NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: A Fracture in the Light
He stepped past the boundary of his small village, his bare feet sinking gently into the damp soil.
He waved toward his grandmother from afar, a faint smile tugging at his young face, while she stood at the door of their cottage, clutching the edge of her shawl as if trying to hold on to his fading shadow.h
He was only fourteen, but in his eyes lived questions that seemed centuries old.
"I have to find the truth…" he whispered to himself, then began to whistle a soft tune as he walked down the sloping country path.
He hadn't gone far before spotting a wooden cart parked along the road, one of its wheels broken. A man cloaked in dark fabric was kneeling beside it, struggling to fix it in vain.
Next to him stood a young girl around Rain's age, wrapped in a similar cloak, her face hidden shyly beneath the hood.
He approached calmly and raised a hand with a smile.
"Good morning! Do you need help?"
The man looked up slowly, unease in his expression.
"N-No, we're fine. Thank you," he said quietly.
He ignored the man's guarded tone, assuming it was just shyness.
"Don't worry, sir! I'm actually really good at this," he grinned.
Without waiting for a response, he crouched down and examined the wheel. His hands moved with swift precision, as if the cart were his own.
Within minutes, the wheel was fixed. He knocked the final piece into place proudly.
"All done!"
The man stared at him, surprised. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Thank you… But unfortunately, we don't have anything to give you."
He shook his head with a gentle smile.
"That's fine! I didn't do it for money. If we don't help each other, who will?"
The man let out a sigh of relief.
"We're headed to a city called Eistraven. Would you like to come along?"
The boy beamed.
"Of course! You must be going there for work, right? I've heard business is booming!"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
The boy added cheerfully, "My name's Ren, by the way."
The man finally smiled.
"I'm Valdin. And this is my daughter… Lina."
Ren stepped closer, catching a glimpse of her shy face under the cloak.
"You're pretty," he said innocently.
Lina's cheeks flushed. She quickly climbed onto the cart in silence, flustered. Rain followed, sitting beside her.
As the cart rolled down the path, Ren began whistling again, eyes on the clouds.
"They look like caravans of rabbits, don't you think?"
Lina turned to look at him slowly—then let out a soft laugh.
It was the first time he saw light in her eyes.
⸻
The cart drifted gently through pine trees, until they passed a woman in a deep hooded cloak walking silently along the roadside.
Behind her walked a knight clad in dark armor.
Ren's voice rang out as he joked about cloud shapes—
Then fell silent.
He looked at the woman. His eyes widened.
A strange feeling clawed at his chest, a tremor in his soul.
The woman stopped walking. She turned toward the cart.
And smiled.
It wasn't a kind smile. Nor was it cruel.
It was… familiar.
Ren whispered,
"Who is she…? Why do I feel like I… know her?"
Then she faded behind the trees.
⸻
Kairn, the knight, turned to her.
"What are you looking at?"
She replied calmly,
"I'm going back."
"What? We've come all this way! You said your destination was the southern village!"
She chuckled.
"I've changed my mind."
Then turned to him.
"Why are you still following me?"
He said coldly,
"I owe you my life… You saved me."
She let out a quiet, eerie laugh.
"Oh… how fun."
⸻
In the Kingdom of Angels, a guard knelt before the Emperor.
"My Lord… There has been no word from Lord Seraphian since he entered the realm of men."
The emperor's expression darkened with worry.
"Over a week, and not a single message? Could he be… harmed? No… Seraphian is stronger than that."
Then, his voice turned firm.
"Send word to the Chosen."
Moments later, the grand doors opened.
A man entered—without wings.
He wore a long black cloak, and a mask that hid his entire face, save for one visible eye.
The other eye was shut beneath a long, scarred wound.
He approached silently. He did not bow.
He did not speak.
The Emperor said:
"My son is in the human realm. I want you to find him. Bring him back—and I shall give you any reward you desire. Anything."
The man nodded once, then turned and left.
Among the nobles standing nearby, one of the Emperor's legitimate sons scoffed:
"If he dies, it wouldn't be the first angel killed by humans. I don't know why you care about a bastard child."
Silence.
Then—the Emperor turned slowly. His glowing eyes cut through the room.
"Repeat that…"
The prince fell to his knees in panic.
"Forgive me, Father! My Lord, Emperor of Light! I'm a fool… less than nothing… please, spare my life…"
The Emperor said nothing.
His gaze narrowed.
⸻
In Eistraven,Ren jumped off the cart with a wide grin.
"Wow! We made it! And I didn't pay a thing!"
Lina laughed—a real laugh this time.
Valdin said,
"Lina sews. We'll start our work here. Would you like to join us? We'll pay you."
Ren lit up.
"Sure! But I can't stay long."
He imagined his grandmother's face when he returned with money… maybe even a fresh piece of meat!
They began working and selling together, sharing stories, smiles…
Until they came.
Armored knights. A mage at their head.
Without warning, someone screamed—
A man's head hit the stone.
Ren froze.
The man's wife screamed. Then—she was next.
Their daughter too.
Slaughter. Blood. Screams. Chaos.
The mage approached the corpses and pulled down a collar from their necks.
"They were Merfolk. Yes."
Valdin grabbed Lina's arm.
"We have to go. Now!"
Ren stood frozen in disbelief.
What is this?
Knights… kill people?
But they're supposed to protect… right?
The mage turned to them.
His eyes glinted.
"…Butterflies."
Lina and her father's eyes widened.
Suddenly—a knight lunged.
Ren moved.
He grabbed the knight by the neck and slammed him to the ground with inhuman strength.
He didn't know how. He didn't question it.
All he knew was—
Protect them.
He picked up Lina and ran.
"Valdin! Come on!"
But it was too late.
A blade pierced Valdin's chest.
His cloak fell away… revealing faint, translucent wings—
Butterfly wings.
Ren stared in horror, then turned and fled, cradling the sobbing Lina.
He ducked into an alley, pressing his hand over her mouth to muffle her crying.
She trembled in his arms, tears soaking his sleeve.
"It's okay," he whispered. "I—"
But she looked at him, eyes wide with terror.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Suddenly—
BOOM.
Her head exploded.
Warm blood sprayed across his face.
He froze.
His mind blank.
He sat in silence, blood dripping from his hair, down his neck.
He whispered,
"Knights… were supposed to protect people… weren't they?"
He looked up at the sky.
And for the first time—
He saw no clouds