Episode 46 – The Opening of Pythros
The unknown world groaned as time itself twisted—grotesque trees bent toward the sky and shadows slithered across light. After enduring brutal challenges in the foreign dimension, Kael and his team finally stood before the fractured archway glowing with chaotic energy: The Gate of Pythros.
Kael's sword, Velmorth'Rael, pulsed in his grip, humming in resonance with the gate. Each team member had carried out a vital piece of the journey—trials, relics, decoding the Primorati runes. Rhea had learned to cast spells through raw energy. Tunde had learned to wield emotion like fire. Felix, ever the wildcard, had mapped the terrain using enchanted sand and blood-based echoes. Lana… Lana just stood still, her eyes fixed on the gate like she knew it would take something from them.
Kael stepped forward. He held out the Primorati seal, a relic bound in soul-forged metal, placing it into the center of the gate. Thunder clapped. Lightning cracked from the heavens. Velmorth'Rael levitated from Kael's hand and struck the gate with a burst of ancient light.
The Gate of Pythros opened.
A vortex of flame and black wind pulled them in. The realm on the other side was alive—a bleeding, screaming world made of fire rivers, obsidian bridges, and a red sky pierced by ancient broken towers.
Time didn't flow the same here. Their watches broke. Felix threw a stone—it turned to ash mid-air and then reformed into a flower seconds later.
"This place is drunk," Tunde said, blinking. "And I think it wants to kill us."
Suddenly—demonic hounds, twisted like skeletons dipped in tar, leapt from the cliffs. The team split into battle formation. Rhea's energy blade cut through two, Felix summoned a shadow wall to protect the rear, and Kael's lightning wiped out a dozen. But they kept coming.
Lana threw an orb spell that created a gravity field, sucking the enemies in—only to see them split and slither back into shape.
"This realm adapts," Lana hissed.
As they reached the edge of a burning bridge, they found a dying creature with the insignia of the Primorati carved into its chest. It spoke in a strange tongue, which Kael—channeling his divine memory—understood.
> "The gate was not meant to be opened. The Primorati rule here. Their power has reshaped even the laws of nature. Leave… or be devoured."
Too late. The sky cracked. From a massive floating cathedral above, chains descended—and from them came twisted versions of magical beasts, corrupted and bleeding stars. In the distance, a tower glowed—a throne pulsing with dark power.
Rhea's voice cracked: "The Primorati… They've built an empire in this place."
Suddenly, Kael doubled over, his eyes turning gold. Velmorth'Rael returned to his hand unbidden. The realm recognized him—as a threat.
A roar erupted from the sky. A dragon made of smoke and soul-fire descended. The first guardian of Pythros had awakened.
"Battle stance!" Lana yelled.
The dragon dived, but Kael—glowing with god-energy—met it in mid-air. Lightning tore across the sky as Velmorth'Rael clashed with its fangs.
Below, the team defended against another onslaught. Rhea and Tunde fought back to back, covering each other. Felix chanted a blood-seal to keep the terrain stable.
Kael drove his sword into the dragon's skull—but instead of dying, it dissolved into shards… each floating back to the cathedral above.
"This was just the warning," Kael said, hovering in the air, eyes glowing like twin suns. "They know we're here now."
And somewhere… the Primorati began to gather.