The Celestial Hunt

CH 2 Celestial Game Hunt

I Chapter 2: The Whispering Hunt

The world hadn’t changed—at least, not visibly. The streetlights still buzzed with flickering yellow hues, and cars splashed past Yuuto as he hurried home. But something felt different. There was an edge in the air, a weight pressing down on him since retrieving the feather. The woman in white still haunted his thoughts—her silver hair like falling moonlight, her gaze sharp enough to cut through silence.

The moment he shut the apartment door behind him, Yuuto leaned against it, heart still pounding. He opened the app again. The glowing interface returned instantly, as if it had been waiting.

[New Quest Available] [Quest Name: First Contact] [Objective: Learn the name of the woman in white] [Time Limit: 72 Hours] [Reward: 200 EXP | Celestial Bond Progress +10%]

Yuuto blinked. "Bond progress?" The interface shifted, revealing a new tab labeled [Celestial Bonds]. It was grayed out for now, but the words hinted at something deeper—relationships, perhaps, or connections that changed fate.

He tapped the screen again, and the map returned. A glowing mark hovered near the shrine—only this time, it pulsed red. It wasn’t just a quest point; it was a warning.

His breath fogged the air despite being indoors. "I’m not crazy, right? This... this is real."

Sleep came hard that night. Every time Yuuto closed his eyes, he saw those glowing ones staring at him—curious, sharp, and ancient. At 3 a.m., he gave up trying. He slid on a jacket and stepped outside.

The shrine was exactly as he’d left it. Quiet, overgrown, forgotten. But something had changed. The air shimmered slightly, like heatwaves off summer pavement. Yuuto stepped forward.

A soft sound—a bell?

Then she appeared again.

“You came back,” the woman in white said, perched on the shrine’s highest step. Her voice carried no echo, but it vibrated in the air around him.

“You... you’re real,” Yuuto whispered.

“Real enough,” she replied. “Though perhaps not in the way you understand.”

He stepped closer. “Who are you?”

Her smile was faint, distant. “I am Lyra. Celestial Huntress, bound by oath to protect the balance between mortal will and divine inheritance.”

Yuuto’s pulse skipped. "Celestial... huntress? Are you the one who made the app?"

Lyra tilted her head. “The app is merely a veil. A means of selection. It tests potential.”

“And I passed?” he asked.

She stood and began descending the steps, her feet never quite touching them. “You’re being observed. Watched closely. You retrieved a relic not meant to awaken so soon. The feather you hold belongs to the First Celestial War.”

“The what now?”

She raised her hand. The feather glowed in his pocket. “Powerful artifacts, scattered across the realms. Whoever collects them... shapes the fate of all worlds.”

Yuuto felt cold sweat on his back. “And I just picked one up off an old altar?”

“Yes.” She stopped in front of him. “Now they know you exist.”

“Who?”

“The Fallen. Former Celestials who were cast out for hunting mortals. They’ll come. The Hunt has begun.”

He backed away slightly. “Then why give me a quest to find you? Why not warn me?”

Her eyes dimmed, sorrowful. “Because I can only intervene when fate allows. You’re still free to walk away.”

He looked at his phone, then back at her. "I don’t think I can."

Her smile returned—gentler now. “Then I’ll guide you, Yuuto. But first, you must prove you can survive your first trial. Look behind you.”

He turned.

A shadow moved—slow, dragging, inhuman. It crawled from the forest near the shrine, eyes glowing green. Its body looked stitched together, like a broken mannequin filled with smoke.

[Mini-Boss Encounter: Grief Warden] [Danger Level: C+]

Yuuto’s phone buzzed violently.

[New Skill Unlocked: Light Sigil - Rank F]

A sigil appeared in his palm—white, glowing lines that pulsed with heat.

“No time to doubt,” Lyra whispered. “Use it!”

Yuuto raised his hand. The sigil flared.

The creature screamed as white light struck it. But it didn’t fall. It charged.

Yuuto rolled aside, heart racing. Another blast—then another. His body moved without thought, guided by something primal, something awake.

Finally, the creature crumbled into ash.

[Victory! EXP +200] [Celestial Bond with Lyra +10%]

He panted, falling to his knees. Lyra approached, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You are chosen now,” she said softly. “Welcome to the Hunt, Yuuto. There is no turning back.”