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Chapter 18 - 17.“The Palm of the Void”

🌐 Scene 1 – The Five-Year Summit

Once every five years, the world's strongest associations gathered in one place.

Not on Zoom.

Not through projections.

Physically.

The location?

Nexus Cradle — a floating continent stitched together by magic, lost technology, and Spirit Runes. Suspended in Earth's orbit, only accessible through authorized portals.

The sky burned in gold above.

Heroes from over 100 countries stood in organized sectors — some armored, some robed, some barely dressed.

The biggest names were here:

The Zawgs (USA)

The Iris Crown (France)

Gravion Order (Kendall's team)

Phantom Star

The Hallowed State (cloaked and silent)

Crimson Fang (China)

E.X.A. (Japan)

The Black Bloom (Unknown origin)

A moment of silence fell as the meeting began.

They were here to honor the lives lost in the Great Void Assault seven years ago.

The event that no one fully understood.

The event that started… and ended… with one name.

Cam.

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📜 Scene 2 – The Remembering

A massive black obelisk floated in the center of the Cradle.

Engraved with 1.2 million names — the people who vanished when Cam ended a continent.

Brian stood in front of the monolith, dressed in full Infinity gear, his hands behind his back.

Kendall beside him.

David behind.

Declan and the others flanked them.

They weren't just attendees.

They were survivors.

> "Let's begin the moment of silence—"

And then…

The world shook.

---

🕳️ Scene 3 – Cam Returns

Sensors in all directions failed.

Space bent. Gravity twisted.

A red light lit up the sky above Earth — centered directly over Luxden, a rebuilt city in Eastern Europe.

A city home to 6 million people.

A city built by peace.

The holograms flickered in horror.

Then the live feed resumed.

A single black figure hovered over the city.

Cam.

He wasn't older. He wasn't changed.

He was exactly the same as he was seven years ago.

Like time bent for him.

Like death didn't want him.

His right hand rose calmly.

> "You all grew strong," he said. His voice wasn't broadcasted — and yet it was heard everywhere.

> "Let's see if you've grown… enough."

---

☠️ Scene 4 – Palm of the Void

His palm darkened.

A black spiral spun slowly into existence — almost lazy, like a gentle whirlpool.

The sky broke.

And then—

HUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM

> The entire city of Luxden collapsed inward.

It didn't explode. It wasn't vaporized.

It was removed.

As if existence had been deleted in that spot.

No heat. No blood. Just… erasure.

Nothing was left.

Not even ash.

Not even time.

The feed cut to static.

---

💥 Scene 5 – The World Responds

Screams rang across the summit.

Brian took a step forward.

> "Zawgs—NOW."

Kendall already formed a gravity anchor around the Cradle.

Declan opened six tech gates simultaneously.

Hayk began scanning for temporal trails.

Niko and Alcino vanished in streaks of blue.

Élias de Lumière from France calmly closed his coat and whispered to his team.

> "We are at war again."

The global stage erupted into motion.

---

🕳️ Final Scene – Cam's Message

Cam stood alone in the air above where Luxden used to be.

He looked to the sky.

He knew they were watching.

> "You can rebuild cities," he whispered.

> "But peace? You never earned it."

His hand lowered.

> "Seven years. That's all I gave you."

> "Now it's my turn."

He vanished.

But his words didn't.

They echoed through every satellite, every portal, every phone, every soul.

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