[Night of the Fifth Continent]
Night had already fallen over the city… or so Lucian initially believed.
Yet even hours later, the sky remained bright—washed in neon colors reflected from towering skyscrapers and floating holographic screens drifting through the air.
The Fifth Continent never sleeps.
Lucian stood by the hotel window, watching electric trains streak across the sky like moving stars, while Dastan lay on the bed with an arm covering his eyes.
For the first time in a while, silence felt peaceful.
Then a soft notification broke it.
Lucian opened their group chat.
It was Genica.
— “This adventure is amazing… I hope it never ends.”
The typing paused for a moment.
Then another message appeared.
— “But my only fear… is Noor. Is she okay? Is she even alive?”
Silence filled the room.
Lucian slowly lowered his phone.
Dastan removed his arm from his eyes and stared at the ceiling, heavy silence in his expression.
They were all thinking the same thing…
Noor.
She had vanished without a trace.
And no one knew whether she was alive… or just another memory lost between worlds.
Lucian exhaled softly and typed:
— “We’ll find her.”
Dastan read it for a moment, then finally picked up his phone.
— “Even if we have to cross every continent.”
In her separate room…
Genica held her pillow tightly.
She smiled faintly while reading their messages.
But her eyes were red from tears.
She whispered softly:
— “Idiots…”
Then she turned off her phone and drifted into sleep.
[Morning — Sky Train Station]
The trio headed toward the main station early in the morning.
Even at that hour, the city was alive.
Massive screens displayed advertisements.
Small aircraft flew between towers.
Electronic music echoed from every direction.
Genica stared at the Sky Train in awe.
It was long, white, and surrounded by blue energy rings that kept it suspended in the air.
— “This thing actually flies…”
One of the staff members smiled proudly.
— “Of course. You’re in the Fifth Continent.”
The three sat by the window.
The moment the train launched…
The city vanished behind them in a streak of light.
The speed was terrifying enough that Genica instantly pressed herself into her seat.
— “We’re going to die!”
Dastan sighed.
— “It’s a train, Genica. Not a meteor.”
Lucian… simply laughed for the first time in a long while.
[Five Minutes Later — The Luminous City]
The train doors opened slowly.
The moment they stepped out…
They felt something strange.
No shadows.
Lucian raised his head toward the sky.
The sun was there… yet it felt like midday even though they had arrived in the evening.
Dastan frowned.
A passerby smiled as he answered:
— “The Luminous City. Night never comes here.”
The trio exchanged silent glances.
Even the air felt different.
Everything was too bright.
The streets were white.
Buildings reflected light endlessly.
Even the sky seemed to glow.
“Is Photon even here to begin with?”
[Three Days Later]
Time passed quickly.
But their search for Photon yielded no real results.
She moved constantly.
Appearing and disappearing without warning.
However…
They finally gathered enough information.
Photon visited the city once every week to personally inspect its people.
The trio sat inside a small camp near a main road.
Dastan placed a metallic energy circle on the ground.
— “Once her carriage passes… the stored spell will detonate.”
Genica nodded, gripping her bow.
— “We must stop her by any means.”
Lucian stayed silent for a moment before speaking:
— “Our goal isn’t combat. We only need information.”
Genica smirked.
— “Still… I won’t mind hitting her a little.”
Dastan sighed.
— “You never mind hitting anything.”
[Day Four — Arrival of Photon]
The ground trembled slightly.
Then the royal carriage finally appeared.
White horses.
A carriage made entirely of crystallized light.
Dastan’s eyes sharpened instantly.
— “Now.”
Suddenly…
The energy circle exploded.
The road beneath the carriage shattered.
The horses screamed and fled in panic as the carriage overturned violently.
And in the next moment…
A blonde girl stepped out from the dust.
A luminous aura surrounded her, making the air itself tremble.
Photon.
She stared at them with killing intent.
— “Who dared…?”
Lucian moved instantly.
Light erupted around his body, splitting him into five identical copies.
But…
Before he could even approach—
Photon vanished.
In less than a blink—
She reappeared directly in front of the original Lucian.
One kick.
Lucian was slammed into the ground so hard the stone beneath him cracked.
He coughed blood as Photon looked down at him with disdain.
— “Are you trying to challenge me… Lady of Light?”
She stepped closer, eyes glowing.
— “Your light can’t even illuminate my bedroom.”
And then—
But…
Her form turned into particles of light.
The arrow passed through harmlessly.
Genica’s eyes widened.
— “Just like Leviathan…!”
Dastan shouted:
— “Aura! We need aura to hit her!”
The moment they realized only aura could touch her…
Dastan moved instantly.
Shadows erupted beneath his feet like black fangs as he surged forward, a long tail of darkness trailing behind him.
He gripped his spear tightly.
— “Pierce!”
He struck directly toward Photon’s chest.
But she simply tilted her head.
The spear passed beside her face by a hair.
She smiled in disdain.
— “Too slow.”
But Dastan didn’t stop.
The shadow tail behind him acted like a living creature, grabbing the spear and continuing the attack from behind.
At the same time…
He released the weapon entirely.
And closed in with bare fists coated in aura.
Photon blinked—slightly surprised.
“Hand-to-hand? Against me?”
That moment of hesitation was enough.
A direct punch landed.
Photon’s face was hit for the first time.
The air trembled violently.
She staggered back one step.
A small step…
But enough.
Her eyes widened in anger.
Above, Genica released another arrow.
Fully infused with aura.
With gravity increased a hundredfold.
It shot like lightning.
Photon turned quickly—but the arrow finally grazed her shoulder.
A shallow wound.
But enough…
To break her pride.
Silence fell.
Then her light dimmed slightly.
She smiled.
But this time…
It wasn’t natural.
— “Oh… I see now.”
She vanished.
And in an instant—
The trio collapsed simultaneously.
Blood exploded from their bodies violently.
They didn’t even see what happened.
Photon stood above them calmly, golden hair flowing in the light.
— “My speed… is the speed of light itself.”
Lucian tried to rise despite the blood covering his body.
His arm trembled.
But he stood…
What will happen to the trio next?