The sound of the final explosion echoed as if the world's teeth were collapsing.
Buildings already weakened by Vonix's first assault now crumbled one by one, releasing clouds of dust that swallowed the streets. The city—once merely reclaimed and partially scorched—had now become a battlefield from an ancient age, standing on the brink of total annihilation.
Amid the terror, the surviving citizens could do only one thing:
Run.
"RUN!! VONIX IS COMING BACK!!"
"DON'T LEAVE THE CHILDREN!!"
"GODS… IS THAT A TIME DRAGON?!"
Their screams tore through the air. Streets flooded with footsteps, sobs, and broken prayers. Someone pushed a cart piled with belongings, someone guided an elderly woman, and a few city soldiers tried to organize escape routes while fighting their own fear.
But everything froze at once when a massive shadow swallowed the wounded sunlight.
Vonix descended from the sky.
With a low growl that shook the chests of everyone who heard it.
DUAARRR!!
It landed in the center of the city square, shattering the great stone fountain. Dust exploded like a storm, slamming into nearby buildings. Doors, windows—every remaining pane of glass—shattered simultaneously.
"GROOOOOOAAAAAAAAH—!!!"
Vonix threw its head back and unleashed pale blue flames into the sky, painting it like a curtain of ruin.
The fire fell like a rain of small meteors onto the streets, burning everything it touched. Citizens screamed and fled in deeper panic.
"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE… IT'S RAMPAGING!!"
"WE'RE DEAD!! WE'RE ALL DEAD!!"
Vonix had truly lost control—its disturbed Chronite energy made it more brutal, more unstable, more desperate to destroy anything that came near.
Behind the Chaos — Edward Still Lives
Liora ran with all her strength toward Edward. Her knees trembled, her body swayed, but she didn't care. She knew only one thing:
Edward must not die.
Not today.
Not after everything they had endured.
Edward lay beneath a collapsed stone wall, his body broken, his breathing ragged like a candle about to go out. His left chest was scorched by temporal fire—the bluish-white glow still faintly burned, devouring his flesh.
"EDWARD!!"
Liora dropped to her knees instantly, her hands shaking as she touched his face. She bit her lip until it bled, fighting to keep control of her emotions.
Edward opened his eyes slightly. "L… Liora…?"
"Ssshhh… don't talk. Focus. I'll heal you." Her voice broke.
The child they had saved stood not far away, eyes wide with guilt. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his voice caught in his throat.
"S-sis… I'm sorry… I… I ran toward the dragon… I… I made you get hit…"
Liora didn't have time to argue. She glanced at the child briefly—her gaze heavy with pressure, yet still warm.
"That's not your fault," she said quickly. "Now step back. Stay safe."
The child sniffed, crying softly. "But Brother Edward… he's badly hurt… I… I'm scared…"
"He will live," Liora said firmly. "As long as I'm here, he will live."
She placed both hands on Edward's wound.
The cracked Chronite watch on her wrist began to glow with a soft green light.
This was no ordinary healing spell. She used temporal energy to accelerate natural regeneration—repairing tissue, restoring rhythm, forcing life to surge forward.
"Temporal Mend… Level 3… activated!"
Green light enveloped Edward's body.
His fading breath steadied, still weak but no longer failing. Cracked skin slowly closed, burn marks receded, and his heartbeat climbed from near-zero to a fragile rhythm.
Edward grimaced—but he was no longer dying.
"Liora… you're… as stubborn as ever…"
Liora wiped her tears roughly. "Shut up. I'm not listening to your lectures."
"But… our plan failed…"
"There's still another stage." She forced a smile, though her voice trembled.
Zeco and the Awakening Artifact
Meanwhile, Zeco stood frozen.
He held the Chronite Seed carefully—but now the artifact wasn't just pulsing.
It was trembling.
Soft green light seeped from the cracks on its surface.
Then it turned blue.
Then white.
Then back to green—brighter than ever before.
Zeco swallowed. "Uh… Liora… I think this thing is becoming… cool and extremely dangerous…"
But Liora didn't hear him. She was still focused on Edward.
Zeco looked toward Vonix in the distance.
The dragon raged without direction. A single wingbeat shattered a stone tower. Temporal fire melted the streets into glowing sludge.
Every remaining citizen tried to flee—but not all succeeded.
Zeco clenched his fists.
"…I have to help… but… who am I? I'm just a regular guy who—"
The Chronite Seed pulsed violently, making Zeco flinch.
Green, blue, and white merged into a spiraling light.
As if the artifact was responding to its new bearer.
Or calling something from deep within itself.
Zeco lifted it closer. "Hello… weird thing… are you trying to talk? Or explode? Please don't explode. I'm not ready to become paste."
The artifact's light illuminated his face.
And for the first time—
Zeco felt something.
A voice.
Not a physical sound.
But a voice… inside his mind.
"New bearer… your time is short… but not empty…"
Zeco's eyes went wide. "What the—?!"
The artifact flared brighter.
Vonix turned.
Its eyes sharpened, pupils narrowing.
It felt the Chronite Seed awaken again.
"Chronite… that… return it… MINEEEEE—!!!!"
Vonix took flight once more, its wings unleashing a storm that shattered houses below.
It dove straight toward Zeco like a colossal meteor.
Zeco froze.
His legs gave out.
His mouth went dry.
"…Liora… Edward… please tell me you're seeing this…"
Vonix closed the distance.
Heat and temporal light poured from its jaws.
Zeco swallowed hard.
"Ah… I'm do—"
Suddenly, the artifact exploded with light.
Not a destructive blast.
But a defensive one.
BOOM!!
A wall of light formed around Zeco, forcing Vonix to halt midair.
The dragon roared, its fury intensifying.
A City on the Brink of Apocalypse
Liora looked up as a tremor shook the ground.
She saw Vonix hovering, forcing itself against the light wall of the Chronite Seed.
She saw Zeco standing stiff with terror.
She saw fallen citizens.
She saw a city beginning to truly collapse.
And she knew—
The first act was over.
But the second act…
Had only just begun.
Liora gripped Edward's hand tighter.
"Wake up… Edward… we're not done yet. Don't make me face a legendary dragon alone."
Edward opened his eyes slightly, gazing at the burning sky.
"We're… still alive… right?"
Liora nodded quickly. "Yes. But if we don't move now—this city is finished."
The child cried beside them.
"I… I'm really sorry… I made everything harder…"
Edward turned his head slightly and smiled weakly.
"Hey… kid… a hero isn't the one who kills the dragon. A hero is the one who saves others and lives long enough for the next story."
The child wiped his tears.
"Then… I'll have a story… right…?"
"Yes," Edward replied. "As long as we survive five more minutes."
Vonix shattered the wall of light protecting Zeco.
Green light burst into the air.
The dragon roared, more unstable than ever.
And Zeco could only whisper, his voice shaking:
"Guys… I think… this is getting way worse…"