Ari wiped the blood from her forehead, her glowing blade slowly fading. She turned toward Dawn and Gray, her voice tired but genuine.
Ari: "Thanks… Dawn, Gray. If you hadn't come when you did… we'd be dead for sure."
Tracey let out a weak laugh, rubbing his burnt arm.
Tracey: "Yeah… she's right. But something's still bothering me. Why did the Hollowborn suddenly stop? Are they dead… or just unconscious for now?"
Gray stepped forward, eyes still sharp as he observed the fallen creatures.
Gray: "From what I understand now… Ren was controlling them through his magic. Once he was cut down—his link vanished. They weren't receiving magic anymore. That's why they collapsed. They're not dead… just temporarily shut down."
Dawn glanced at the motionless Hollowborn bodies. The air still crackled faintly with leftover energy. She looked uneasy.
Dawn: "So… what do we do with them? Just leave them here?"
Gray shook his head, his voice firm.
Gray: "We can't do anything. They're immortal. Killing them again and again would just waste our energy. The best option now is to block this place off completely. Seal it. Destroy every room. That way, even if they revive later… they won't be able to reach the surface. The local villagers will be safe."
Ari: "Yeah. Gray's right. We can't take any chances."
Without another word, the group got to work.
They moved through the underground lab—room by room—lighting fires, collapsing structures, and flooding magical circuits. Ari's light magic carved through metallic walls. Tracey scorched the Hollowborn's containment chambers with roaring flame. Gray sent waves of mercury to melt arcane cores, and Dawn summoned whirlpools to collapse the support columns.
The lab, once a hidden fortress of twisted science and stolen magic, now groaned under its own weight. Cracks raced through its walls. Steam hissed from broken vents. Magical devices sparked and exploded as the team methodically destroyed everything.
Finally, they reached the large metal door—the same entrance Ari and Tracey had used.
Ari: "Let's finish this."
Together, they brought it down. The door was blasted apart, torn from its hinges. Stone collapsed around the passage. The route was gone—buried in rubble and sealed tight.
They turned toward the other hallway—the one Gray and Dawn had entered through.
They moved through the final corridor, its stone walls now cracked and scorched from the earlier destruction. Ahead, a rusted metal door creaked slightly on its hinges—the one hidden deep inside the lab, connecting it back to the village.
Gray pushed it open.
Beyond it… the familiar sight of the village.
They stepped through the hidden entrance, coming back to the village lab.
One by one, they climbed the stairs and exited through the upper level—finally stepping out into the open. And then come out from that lab.
The evening sun bathed the village in orange-gold light. Cool air brushed against their sweat-soaked skin. For the first time in what felt like hours, they could truly breathe again.
Tracey: "Ah… Now I get it. You two came from here, didn't you?"
Gray gave a small nod.
Gray: "There's a direct passage from this village lab to that lab. It must've been used for secret access to the surface… no one ever noticed it."
Dawn exhaled deeply beside him, shoulders finally relaxing as her gaze moved across the peaceful rooftops of the village.
The underground lab was now behind them—buried, sealed, and silenced.
As Ari, Gray, Dawn, and Tracey stepped out into the village, the soft evening breeze brushed past their faces. The light from the setting sun was fading, but warmth now radiated from something else—hope.
A nearby villager spotted them.
"Hey! They're back!"
Soon, others came rushing from their homes. Children ran ahead, calling more villagers. One by one, the whole village gathered, forming a crowd that swelled with curiosity and relief.
Ari stepped forward, smiling faintly.
"We've taken care of the threat. The monster that was behind all of this—it's been defeated."
Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd.
Gray added, "We destroyed the lab hidden below. That place won't ever harm this village again."
A cheer erupted.
Someone clapped. Another whistled. Then a cheer turned into laughter—shouts of joy—and the tension that had gripped the village for days melted away like frost in sunlight.
Soon after, the villagers led the group to the village center. Candles and lanterns were lit. Tables were dragged out. Food was shared. Music began to play from old flutes and drums brought out from storage. Children danced. Elders laughed.
The village had come alive again.
Loud voices echoed through the streets. People sang. Bonfires flickered. The sound of celebration filled the night.
Tracey watched with a small smile as kids tried imitating his flame-kicks. Dawn sat near the fire, laughing as the villagers asked her to make water rise from their cups like magic tricks. Gray, standing a little off to the side, watched it all quietly, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Ari, standing just a little apart, stared at the warm lights and the happiness in the people's faces.
The sound… the joy… the flicker of fire and laughter—it reminded her.
A quiet moment from the past.
When she and Imperial had stood side by side in Tracey's village, watching a similar night. The same flickering lights. The same unfiltered happiness. The same safety, earned through fire and pain.
A hand tapped her gently on the shoulder.
Dawn.
Dawn: "What's the matter, Ari? You looked… lost for a second."
Ari blinked, startled from the memory. She forced a soft smile.
Ari: "No… it's nothing. Just… memories."
Before Dawn could respond, Gray and Tracey walked over, their expressions more serious now—clearly holding something heavier than celebration in their hearts.
Gray looked directly at Ari, then the others.
Gray: "There's something I need to tell you all. Now."
They quieted.
Gray: "When Ari and I were fighting Ren, we demanded to know who was truly behind all this. Because… there was something familiar about the magic controlling everything. Something that felt like—Imperial's magic."
Dawn's expression shifted. Tracey's fists clenched slightly.
Dawn's voice came out low and cautious.
Dawn: "What… did Ren say?"
Gray met her eyes.
Gray: "He said it's the Emperors doing."
The world around them didn't react—but they did.
Dawn and Tracey froze.
The celebration went on behind them—music, dancing, cheers—but their little corner fell silent.
Because while the village rejoiced in the illusion of peace...
A darker truth had begun to surface.
[Next Day – Morning]
The first light of dawn stretched across the sky, casting a gentle golden hue over the quiet village. The celebration from the night before had faded into memory—replaced now by a calm, determined silence.
Ari walked steadily, a clean white bandage wrapped around her forehead where blood had once flowed. Her eyes were tired, but sharp.
Gray moved beside her, his arm still wrapped in cloth, shoulder braced from the damage he'd taken. Every few steps, he adjusted the sling with a quiet grunt, but never slowed.
Behind them, Dawn and Tracey followed closely. Both had been treated—cuts cleaned, burns soothed—but their bodies still bore the fatigue of the brutal battle. Tracey rolled his shoulder every now and then, wincing slightly, while Dawn walked with a slight limp, one hand occasionally resting on her side.
Even injured, they moved with purpose.
Four warriors, scarred but standing, heading toward the north—toward whatever lay ahead.
The village slowly faded behind them, and before them stretched open road, wind-tossed trees, and the looming unknown.
They didn't speak.
They didn't need to.
They had a mission.
And the journey was far from over.
[Scene: A dark room, shadows cast along the walls. Four figures sit around a table lit by a dim, flickering crystal.]
Celestia: "Ren was killed… by that light girl. Her powers have grown far too quickly. I'm certain now—she's mastered the Eternal Blade."
Malrik (chuckles): "That must sting, doesn't it? Your throne might not be as secure as you thought."
Celestia (coldly): "It's not just about the throne or me. That Eternal Blade… it can cut through anything that exists."
Magnus (sighs): "Looks like we've lost another move on the board."
The other three glance at him, confused.
Magnus: "That Alden kid… he's controlling the Hollowborn too. And I think he's already figured out the exact amount of magic they need to stay stable—before we did."
Seraphina (quietly): "Which means… they both are now the "Endbringers."
Magnus (smirks): "We have one on our side too. And I'll use him… to wipe that Alden boy off the map."