A low growl echoed from beyond the ruins as Reza turned his face away from his still-bleeding wound. Arkan and Mira stood frozen, their gaze fixed on the creature slowly emerging from the black mist. Not just any creature—this was something not even recorded in Zimar's ancient scriptures, something that seemed to originate from the depths of a world they never knew existed.Its figure resembled a human, yet it was too tall and thin, as if its bones had been stretched, tearing its skin until it was almost ripped. Its eyes glowed fiery red, and on its chest pulsed a strange symbol—appearing like a seal etched from the light of darkness. Its breath was heavy, smoky, and each step left a frozen trail on the stone floor."This… is no ordinary creature," Mira whispered, slowly raising her dagger. "Even the scent of the air has changed… like poison."Arkan swung his sword, preparing himself. "Is this one of the Guardians of the Second Stage?""Worse," Reza murmured, his hand trembling. "This

Their footsteps echoed through the long corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly. Darren walked in front, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, while Maeve followed behind, gripping tightly the silver dagger gifted by Zimar. Seraphina, now looking more exhausted than ever, bit her lip, trying to steady her trembling legs."Lyra is ahead... I can feel it," Darren muttered, his voice taut with tension.The corridor was cold and silent, yet the air around them seemed to churn with unseen energy. No shadows followed their steps, even though the faint light from the lanterns on the wall still glowed. Seraphina only then realized this oddity and paused."Wait... have you noticed? Our shadows are gone," she whispered.Maeve snapped her head around. "Damn it, it's a trap—"Suddenly, the walls of the corridor shook violently. The black stones shifted on their own, forming a new structure. Without warning, the floor beneath them yawned open like the mouth of a primeval beast. Darren pulled

Darren stood frozen. His left arm clutched Lyra’s unconscious body, while his right hand pressed against his own side—blood poured through his fingers. His breaths came in shallow gasps, and the world swayed around him. But his eyes, though clouded by pain, still burned with determination as he stared at Varn.“So... you choose death,” Varn said coldly, without emotion. “All for saving someone already broken.”Maeve screamed and ran toward them, while Seraphina raised her staff, casting a dome of blue magic that shielded Darren and Lyra.“Darren! Hold on!” Seraphina pressed on the wound at Darren’s side, her hands trembling. “You can’t go! You’re... you're the only reason Lyra came back!”Darren managed a faint smile. “She... came back, right? She’s safe... right?”Lyra stirred in Darren’s arms, her eyes fluttering open. “Darren...? What... did you do...?”“Kept my promise,” Darren whispered. “We’re going... home... together.”But they weren’t safe. Not yet.Behind the shattered altar

Thunder exploded in the sky, now entirely transformed into a black vortex. Dark clouds swirled like a gigantic dragon circling, and beneath them, the battlefield began to form.Rocks from the temple ruins shifted, creating a giant circle in the middle of the ground. The circle emitted a faint blue glow, as if holding traces from an age before humans knew civilization. On the other side, the black rift where Morgaz appeared formed a bottomless chasm that continuously absorbed the surrounding light.Darren clenched his fists. The warmth of the Soul-Light Bond still burned in his chest. Each of his breaths now aligned with Lyra, Maeve, and Seraphina's. He could feel their hearts beating fast, fear and courage mixed into one."If one of us dies," Maeve murmured softly, "do the others die too?""Not die," Elyzar quickly replied. "But you'll feel the pain together. One wound... all wounds."Seraphina took a deep breath. "Then we have to stay alive. Together."Morgaz raised his hand. "CHARGE

The world stood still.Lyra froze. Her breath caught in her throat, cold sweat trickling from her temple to her chin. Her sword trembled in her hand—not from fear, but from confusion that cut deeper than any blade.“Kael…?” she whispered. “That’s not possible. You’re dead. I saw it. I was the one who—”Kael raised his hand, silencing her.“You left me, Lyra. That’s the truth.”That voice… It was the same. The same tone that once soothed her during the darkest nights of their childhood. But now it rang cold, like metal scraping stone. His once-warm face was disfigured—part of his left cheek burned, and from his left eye, a trail of dried blood streamed like the roots of an old tree.“No…” Lyra shook her head slowly. “I tried to save you… I ran back… but they had already taken you…”“And you never came looking for me,” Kael cut her off. “You became the hero. The Guardian of Light. And me? I became something the kingdom buried, so I wouldn’t stain our family’s name.”“Kael, I—” her voice