Lucien was halfway through deciding whether instant ramen counted as a real dinner when the world stopped.
Not slowed.
Not blurred.
Stopped.
The traffic light above the intersection froze on yellow. A pigeon hung suspended in the air, its wings outstretched. Raindrops became thousands of tiny silver beads, hanging motionless around him.
Lucien looked around, his pulse quickening.
"...What?"
A circle of golden light blossomed beneath his feet.
Ancient runes spiraled across the pavement, glowing brighter with each passing second.
Then the bells began to ring.
The first bell echoed through
the frozen world.
One for the Knight.
A second answered.
One for the Mage.
A third rang, deep and clear.
One for the Saint.
Silence lingered for a heartbeat.
Then—
The fourth bell thundered through heaven and earth.
One for the Angel.
The circle erupted into blinding light.
Golden waves rose around Lucien, swallowing the street, the buildings, and the silent city until all he could see was endless radiance.
He wasn't alone.
Three other figures drifted beside him, each carried by their own current of light.
A young woman in a school uniform clutched her backpack to her chest, panic written across her face.
A man in a business suit reached desperately into the empty air, as if trying to grab onto a world that was already gone.
A teenager in a black hoodie stared around in stunned silence, his headphones still hanging around his neck.
None of them spoke.
None of them understood.
The tunnel of light pulled them forward, faster and faster, toward a destination none of them had chosen.
Then something changed.
A cold, black crack split the sea of gold. The crack soon spread and a silver stream pulls him into the opposite direction away from the other three and toward another destination. The gold light that still followed swallowed him forming into white wings and golden halo as he changed into the Angel summoned by the bells. Then for Lucien everything went .... Dark.
AT THE CHURCH
The golden light that filled the grand cathedral was blinding, casting shimmering rays across the marble floors and towering stained-glass windows. The holy priests and bishops stood in silence, their heads bowed as they awaited the arrival of the heroes who had been promised to them.
At the center of the cathedral stood the symbol of their faith — the radiant image of their Goddess of Light, Lady Astra. The Holy Mother. The protector of their kingdom, their people, and the spirits that watched over the land.
For centuries, Lady Astra had been worshipped as the bringer of hope and salvation. Her divine light had guided their ancestors through darkness, and her blessings had allowed their kingdom to prosper.
But now, the world was changing.
Demons had begun to rise from the shadows, threatening the church, the kingdom, and everything the people believed in. The only hope left was the prophecy of the summoned heroes.
By the command of the Holy Mother herself, Arch Bishop Julius had been granted the power to open the sacred gate between worlds and summon those destined to save them.
The cathedral trembled as the ritual began.
Golden flames surrounded the bishops as they chanted ancient prayers, their voices echoing through the halls. The light grew brighter and brighter until it swallowed the entire room.
Then—
Silence.
The blinding radiance slowly faded.
Standing where the light had once been were three unfamiliar figures.
The ArchBishop's mouth opened.
The words he had prepared for this moment for decades were ready to leave his lips.
"Welcome, heroes chosen by the Holy Mother. You have been summoned to—"
He stopped.
A cold feeling crawled down his spine. His eyes moved from the three confused figures standing before him...
Then to the empty space beside them. The ritual circle was incomplete. The four sacred symbols carved into the marble floor should have been glowing.
The sword of the Knight.
The staff of the Mage.
The halo of the Saint.
And the wings of the Angel.
But the fourth symbol was dark.
Impossible.
The cathedral fell silent.
The priests exchanged uncertain glances, their whispers spreading like a sudden wind.
"ArchBishop Julius..."
"Where is the fourth?"
"The prophecy said four would answer the call..."
Julius stared at the empty circle, his expression slowly changing from disbelief to fear.
No.
That could not be.
The summoning ritual had never failed.
Not once.
The Holy Mother's power was absolute.
His hand tightened around his golden staff.
"Search the connection," he ordered.
The bishops immediately began chanting, placing their hands over the glowing runes. Their magic flowed into the circle, attempting to trace the missing hero's presence.
But the moment their magic touched the fourth path—
The entire cathedral shook.
A wave of golden light erupted from the statue of Lady Astra.
The priests fell to their knees.
The stained-glass windows trembled.
And for the briefest moment...
The statue's eyes opened.
Everyone froze.
The Goddess of Light had moved.
A whisper echoed through the cathedral.
Not from the priests.
Not from the heroes.
But from the statue itself.
"The Angel has not been lost."
The voice was gentle.
Yet every soul in the cathedral felt its weight.
"The Angel has been taken beyond your reach."
Julius looked up in shock.
"Holy Mother... what does this mean?"
The golden light around the statue flickered
YOU ARE READING
Where The Light Falls (Bl)
FantasyThe Holy Church called upon divine light to summon the sacred champions-the Angel, the Hero, the Knight, and the Saint-to stand against the rising darkness of the Demon King. But in the midst of the summoning, something went wrong. Lucien, the Angel...
