Elior gasped as the weight of the Hollow Realm collapsed around him, his body reeling from the choice he had made. He had reached for the throne, felt the raw power surge through his veins, and then, nothing. The world had shattered like fragile glass, reforming in an instant, yet something was wrong.He opened his eyes to a sky that was neither fractured nor whole. It stretched infinitely in all directions, a swirling expanse of color and shadow, like a dream caught between waking and oblivion. The air was thick, humming with a pulse that resonated through his bones.Where was he?He turned sharply, his gaze searching for the others. They were there, Rael, Myrra, Bram, and Sienna, all suspended in the strange, shifting void, their bodies grounded but their outlines flickering like candle flames.Rael was the first to stir. “Elior?” His voice was distant, as if carried by a wind that didn’t exist. “What… what just happened?”Myrra pressed a hand to her temple, eyes narrowed. “We were
Light surged around Elior as he stepped forward, his senses overwhelmed by the sheer force of it. It wasn’t painful, nor was it warm or cold, it was simply there, wrapping around him, filling every space, stretching infinitely in all directions. The void had vanished, replaced by something greater, something older.His footsteps echoed on unseen ground, each step resonating through the vast expanse. Ahead of him, the First King waited, unmoving, his presence as unwavering as the stars themselves.“You have taken the first step,” the king said, his voice a deep hum within the luminous space. “But you have yet to understand the path you walk.”Elior squared his shoulders, determination hardening his stance. “Then tell me.”The First King’s gaze was unreadable, his expression carved from centuries of knowledge and sacrifice. “To rule is to bear the weight of all things. To shape the world is to accept its burdens, its flaws, its endless contradictions. What you seek is not a throne, not
Elior awoke with a gasp, the taste of lightning on his tongue. His chest ached, his head spun, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if he was still standing in that vast luminous space or if he had been thrown somewhere else entirely. The ground beneath him was solid, but cracked, ashen dust rose around him as he pushed himself upright.He wasn’t alone.Rael lay sprawled a few feet away, groaning as he sat up, rubbing his temples. Myrra’s fingers twitched, her breath shallow as she stirred. Sienna was the last to move, her dark hair spilling over her face as she slowly lifted her head.Elior’s heart pounded. They were back.But something was wrong.The city of Dawnfarc stretched out before them, but it was empty, silent. The streets that had once been teeming with life were barren. The air was thick with dust, and the sky…Elior’s breath caught.The sky was broken.One half blazed red, a sun frozen at the edge of dusk. The other was swallowed by darkness, the moon looming too large, sur
The sun hung low in the sky as Elior and his companions made their way through the craggy hills leading toward the Celestial Ruins. The wind carried the scent of earth and distant rain, a stark contrast to the eerie stillness they knew awaited them beyond the horizon. They had been traveling for hours, their boots kicking up dust as they walked along the uneven path.Rael exhaled sharply. "I still don’t understand why the First King left such cryptic messages. If he wanted us to find the ruins, why not just say so?"Myrra, adjusting the strap of her satchel, glanced at him. "Maybe he wanted to make sure only the right people could reach it.""Or maybe he just enjoyed watching people struggle," Bram muttered. He wiped sweat from his brow. "Either way, I’d rather have a proper map than riddles."Sienna, who had been walking slightly ahead, came to a stop near a cluster of trees. "We need to gather supplies before we go any farther. There’s no telling what we’ll face inside the ruins, an
The air was thick with tension as Elior and his companions stood before the three doors. Each was adorned with shifting symbols, their patterns writhing like living things. The Architect loomed before them, their presence both commanding and ethereal, as if they existed beyond the confines of time itself.“The Trials of the Worthy will test more than your strength,” the Architect intoned, their voice reverberating in the vast emptiness. “They will weigh your purpose, your conviction, and the burdens you carry. Choose wisely, for only those who pass may proceed.”Rael ran a hand through his hair, his jaw set. “And what happens if we fail?”The Architect’s celestial mask tilted slightly. “You will not leave.”A heavy silence fell upon the group.Elior took a steady breath, staring at the doors. “There are three. Does that mean we each face them alone?”“No,” the Architect answered. “Each door presents a different trial. You may choose to enter as a group or face them separately, but kno
The stone steps stretched endlessly before them, winding upward through the ruins in a spiral that seemed impossible in its vastness. The air was thinner here, charged with an unnatural energy that made the hairs on the back of Elior’s neck stand on end.As they climbed, the ruins around them seemed to shift, warping with each step. The sky above was no longer the deep blue of night, nor the pale glow of dawn, it was something else entirely, a swirling expanse of stars and golden light.“This place feels... wrong,” Rael muttered, glancing around. “Like it’s not part of our world.”“That’s because it isn’t,” Myrra said. She touched one of the stone walls, watching as her fingers passed through it like mist before solidifying again. “We’re somewhere in between.”“Between what?” Bram asked.Sienna, who had been silent for most of their ascent, finally spoke. “Between what was and what will be.”Elior glanced at her, noticing the way she kept her gaze fixed ahead, determined but distant.
The great door loomed before them, pulsing with a golden radiance that seemed to breathe like a living thing. The sheer size of it dwarfed them, stretching high into the misty void above, its surface carved with symbols that shifted as if whispering their secrets.Elior took a step forward, feeling the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. The trials had tested them, tearing through their doubts and weaknesses. And yet, this felt like the true threshold—the point of no return.Rael let out a slow breath. “So… this is it.”Myrra traced the shifting patterns on the door with her fingers. “The Final Seal lies beyond this,” she murmured. “We break it… and we change the world.”Bram crossed his arms. “No turning back now, is there?”Sienna stood slightly apart, her gaze fixed on the symbols. Elior had noticed her silence more and more lately, but now, her stillness unsettled him.“We need to be ready,” he said. “We don’t know what’s on the other side.”Sienna finally spoke, her voi
The moment Sienna unleashed her power, the world erupted into chaos.A wave of golden energy exploded from her palms, crackling like a living storm. Elior barely had time to react before the force slammed into him, sending him skidding backward across the glass-like surface. The impact rattled through his bones, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself upright.Sienna was no longer their ally.She stood beside Erythos now, her form wreathed in shimmering gold, the remnants of the shattered Seal swirling around her like a cloak of divine fury. She was no longer just a strategist, no longer just a wielder of magic, she was something more.A force to be reckoned with.Erythos, standing tall and terrible beside her, lifted his hand. The darkness that bled from his form coiled outward, consuming the light around them. “You were fools to think you could change fate,” he said, his voice reverberating across the void. “Fate belongs to those strong enough to claim it.”Elior tightened his g
The city stretched before them like a forgotten monument to a time long past. Towering spires, cracked and crumbling, reached toward the twilight sky, their surfaces worn smooth by the passage of ages. The streets were paved with obsidian stone, each step echoing unnaturally through the silence. Buildings leaned at odd angles, some suspended mid-collapse, held aloft by unseen forces. Shadows danced where no light shone, shifting as if aware of their presence.Elior took a slow breath, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. The city pulsed with power, not the raw, overwhelming might of Erythos, but something older, something watching.Rael exhaled sharply beside him. “Well, this place is cheerful.”Myrra’s gaze swept over the ruins, her fingers brushing the air as if testing for magic. “It’s not just a ruin. Something lingers here.”“Ghosts?” Bram asked, rolling his shoulders. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”“Not ghosts,” Myrra murmured. “Memories.”Elior stepped forward cautiously,
The void was endless.Elior’s breath caught in his throat as he plummeted through the swirling abyss. The battlefield was gone, the ground shattered beneath them, leaving only the vast nothingness of space stretching infinitely in all directions. Stars flickered in the distance, distant pinpricks of light in the consuming dark. Wind, if such a thing existed here, whipped past him, a formless force dragging him downward.Then, with a jarring pull, he stopped.The impact sent a sharp jolt through his body, but there was no ground beneath him, only the illusion of it, a shimmering platform of condensed magic holding him aloft. Around him, the others landed in a similar fashion, some less gracefully than others.Rael let out a sharp grunt as he hit the surface, rolling before pushing himself to his feet. His twin blades remained in his grip, but there was an uncertainty in his eyes, his stance uncharacteristically shaken.Bram hit hard, letting out a pained growl as he struggled to rise.
The moment Sienna unleashed her power, the world erupted into chaos.A wave of golden energy exploded from her palms, crackling like a living storm. Elior barely had time to react before the force slammed into him, sending him skidding backward across the glass-like surface. The impact rattled through his bones, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself upright.Sienna was no longer their ally.She stood beside Erythos now, her form wreathed in shimmering gold, the remnants of the shattered Seal swirling around her like a cloak of divine fury. She was no longer just a strategist, no longer just a wielder of magic, she was something more.A force to be reckoned with.Erythos, standing tall and terrible beside her, lifted his hand. The darkness that bled from his form coiled outward, consuming the light around them. “You were fools to think you could change fate,” he said, his voice reverberating across the void. “Fate belongs to those strong enough to claim it.”Elior tightened his g
The great door loomed before them, pulsing with a golden radiance that seemed to breathe like a living thing. The sheer size of it dwarfed them, stretching high into the misty void above, its surface carved with symbols that shifted as if whispering their secrets.Elior took a step forward, feeling the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. The trials had tested them, tearing through their doubts and weaknesses. And yet, this felt like the true threshold—the point of no return.Rael let out a slow breath. “So… this is it.”Myrra traced the shifting patterns on the door with her fingers. “The Final Seal lies beyond this,” she murmured. “We break it… and we change the world.”Bram crossed his arms. “No turning back now, is there?”Sienna stood slightly apart, her gaze fixed on the symbols. Elior had noticed her silence more and more lately, but now, her stillness unsettled him.“We need to be ready,” he said. “We don’t know what’s on the other side.”Sienna finally spoke, her voi
The stone steps stretched endlessly before them, winding upward through the ruins in a spiral that seemed impossible in its vastness. The air was thinner here, charged with an unnatural energy that made the hairs on the back of Elior’s neck stand on end.As they climbed, the ruins around them seemed to shift, warping with each step. The sky above was no longer the deep blue of night, nor the pale glow of dawn, it was something else entirely, a swirling expanse of stars and golden light.“This place feels... wrong,” Rael muttered, glancing around. “Like it’s not part of our world.”“That’s because it isn’t,” Myrra said. She touched one of the stone walls, watching as her fingers passed through it like mist before solidifying again. “We’re somewhere in between.”“Between what?” Bram asked.Sienna, who had been silent for most of their ascent, finally spoke. “Between what was and what will be.”Elior glanced at her, noticing the way she kept her gaze fixed ahead, determined but distant.
The air was thick with tension as Elior and his companions stood before the three doors. Each was adorned with shifting symbols, their patterns writhing like living things. The Architect loomed before them, their presence both commanding and ethereal, as if they existed beyond the confines of time itself.“The Trials of the Worthy will test more than your strength,” the Architect intoned, their voice reverberating in the vast emptiness. “They will weigh your purpose, your conviction, and the burdens you carry. Choose wisely, for only those who pass may proceed.”Rael ran a hand through his hair, his jaw set. “And what happens if we fail?”The Architect’s celestial mask tilted slightly. “You will not leave.”A heavy silence fell upon the group.Elior took a steady breath, staring at the doors. “There are three. Does that mean we each face them alone?”“No,” the Architect answered. “Each door presents a different trial. You may choose to enter as a group or face them separately, but kno
The sun hung low in the sky as Elior and his companions made their way through the craggy hills leading toward the Celestial Ruins. The wind carried the scent of earth and distant rain, a stark contrast to the eerie stillness they knew awaited them beyond the horizon. They had been traveling for hours, their boots kicking up dust as they walked along the uneven path.Rael exhaled sharply. "I still don’t understand why the First King left such cryptic messages. If he wanted us to find the ruins, why not just say so?"Myrra, adjusting the strap of her satchel, glanced at him. "Maybe he wanted to make sure only the right people could reach it.""Or maybe he just enjoyed watching people struggle," Bram muttered. He wiped sweat from his brow. "Either way, I’d rather have a proper map than riddles."Sienna, who had been walking slightly ahead, came to a stop near a cluster of trees. "We need to gather supplies before we go any farther. There’s no telling what we’ll face inside the ruins, an
Elior awoke with a gasp, the taste of lightning on his tongue. His chest ached, his head spun, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if he was still standing in that vast luminous space or if he had been thrown somewhere else entirely. The ground beneath him was solid, but cracked, ashen dust rose around him as he pushed himself upright.He wasn’t alone.Rael lay sprawled a few feet away, groaning as he sat up, rubbing his temples. Myrra’s fingers twitched, her breath shallow as she stirred. Sienna was the last to move, her dark hair spilling over her face as she slowly lifted her head.Elior’s heart pounded. They were back.But something was wrong.The city of Dawnfarc stretched out before them, but it was empty, silent. The streets that had once been teeming with life were barren. The air was thick with dust, and the sky…Elior’s breath caught.The sky was broken.One half blazed red, a sun frozen at the edge of dusk. The other was swallowed by darkness, the moon looming too large, sur
Light surged around Elior as he stepped forward, his senses overwhelmed by the sheer force of it. It wasn’t painful, nor was it warm or cold, it was simply there, wrapping around him, filling every space, stretching infinitely in all directions. The void had vanished, replaced by something greater, something older.His footsteps echoed on unseen ground, each step resonating through the vast expanse. Ahead of him, the First King waited, unmoving, his presence as unwavering as the stars themselves.“You have taken the first step,” the king said, his voice a deep hum within the luminous space. “But you have yet to understand the path you walk.”Elior squared his shoulders, determination hardening his stance. “Then tell me.”The First King’s gaze was unreadable, his expression carved from centuries of knowledge and sacrifice. “To rule is to bear the weight of all things. To shape the world is to accept its burdens, its flaws, its endless contradictions. What you seek is not a throne, not