Miko stepped through the entrance and felt the space open up around him—high ceilings that disappeared into darkness, walls that curved impossibly, floor that seemed both solid and transparent at once. Through it, he could see stars. Or what used to be stars. Now they were just points of light being consumed by spreading darkness. The seven keys floated in perfect formation, each one humming with a frequency that made his teeth ache. They were beautiful in a terrible way—crystalline structures that caught light that shouldn't exist and refracted it into colors that hurt to name. And in the center of them all, his father stood with arms raised. The Master didn't move. Didn't attack. Just watched as the five of them spread out, taking positions around the chamber's edge. "You brought friends," he said. His voice was calm. Almost pleasant. "How touching." Miko kept his fists raised but didn't advance. Not yet. Ash swirled faintly around them. "It's over. We're stopping this." "Are

They sat by the river for a long time. Nobody spoke. There wasn't much to say. The Master's body lay a few feet away, still and cold. The wound in his chest had stopped bleeding. The light from Samson's scars had faded completely. Anna's crying had quieted to occasional hitches in her breath. Liam still had his arm around her. Garcia sat with her back against a tree, eyes closed but not sleeping. Blaze was picking at a thread on his torn shirt. Akiya stared at the water. Miko stood apart from them, looking at the body. His father's face. Peaceful now in a way it never had been in life. Or lives. However that worked. "We should bury him," Garcia said finally. "Why?" Blaze didn't look up from his shirt. "He tried to end the world." "Because leaving him here feels wrong." "A lot of things feel wrong." But Blaze stood anyway. "I'll help dig." They found a spot upriver where the ground was softer. Took turns digging with their hands and Garcia's stone manipulation. Nobody s

Ten minutes.Anna's healing had worked miracles in that time. Liam was on his feet, the hole in his chest closed over with fresh pink skin. Garcia's arm was set and splinted. Blaze could move again without screaming. Akiya's throat was still bruised but she could breathe properly.Not perfect. But functional.The sounds of fighting outside had quieted. Miko pushed himself upright, testing his weight. His legs held. His spine didn't collapse. Good enough."Everyone ready?" Garcia asked. Her voice was steadier than it had any right to be."No," Blaze said. "But when has that ever stopped us?"They moved to the doorway. The street outside was a mess. Craters in the cobblestones. Buildings with walls blown out. Black ichor splattered everywhere.And in the center of it all, Larok stood with his axe-hammer resting on his shoulder. The three Trinide were circling him, wary now. All three had visible wounds—places where their flickering forms weren't quite solid anymore.Larok saw them emerg

Eighteen minutes.That's how long they had before Larok's head snapped up."They're back," he said. Standing in one fluid motion. "Faster than I expected."Miko felt it too. A pressure in the air. Like static before lightning. The forest around them went quiet—no birds, no insects, just silence."How far?" Garcia was already on her feet, good hand on her blade."Close." Larok grabbed his axe-hammer. "Too close. They tracked us faster than they should have been able to.""How?" Liam asked."Later." Larok pointed deeper into the forest. "Northeast. There's a ravine about a mile that way. Rough terrain. Will slow them down.""Will it slow us down?" Blaze asked, struggling upright."Yes. But less than it'll slow them." Larok was already moving. "Now. Before they close the distance."They ran.Not fast. None of them could manage fast. But steady. Garcia led despite her broken arm, picking the path with a strategist's eye. Anna and Liam stuck together, both still weak from their injuries. B

Miko woke to someone dumping cold water on his face.He gasped, sat up sputtering. Larok stood over him with an empty bucket."Good morning," the old man said cheerfully. "Training starts now.""It's still dark outside," Miko protested."So? The Abyss doesn't care about daylight." Larok tossed the bucket aside. "You've got five minutes to get to the training grounds. Anyone who's late runs laps until I'm satisfied."He left. Miko heard him moving to the next room. More water. Blaze's cursing.Miko pulled himself out of bed. Every muscle hurt. His hands were still torn up from yesterday's climb. His back felt like someone had beaten it with clubs.Five minutes.He dressed fast. Found his way to the courtyard. The others were already gathering, looking as miserable as he felt.Except Larok. He looked fresh. Energized. Like he'd slept twelve hours instead of maybe three."Everyone here?" He counted heads. "Good. Follow me."They followed him through an archway to a large open space behin