I'll take yours

Haroon stumbled through the portal, dragging the swampy stench of failure behind him. Slapping thick gobs of mud off his uniform, he muttered, “The next time we meet, I swear—I’ll kill him.” His jaw clenched as he thought of Seth, besting him again. His boots squelched with every step, caked in muck from head to toe. He looked like a soldier who had crawled out of a grave.

What excuse do I feed them this time? he wondered bitterly. What happened to my guard?

As if summoned by his dread, a soldier approached briskly.

“The Supreme Leader would like to speak to you, sir,” the guard said with a crisp salute.

Haroon rolled his eyes. Torrock again.

He hated what Torrock had done to him—used him, then tossed him aside like spoiled meat. He was promised a general’s seat. Instead, he got mockery and demotion. The bitterness showed in every line of his face.

“Can’t it wait? I need to clean up,” Haroon grunted, though they both knew that was a lie. A flick of his hand could’ve magicked the filth away. What he really needed was time—time to think of how to spin a story that didn’t end in his execution.

“My orders were to bring you back immediately. With your guards,” the soldier added, glancing around. “By the way, sir… where are they?”

Haroon turned slowly, fixing the man with a look that made his blood run cold. One more word, his eyes warned, and I’ll slit your throat right here.

The guard swallowed hard and nodded, his face paling.

“The Supreme Leader,” he mumbled, “awaits.”

“Fine,” Haroon hissed. “Lead the way.”

They marched in silence toward the Great Hall.

Inside, the air was thick with fury.

Torrock paced like a beast in a cage, locked in a shouting match with a dark presence flickering through a smoking portal. Black smoke slithered like snakes around his feet—Asmodeus, demon of wrath, was once again testing his patience.

“Destiny fell for it—just like we planned,” Asmodeus sneered. “Couldn’t even tell the difference. That stupid cow.”

Torrock’s voice was gravel dipped in venom. “Has the demon Tamera reported the traders’ location? And the real Tamera—is she still under lock and key?”

“Not yet,” Asmodeus lied, smoothly. “But it’s all going to plan. Once she sends them, I’ll send my hordes. They’ll be ashes by sunrise. I just need the flesh you promised weeks ago.”

Torrock’s fists balled. “You’ll get your bodies soon! We’ve recovered fifty so far. Stop hounding me, demon.”

“Fifty?” Asmodeus roared. The smoke lashed violently. “You promised me an army! I’m done waiting, Fate!”

Torrock snarled, his voice trembling with fury. “Don’t threaten me, demon. You want your corpses? Come get them if you dare!”

The smoke paused… then coiled tighter, like it had found its opening.

Just then, the doors opened with a groan. Haroon stepped inside, casual, like he hadn’t been one breath from death moments earlier.

“You asked for me?” he said with a lazy smirk.

Too late.

The black smoke screamed toward Torrock—but the Fate saw it coming. With no time to react, he seized Haroon and shoved him into the path.

“NO—WAIT—” Haroon's scream was ripped from his chest as the smoke punched through him like a bullet. Black tendrils coiled around his limbs, choking him, dragging his soul into the darkness.

Torock stepped back, watching coldly.

The smoke thickened, pulsed—then condensed. A new form emerged from Haroon’s slumped body.

Tall. Smiling. Confident.

Asmodeus.

“Thanks for the invitation,” the demon smirked.

“I gave you no such—” Torrock growled.

“You said, and I quote, ‘Come get them if you dare.’” Asmodeus chuckled. “Don’t be mad. This one? He was going to kill you eventually. I did you a favor.”

“Get back to your pit, demon,” Torrock snapped.

“Oh, I will,” Asmodeus grinned, adjusting his new body. “But not until we finish our deal. Just call me… General Asmodeus.”

Torrock’s stomach twisted with dread. He had made a mistake that might cost him everything.

---

Back at Audubon

Charlene, Seth, Idris, Heth, and ReNew had just returned from battle, worn but victorious.

The cave welcomed them with warmth—but something was off.

Charlene stumbled, gripping the stone wall. “Dad… something’s wrong…” she murmured.

Before Seth could catch her, he swayed too, collapsing to his knees.

“Bro, you good?” Idris rushed forward, trying to catch them both.

“Sorry, dude… my back…” he groaned under Charlene’s weight.

“Heth! Go get Doctor Gilead!” Idris shouted.

But Heth was mid-sprint when—he vanished.

ReNew panicked. Charlene was out cold. Seth—unconscious beside her. The air pulsed like a heartbeat, and the ground began to shake. Something ancient was waking.

ReNew felt it. A pulling. A calling. Her body shimmered, and with one final look at her friends, she surrendered to it—returning to Charlene’s arm in a soft glow.

---

Above the Dunes

An angelic being stood beneath the rising orbs of the east, the Holy Spear glowing in his hands. His voice was thunder wrapped in silk.

“It’s time for you to return, my child.”

He raised his hand, and the dunes split like an ocean, creating a glowing chasm from the sky to the core of the realm.

Every creature in the world fell into sudden sleep. Time paused. The realm listened.

The angel lowered the spear.

“Now… take the energy you need. Awaken.”

The spear plunged into the chasm, swallowed by a furnace of molten fire.

Her time had come.

She was never meant to be silent. She was not overbearing, not intrusive—she was necessary.

“You are no longer the Spear of Destiny,” the angel declared. “You are Destiny. The Queen of the Realm.”

Below, the spear twisted through magma and soul-fire, feeding from the core of the world. It spun into a molten orb, gaining momentum, until—

BOOM!

A fireball launched from the heart of the world, tearing through the heavens like a comet.

It slammed into the sands of Audubon with a shockwave that echoed across the realm.

From the crater, silhouetted against the inferno, Destiny rose.

Her armor molten gold, her eyes glowing white with power.

A phoenix reborn.

And she was ready for war.