The courtyard fell silent for a moment… before another explosion shook it again — this time, from inside the palace itself.
A massive cloud of darkness and light rose together, as if two suns had collided.
And from its heart… came Kim.
His steps were slow, yet heavy — as though he was stepping on time itself.
His eyes glowed with silver and black light, and the child who had been in his arms was gone — safely enclosed within a transparent barrier he had created somewhere inside the palace.
Both soldiers and enemies froze mid-battle, because even the air had changed…
It grew dense, pressing against their chests as if the world itself feared to breathe.
Kim raised his hand and said in a low voice that pierced through the chaos:
— "Show me death."
The sky changed. Colors turned to a grim gray, and the eyes of everyone in the square began to shine with reflections of his — as if death had passed over them all.
But the Ruler — that tall being cloaked in black — didn't move a single step.
He smiled, and his voice echoed like something ancient:
— "Is that all you have, son of the void?"
Kim exhaled and stretched his arm forward.
His abilities erupted one after another:
Flame of Oblivion — whirlwinds of silver fire devoured the ground, but the Ruler stopped them with a single gesture.
Shadow of Souls — hundreds of spirits burst from Kim's body and attacked from all sides, but they evaporated before reaching him.
Blade of Apocalypse — a dagger of black energy pierced the Ruler's chest… but he didn't bleed. He simply looked at Kim with a cold smile:
— "Do you really think you can kill the one from whom you were made?"
Kim staggered back, feeling hot blood drip from his nose.
He didn't understand what that meant.
The Ruler took a single step forward — the ground shook, the sky cracked — and said:
— "Every curse and every power you bear… is a remnant of my ancient force. You are nothing but a fragment of me, Kim."
Kim's eyes widened.
All sound vanished.
Amon screamed inside his head:
— "Don't believe him! Don't let him into your mind! He's trying to break your will!"
But it was too late…
Kim felt something tearing inside him — the darkness within bowing before the greater darkness.
He fell to his knees, breath faltering, then screamed — a cry that shook the heavens.
The queen and Elena watched from afar, terror in their eyes.
Elena whispered:
— "Kim… don't let him… control you!"
But the Ruler raised his hand, and his voice thundered across the square:
— "Rise… heir of the abyss."
And in that moment…
The light in Kim's eyes went out completely, and black symbols began to appear across his body — like runes from a forgotten age.
That was… the beginning of the end.