When Haitan fell, the rift did not vanish, but its expansion halted.
In the human world, Elyanos immediately sensed a strange shift in the air. The pressure that had torn reality apart gradually receded, yet the echo of danger still pulsed at the heart of everything. Something was missing… something imprisoned by force, pulsing behind the veil between worlds, silently watching.
Elyanos whispered to himself:
"They did it…"
But the seal was not enough.
The remaining energy from the catastrophe threatened a long-lasting collapse. Left unchecked, even the elements themselves could lose their essence, and chaos might return perhaps in a far worse form.
Elyanos gathered the Masters of the Elements and spoke with unwavering resolve:
"We will seal the sky."
It was not a suggestion… but a sacrifice greater than any war they had ever fought.
The sealing ritual demanded the fusion of the five powers into a single network to protect reality: the Sun, Darkness, Time, Light, and Aether. Its purpose was not merely to stop the rift, but to prevent any shadow from crossing again, and to separate the worlds of humans and shadows forever.
Each element paid its price to preserve balance: the Sun lost its purity, Darkness tore under unfamiliar restraints, Time stuttered in its flow, and Light cracked partially.
As for Elyanos… he bound his very soul to the seal. His body and being became part of the ritual; every pulse, every breath tied the elements together and imprisoned the wandering energy away from both worlds. The pain was immense, yet he did not falter. His eyes burned with determination, knowing that this sacrifice would change him forever.
As the ritual completed, the sky ignited with a color belonging to none of the five elements. The rift closed, the gateway between the human world and the Shadow Realm was sealed for eternity, and reality stabilized… but at an unforgettable cost.
The empire survived.
The world endured.
In the heart of the capital, the citizens of the empire gathered to honor Elyanos. The celebration was not entirely joyous; fear and worry still lingered in everyone's eyes. The queen herself handed Elyanos the Spear of Protection, a symbol of his great sacrifice.
Among the crowds, some mages and soldiers burdened by their losses and weaknesses stopped, their hearts trembling as memories of the chaos returned. The image of Elyanos in his high cavern, when he had suddenly appeared in the capital, returned to them in every fearful moment: his raised hand, the pure white beam protecting civilians, and his inner voice saying:
"I am here now… sorry for the delay. You did well."
Those words sparked warmth in their hearts. With each remembrance, they felt strength coursing through their veins. Elyanos had not only protected them; he had given them a part of his power, a pulse of his white light, so they could use it to rescue as many civilians trapped amid the rubble and flames as possible.
The soldiers and mages surged into the shattered streets, remembering his words:
"Elyanos is here, do not fear!"
Each time they rescued a group of civilians, Elyanos' light followed them, melting the ash and clearing obstacles, silently saying:
"Keep going, I am with you."
Children cried among the ruins, mothers clutched their young, men were shocked by collapsing buildings but upon hearing the soldiers echo Elyanos' words, their breaths steadied, and courage returned.
In every street, in every alley, soldiers and mages worked together, drawing strength and determination from their remembrance of Elyanos, who appeared before them not only as a protector, but as a guide and an inspiration. With each person saved, their confidence grew, as if the soul of the capital itself was regaining its heartbeat.
Amid the blazing ruins, soldiers and mages ran swiftly, each carrying dust explosives or clearing debris with their hands, while Elyanos' beam illuminated their path, melting ash and removing obstacles. Every step was an adventure, every moment a threat; collapsing ceilings loomed above, and flames readied themselves to consume everything around.
One soldier shouted as he pulled a child trapped under rubble:
"Do not fear, Elyanos is here!"
The child smiled through tears, gripping the hand extended to him, while the soldiers continued pushing toward more civilians.
The mages used the power Elyanos had granted them, sending beams of pure white light from their hands that clung to collapsing buildings, preventing them from falling on civilians, and keeping the flames under control. From afar, Elyanos watched everything with vigilant eyes, his heart skipping whenever a civilian neared danger, then sending a beam of his power to push destruction away in an instant, as if whispering:
"Keep going, you are protecting your world now."
In a narrow alley, a group of civilians was trapped under a cracked roof, flames surrounding them on all sides. One mage surged forward, channeling the energy given by Elyanos, forming a field of light that shielded everyone and melted the ash, then lifted them safely from the rubble. As they emerged from the alley, they heard the soldiers shout:
"Elyanos is here, do not fear! We are with you!"
Everywhere, the echo of Elyanos' words restored strength to hearts weighed down by fear. Each rescue was a small victory, each beam of light a promise that life was still possible. Amid the chaos, soldiers and mages began to feel they were not alone; Elyanos' power still flowed through them, guiding, supporting, and motivating them to continue.
Even when some buildings partially collapsed, the soldiers handled them with confidence. It was not just the rescue of civilians it was proof that sacrifice and faith in the power Elyanos provided could change reality itself.
After each rescue, the soldiers and mages looked toward the sky, where Elyanos' beam shone amidst the rubble and ash, silently telling anyone on the verge of despair:
"You have not abandoned the world… and here, nothing can defeat you as long as hope lives."
The capital, despite the destruction, began to breathe anew. Elyanos' beam was no longer just a force; it had become the pulse of life, restoring order amid chaos, and giving each person a sense of courage, determination, and hope.
In the Shadow Realm, the Six Shadows sat in silence. They neither celebrated nor felt victorious. Yet they all sensed it… a faint pulse within the seal.
Haitan had not vanished. He waited, trapped within the new barriers of reality, isolated from the human world, his power severed from the other shadows for an unknown duration.
Meanwhile, legends began to spread in the human world: of a sealed shadow, of a force capable of rewriting fate, and of a day when the voice that once said:
"This… is not over."
might return.