Blackout Ascension: Return of Primordial Heir-Chapter 51: Festival of Lanterns

The golden glow of the Sunlit River slowly faded as the sun rested below the horizon. The sky changed into an endless indigo, dotted with the faint silver prickles of early stars.

The wooden ferry bumped gently against the docks. Ignis was the first to step off the boat. His black shirt was still wet, clinging tightly to his chest. His leather boots made a loud, annoying squishing sound with every single step he took on the wooden planks.

"I hate water," Ignis grumbled, crossing his arms and shivering in the cool evening breeze. "My boots are ruined. My clothes are sticky. I feel like a drowned rat."

"Then take the boots off," Catherine suggested smoothly, walking past him, holding the hem of her pristine white dress so it wouldn’t touch the wet wooden plank.

"And walk barefoot on the street like a common peasant?" Ignis muffled, looking offended by the idea. "I am a royal. We do not expose our toes to the public."

Terravarous sighed, stepping onto the dock. "Then stop complaining and use your core heat to dry yourself. You are a fire mage. Act like it."

Ignis blinked. He looked at his wet shirt, realizing his cousin was right. A second later, a wave of intense, dry heat brushed his skin. A cloud of white steam rose from his clothes, and within five seconds, he was dry. His wild red hair puffed up, looking even spikier than before.

"Much better," Ignis grinned, fixing his collar.

The group left the docks and walked toward the center of the capital. The Festival of Lanterns was starting. The streets were packed with people. Families, merchants, and off-duty soldiers filled the main avenues, laughing and talking loudly. Every single person was carrying a folded paper lantern and a small, unlit candle.

As they neared the grand central plaza, the crowd became too packed to walk through. People were bumping shoulders, trying to find a good spot to stand for the lighting ceremony.

Soltheia worried, standing on her tiptoes to see over the sea of heads. "We are never going to find a clear spot to sit. It is too crowded down here."

"Don’t worry," Velanor Banner said, stepping to the front of the group with a confident smirk. "I have this covered."

Velanor rolled up the sleeves of his light green tunic. He stepped off the main cobblestone path and walked over to a small patch of hard ground near the edge of the plaza walls.

"Stand back," Velanor warned, cracking his knuckles.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing, Banner? Digging a hole?"

"I am giving us a VIP balcony," Velanor replied.

He crouched down and pressed both of his palms against the dirt. Velanor Banner’s magic affinity was pure refined earth.

But unlike Terravarous, who used earth magic to create raw, unbreakable diamond armor for brutal combat, Velanor used his earth magic for elegant control.

A low rumble echoed through the ground.

The dirt beneath their feet began to shift and rise. It rose upward like smooth, thick liquid. Velanor guided the rising earth with precise hand movements. Within seconds, a massive smooth stone platform grew out of the ground. It rose ten feet into the air, creating a wide, private balcony that overlooked the entire crowded plaza. He even molded the edges into comfortable stone benches.

Velanor stood up and brushed the dirt off his hands, gesturing to the new stone balcony with a proud grin. "After you, ladies."

"Show-off," Ignis muttered, though he was the first one to climb the stone steps Velanor had formed.

They all climbed up onto the platform. The view was magnificent. They were elevated high above the wavering crowds, giving them an unobstructed view of the night sky and the sparkling city below.

A passing street vendor noticed them on the platform. The vendor tossed up a bundle of folded paper lanterns and a handful of small charcoal sticks. Terravarous caught them easily and gave a silver coin down to the man as payment.

Terravarous handed one lantern and one charcoal stick to each person.

Kairos held the fragile paper lantern in his hands. It was simple, made of white parchment extended over a light bamboo frame. "What are we supposed to do with the charcoal?"

Seyana took a seat on the stone bench next to him, unfolding her lantern carefully.

"It is a tradition," Seyana explained, her voice gentle against the distant hum of the festival crowd. "Before you light the candle, you use the charcoal to write your wish on the paper. When the lantern flies up into the sky, it carries your wish to the heavens. The gods read it, and if your heart is pure, the wish comes true."

Ignis snorted loudly. "That is just a silly myth to sell paper to tourists."

"It is romantic, you hot-headed brute," Catherine corrected him, taking a charcoal stick from Terravarous. "Try having an imagination for once."

Ignis darted his eyes, but he uncapped his charcoal stick. He leaned over his lantern, shielding it with his arm so no one could see what he was writing. He scribbled something quickly, an arrogant smirk on his face.

Kairos glanced over. "What did you write, Ignis? Unlimited spicy skewers?"

"None of your business, village boy," Ignis snapped, covering the paper. "But for the record, it was a wish for unmatched, legendary strength. I am going to be the greatest fire mage in history."

Terravarous sat quietly on the edge of the stone balcony. He didn’t write a long sentence. The giant simply wrote one single word on his lantern: Peace.

A few feet away, Luna and Soltheia were sharing a lantern.

"You don’t want your own?" Soltheia asked, bumping her shoulder against his.

Luna shook his head. "Writing takes effort. We can just share yours. Besides, my wish already came true today."

Soltheia’s cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. She smiled, looking down at the white paper. She carefully wrote their names together, drawing a small, simple heart right next to them. Luna watched her, his silver eyes warm and relaxed. He didn’t care if the myth was real or fake. He just liked watching her smile.

Velanor Banner sat clasping his legs together on the stone floor, slinging his charcoal stick in the air and catching it. He wrote his wish with messy handwriting. A good fight and a good drink.

Catherine peeked at his lantern and shook her head in sheer disappointment. "You are just as brutish as Ignis. You just hide it better behind a polite smile."

"I am a simple man, Princess," Velanor grinned, leaning back on his hands. "What did you write?"

Catherine held her lantern close to her chest. She maintained her focusing expression, refusing to show him the paper. But written in neat, elegant cursive on the side of her lantern was a secret wish: Safety for my sister.

Kairos looked down at his own blank lantern. He held the small piece of charcoal in his hand. He thought about the terrifying secrets hiding in the Restricted Archives. He thought about the Black Mist Knights waiting in the shadows. He thought about his shimmering silver sword and the burden of being the Conqueror of Time.

He didn’t wish for more power. He already had too much power, and it scared him. He didn’t wish for gold or fame. He looked over at Seyana. She was finishing her wish, a gentle, hopeful smile on her lips.

Kairos placed the charcoal on the paper. He remembered the conversation they had shared on the back of the ferry just a few hours ago. He wrote his wish, making sure the letters were clear.

A quiet house near the trees with her.

He finished writing and set the charcoal down. Seyana leaned over, trying to peek at his lantern, but Kairos turned it around to hide the words.

"Hey," Seyana protested lightly, bumping his arm. "Let me see."

"No way," Kairos laughed, holding the lantern out of her reach. "If I show you, the gods won’t grant it. Those are the rules."

"You made that rule now," she accused, though she was smiling.

"Maybe.." Kairos admitted.

Suddenly, a bell rang from the highest tower of the Royal Palace. The heavy, melodic sound chimed across the entire capital. It rang three times.

"It is time!" Terravarous announced, standing up.

All across the plaza below, tiny sparks of light began to flicker.

"Ignis," Velanor said, gesturing to the unlit candles inside their lanterns. "Do the honors, and please try not to set anyone on fire this time."

Ignis clicked his tongue. "Amateurs."

He snapped his fingers. Seven tiny, controlled sparks of warm orange fire lingering gently through the air, landing softly on the wicks of their candles. The small flames shone, illuminating the thin white paper of their lanterns from the inside out.

The heat from the candles slowly filled the paper domes, making them light and buoyant.

"On the count of three," Seyana said softly, holding her lantern with both hands.

"One," Terravarous rumbled.

"Two," Luna and Soltheia said together.

"Three," Kairos whispered.

They all let go at the same time. The seven shimmering lanterns levitated upward, leaving their hands and floating gently into the cool night air.

Kairos looked up, stopped breathing for a moment. Down in the plaza, and all across the sprawling city streets, hundreds of thousands of people let go of their lanterns at the same moment. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

A breathtaking ocean of warm golden light rose into the dark sky. The paper lanterns drifted upward like a reverse meteor shower, illuminating the indigo night with a brilliant glow. The view was beautiful. The sky was painted in gold and orange, pushing back the dark shadows of the night. The crowd below cheered softly, a sigh of awe and hope echoing through the city.

Kairos stood on the edge of the stone balcony. The warm, golden light reflected in his dark eyes. He looked at the people standing around him.

He saw Ignis, arguing playfully with Catherine about whose lantern was flying higher. He saw Terravarous, watching the sky with a calm, peaceful expression. He saw Luna, holding Soltheia’s hand tight, his usual lazy mask gone. He saw Velanor, sitting on the stone bench with a relaxed grin.

And then he looked at Seyana. She was gazing up at the rising lights, her eyes shining with pure wonder, the evening wind gently catching her hair.

A profound realization settled into Kairos’s chest. For his entire life, he had been alone. He was the weird boy from a poor farming village.

But looking at this group of loud, arrogant, brave, and loyal misfits, Kairos realized he wasn’t alone anymore. He had found his people. These young generals weren’t just soldiers. They were his best friends. They were the people who fought beside him in dark dungeons, who laughed with him in the sun, and who trusted him with their lives.

This is it, Kairos thought, his grip clenching slightly on the wooden rail. This is exactly why I was choosen. This is why the System chose me.

He was fighting to protect this moment.

He was fighting so Ignis could keep making bad jokes.

So Luna and Soltheia could get married.

So Terravarous could have his peace.

So Seyana could keep smiling under the stars.

If the Black Mist Knights wanted to take this away from him, they were going to have to bleed for it. If the unknown entity wanted to plunge this beautiful world into darkness, Kairos was going to stand in his way and shatter the dark crown.

He felt an unshakeable resolve fixed into a place within his soul. The fear of the ancient prophecy was gone.

Seyana turned her head and caught him staring at her.

"What is it?" she asked softly, stepping closer to him. The golden light from the thousands of lanterns above shone them in a warm glow.

"Nothing," Kairos smiled, reaching out to gently take her hand. His fingers laced with hers. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am."

Seyana squeezed his hand, leaning her head against his shoulder. They stood together on the stone balcony, surrounded by their friends, watching the wishes of the kingdom fly toward the stars.

It was a beautiful moment of peace. But high above the city, far beyond the warm light of the paper lanterns, the sky was already beginning to change. The fragile peace had reached its end.