Vorath stood calmly amidst the ruins, holding the remains of his creation in his hand. Broken ground and dust surrounded him, yet none of it seemed to matter. The battlefield trembled, not only because of the corrupted energy still lingering in the air, but because of what his presence represented. His calm smile, his relaxed posture, and the way he looked at everything as if it were beneath him sent an invisible pressure through the air.
The Ruins of Never-ending Dreams had survived war. It had endured countless battles, destruction, and suffering.
But now… a new foe had arrived.
Vorath spoke in a calm tone, his smile never fading. "Now then, once again I ask you all to hand over the jewel to me. You see, I would rather not waste more time… My creation might have failed, but I only see failure as a step to the next evolution."
As he spoke, his eyes slowly moved to the remains in his hand. He looked at it with disappointment rather than anger.
"How pitiful," he continued softly. "You were supposed to be stronger than this. You are the Seventh Commander. You should have upheld his honor… but don't worry. I shall make you a lot stronger."
He then lowered his hand and looked back at the ground in front of him, extending his palm forward slightly, still smiling. The tension became heavy, pressing down on everyone present. Their bodies ached, their breaths were uneven, and exhaustion was clearly visible on their faces. They had already fought for far too long.
Kalix stepped forward . His voice carried anger and defiance. "I don't care what commander or whose commander you are. Just get lost and hand over the Corrupted Core."
Vorath remained calm. Without changing his expression, he snapped his fingers once, the sound sharp and clear. "I see. You want to save these ruins, and the only way to do so is to destroy this core. Very well. Why don't we make a deal? I shall give you the core, and you give me the jewel."
Kalix narrowed his eyes. "Huh. You may have a lot of tricks up your sleeves, but you also have the guts to make a deal when you are completely outnumbered."
For a brief moment, Vorath's smile faded. He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, before speaking again. "I think you are confused. You don't understand. You don't have a choice. You either save this ruin by giving me the jewel… or perish with it."
His smile slowly returned, wider than before. "And clearly, the numbers you talk about mean nothing. Except for a few of you, everyone here is already halfway into the grave. Even if you, who are still fresh, defeat me, can you take responsibility for the people who will be killed beforehand?"
Kalix clenched his fists. Vorath's words irritated him deeply, but he knew there was truth in them. Even if he could defeat Vorath, this man was dangerous. Tricky. Unpredictable. He could easily target the injured, and fighting here would only cause further damage to the ruins. The risk was too high.
Kalix turned and looked at the group behind him.
At that moment, Riya stepped forward. She took a long breath, steadying herself, and spoke firmly. "Deal accepted. But what is the guarantee that you won't go back on your word?"
Vorath looked amused. He laughed lightly. "How cute. Again, you don't have much time. You simply have to trust me."
Riya hesitated. She held the Obsidian Jewel tightly in her hand, feeling its weight. "Listen. On the count of three, we throw them at each other. One… two… three."
Both of them moved at the same time.
Vorath caught the Obsidian Jewel effortlessly. Kalix caught the Corrupted Core, and without wasting a single second, he destroyed it. The unstable energy filling the ruins began to fade. The shaking slowed, and the air itself felt lighter. The nightmare was slowly turning back into the beautiful dream the ruins once were.
Vorath looked around briefly before speaking again. "Alright. Now hand over the dragonkind to me."
Silence fell instantly.
Shock spread across everyone's faces.
Lila yelled, her voice filled with disbelief.
"What do you mean? The deal is done! What are you saying?"
Vorath nodded calmly. "Indeed. The deal has been done. The exchange of the core and the jewel is complete."
His eyes narrowed slightly. "What I say now isn't part of any deal. Nor is it a request. It is a command. You see, my creation seemed to have some interest in the dragonkind, so I would like to gift him that."
Lila shouted again, anger rising. "Drakar isn't a gift! We are not giving him away under any circumstances!"
Vorath laughed softly. "You never learn, do you?"
Kalix stepped forward sharply, cutting him off. "You creep. Listen carefully. You're getting on my nerves. Get lost right now before I lose my temper."
Vorath tilted his head. "How rude. For such rudeness, I demand three sacrifices. Your words have caused immense pain to my fragile heart."
Caelus spoke next. "Have you lost your mind? This ruin is healing. That means you are completely in my home. You won't win against me."
Vorath's eyes fell upon Caelus's sword. He examined it closely. "Amazing. So you hold that sword… hmm. Very well. One less sacrifice, then. Give me the dragonkind, that sword, and two sacrifices, and I shall take my leave."
Alex clenched his fists. "Just looking at you makes me angry. Forget it. Let's fight so I can beat you up properly."
Rok stepped forward as well. "That's right. You think you can defeat us? Then try us."
Doran growled. "I'll smash you hard."
Vorath suddenly clapped his hands together. The sound echoed loudly through the ruins. He cleared his throat, and his smile twisted into something truly disturbing. "Congratulations. I no longer want a small sacrifice. I shall have all of you as my subjects and perform numerous experiments."
He laughed like a madman, spreading his arms wide. "Feel blessed."
"Silence."
The voice was calm, yet overwhelming.
Everyone turned.
Fizzle floated forward, her expression serious, her presence completely different from usual. Lila, Sera, Doran, Drakar, and Adrian stared in shock. Sera tried to call out to her, but her voice came out weak.
Fizzle stopped in front of Vorath.
Vorath looked surprised. "Oh? What an interesting creature. I didn't see you at all. Very well, I have decided. The dragonkind, the sword, and this creature. Hand them over, and I will leave."
"Silence," Fizzle said again.
Vorath chuckled. "You are rather loud for your size. You will be an amazing subject."
Fizzle's voice turned cold. "You stupid fool. Don't you understand what silence means? Begone, and your life shall be spared."
Those words shocked everyone, Vorath included.
Riya stepped forward. "Miss Fizzle, please stay back. We will handle this insolent man."
Fizzle spoke firmly. "This man has left me with no choice. Kalix, Shin, Riya, make sure he regrets every word he spoke."
She floated back toward the group, releasing a soft light that healed their wounds and formed a protective shield around them. Confusion was present but everyone stayed silent.
Kalix cracked his knuckles. "Now, you craphead, you can't do anything."
Vorath observed everything calmly. "What an amazing ability. Truly impressive. But you see, I never intended to fight you."
Kalix scoffed. "And now you're scared?"
Vorath smiled confidently. "No. You are all fools. Yes, some of you may give me a tough fight. And yes, if I fight all of you at once, I may not win. But I don't need to fight you to win."
He raised his hand and pointed toward the sky.
"I am not a fighter who destroys. I am a man of curiosity. A creator. And you shall witness one of my greatest inventions."
The sky cracked.
Massive tentacles forced themselves through the crack in the air. Dark energy gathered at the center, glowing violently, large enough to wipe out everything below.
Kalix shouted, "You fool! What do you think you're doing?! Trying to blow up everything?!"
"Precisely," Vorath replied.
"You won't escape it either!"
Vorath laughed. "I don't have to. Death is a concern of mortals. I have conquered death. Be blessed, you get to face me before you die."
The dark energy roared as it fell.
Kalix felt despair. This was beyond him. Beyond anything he could handle. As he thought of saving at least some lives, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Kalix… when things are beyond your control, fear not. I will be there."
The voice echoed clearly in his mind, calm and steady, untouched by the chaos around him. Amid the screaming air and the violent tremor of dark energy tearing through the sky, Kalix felt something strange settle within his chest. The panic that had tightened his breath loosened. His clenched jaw relaxed slightly.
Around him, the others were frozen in different ways. Some stared upward, eyes wide and unblinking, unable to accept what was coming. Some turned their faces away, unwilling to witness the end. A few closed their eyes entirely, bracing for destruction. The roar of the dark energy drowned out thought itself, its presence crushing, overwhelming, absolute.
Caelus strained desperately, trying to connect with the spirit of the ruin, but the link refused to answer. The healing had not yet completed. Frustration twisted his face as he realized there was nothing more he could do.
The ground vibrated violently as the ray of destruction accelerated downward, carving through the sky like a falling judgment. The air burned. The pressure alone made breathing painful.
Kalix stood still.
He lifted his head and looked straight at the descending ray, his eyes sharp and unflinching. Despite everything, despite the fear, the exhaustion, the impossibility of the situation, there was belief in his gaze. A belief that no life would be lost. That this would not be the end.
The ray came closer.
Closer still.
Then...
A sudden movement cut through the sky.
At first, it was barely visible. A single figure, moving against the force of the descending destruction, rising instead of falling.
Lila's voice broke through the chaos. "Look… there's someone there!"
One by one, the others followed her gaze. Confusion spread across their faces as they tried to understand what they were seeing. The figure grew clearer with every passing second, heading straight toward the heart of the dark energy without hesitation.
Kalix's lips slowly curved upward.
He laughed softly.
Relief washed over Riya's face, her tense shoulders finally lowering. Shin exhaled sharply, his grip loosening. The rest of the group remained stunned, unable to comprehend what was unfolding before them.
The figure collided with the ray.
A blinding flash followed, accompanied by a thunderous sonic boom that shook the ruins to their core. The dark energy shattered, dispersing violently into the sky like smoke torn apart by the wind. The crushing pressure vanished in an instant.
Even Vorath stood frozen, his expression unreadable as he watched the impossible happen.
The figure descended from the sky and landed at the center of the ruins with immense force. The impact cracked the ground beneath him, sending dust and debris flying in every direction. A thick cloud of smoke rose, obscuring his form completely.
Silence followed.
No one spoke.
All eyes remained fixed on the settling smoke, hearts pounding, breaths held, waiting to see the face of the one who had just erased something that could have destroyed everything.