The void trembled once more. Not from the strikes of warriors, nor from the clash of elemental forces—but from something else. Something vast. Something ancient. Something that existed beyond the very comprehension of the dimensions that even Lucien had touched.
Lucien's pale eyes, sharp and unflinching, focused. He had finished his dance with Vryndor, had studied the chaos of controlled combat, and now, something was piercing the edges of his perception.
"Interesting," he murmured, voice calm yet carrying the weight of inevitability. "I've been waiting a while for someone like this…"
The other combatants scattered, sensing the arrival of an entity whose aura warped reality itself. The fabric of the void rippled as the silhouette formed: impossibly tall, with contours that seemed to shift depending on where one looked, as though it were a mirage layered atop a storm. Its presence bent light, space, and time—warping everything in its vicinity.
Lucien stepped back lightly, floating with ease to his vantage point above the battlefield. From here, he could observe every clash, every blow, every reaction—but now, his attention was drawn entirely to this anomaly.
Kaelith, standing nearby with jaw tight and eyes wide, whispered, "I… I've never felt anything like that. Even you, Lucien… even you must feel its presence."
Lucien tilted his head, a small, serene smirk curling his lips. "I can. But feeling it is not enough. Observation is. Let's see what it wants, shall we?"
His Abyssal Eyes flickered faintly, scanning the entity, analyzing subtle fluctuations in its essence, its intent. Power that could warp the void, bend dimensions, and shift realities radiated from it—but it was calculated, measured. Unlike chaotic brute force, this presence was ancient, precise, and patient.
With a motion that seemed almost playful, the entity stepped fully into the void. Energy swirled around it like a living storm, and even the edges of the Primordial Void seemed to recoil slightly. A low hum, deep and resonant, filled the void—an echo older than stars, older than worlds.
It spoke—or perhaps it resonated. Not with sound, but with a presence that communicated directly to the consciousness of all within range.
"Lucien Dreamveil…"
Even from his stand, Lucien's smirk deepened. "Finally, someone introduces themselves properly. And here I thought you'd just silently observe."
The entity paused, its shifting forms rippling like liquid obsidian, reflecting fragments of countless realities. "I have come… to test the one who stretches the World Tree beyond the Primordial Void. The one who claims dominion over the raw essence of creation."
Lucien's gaze sharpened, yet his demeanor remained calm, almost teasing. "Test me? Interesting. I do enjoy visitors who understand their place in a story."
Kaelith muttered under his breath, his tone a mix of awe and fear, "Visitors? You mean that… thing could wipe out this void like it's nothing."
Lucien's eyes flickered to the ongoing fights. "It could. But it won't. Not yet. Observation first, patience later. Let's see what it can do."
From his vantage, Lucien watched the battlefield—the controlled fights of his clones, Vryndor, and the other combatants—unfolding with a detached interest. His attention, however, remained fixed on the entity, noting every subtle shift, every ripple in its aura.
It was alive in a way that defied logic. Not merely life as he knew it—but consciousness at a scale that dwarfed even the Primordial Void. Its very existence demanded respect.
Lucien allowed a small, amused smile to curl his lips. "So… this is what waits beyond the edge of all things. Intriguing."
Kaelith swallowed hard. "Do… do you think it even has a name? Or is it… beyond names?"
Lucien's gaze sharpened. "Everything has a name, even if it refuses to give it. Names are power. Intent is power. Let's see how much it respects mine."
The void held its breath. Not a sound, not a movement—just the silent presence of the entity and the silent observation of Lucien, the Sole Exception.
The other fighters slowed their movements instinctively, feeling the pressure radiating outward, yet Lucien's calm energy acted as a buffer, shielding them from immediate fear.
The entity, massive and shifting, tilted slightly—as if testing, gauging. It had felt the echoes of Lucien's past battles, sensed the flow of his power across the new void, and now sought to measure the one who could stretch branches of the World Tree beyond the Primordial Void.
Lucien, ever calm, looked down upon the battlefield. "Come. Let us see if your legends hold weight. I've observed long enough."
The faint shimmer of his Abyssal Eyes reflected the entity in the distance, like looking into a storm that existed before time itself.
The void quivered once again. This was no ordinary confrontation. This was first contact.
And as the entity's form began to solidify, Kaelith muttered, awestruck, "I think… I think the real fight is about to begin."
Lucien's smirk deepened. "Oh… it has already begun. I just let it come to me at its own pace."
The void stretched, silent and infinite, waiting.