AURA OF THE SEVEN 🌪️
Chapter 23: The Race Against Time — Collapse of the Void ⏱️🏃♂️🌌
The world of the Void was disintegrating. The sky was shattering like falling glass, and the floating islands were plunging into the infinite abyss below. Zhou's final strike on the 'Core' had triggered a total dimensional self-destruct.
⏳ The 60-Second Countdown
"We have sixty seconds!" Noct yelled, his voice barely audible over the roaring thunder of collapsing stone. "If that portal closes while we're inside, we'll be erased from existence forever!"
Ryun supported Gojung, who was still dangerously weak. Gojung's very essence was still being drained because his soul had acted as the anchor for the gate for so long.
⚡ The Super-Sonic Formation
"There's no time to go one by one!" Ryun commanded. "Everyone, chain link! Grab hands! Kael, Akira—give us everything you've got!"
Akira (🍃): Created a high-pressure wind tunnel around the group, eliminating all air resistance.
Kael (⚡): Unleashed a 'Lightning Pulse' into everyone's nervous systems, pushing their physical speed beyond human limits.
Minho (🌿): Used his vines like a safety tether, ensuring no one got separated in the chaos.
They moved like a Human Comet, a streak of multi-colored light racing toward the shrinking exit.
🌪️ The Void's Final Grasp
As they neared the threshold, the gravitational pull of the Void intensified, specifically targeting Gojung. The dying Core recognized Gojung as its 'King' and refused to let its heart leave.
"Go! Leave me!" Gojung screamed, trying to wrench his hand free from Ryun's grip. "If I stay, I can hold the door open from this side! Save yourselves!"
"I lost you once, Gojung! Never again!" Ryun's eyes burned with a fierce, crimson fire.
✨ Mei-Lin's Miracle
At that critical moment, Mei-Lin activated her Aura of Soul. She saw what the others couldn't—spectral black threads binding Gojung's spirit to the Void islands. She channeled her golden energy into her palm and sliced through the threads.
"NOW!" Mei-Lin roared.
💥 The Final Leap
The portal opening had shrunk to the size of a needle's eye. Ryun channeled the final spark of his broken blade into a massive rear-guard explosion, providing the Thrust they needed.
The Seven Guardians and Mei-Lin shot through the tiny aperture just as it snapped shut.
A silent, cosmic explosion followed behind them as the Void dimension vanished from reality. The group tumbled onto the cold, damp grass of the Mount of Silence. The sky above was a peaceful, morning blue.
😭 A New Morning
They lay there gasping, covered in dust, soot, and blood. Ryun slowly raised his head and looked to his side. Gojung was there—breathing, shivering, but alive. The void-black ink in his eyes had finally cleared.
"Did we... did we make it?" Gojung asked in a cracked whisper.
Ryun pulled him into a fierce embrace. "Yeah, brother. This time, we all came home."
🌪️ Final Narration
"The Void was gone. The Seven Guardians and their newest member, Mei-Lin, had rewritten history.
But as the dust settled, a small, obsidian-black butterfly fluttered out from where the portal had been and landed silently on Ryun's shoulder.
Is the Void truly dead, or did it leave a seed behind?