Night settled over the Sky Temple like a velvet curtain, hiding its towers behind a soft blue haze. The celebrations of the selection ceremony had faded, the clapping gone silent, replaced by the low hum of guardian wards that lit the pathways with thin veins of gold.Sadi walked alone.The Sword of Surtr rested across his back, wrapped again in its shimmering seal, but he could still feel the fire pulsing inside it—slow, heavy, breathing like a sleeping giant. Every few steps, it throbbed against his shoulder blade, as if acknowledging his presence.He wasn’t used to this weight.Not of the sword—but of the expectations.Sadi inhaled slowly, letting the cold air calm his nerves.So much attention… I didn’t want this.He turned a corner, heading toward the outer balcony overlooking the lower realms. He wanted silence. He wanted space to breathe, away from the whispers, the stares, the eyes that burned with curiosity or doubt.But as he stepped onto the balcony, someone else was alrea

The moment Sadi entered the Sky Temple’s northern wing, he felt it—the faint tremor of celestial energy lacing through the halls like a heartbeat. It pulsed softly, slow and steady, calling to him. Or warning him. He wasn’t sure which.Behind him, Luca walked with his usual relaxed steps, though his eyes flickered around with barely hidden curiosity. Nowshin moved quietly beside them, hands clasped, her gaze full of worry. Mason led the group, pushing open the old iron-bound door of the chamber where the Leviathan seal had been installed the night before.The room hummed with a strange mix of ancient magic and new tension.Inside, Ethan stood with several high sages. They had formed a circle around the obsidian prism—the one that held the Leviathan. Blue-white energy spiraled across its surface like veins of frozen lightning.But today… something was different.The energy wasn’t calm.It throbbed.It wanted out.Ethan stepped forward. “Sadi. Come.”Sadi swallowed hard and obeyed.As s

The cliff trembled beneath Sadi’s boots as the shadows surged again. Surtr blazed in his hands, the fire sword radiating warmth that cut through the unnatural chill of the night. Hiro’s sword hummed with latent energy, his movements precise, controlled, but tense.The cloaked figure hovered above them, its aura twisting the darkness into shapes that clawed at reality itself. “You think your fire and steel can resist the Shadow Realm?” it hissed. “This is not a realm of mortals. This is where gods hide, where powers older than your temple sleep. And soon… they will awaken for me.”Sadi narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care if it’s older than the heavens. I’ve faced the impossible before, and I’ll face it again.”A wave of darkness surged forward. Massive, serpentine shadows rose from the ground, their eyes glowing red like coals. They moved with an unnatural fluidity, slipping between reality and illusion. Hiro stepped forward to intercept, swinging his sword in arcs of precise force. One s

The sun had barely risen over the Sky Temple when Sadi sensed something unusual. The morning air felt heavier than normal, thick with static, as though the realm itself was holding its breath. Surtr hummed faintly across his back, and Drakari’s flames flickered nervously, a signal Sadi had learned to trust.Hiro, pacing beside him, frowned. “You’ve been staring at the horizon for five minutes. Something’s wrong?”Sadi’s gaze didn’t move. “The celestial energy… it’s… unstable.” His voice was low but sharp. “The seal over the Shadow Realm—it’s weakening.”Hiro’s eyes widened. “You mean… the thing we faced earlier?”Sadi nodded slowly. “Yes. But this isn’t just a minor tremor. Something—or someone—is forcing the cracks to widen. I can feel it in the beasts, the ley lines… even the air itself.”Drakari’s roar echoed sharply, and Sadi glanced down at the riverbank. Several beasts that had been roaming peacefully now moved erratically. Their scales shimmered unnaturally, some partially cloa

The Sky Temple did not sleep.At dawn, pale light spilled over its white spires, but unease lingered in every corridor. The air felt heavier than usual, as if the world itself held its breath.Sadi stood alone on the eastern balcony.Below him, clouds drifted like slow tides. The Sword of Surtr rested against his side, wrapped in its ancient sheath. Even silent, it radiated warmth—alive, restless.Sadi exhaled slowly.Since the ceremony, the sword had not left his side. Not because he feared losing it—but because it refused to be far from him. Whenever he tried to step away, a faint pressure tugged at his chest, as if an invisible thread bound them together.“You feel it too, don’t you?” Sadi murmured.The sword did not answer.Not yet.Behind him, footsteps echoed.Nowshin appeared at the balcony entrance, her robe fluttering in the wind. Dark circles shadowed her eyes. She hadn’t slept either.“You’re awake early,” she said softly.Sadi didn’t turn. “The temple feels wrong.”Nowshin