness.

Eventually, he reached his decision. He would do it.

Even if the council refused, they could not stop him forever. Erebus was not an ordinary man. He was a Dragonborn, and his power gave him the ability to act even when the council could not agree with his action.

The door behind him opened.

An old man stepped onto the tower and walked toward him. His hair had turned white with age, but his body remained straight and strong.

His eyes still have the sharpness of a strong man. He was one of the council members, unlike most of the others he had supported Erebus’s idea from the beginning.

The old man stopped beside him.

"Are you ready to make your decision today, Erebus?" he asked.

Erebus did not answer immediately. He continued staring at the dark horizon while the wind moved through his long hair.

"I can’t see another choice besides this," he finally said evenly.

"I know." The old man sighed. "But invading another world means only one thing. We will have to fight. A lot of people will die."

"Not if the world we invade is weak." Erebus finally turned toward him. His blue eyes became sharper. "I will find a weak world. I will choose one that cannot threaten us. I will not let the people of this land remain in darkness forever. They have already suffered enough."

The old man looked into Erebus’s eyes and understood that the decision was no longer something they could change.

Erebus had already accepted the risks. He had already decided that remaining in this dying world would cost more lives than leaving it.

The old man let out another tired sigh. "All right. I will help you."

Erebus nodded as though he had expected that answer. He turned back toward the horizon and watched the dark sky in silence.

The dark being that had brought this land into ruin had finally fallen into slumber. It was not dead, but nor was it alive. Erebus had also recovered some of the injuries he suffered while fighting it.

He felt that right now they had an opportunity to escape the fate that had trapped them here. The darkness had consumed their world and its people and it could not be changed. But now it was time for its people to leave.

—