The horizon shimmered unnaturally as the sun began to rise, but its light did not bring warmth. The air was still — too still. Birds had vanished, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Lwandle stood beside Nkosana atop the cliff that overlooked the valley of shadows. Below, darkness stirred like a living tide, and faint, broken whispers floated upward — the language of the forgotten.
Enkai crouched near the edge, eyes scanning the distance. "The Veil's weakening. You felt it too, didn't you?"
Nkosana nodded slowly. "It's like something is pressing against the world… trying to force its way through."
As if answering, a sudden *boom* echoed through the valley — not a sound of thunder, but of something tearing. They turned their eyes upward.
A thin fracture had formed in the sky — a crack like lightning frozen in time. From within it leaked black and violet light, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Lwandle stepped back, trembling. "The sky is bleeding…"
"No," Nkosana murmured, eyes narrowing. "It's birthing something."As the crack widened, streaks of fire shot downward, slamming into the earth and forming deep craters. From each, twisted creatures emerged — malformed, shrieking things born of nightmare and raw energy. Their eyes locked onto Nkosana immediately.
Enkai rose, blade in hand. "They smell your power. They're not here to scout — they're here to take you."
The Demon Seed flared on Nkosana's skin, as if answering the challenge. Shadows crawled across his back, sprouting jagged wings. His aura exploded outward, warping the grass beneath his feet.
"This is no longer about surviving," he said coldly. "It's about ending this before it begins."
From the fractured sky, a deep voice rumbled:
*"Awaken, Harbinger."*
Lightning ripped through the clouds. The war for the balance of both worlds had officially begun.
—