Chapter 26: Poseidon's Revelation
With the immediate threat neutralized and the primordial coral securing the Hydrostatic Core, the entire floor stabilized. The crushing darkness vanished, replaced by the soft, deep-sea azure.
From the swirling abyss beneath the inverted city, a figure of immense, tranquil power ascended. He was robed in perpetually flowing sea foam, his skin bronze, and his eyes the color of the deepest ocean. Poseidon, God of the Seas and Earthquakes, stood before them, trident in hand.
He did not look angry; he looked weary, yet profoundly powerful.
"You have secured my Core, Hunters," Poseidon's voice boomed, rich with the sound of breaking waves. "Nyx, the Outer God, desires the annihilation of the Tower's structure. Your bond, the Nexus Burst you created, was the only thing capable of repelling the Void."
Poseidon's gaze focused entirely on Rin and Aiden, the two men leaning against each other, their bodies still humming with residual, merged energy.
"Artemis placed the Fate Tether upon you as a compromise to save your lives. But the Outer Gods placed the true, initial Constraint on the Blade's soul long before this life began."
Poseidon raised his trident, and the very water around them shimmered, revealing a blinding, internal vision that only Rin and Aiden could see—the ancient, primordial memory of their creation.
"The Outer Gods knew that only the combined power of Chronos and Gale-Kinetic could stop them. Thus, they placed the Fatal Constraint on the Blade's soul: He must never willingly accept his destiny, nor find peace with his partner, or his soul will be erased from every timeline."
Rin gasped, the revelation shaking him to his core. It wasn't just his death; it was his will that was constrained.
"The Arbiter's betrayal," Poseidon continued, his voice heavy, "was not just to save your life; it was a desperate, successful attempt to force your soul into a state of Active Vengeance. It was the only way to bypass the Constraint that demanded your peaceful annihilation."
Aiden's eyes were locked on Rin's. The tether transmitted no emotion, but the desperate, silent plea for Rin to understand was physically palpable.
"But the Outer Gods are patient strategists," Poseidon finished, his expression grim. "They allowed you to merge your powers. They allowed you to bypass the initial Constraint. Because they know the final truth."
He lowered his trident, the water still and silent. "Your merged power, the Temporal Hurricane, is the only weapon that can defeat the Outer Gods. But the price of using it is the final, irreversible step: The constant merging of Chronos and Gale will permanently dissolve your individual consciousnesses, turning you into a single, immortal, emotionless entity of pure power and causality."
The God of the Sea delivered the final blow.
"You have sacrificed your past, Arbiter, and your love, Blade. Now, you must choose to sacrifice your humanity. Retain your individuality and the world falls to the Void, or become one, emotionless, god-like weapon and save the Tower. That is the true final Constraint."
Poseidon pointed to the next Ascension Gate, now shimmering faintly above the abyss.
"Floor 5: The Temple of Judgment. The choice is now yours."
We have reached Chapter 26. Rin and Aiden are faced with the terrible final choice: lose their humanity and become a single, emotionless weapon to save the Tower, or retain their individual identities and risk global annihilation.