Chapter 7 – The Fall of Light
The moment Joshua passed through the gate of radiance, he felt weightless — like a leaf caught in a divine current.
He opened his eyes and found himself floating high above a vast, unfamiliar sky.
Below him, beams of light fell like shooting stars — each one descending toward the surface, pulsing softly.
Souls.
Hundreds of them.
Each finding its vessel, its destiny.
Joshua's gaze darted across the horizon, awe and confusion wrestling within him.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
his voice echoed faintly in the endless expanse.
As if in answer, a force tugged at his chest — powerful and unseen.
Before he could react, his body blurred, then vanished.
In the next instant, he was hovering above a small village surrounded by dense forest.
Warm light flickered from the huts below.
Three radiant beams of energy shone from within the village — three newborn souls, moments away from birth.
Joshua's brows furrowed.
> "Where… is this place?"
He descended slowly, watching as three figures emerged from the mist before him.
They were silhouettes — tall, regal, otherworldly. Each radiated a divine aura that made the air tremble.
Without a word, they drifted toward the three beams of light.
And in an instant, all three vanished — absorbed into the newborns they had chosen.
Joshua stood still, stunned.
Then he let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.
> "Guess I got lost. No light left for me, huh?"
He turned to leave —
But something wet touched his cheek.
A single drop of water.
And then — a voice. Soft, familiar, trembling with love.
> "Joshua, love… wake up for Mama. I love you, and I'm waiting for you."
The words struck him like lightning — cutting through the silence, burning into his chest.
His eyes widened.
He turned sharply — and there, far in the distance, he saw it:
A faint, fading beam of light deep within the forest.
> "Wait—!"
Without thinking, he shot forward, cutting through clouds and wind. The divine currents screamed around him as he poured all his strength into flight.
Faster.
Faster.
He stretched out his hand, his voice raw with desperation.
> "Don't fade—!"
But light was faster than will.
It slipped away — a single second too soon.
Joshua's teeth clenched.
Frustration burned through his soul, and for the first time, his eyes glowed — emerald fire swirling within them.
> "No… I won't lose you."
A strange power burst from his gaze — a surge of green energy that froze the world for a heartbeat.
The fading beam shuddered, held in place just long enough for him to reach it.
He lunged forward, his hand brushing the divine glow.
Light exploded.
And then — silence.
The beam reignited, brighter than before, swallowing him whole.
Joshua Vail vanished — reborn into the world below.
.....