The air grew heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath.Lyra stood with Darren, Maeve, and Seraphina at the edge of a ruined corridor. Before them, a figure cloaked in black with a skull mask stood motionless, flanked by two massive stone pillars etched with ancient glowing carvings—symbols of sacrifice, suffering, and power. Behind him, Kael stood atop the corpse of a frozen dragon, purple blood dripping from the dagger in his hand. His eyes blazed deep crimson, like embers of an unquenchable grudge.“The Final Gate,” Seraphina whispered. “The center of all darkness. The birthplace of destruction itself.”Maeve clutched Lyra’s hand. “That’s Kael… isn’t it? But why... he looks like—”“Not just looks like,” Lyra murmured, her voice hoarse. “He has become part of the darkness.”Kael looked up. “You’re too late. The sacrifice is done.” He kicked the dragon’s body, which began to crack into shards of black crystal. “And the key is in my hands.”The masked figure stepped forward

“LYRAAAAA!!”Seraphina’s scream echoed through the crumbling stones and raging storm of energy. Darren shielded Maeve from the flying debris of the collapsing dimension, while from the cliff’s edge, only a faint light remained—Lyra’s body, soaring into the void with a sliver of hope to save Kael.The corridor between worlds wasn’t a place that could be explained. Air couldn't be breathed, time didn’t flow, and sound came only as strange tremors in the mind. But still, Lyra pressed on. Her cloak shredded by phantom winds, but the Orb of the First Light on her chest pulsed steadily, shielding her from the void.With each passing second, visions flashed before her—memories of childhood with Kael: playing by the lake, Kael defending her from bullies, their solemn vow to protect each other, no matter what.“Kael... I’m not giving up. I know you’re still there.”Suddenly, from the side of the corridor, thick fog-like shapes emerged. They whispered, calling Lyra’s name with voices that sound

Lyra floated in the air, her body stretched in the final beat of her wings. The light on her back burned fiercely—like a tiny sun trying to survive in a stormy night.A spear of darkness struck the shield of light she formed in the final second before impact—BOOOOOOOM!!!A colossal explosion shook the entire valley. Cracks and rumblings echoed relentlessly, as if the sky itself was weeping.Lyra was hurled to the ground. Her body slammed into stone—THUD!!—and went still. Dust billowed. The world fell silent.“LYRA!!” Kael screamed, but he couldn’t turn back. He had to keep moving.Darren ran to cover the right flank, firing a volley of light arrows at the creature’s head. Seraphina and Maeve broke formation on the left, calling upon wind and shadow magic to distract the towering being. But this creature… it was unlike anything they had faced before.It wasn’t just powerful.It was reality.Every wound they inflicted vanished within a fraction of a second. Light and dark alternated, h

Silence.That was the first thing felt when the shadow stepped out from behind the thicket, just a dozen meters away from where Kael stood. No sound, no breeze, but the aura radiating from its body made Lyra’s chest tighten instantly. The earth seemed to hold its breath.“No…” Seraphina whispered, her face paling. “That… that’s impossible…”Darren slowly lowered his sword, eyes widening. “I know that face. But he’s dead… I saw it with my own eyes.”The figure now stood fully under the moonlight. A tall body clad in a tattered, dark cloak singed at the edges, one side of his face destroyed—exposing a blackened skull. Yet one eye remained… intact, glowing red like burning embers.Kael froze. A flicker of emotion crossed his small face—fear, anger, and old wounds resurfacing.“Thalion…” Kael’s voice was barely a whisper. “You… you betrayed me… murdered all the members of the Ebon Wing.”Thalion smiled—a cold, crooked smile filled with satisfaction. “I only did what needed to be done, Kae

The wind whispered like the wailing of ancient souls. Clouds spiraled into a dark vortex above, swirling around a tear in the sky where the Third Gate had begun to open. From below, they could only see flashes of blood-red and deep violet crossing paths—like angry lightning, yet silent. Soundless, but it struck the chest with unbearable pressure.Kael stood at the center of the temple’s altar, his small body now glowing blindingly bright. But behind that light… was something far older, and far more dangerous. His eyes glowed gold—not warm, but sharp, as if they could see both the future and the past in a single glance."Kael?" Darren stepped forward hesitantly. "Are you still... yourself?"Kael slowly turned his head.But the voice that answered wasn't his."Kael has been opened. The one speaking now… is the Third Heir."The voice came from within him—deep and echoing, like it rose from the abyss of time. The language was not ordinary, yet somehow they all understood it… without knowi