Chapter 18 – The Awakening Storm
The Breaking of Silence
The moment Eryndor's aura flared, the forest itself screamed.
Birds took flight, the river boiled, and the moon's reflection shattered like glass.
Seliora staggered backward as a blinding circle of sigils spun beneath Eryndor's feet—symbols not meant for mortal eyes. His voice echoed in two tones at once: one human, one divine.
"Enough hiding… enough lies…"
The air warped, trees bending away as his mortal body struggled to contain the god within. Sparks of pure creation danced from his hands, melting stone and sky alike.
Seliora's wings flared wide, shielding herself from the heat of his awakening.
"Eryndor, listen to me! If you keep channeling this—your soul will tear apart!"
He turned to her, eyes glowing gold and silver at once. "Then so be it. I am done being half of what I was."
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The God Within
Lightning cracked from clear skies, but it wasn't thunder that followed—it was voices.
Ancient chants, divine in tone, echoing across realms.
The Pantheon had heard.
From their high throne, the gods stirred, watching the rebirth of the one they once betrayed.
Seliora's heart pounded. "They're coming," she whispered. "They can feel you."
"I want them to," Eryndor said coldly. "Let them see what they created."
The river rose in spirals around him, threads of light weaving through the water like veins of the divine. The ground trembled—not out of fear, but recognition.
The world remembered its forgotten god.
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Seliora's Choice
Tears burned in her eyes as she stepped closer, wings folding.
"If you ascend now, you'll lose everything human. The boy who laughs, who protects, who feels—he'll vanish."
Eryndor's light flickered. For a heartbeat, she saw the boy again—the kind soul who carried water for the village, who smiled at dawn.
"Seliora… I can't control it," he whispered.
She reached out, pressing her palm to his chest. "Then let me share the burden."
The moment their hands met, light burst between them—gold and crimson entwining. Their powers collided, then merged. Her divine spark and his reborn godhood resonated, forming a fragile harmony.
But far above, the Pantheon's command rolled like thunder:
> "The Fallen rises again. Send the Archon. End it before the balance breaks."
And somewhere beyond the stars, a new light descended—swift, burning, unstoppable.