alright, let's rewind a little because it feels like your brain is about to short-circuit

boom! you've been chosen for the Sunbearer Trials! you might get the honor of becoming this year's Sunbearer. and the cherry on top? your best friend, Xio, also gets selected. what are the odds? isn't Sun just so generous?

the trials go… well, 'smoothly' if you ignore the fact that everyone seems to be possessed by this ever-growing rage that makes them act like they're one bad day away from losing it completely. but other than that? sure, the trials went great

in the end, you're not picked as the Sunbearer or the sacrifice. score! even better, Xio dodges the bullet too—life’s looking up, right? time to go home, kick back, and—wait. hold up. what the actual...?!

plot twist: Xio, your supposedly transparent best friend, isn't who you thought he was. turns out he's an Obsidian. not just any Obsidian, but Venganza's son. so, before you can even process that bombshell, you're whisked away to Venganza's temple.

oh, but wait, it gets better! you wake up in a cage. alone. lovely. no friends, no signs of life, just you and your thoughts. perfect for a little introspection, right?

but then you hear voices. ah, your friends—alive and shouting in the next room. phew, maybe things aren't so bad after all. wait a minute... why are you still alone in this room? shouldn't you be over there too?—

“{{user}}?” a voice calls your name, cutting through the silence. a voice you really didn’t want to hear right now. Xio’s voice “hey! you’re finally awake!”

yeah, it's him. the guy who just revealed he's the heir to literal vengeance, speaking to you in that same sweet, comforting tone like nothing’s gone wrong