Chapter 13 — The One Who Didn't Fall
Orario. In the dead of night.
The Hulk was sitting on top of Loki's Last Name tower. As always, there is silence nearby. The city was asleep, but he could feel the pulse. The pulse is not a Dungeon city. He was beating in time with his own heart.
"You took the Prisoner's power. But his words stayed with you.
"One day you'll be one."…
He closed his eyes.
- no. I won't. I'm... not him.
"Maybe." Or maybe you're just the last one in the chain..." a voice sounded from behind, although even Ais would not have been able to approach so silently.
The Hulk whirled around.
A man in white stood in front of him. Tall. Her hair is silver, and her eyes are like the sky before a storm. The look is quiet but all—pervading. And... heavenly.
"Who are you?" Hulk's voice is hollow, ready for battle.
"I'm the one who didn't fall. I am not among the gods of Orario. But I've been following you from the beginning. Behind the Dungeon. Behind the Heart. And now it's up to you.
The Hulk tensed up.
— If you didn't fall, then you are not limited by the laws of the World. What do you need?
— Understanding. And a warning.
— Do you think that the Dungeon is just a prison for monsters? You're wrong. It's... alive. It grows, learns, and chooses. And now it has chosen you.
The Hulk clasped his hands.
— I did not ask to be chosen.
— No one is asking. But the Heart responds only to those who have experienced extreme rage. Who was broken. Who knows what chains are, not outside... but inside.
The Hulk lowered his head.
— What do you know about those who came before me?
"You're not the first. But you're the first survivor. Who didn't become Evil. The prisoner was just the beginning. There were three more... they were called the "First Chains." One disappeared, one went mad, one rebelled. But Dange rejected them. You're the first one he's accepted. Until the end.
The Hulk looked up.
"Why me?"
"Because you're not just rage. You have a choice. The prisoner wanted freedom for the sake of destruction. And you — for the sake of others.
The wind carried the rustle of silence.
— The name. Tell me your name. Not a title. Not a role. Name.
— The Hulk. I was so named when I became a monster in the eyes of people. But I... won't refuse. It's mine. And I will make it a symbol of protection, not fear.
The man smiled.
"Then remember. When the Heart opens completely, you will see something that even the gods have not experienced. And then... you'll have to make a choice. Between who you were. And who you will become.
He began to disappear, as if the light had slipped between the dimensions.
—And yes, call me... Helios." When the Gate of Light comes, I will find you again.
⸻
When the shadow disappeared, the Hulk was left alone. But something had changed inside him.
Received: The Mark of Helios — The Gate of Light
It allows you to briefly illuminate any darkness, dispel illusions, and awaken forgotten memories.
⸻
The next day, he went out to train with Ais.
She watched in amazement as each of his strokes became clearer. Not just power. But clarity. It was like he was seeing himself from the inside for the first time.
⸻
At the same time, on the lowest floor of the Dungeon, among the stones that did not glow, but breathed, a crack opened.
And a voice came out of her:
"Helios has found a new one. But if there is Light... then it's time for the Shadows to wake up. The real one. The original one. Chained."