《Shunogai》 Chapter 1 Shukan reclined against a cracked pillar that seemed to pulse with life, his gaze fixed on the sky as though he were yearning for something just out of reach. ¡°Chronos, when are we moving? Feels like we¡¯ve been waiting forever.¡± ¡°We¡¯re waiting for Yurei to return,¡± Chronos replied flatly, his tone clipped and commanding. Shukan sighed, kicking a rock with the toe of his boot. ¡°Aetheron, how about you fly up and see where she is?¡± Aetheron, who had been engrossed in a book about freedom¡ªsomething he¡¯d salvaged from a Void-ravaged world¡ªsnapped it shut, clearly annoyed. His pink armor-like skin glinted in the sunlight as he replied, ¡°Shukan, you¡¯ve been asking me to do this every ten minutes. Can¡¯t you just chill until she gets back?¡± Before Shukan could retort, the ground trembled violently, and seconds later, an explosion erupted. It wasn¡¯t just any explosion¡ªit was an ice explosion. Chronos was already on his feet, his gaze sharp as he stared into the distance where the blast originated. ¡°Ice. That¡¯s Yurei. Shukan, go see what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Shukan growled as he stood up, brushing dust off his coat. He turned toward the forest, muttering under his breath, ¡°I don¡¯t really want to get involved, but hey, I¡¯m curious.¡± Moments later, he dashed into the forest, weaving effortlessly between trees and boulders as if they weren¡¯t there, his sights locked on Yurei¡¯s location. ¡°Shukan, what the hell are you doing here? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m fighting a Void Spawn?¡± Yurei yelled, her voice tinged with irritation. Her icy breath matched the gleam of her blue ice arm, which looked as though it had been forged by a master craftsman. Ignoring her, Shukan¡¯s eyes focused on the monstrosity she was battling¡ªa grotesque Void Spawn that towered over them, at least twice the height of two Eiffel Towers stacked together. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s a big one. Did the Void get bored and decide to pop out this... whatever that is?¡± Yurei muttered under her breath, ¡°Is he seriously ignoring me?¡± She quickly refocused on the fight, though her ice arm began to hum and radiate a warning pulse. ¡°Shukan! Move! It¡¯s going to attack!¡± The Void Spawn let out an ear-splitting roar, its tendrils writhing as it unleashed a beam of translucent, destructive energy. Shukan barely dodged using Timestep, his golden energy veins sparking as he vanished in a blur. ¡°Huh. Clear energy? That¡¯s new. Usually, it¡¯s red or purple. Weird.¡± The beam struck the ground where Shukan had been standing a second earlier, carving a massive crater into the earth and sending shockwaves through the forest. ¡°SHUKAN!¡± Yurei screamed, her voice carrying an edge of fear. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Shukan called back, brushing dirt off his jacket as though nothing had happened. He tightened his grip on his black daggers, the golden veins along his arms pulsating with energy. ¡°Let me handle this thing before you start worrying about me.¡± The Void Spawn responded with a pulse of destabilizing energy, warping the space around it. Reality itself seemed to crack and distort in its presence. Unfazed, Shukan dashed toward the creature, his movements fluid as time warped around him. ¡°Yurei, now!¡± he shouted. Without hesitation, Yurei flicked her finger, summoning a massive ice pillar that shot upward and impaled the Void Spawn. ¡°Shukan, finish it!¡± In a desperate act, the Void Spawn began conjuring a swirling orb of translucent energy. ¡°Not happening.¡± Shukan¡¯s voice was calm but carried an edge of menace. His veins surged with golden light as he dashed forward. ¡°Temporal Cascade!¡± With a swift motion, he slashed the Void Spawn, his daggers leaving rifts in reality itself. The attack obliterated the creature across past, present, and future, erasing it from existence. Shukan landed gracefully, his expression as casual as ever, though his shaking hands betrayed his composure. ¡°Well, that was fun,¡± he said, a wry grin on his face. Yurei, still catching her breath, stared at the spot where the Void Spawn had been moments before. ¡°That... was strange. Did you notice how it acted? Like it actually felt pain.¡± Shukan¡¯s usual quick wit faltered. He stood in silence, his brows furrowed in thought. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Usually, they don¡¯t even react to damage. This one was different... like it had a conscience or something.¡± Yurei nodded slowly but shook off the unease. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on it. We need to get back to Chronos and Aetheron.¡± Back at the camp, Chronos stood as Shukan and Yurei returned. ¡°Yurei, why were you gone so long? And you too, Shukan. It¡¯s been over an hour.¡± Yurei, exhausted and clearly in pain, waved him off. ¡°Chronos, I¡¯m too tired for this right now. Shukan can explain. I need rest¡ªmy energy veins are acting up.¡± She trudged past him and collapsed near Aetheron. ¡°Aetheron, do you have something to ease this? It¡¯s killing me.¡± Aetheron sighed but handed her a small vial of radiant energy. ¡°Here. But you need to stop overexerting yourself.¡± Meanwhile, Shukan approached Chronos with a serious expression. ¡°Chronos, we fought a Void Spawn. But it was... different.¡± ¡°Different how?¡± Chronos asked, his tone skeptical. ¡°It had intelligence,¡± Shukan replied. ¡°When Yurei impaled it with her ice, it reacted. Like it was... desperate.¡± Chronos¡¯s armored hand moved to his chin as he pondered the claim. ¡°An intelligent Void Spawn? That doesn¡¯t make sense. We¡¯ve fought thousands of them¡ªnone have ever shown signs of thought.¡± ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but I¡¯m telling you, this one was thinking. Like it was planning its next move,¡± Shukan insisted. Aetheron, who had been listening quietly, chimed in. ¡°That¡¯s... unsettling. If they¡¯re evolving or gaining intelligence, this could mean trouble. Big trouble.¡± Chronos nodded slowly. ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, then there¡¯s more at play here than we understand. We¡¯ll need to investigate further.¡± He turned to the group. ¡°Get some rest. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll figure out our next move. I¡¯ll take first watch tonight.¡± Chronos sat atop the remains of a crumbling tower, the night sky stretching endlessly above him. Stars glimmered like silent watchers, and distant planets hung still, as if waiting for some unspoken signal. "Two hours... It¡¯s already been two hours," he muttered to himself. Exhaustion tugged at his senses, but he shook it off. "I can¡¯t sleep. Not now." Rising, he stretched before descending the tower into the rocky plains below. The silence was unnerving, the air heavy with tension. ¡°It seems quiet¡­ Maybe I should¡ª¡± He stopped mid-sentence, a sharp sense of unease cutting through his thoughts. ¡°No,¡± he corrected himself, ¡°I need to scout for threats while I can.¡± Chronos moved cautiously around the camp, the sharp edges of his pure black armor glinting faintly in the dim starlight. His feet, encased in jagged, obsidian plating, pressed into the oddly damp soil. The squelch beneath his steps made him pause. ¡°Muddy soil?¡± he muttered. ¡°It hasn¡¯t rained in hours.¡± His voice trailed off as a sound tore through the stillness¡ªa screeching roar, distant yet sharp enough to freeze his movements. His head snapped toward the direction of the noise, his golden eyes narrowing. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Before he could fully process, a faint whistle cut through the air. Chronos instinctively spun, catching sight of a void-like tendril slicing through the darkness, heading directly for him. He ducked just in time, the tendril whipping past him with deadly precision. It speared through a nearby tree, ripping it from its roots before hurling it into the distance. The resounding crack of the shattered trunk echoed, even as the tree disappeared far beyond the horizon. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Whoever¡ªor whatever¡ªdid that... they saw me,¡± Chronos murmured, straightening cautiously. ¡°That wasn¡¯t random. Too accurate for a stray attack.¡± His fists clenched as his mind raced. "Could Shukan have been right? Intelligent Void creatures...?" His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden movement up ahead. A wolf staggered into view, its gait unnatural and erratic. Chronos watched with growing unease as the creature¡¯s head twisted grotesquely, its neck snapping with a sickening pop. Yet the wolf didn¡¯t fall. Instead, it continued to move, dragging its broken body toward him. ¡°Did that wolf just... kill itself?¡± he muttered, his voice low. Something was wrong¡ªvery wrong. Chronos¡¯s gaze shifted beyond the wolf, into the darkness, where an ominous shape began to materialize. ¡°What the hell is that behind it?¡± he whispered. Squinting, he tried to make out the figure looming in the shadows. ¡°Is something controlling it?¡± From the darkness, a grotesque creature emerged, its distorted grin stretched unnaturally wide. Its body twitched and twisted as it moved, as though its very existence defied logic. It exuded an aura of malice, an oppressive energy that made the air feel heavy. Chronos¡¯s disgust was tempered by an odd sense of curiosity. What is this thing? The creature muttered incoherently, its voice a disturbing blend of raspy growls and fragmented whispers. The sounds were impossible to decipher, yet they clawed at his mind, leaving a trail of unease in their wake. ¡°What is it saying¡ª¡± Chronos¡¯s question was abruptly cut off as the creature vanished from view, its form dissolving into the shadows like smoke. A split second later, a crushing force struck Chronos from behind. He barely had time to react as he was sent hurtling through the air, his body slamming into a nearby mountain with an impact so devastating that the peak split apart. Dust and debris rained down as Chronos struggled to recover, his breaths ragged and his pure black armor smeared with dark, viscous blood. Black Shunogai blood dripped steadily from his sides as he forced himself to stand. ¡°Cough, cough... That thing...¡± he muttered, wiping his mouth. ¡°It knows how to fight. Worse, it moves with intent. This isn¡¯t a regular Void spawn.¡± He glanced up, his sharp gaze locking onto the creature as it prepared for another assault, its movements eerily calculated. Chronos straightened his posture, his black armor glinting faintly as he braced for what was to come. "If this thing is intelligent... we¡¯re in more trouble than I thought." The creature launched itself toward Chronos in a frenzied assault, its blows carrying devastating force. Each strike aimed to overwhelm him, but Chronos remained unfazed. His movements were fluid, almost effortless, as he weaved through the onslaught with a grace that defied the chaos around him. In a flash, Chronos reappeared behind the creature, his hand already raised. With a swift, precise strike to its head, he sent the massive being crashing to the ground, shaking the earth beneath it. The creature struggled to rise, thrashing and flailing in desperation, but Chronos was already standing over it, his armored foot pinning it down effortlessly. ¡°¡­Law Rewrite: Rule One: Chaos submits to me,¡± Chronos muttered, his voice calm and unyielding. Golden glyphs of intricate design materialized around him, spinning rapidly as they cast an ethereal glow over the battlefield. The air grew heavy with power, and the surroundings shifted. Chronos had seized control, bending reality to his will. This was no longer a fight; it was his domain. ¡°Rule Two: The smallest force becomes infinite,¡± he continued, his hand now resting lightly on the creature¡¯s writhing body. The creature wailed and flailed its limbs, its desperation growing as it realized the futility of resistance. Chronos remained unmoved, his expression cold and calculating. Without a hint of exertion, he clenched his armored fist and delivered a gentle punch¡ªso light it seemed almost dismissive. The result was catastrophic. The creature disintegrated in an instant, obliterated by a force so immense it left no trace of its existence. The battlefield fell silent, the golden glyphs dissipating as Chronos straightened and dusted off his hands. ¡°This is the order I command,¡± he murmured, his voice barely audible amidst the stillness. Back at the camp, Aetheron woke up in a cold sweat, his head pounding from the lingering echoes of Chronos¡¯s battle. "What was that noise...?" he muttered, rubbing his temples as he sat up. Glancing toward the tower where Chronos was supposed to be stationed, he called out, "Chronos, are you there?" Silence. Aetheron stood, stretching as a slight frown crept across his armored face. "Where is he?" he murmured, scanning the area. "Did he leave to do something?" A shadow of worry crossed his features as his thoughts drifted to the possibility of something happening to Chronos. Looking out into the distance, his gaze settled on a nearby mountain, now noticeably split. It looked¡­ off. "Wait, wasn¡¯t that mountain whole before?" he said aloud, narrowing his eyes. Shaking his head, he brushed it aside for the moment, focusing instead on Chronos¡¯s absence. "Radiance," Aetheron whispered, raising his hand. A small, controlled flame flared to life in his palm, illuminating the dark surroundings. "I¡¯ll look around. No need to wake the others¡ªthey need their rest." Meanwhile, Chronos stepped away from the scorched ground where the creature had once stood. He glanced down at the faint remnants of the battle, his expression neutral yet tinged with disdain. "You were clever," he muttered in a mocking tone. "But not clever enough. That¡¯s why you¡¯re dead." Letting out a sigh, he turned toward the camp in the distance, spotting the faint glow of Aetheron¡¯s flame. "Looks like he¡¯s awake. Probably my fault," Chronos remarked to himself with a dry chuckle. "Hope he¡¯s not mad that I wasn¡¯t at my post." With a fluid leap, he descended the shattered mountain, landing softly on the forest floor below. As he moved through the woods, his thoughts lingered on his recent encounter. It was smart. Smarter than any Void spawn I¡¯ve faced before. But was it even a spawn? It didn¡¯t look like one... too dark to tell, but still. Something about this feels¡­ off. Back at the camp, Aetheron wandered cautiously, his voice low as he called out, "Chronos? Where are you?" He kept his volume in check, careful not to wake Shukan and Yurei. "I''m here," Chronos groaned from the shadows, stepping into the dim light. His posture was slouched, his tone weary but steady. Startled, Aetheron spun around. "Chronos! Where the hell have you been? I was looking for you!" His voice softened as he gestured toward the sleeping forms of Shukan and Yurei. "I couldn¡¯t leave the two vulnerable, so I stayed close." A faint smirk crossed Chronos¡¯s face before fading into a grim frown. "I was fighting something," he explained. "A Void spawn... or something like it. It was weaker than me, but it was¡­ smart." Aetheron tilted his head, his confusion evident. "Smart? You¡¯re telling me you fought a ¡®smart¡¯ Void creature?" Chronos sighed, the weight of his frustration showing. "No, not exactly. It was like a spawn, but it didn¡¯t act like one. It didn¡¯t look like one either, at least from what I could tell." "So, let me get this straight," Aetheron said, crossing his arms. "You fought something that didn¡¯t look like a Void spawn, didn¡¯t act like a Void spawn, but you¡¯re still calling it a Void spawn?" "Exactly," Chronos replied bluntly. "But that¡¯s the problem. There haven¡¯t been any disturbances in energy levels across the universe. The only strange thing is the Void... it¡¯s been swirling faster than usual." Aetheron¡¯s face darkened as realization dawned on him. A sorrowful grin tugged at his lips. "Looks like our fight¡¯s about to get a whole lot harder." He turned toward the camp, his voice resolute. "We should wake the others. They need to hear this." Chronos and Aetheron roused Shukan and Yurei, recounting the events of the battle. Shukan, groggy but attentive, leaned against a tree, his brows furrowed in thought. A smart monster that¡¯s not a Void spawn? Great. Now I actually have to think. What a pain. Yurei, on the other hand, seemed almost giddy. Her crimson eyes sparkled with the thrill of a new challenge. She smirked, barely concealing her excitement. "So¡­ what¡¯s the plan? Are we gonna hunt this thing down, or what?" Chronos shook his head. "We don¡¯t know yet. Aetheron and I were considering sending you two to investigate Fallen Nexus. Whatever¡¯s happening might have started there." Yurei¡¯s excitement faltered. "The Fallen Nexus? You know you two can¡¯t go there. Shunogai aren¡¯t exactly welcome in that part of the universe." "Exactly," Chronos said, his tone somber. "But we might not have a choice." Shukan scratched his head, letting out an annoyed groan. ¡°So not only is there some freak monster out there, but now we¡¯re supposed to go to the Nexus? The place where, might I remind you, they literally hate Shunogai? Sounds like an amazing idea.¡± His voice dripped with sarcasm as he stretched, clearly not thrilled about the suggestion. ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± Chronos shot back, arms crossed as he leaned against a nearby tree. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to sit around waiting for another creature like that to show up unannounced.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it,¡± Shukan muttered, waving him off. ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it suck any less.¡± Meanwhile, Yurei¡¯s grin was back, her excitement practically radiating off her. ¡°So, what, we sneak in and see what¡¯s going on? Honestly, sounds fun to me. Might get to fight something worth my time for once.¡± Aetheron sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°Of course, you¡¯d think this is fun. You do realize we could all die, right?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± Yurei shot back with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s the whole point. What¡¯s the fun in playing it safe all the time?¡± Chronos ignored her and turned back to Shukan. ¡°We¡¯ll need to plan this carefully. If we¡¯re going to the Fallen Nexus, we can¡¯t afford to get caught. The last thing we need is to start a war.¡± ¡°Great. So not only do we have to deal with Void freaks, but now we¡¯re playing diplomat too. Love that for us.¡± Shukan rubbed his temples, looking more annoyed by the second. ¡°Alright, fine. I guess we don¡¯t have a choice. Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡± ¡°Finally, some enthusiasm,¡± Chronos said dryly, pushing off the tree and brushing himself off. Shukan snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡± Aetheron extinguished the flame in his hand and glanced at the horizon, where the first hints of light were starting to creep in. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, we should move soon. We¡¯ll cover more ground before the Void¡¯s energy starts getting erratic again.¡± Yurei rolled her shoulders, looking a little too eager. ¡°About time we had some action. I was getting bored just sitting around.¡± Shukan gave her a deadpan look. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure this¡¯ll be super entertaining. You can handle all the talking, then. Let¡¯s see how long that enthusiasm lasts when the Nexus guards try to blow your head off.¡± Yurei laughed, clearly unbothered. ¡°They can try.¡± Chronos ignored the banter and glanced at Aetheron. ¡°You and I will stay back and monitor energy levels. If things go south, we¡¯ll find a way to get them out.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Aetheron said with a nod. ¡°But let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that. We¡¯ve got enough problems without adding a Nexus raid to the list.¡± Shukan sighed, grabbing his weapon and slinging it over his shoulder. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go before I change my mind.¡± As they started moving, the faint hum of Void energy in the distance seemed to grow louder, a subtle reminder of the dangers ahead. Shukan glanced back at the camp one last time, muttering under his breath. ¡°This is such a bad idea¡­¡± Chapter 2 Shukan turns back around, reminiscing of his time at the camp. ¡°Did that hunk of armor even tell us where to go? I don¡¯t remember where it is, since the last time was well...¡± Shukan puts his hand on his chin and starts thinking.¡± ¡­6 years ago? ¡°He takes his hand off his chin and starts scratching his head. ¡°Anyways, how come you¡¯re so quiet, Yurei? ¡° Ignoring Shukan, Yurei skips joyfully on the ground, without a care in the world. ¡°Yurei...? ¡°Shukan stops talking and takes a dagger out, spinning it before putting it back inside his holsters. ¡°This will be entertaining, just got to keep telling myself that.¡± He thinks of things to do once he gets to the Fallen nexus, but he bores himself quickly. ¡°This won¡¯t work.¡± He looks up into the sky before drooping his head to the ground with a saddened look. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been an hour yet I¡¯m so¡­ bored. ¡° Looking at Shukan talking to himself, Yurei stops skipping. ¡°Uh, are you okay Shukan?¡± she said in a confused look. Shukan looks at Yurei. ¡°Does it look like it Frosty? This is a bad idea- ¡°Shukan was cut off before he could say anymore. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It gives us a chance to explore the Fallen Nexus again, and besides, it¡¯ll be fine. Just some monsters.¡± Yurei exclaimed trying to lighten Shukans mood as he wasn¡¯t usually so downtrodden. Shukan looks straight ahead, sighing as he scratches his neck. ¡°It¡¯s just not the Fallen Nexus, what I¡¯m mostly worried about is just how the hell are we supposed to get past the trivia knights?¡± ¡°The guards?¡± Yurei asked. ¡°Er, yea? The last time I checked, they ask you some stupid question that they don¡¯t even know.¡± Shukan grunted as he straightened his posture. ¡°I bet they¡¯ll say some nonsense like ¡®one of us always lies and the other always tells the truth, but we forgot who¡¯s who.¡¯¡¯ how do you expect me to know that off of what you just told me?¡± Shukan sighs, clearly needing something to do. Yurei looks inside her bag, scuffling around to find something to eat but to her surprise, there was nothing. ¡°Shukan, do you have any food? I¡¯m kind of hungry.¡± Shukan starts walking backwards as he turns his head, looking dumbfounded. ¡°What? You don¡¯t have any food?¡± he says, clenching his fists as he turns back around. ¡°I mean I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t.¡± Yurei muttered, looking to the side. ¡°Give me the bag so I can look.¡± Shukan said. Yurei gave him her bag which, felt empty. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here, damn.¡± Shukan mutters while looking through Yurei¡¯s bag, in which he found no food. ¡°There are only weapons in here frosty. Were you so jolly that you forgot to pack food for us two?¡± Shukan hands the her bag back an with annoyed gesture. ¡°I knew this was a bad idea. Now we have no food, and its almost dark.¡± ¡°Stop being such a crybaby. We can find food on the way there; I¡¯m pretty sure this world still has some resources that aren¡¯t void touched.¡± Yurei said, trying to comfort Shukan. ¡° We can set up camp for the night over there.¡± She points ahead. Snow glows silver under the night sky brimming with stars and planets, it seems untouched, like it should be kept that way. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t be mad if I leave before you wake up.¡± Shukan said while looking at the place Yurei recommended. ¡°I know you won¡¯t leave me. Anyways we need to contact Chronos and Aetheron before we go to sleep for the day.¡± Yurei exclaimed in a low voice. ¡°How are we going to contact them? Or did they give you something I don¡¯t know about?¡± Shukan questioned. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what they did,¡± Yurei pulls a something out of her ice arm. ¡°This shard, is called a Resonator.¡± She raises the glowing pristine shard to eye level, reflecting off Shukan yellow eyes, almost taunting him with the look of it. ¡°What the hell is a ¡®Resonator¡¯? I mean it looks gorgeous but what is it?¡± ¡°Do you even know what Exirn is?¡± Yurei said in a mocking tone. ¡°Care to enlighten me?¡± Shukan intrigued, asked.. ¡°Exirn is an energy type made solely for the use of the God creator and the lesser creators, and then we have energy types made for those not of creator origin. An example of that will be Zeyth, an energy type that manifests during extreme combat; Another will be Auln, a condensed form of energy that resonates with abilities, like Shunogai ones,¡± Yurei pauses for a second, pondering what she should say next. ¡° Never mind, I ranted too much. Anyways the Resonator is a contact device that Aetheron helped me make using Auln.¡± ¡°You kind of lost me after you started explaining what Zeyth was; but anyway how can you contact them with¡­that?¡± Shukan murmured, trying to avoid another explanation. ¡° Also make it quick, or else I¡¯ll take the shard and do it myself.¡± ¡°Fine. Here¡¯s how you do it,¡± Yurei makes a gesture on the crystal, forming an icon of something.¡± What I just did was exert energy from my veins into the crystal. You¡¯ll need at least two people¡¯s energy registered on this crystal to talk to them,¡± she hands the crystal to Shukan with a gentle look. ¡°Which is why Aetherons energy is on here, can you feel it? ¡° ¡°Huh, I can feel it, never knew you and Aetheron were close like that. ¡°Shukan smirks handing the Resonator back to Yurei.¡± Anyways, I packed blankets, I¡¯m feeling tired so I might go to sleep, I¡¯ll get some firewood. Make sure to take a picture of the place so I can look at it before we destroy how good it looks.¡± One hour later, Shukan is gathering wood a fire, until he spots a bush full of Purple glowing berries that look absolutely delectable. ¡°Woah. Those things look cool as hell. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not void touched¡­right?¡± He moves closer to the berries, almost as if the bush is calling him.¡± I¡¯ll just take a little. Curiosity killed the cat huh? Well, I¡¯m not a cat. ¡°He takes a handful of the glowing purple berries, stashing some in his coat pockets before eating some. ¡°Man these things taste good.¡± He hears a twig snap, and he immediately grabs his daggers. ¡± Who¡¯s there?¡° Silence. The air shifted. He glanced at the berries, then back at the darkness. A shadow, barely perceptible, flickered in the corner of his vision. Shukan exhaled, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­I must be imagining things.¡± Back at the camp where Yurei is, a strange warmth covers the snow. ¡°This is weird. I feel like the snow is warm. I¡¯ll worry about that later. ¡°she looks into the sky with the stars of fluctuating colors looming over the forest as if their watching. ¡°Where¡¯s Shukan?¡± The faint glow of the snowy silver terrain sweeps across Shukans eyes as he arrives back at the camp.¡± Hey, I¡¯m back. I found some wood, it¡¯s wet though.¡± He drops the wood on the ground some meters away from Yurei, wiping his hands.¡± Okay, What about that Resonator? I¡¯ve been wanting to use it.¡± ¡°Well knowing you, it¡¯s not like you can wait for anything,¡± Yurei turns around digging in her bag for the shard.¡± Where is it¡­?¡± Yurei says in a low tone voice, while getting up to look for the shard. ¡°Sit down temper queen. It¡¯s in your arm, did you forget? ¡°Shukan says while grabbing Yurei¡¯s arm pulling her back down. ¡°Oh. Well, Er- ¡°She cuts herself off as she droops her head in embarrassment. ¡°Ok, here.¡± She mutters while pulling the Resonator out of her glowing ice arm.¡± Just focus your energy in here, and it should start glowing.¡± She says before she gets up to start a fire with the wood Shukan brought back. A Golden gleam of light sparked across Shukans eyes as he poured his energy into the shard. ¡°Is it supposed to be this glowy?¡± Shukan exclaims worriedly while looking at Yurei. The Resonator pulsed violently, its glow intensifying beyond what either of them expected. Shukan narrowed his eyes, watching as cracks of golden energy flickered across the shard¡¯s surface. "Oi, Frosty, I think I broke it." Yurei, who had just finished stacking the firewood, turned around with a raised brow. Her eyes immediately locked onto the overcharged Resonator in Shukan¡¯s hands. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "What the hell did you do?" she snapped, rushing toward him. "I did what you told me, poured my energy into it," Shukan shot back. "Didn¡¯t know it was gonna explode in my damn hands." Yurei reached out and snatched the Resonator from him, holding it up to inspect it. The glow pulsed erratically now, shifting between white and gold, as if something was struggling inside of it. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, the shard flared again. And the voices came. "¡ªthe Nexus is not stable¡± The first voice was faint, distorted, but unmistakable. Chronos. "¡ªpull back for now. It¡¯s reacting to something¡ªwait, no¡ª" Then, Aetheron¡¯s voice cut in, much clearer but sharper than usual. "Yurei, Shukan¡ªwhatever you¡¯re doing, STOP. The Resonator¡¯s link just spiked and¡ª" A deafening CRACK erupted from the shard. The ground beneath them trembled, sending loose snow cascading down from the nearby ridges. Shukan immediately leapt to his feet, daggers half-drawn as the air around them grew unnaturally still. Yurei¡¯s grip on the Resonator tightened, her breath visible in the cold air. "Uh. That¡¯s¡­ not normal," she muttered. No response from the Resonator. Just silence. And then¡ª A sound. Not from the shard. Not from the link to Chronos and Aetheron. But from somewhere nearby. It was faint¡ªa slow, dragging shift against the frozen ground. Both of them turned toward the sound at the same time. "Shukan." Yurei¡¯s voice was quieter now, her hand subtly raised toward her ice-arm. Shukan didn¡¯t respond. Because he could see it too. A shape. Not Void-touched. Not an ordinary beast. Just standing there. Watching. Waiting. And something about it felt wrong. The stillness stretched on, pressing against them like an unseen weight. The shape in the distance didn''t move, didn''t speak¡ªbut it was there. Watching. Yurei shifted slightly, her ice-arm glowing with a faint pulse. "That¡­ isn¡¯t Void, right?" Shukan didn''t answer immediately. He could feel something¡ªnot a presence, not a killing intent, but a pressure. Like whatever stood there didn''t belong in this world, yet refused to leave. "Frosty, keep your hand off that shard for a second." "Why¡ª" "Just do it." Yurei hesitated but lowered the Resonator slightly, cutting off her flow of energy to it. The glow dimmed, the humming noise fading into the dead air. The figure reacted immediately. It twitched. A subtle, unnatural jerk¡ªlike something waking up. Then, it stepped forward. A single, slow movement¡ªbut wrong. Like it wasn¡¯t walking through space, but forcing itself into existence with each step. Shukan¡¯s fingers curled around the hilt of his dagger. "Yeah, okay. That¡¯s enough for me¡ª" A sharp pulse erupted from the Resonator. The golden glow flared wildly, the link to Chronos and Aetheron snapping back online in a wave of unstable energy. "¡ªback away NOW¡ª!" Chronos¡¯ voice came through in a harsh, distorted command. Then, Aetheron¡ªhis usual tone completely absent. "That thing isn¡¯t supposed to be there." The figure stopped. For a moment, silence. Then, it spoke. A voice that didn¡¯t sound like a voice. More like an echo of something that had already been said, playing back from somewhere beyond reality. "¡­not supposed to be here¡­?" Yurei took a slow step back. Her instincts screamed at her to move, to run, to fight¡ª but her body felt like it was frozen in place. Shukan gritted his teeth. The air around them bent, the space around the figure glitching, distorting¡ªas if it wasn¡¯t fully formed. "Shukan¡ªYurei¡ª" Chronos¡¯ voice cut in, harsh and urgent. "Listen carefully. You need to leave. Now. That thing¡ª" The figure twitched again. The air shattered. A crack ripped through space, like glass breaking¡ªand suddenly, everything moved at once. The figure lunged. The second the figure lunged, space cracked apart like glass. It didn¡¯t move normally¡ªit wasn¡¯t running, wasn¡¯t teleporting. It was flickering. One second, it was ten feet away¡ªthe next, it was right in front of them. Shukan barely had time to react before his instincts screamed. He twisted to the side¡ªbut the thing¡¯s hand had already reached where his throat had been a fraction of a second ago. Too fast. Too unnatural. "Tch¡ªwhat the hell?!" Yurei didn¡¯t wait for an explanation. Her ice-arm pulsed violently, frost bursting outward as she formed a jagged spear in an instant¡ªthen she swung. The spear should have impaled the figure instantly. Instead¡ª The attack went straight through it. Like she had just stabbed into a mirage. "¡ªit¡¯s not real¡ª" Chronos¡¯ voice snapped through the Resonator, but it was too late. The figure¡¯s head jerked unnaturally, its entire body warping like a corrupted image. It didn¡¯t dodge. It didn¡¯t block. It just phased. Then it countered. The space behind Yurei ripped open. A shadowy limb, identical to the figure¡¯s, emerged from the distortion¡ªstriking toward her exposed side. But before it could land¡ª Jikan ignited. Golden streaks rippled across Shukan¡¯s vision. His dagger moved before he could even think¡ªa slice through air, through time itself. The shadowy limb froze mid-motion. Then, with a sharp distortion¡ªit was gone. But the figure itself didn¡¯t react. It simply twitched, as if it was¡­ adjusting. Yurei stumbled back, eyes wide. "What the hell was that?!" "It¡¯s adapting." Chronos¡¯ voice came through the Resonator sharper this time. "That thing¡ªwhatever it is¡ªit doesn¡¯t follow normal space. It exists across different versions of reality at once." Shukan gritted his teeth. "The hell does that mean for us?" "It means you can¡¯t fight it normally. It¡¯s not dodging your attacks¡ªit¡¯s choosing which version of itself exists at this moment." This thing wasn¡¯t just fast¡ªit was rewriting itself in real-time. The figure shifted again. The distortion around it grew stronger, more unstable. Then¡ªit spoke. Or rather¡ªsomething spoke through it. "¡ªthe knife that cuts time¡± "¡ªthe frost that refuses to break¡± "¡ªyou should not be here¡± Then it moved again. Faster this time. So fast that reality itself struggled to keep up. The figure flickered¡ªno, multiplied. At first, there was just one. Now, ten. A hundred. A thousand. Not copies. Possibilities. Each one of them existed simultaneously overlapping, shifting, choosing which one was "real" in each moment. "Nope," Shukan muttered, flipping his dagger. "Not dealing with this.¡± The air cracked. Ten figures attacked at once. Shukan moved instinctively. His dagger lashed out¡ªbut his blade passed through them like mist. Yurei tried to freeze the space around her, but her ice shattered before it could even form. The thing was adapting. Too fast. "¡ªShukan! Yurei! We¡¯re coming now!" Chronos¡¯ voice cut through the Resonator. "Don¡¯t let it touch you-¡± The moment the words left the Resonator, one of the figures reached Shukan. It didn¡¯t punch. It didn¡¯t slash. It simply placed its hand on his chest. And everything in Shukans vision twisted. The world snapped apart. He was standing on a battlefield¡ªno, thousands of battlefields at once. He saw himself. Fighting this thing and losing. Fighting this thing and winning. Not fighting at all, just standing in a void. Then, Not existing at all. Jikan reacted. A golden pulse exploded from his body¡ª forcing reality back into place. He staggered back into the real world, gasping. Yurei was beside him, her entire ice-arm glowing a violent, unstable blue. She looked at him, eyes wide. "It¡­ almost erased you." In the distance, two massive energy signatures exploded. Chronos and Aetheron arrived. Time bent. Light shattered. Chronos stepped through first, his form glitching as he forced himself into this broken reality. "That¡¯s enough of that." Time locked down for a split second¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t enough. The figure ADAPTED. It chose a version of itself that existed outside of time. And then¡ªit spoke again. "¡ªyou cannot bind what has no beginning.¡± Aetheron arrived next, descending in a violent burst of pink light. His wings ignited like supernovas, radiant energy scorching the air. "Oh, HELL no." He hurled a singularity of pure light toward the figure. The moment Aetheron¡¯s attack landed, the world bent. The light swallowed the figure whole, a radiant shockwave ripping across the frozen wasteland. For a second, it seemed like it was over. Then¡ª The light cracked. Like something was inside it. Waiting. Aetheron¡¯s expression dropped. ¡°No way¡ª¡± The figure shifted, twitching violently as its form glitched back into existence. It didn¡¯t stagger. It didn¡¯t recoil. It simply stood there. Its hollow voice echoed. "¡ªthank you¡ª" Yurei¡¯s breath caught. It wasn¡¯t damaged. It had evolved. Again. Shukan clenched his fists. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m done.¡± He turned to the others. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Now.¡± Chronos didn¡¯t argue. He had already begun moving. Golden lines of energy pulsed from his hands, threads of reality unraveling as he activated Law Rewrite. "Don¡¯t interfere," he commanded. His voice was sharp, controlled, but something in his posture was tense. Yurei frowned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Trying something.¡± Chronos'' golden energy flared, embedding itself into the very foundation of reality. Laws were shifting. "Rewrite: Existence Boundaries ¨C Lock This Entity to a Single Point in Time." A surge of golden energy erupted outward, weaving itself around the figure like an unbreakable cage. The world swirled. For a moment, the figure stopped moving. Then¡ª It twitched. Shukans stomach dropped. ¡°Oh, hell no¡ª¡± The energy around the figure shattered. The thing blinked out of the golden threads, reappearing outside of them¡ªuntouched. Chronos¡¯ eyes widened. His expression barely changed, but Shukan had known him long enough to see it. Law Rewrite¡­ didn¡¯t work. "Move," Chronos ordered, already turning. Shukan didn¡¯t need to be told twice. Aetheron blurred ahead, wings bursting with celestial energy as he prepared a barrier to cover their retreat. Yurei launched herself after him, her ice-arm surging with energy, creating a frozen path for them to follow. Shukan turned back for half a second¡ªjust enough to see the figure watching them. It didn¡¯t chase. It didn¡¯t need to. It was letting them go. And that terrified him more than anything. They weren¡¯t escaping. It was letting them leave. But why? Shukan forced himself to look away, sprinting after the others. Whatever it was, this fight was over. Chapter 3 LOCATION: A Collapsed Outpost, Near Fallen Nexus Shukan tossed a handful of dry wood into the pit, watching the embers catch on the brittle remains of a tree that¡¯s long dead. The flames flickered weakly against the cold, their light swallowed by the endless expanse of ruin stretching around them. It wasn¡¯t a good place to rest. But it was the best they had. Aetheron sat against a broken wall, arms crossed, his usual glow dimmed. His wings were pulled in tight, exhaustion creeping into his features for the first time in a long while. Chronos stood nearby, silent, eyes locking onto nothing. He hadn¡¯t spoken since they escaped. Yurei sat across from Shukan, leaning against her bag, her ice arm pulsing erratically. She was trying to ignore it, but the faint glow in her veins said otherwise. For a while, no one spoke. Then- ¡°Alright, so.¡± Shukan broke the silence. ¡°What the hell just happened back there?¡± Aetheron exhaled. ¡°You want the long version, or the version where I say ¡®we got our asses kicked¡¯ and we all go to sleep?¡± ¡°Hilarious,¡± Shukan muttered. He turned to Chronos. ¡°Your move didn¡¯t work. Why?¡± Chronos didn¡¯t react at first. Then, slowly, he spoke ¡°Law rewrite only works when something has rules.¡± His voice was calm, too calm. ¡°That¡­thing, didn¡¯t follow any.¡± Shukan felt a chill creep into his spine. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s outside of reality?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chronos finally turned to face them. ¡° I¡¯m saying it is reality, fractured. It wasn¡¯t moving through time, it wasn¡¯t teleporting. It was existing in every possible outcome and choosing which one to act through.¡± Silence. Yurei¡¯s grip on her ice-arm tightened. "...So what does it want?" "That¡¯s what I don¡¯t understand." Chronos'' voice was quieter now. "If it truly wanted us dead, it wouldn¡¯t have let us leave." Shukan frowned, tossing another stick into the fire. That part had been bothering him too. "So what?" he muttered. "It was just playing with us?" Aetheron shook his head. "Nah. It wasn¡¯t just fighting us. It was learning. Adapting. The longer we fought, the stronger it got." Chronos nodded. "And now it knows what we can do." The weight of that realization sank in. They hadn¡¯t escaped. They had given it everything it needed to be stronger next time. Shukan clicked his tongue, looking away. "Fantastic. Love that for us." Yurei exhaled through her nose. "We need to rest. We have bigger problems ahead." Aetheron stretched out, his glow flickering slightly. "Yeah. And the biggest problem is how we¡¯re getting into Fallen Nexus." Shukan smirked, leaning back. "Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out." Yurei rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of." The fire crackled softly, barely keeping the cold at bay. The fire had burned down to embers, casting flickering shadows across the ruins. Outside, the dead city loomed, silent and waiting. Shukan stretched his legs out, leaning back on his hands. "Alright, let¡¯s be real. You two¡ª" he gestured lazily at Chronos and Aetheron, "¡ªare basically walking targets. You can¡¯t just walk in there." Aetheron huffed. "Gee, thanks. Love the confidence." Yurei sat cross-legged, adjusting the edges of her dress. Her crimson eyes flicked toward Chronos. "He¡¯s right, though. The people here hate Shunogai. Even if you try to mask your presence, someone will notice eventually." Chronos remained silent, but Shukan could tell he was already calculating something. Aetheron sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So what, we just chill out here and hope nothing eats us while you two do all the work?" "More like you two find another way in." Yurei¡¯s voice was steady. "Fallen Nexus isn¡¯t just a fortress¡ªit¡¯s a broken city. There are underground passages, collapsed sectors, abandoned zones. You just need to find one that doesn¡¯t get you both killed." Shukan smirked. "Or, you know, you could just disguise yourselves as street performers." Aetheron shot him a deadpan look. "I will actually set you on fire." Chronos finally spoke. "There¡¯s an alternative." Everyone turned to him. "We create a diversion." Shukan raised an eyebrow. "What, set something on fire and run?" "Not exactly." Chronos¡¯ golden eyes flickered. "If we leak an energy surge near the outskirts, it¡¯ll draw attention away from the main entry points. While the guards investigate, you two slip inside undetected. We use that time to locate an alternate route." Yurei exhaled through her nose. "Risky. But it could work." Shukan tilted his head. "Yeah, but what are you two gonna use as bait? You?" Aetheron grinned. "Nah. We¡¯ve got something better." The Resonator pulsed. And through it, a single, unstable energy signature flared in the distance. Something was already inside Fallen Nexus. And it wasn¡¯t them. The fire''s embers cast long shadows against the crumbling walls. The group had just finalized their infiltration plan when a distant, rhythmic sound reached their ears¡ªa series of heavy thuds, growing steadily louder. Shukan''s eyes narrowed. "That doesn''t sound good." Yurei stood, her ice-arm shimmering faintly. "We need to check it out." The team moved cautiously toward the source of the noise, navigating through the maze of debris and twisted metal. As they approached, the ground trembled beneath their feet. Emerging into a clearing, they saw it: a massive, mechanized sentinel, patrolling the perimeter of Fallen Nexus. Its searchlights scanned the area methodically, and with each step, the earth quaked. Aetheron whispered, "That wasn''t there before." Chronos analyzed the sentinel''s movements. "It''s a new security measure. They''ve upgraded their defenses." Shukan clenched his fists. "Great. So much for sneaking in unnoticed." Yurei observed the sentinel''s pattern. "We need to disable it, or at least divert it, before we can proceed with our plan." Chronos nodded. "Agreed. But we must act quickly. The longer we wait, the higher the risk of detection." The team retreated to a safer distance to strategize. The sentinel loomed ahead, its massive frame barely visible through the mist of the ruins. Metal plating covered its entire form, but the energy pulsing from its core was unmistakably ancient. Something old, something that shouldn¡¯t still be running. Shukan crouched behind a crumbling wall, watching the machine patrol the perimeter with slow, heavy movements. Each step sent tremors through the dead ground. "So," he muttered, glancing at Chronos. "Can you actually shut this thing down, or are we about to waste our time?" Chronos didn¡¯t answer right away. His golden eyes traced the sentinel¡¯s structure, calculating. Then, finally: "If it follows a set system of laws, I can rewrite them." "And if it doesn¡¯t?" Yurei asked, ice-arm glowing faintly. Chronos exhaled. "Then we improvise." Chronos stepped forward, extending a hand. Golden energy flickered at his fingertips, spreading like threads through the air. Reality bent¡ªthe very rules governing the sentinel¡¯s movement, its function, its purpose¡ªbegan to unravel. "Rewrite: Override Operational Parameters. Cease All Hostile Functions." The sentinel froze mid-step. For a moment, it worked. The machine¡¯s core dimmed, its mechanisms slowing, almost as if it was accepting the new law. Then, without warning, it reactivated. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Not in resistance. Not in error. It adapted. The energy from its core shifted, as if searching for something¡ªand then it spoke. "Override detected. Recalculating operational law." The golden threads of Law Rewrite shattered. Chronos staggered slightly, his hand still extended. Shukan¡¯s stomach dropped. "Oh, hell no." Before anyone could react, the sentinel¡¯s core flared¡ªbright red. It had rewritten itself. "New priority detected: Source of interference identified." It turned its full attention to Chronos. Then it attacked. The moment Law Rewrite failed, Chronos stood still, eyes locked onto the machine as if trying to process what just happened. His ability wasn¡¯t rejected¡ªit was replaced. That shouldn¡¯t have been possible. "It rewrote itself?" Chronos muttered, barely audible. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Shukan was already moving. The sentinel lunged toward Chronos¡ªits arm shifting mid-motion, adapting its structure, preparing to kill the one who had tried to rewrite its function. Before it could land a blow, a dagger flashed. Shukan intercepted. With no strategy, no hesitation, he launched himself at the machine, one dagger slicing against its metal plating while the other plunged deep into the gaps between its shifting armor. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground. The sentinel reeled back. For a second, it was caught off guard. And Shukan grinned. "Yeah? You like that, tin can? Let¡¯s see how well you adapt to getting your ass kicked." Chronos barely registered what was happening. His mind was racing. "It rewrote itself." "Law Rewrite didn¡¯t fail¡ªit was absorbed. Converted." "What if I¡ªno, that wouldn¡¯t work. But if I changed the foundation of its laws rather than the parameters¡ª" Chronos'' golden eyes flickered. There were versions of Law Rewrite that even he hadn¡¯t attempted. Versions that were dangerous. Aetheron crossed his arms, watching Shukan go absolutely feral on the machine. "Uh, you wanna maybe help him before he gets crushed?" Chronos didn¡¯t respond. He was already rewriting his own understanding of Law Rewrite. Now, back to Shukan throwing hands with the machine. The sentinel tried to adapt. Its armor shifted, its movement recalibrated. Shukan didn¡¯t care, he just kept on swinging. His daggers clashed against shifting metal, slicing through energy nodes, shattering joints before they could restructure. The sentinel was adapting¡ªbut Shukan wasn¡¯t giving it the time to finish. It hadn¡¯t calculated this. Raw aggression. Pure instinct. A style of combat that didn¡¯t follow logic. It had evolved against Chronos¡¯ Law Rewrite. It had no defense against pure, chaotic violence. Shukan ducked under a massive swipe, flipping onto the sentinel¡¯s arm, driving his blade deep into its core plating. "Adapt to that, you oversized scrap heap." The sentinel lurched, energy surging erratically¡ªas if it didn¡¯t know what to do. Then, Chronos looked up. And he had an idea. The sentinel twitched violently. Its adaptive systems were overloading. It had rewritten itself multiple times, countering Law Rewrite, evolving mid-battle¡ªbut it had never calculated for someone like Shukan. Someone who didn¡¯t fight with structure. Someone who didn¡¯t fight with reason. Someone who just kept hitting it until it stopped working. "C¡¯mon, you bucket of bolts! Can¡¯t keep up?!" Shukan taunted, driving a dagger into the machine¡¯s exposed joint. The blade pierced through layers of metal, sending another erratic energy pulse through its systems. The sentinel staggered. It tried to calculate again¡ªto evolve. But it couldn¡¯t. It didn¡¯t know what to evolve into. Because Shukan wasn¡¯t following a pattern. He was switching stances mid-motion, alternating attacks between perfect precision and reckless, chaotic destruction. There was no "best adaptation" because there was no logic behind what he was doing. Chronos watched. Analyzed. And then¡ªhe understood. "I see now." Aetheron raised an eyebrow. "See what?" "Why I lost to it earlier." Chronos stood up, golden circuits flaring along his armor. "Law Rewrite failed because it focused on controlling a structure that was already evolving. But I was thinking too small." Aetheron crossed his arms. "Okay, genius, what¡¯s the move?" Chronos¡¯ golden energy surged. "If I can¡¯t rewrite it¡­"Chronos exhales with a smirk. "I¡¯ll overwrite its ability to adapt at all." Law Rewrite was about to go beyond anything he had ever attempted. The sentinel, damaged and confused, made a final, desperate move¡ªits core glowing violently, preparing an overload that would take Shukan down with it. But before it could activate¡ª Chronos moved. He raised his hand, and golden threads of rewritten law wrapped around the machine. "Rewrite: Evolution Stasis." The energy surrounding the sentinel froze mid-motion. It couldn¡¯t evolve. It couldn¡¯t counter. It couldn¡¯t even comprehend what was happening to it. For the first time in its existence¡ª It stopped adapting. Shukan saw his opening. Grinned. "Yo, Chronos¡ªabout time." Chronos exhaled. "Finish it." Shukan didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He flashed forward, daggers spinning in his hands. One step. Two. Then he struck. The daggers pierced deep into the sentinel¡¯s core¡ª And he ripped the energy straight out of its system. A massive shockwave burst outward, sending metallic debris flying as the sentinel collapsed. Shukan landed smoothly, flicking his blades as the last remnants of the machine¡¯s power faded. For a moment¡ªsilence. Then¡ªAetheron whistled. "Well, damn." The sentinel was gone. Its core had been ripped apart, its metallic husk reduced to scrap, and the faint hum of its adaptive systems had finally gone silent. For the first time since they arrived, the night felt still. Shukan rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms like he¡¯d just finished a light workout instead of a battle against an evolving death machine. He smirked, flicking his daggers before holstering them. "Damn, I love winning." Aetheron exhaled dramatically. "I hate that this actually worked." Yurei crossed her arms, giving Shukan a side-eye. "Did you even have a plan?" Shukan shrugged. "Yeah, hit it until it stops moving. Worked, didn¡¯t it?" Yurei sighed, rubbing her temples. "I swear, one day that¡¯s not going to work, and I¡¯m not saving you when it happens." Aetheron grinned. "Nah, I will, just so I can laugh at him afterward." Shukan placed a hand on his chest in mock appreciation. "Aww, you do care." Aetheron smirked. "I care about seeing you suffer in the most entertaining way possible." Chronos, meanwhile, hadn¡¯t moved. He stood still, staring at his own hand. The golden threads of rewritten law were still faintly visible around his fingertips, slowly fading. He was calculating. Replaying what just happened. "It worked," he murmured. Shukan raised an eyebrow. "No shit it worked. You figured that out just now?" Chronos ignored him. "I forced it to stop evolving. Not by restricting its functions, but by rewriting its ability to evolve itself at all." He clenched his fist. "That means Law Rewrite isn¡¯t just for changing systems. It can change the concept of change itself." That realization hit hard. Aetheron¡¯s smirk faded slightly. "...So, uh. That¡¯s terrifying." Yurei nodded. "Yeah, that¡¯s new." Shukan stretched, cracking his neck. "Yeah, yeah, you unlocked some reality-breaking power again. Congrats. Let¡¯s focus on the fact that I just soloed a war machine." Aetheron scoffed. "Chronos literally handed it to you on a plate." Shukan grinned. "And I ate." Yurei sighed. "Can we be serious for a second? We just fought a sentinel outside of Fallen Nexus. If they¡¯re using machines like this to guard the city, what the hell are we walking into?" Silence. Shukan exhaled. "...That¡¯s a good point.¡± The ruins stretched before them, vast and lifeless. Massive towers loomed overhead, their structures cracked but still standing. The city should have been abandoned¡ªbut the tension in the air said otherwise. Something was here. Watching. Shukan exhaled through his nose, gripping his daggers. "Alright, here¡¯s the plan. Yurei and I go in first¡ªwalk in like we belong there. You two find another way in." Aetheron, arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "And if something goes wrong?" Shukan smirked. "Then I¡¯ll improvise. You know, like always." Chronos, standing slightly apart from the group, was silent. His golden eyes scanned the massive gate, tracking the lingering energy signatures woven into its framework. Yurei glanced at him. "...Something wrong?" Chronos didn¡¯t answer right away. Then, ¡±This city was erased before. But it¡¯s still here." Shukan blinked. "Yeah? We already figured that out." Chronos'' voice was quiet but heavy. "That means whatever brought it back... is still inside." Silence. Aetheron clicked his tongue. "Alright. Love that. Just another reason why this is a terrible idea." Shukan rolled his shoulders. "Too late to back out now. Let¡¯s get moving." Shukan and Yurei approached the massive gates. The walls stretched endlessly into the sky, their surfaces etched with ancient markings, pulsating faintly with energy. The gates were slightly ajar¡ªjust enough to let someone slip through. Nobody was guarding them. That was the first sign something was wrong. "That¡¯s weird," Yurei muttered. "There should be guards posted here." "Maybe they got lazy." Shukan smirked, stepping forward. The moment they crossed the threshold¡ª The air shifted. A heavy pressure crashed down on them. Yurei stiffened, her ice-arm pulsing faintly in response. Shukan¡¯s fingers twitched toward his daggers. Something was off. Then¡ª A voice echoed through the empty street. "¡ªyou shouldn¡¯t be here¡ª" Shukan¡¯s heart pounded once. He turned his head slowly¡ªbut no one was there. Just the city. Silent. Waiting. The city was dead silent. Shukan and Yurei walked cautiously through the cracked streets, their footsteps echoing against the hollow remains of what was once a thriving civilization. Buildings stood half-collapsed, their insides long since emptied. Some still had lights flickering behind shattered windows. But they hadn¡¯t seen a single person. That voice they heard at the entrance? It hadn¡¯t spoken again. But it wasn¡¯t forgotten. Yurei¡¯s eyes scanned their surroundings. ¡°Are we gonna talk about that voice or just pretend we didn¡¯t hear it?¡± Shukan kept his pace steady, gripping his daggers inside his coat. ¡°No point wasting time on it. We¡¯ll figure it out sooner or later.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± Every now and then, they passed by buildings with symbols carved into their walls. Some were glowing faintly. Some looked like they had been burned into the stone. Some had been violently scratched out. Shukan glanced at one. ¡°The hell do you think these mean?¡± Yurei ran her fingers along one of the markings. It was cold. Too cold. Even to her. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± she muttered. ¡°But I feel like we¡¯re being watched.¡± Shukan¡¯s grip on his dagger tightened. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± Because every time he looked away from a building¡ª He swore the symbols changed. Further outside the city, Chronos and Aetheron stood in front of a collapsed underground passage. This was their way in. Aetheron exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. ¡°Alright, so. We go in, find another way to regroup with them, and try not to die. Sound about right?¡± Chronos wasn¡¯t listening. His eyes were locked on the stone entrance¡ªon the markings covering it. The same symbols that were inside the city. Aetheron noticed his silence and frowned. ¡°¡­Something wrong?¡± Chronos didn¡¯t answer right away. Then, quietly: ¡°I¡¯ve seen these before.¡± Aetheron raised an eyebrow. ¡°Uh. Cool. When?¡± Chronos¡¯ golden eyes flickered. ¡°¡­Back when Fallen Nexus was supposed to be erased.¡± Back to the other two, Shukan ran his hand along the strange symbols carved into the stone. Cold. Unnaturally cold. Yurei stood beside him, her ice-arm pulsing faintly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like this.¡± Shukan exhaled. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to check it out.¡± The building¡¯s interior was dark¡ªtoo dark. The deeper they walked, the more the outside world seemed to fade away. Then¡ª The symbols on the walls ignited. A blinding blue light flooded the room, and before they could react¡ª Reality snapped. They were somewhere else. Chapter 4 Skyscrapers stretched into the sky, their neon lights flickering like dying stars. The air smelled of ozone and metal. The ground beneath them was no longer stone¡ªbut some kind of smooth, reflective surface, like polished steel. Shukan immediately drew his daggers. ¡°¡­What the hell just happened?¡± Yurei spun around, scanning the streets. ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t Fallen Nexus.¡± The city was alive. Not in the way a normal city would be¡ªthere was no sound of people, no movement of cars¡ªonly the hum of massive machines lurking in the distance. Then, something even worse. The symbols from Fallen Nexus were here too. Glowing across the walls. Carved into the streets. They hadn¡¯t just been teleported. Shukan clicked his tongue. ¡°Nope. Not dealing with this.¡± His eye gleamed gold. Jikan activated. The air around him warped as he reached through time, attempting to drag them back to Fallen Nexus. But the moment he tried to pull them through¡ª Something stopped him. Not like before. Not like when Chronos¡¯ Law Rewrite failed. This wasn¡¯t resistance. This was possession. Jikan flickered¡ªglitching, distorting¡ªlike it wasn¡¯t fully under his control. Shukan¡¯s vision blurred. His body felt like it was being pulled in two different directions at once. Then, a voice. "¡ªThis is where you should be¡ª" Shukan gritted his teeth, forcing more power into Jikan. Another voice. This one different. "¡ªYou cannot overwrite what is already written¡ª" Then¡ª A shockwave exploded outward. Shukan and Yurei were thrown back, crashing against the smooth metal street. His eye dimmed. Jikan had been shut down. Yurei staggered to her feet, staring at him. ¡°¡­Did that just¡­ fail?¡± Shukan clenched his fists. ¡°No.¡± He looked up at the glowing symbols on the skyscrapers, his golden eyes burning. ¡°Something shut it down.¡± Yurei¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Then we have a problem.¡± They weren¡¯t just stuck. Something wanted them here. They had been brought here on purpose. Shukan spat out blood, wiping his mouth. He was done with this place. First, they got teleported to somewhere that shouldn¡¯t even exist.Then, Jikan got shut down. No way in hell was he just gonna sit here. Yurei glanced at him. ¡°¡­You¡¯re thinking something reckless, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shukan cracked his neck. ¡°Of course I am.¡± He dashed forward, daggers glowing with golden energy, and slashed straight into the nearest building. The structure CRACKED under the force of his attack. A ripple of golden energy surged outward¡ªhis power expanding beyond just one strike. The air twisted. The skyscrapers groaned, their metal foundations distorting as time itself wavered under Jikan¡¯s influence. Shukan was trying to erase this city from reality. For a second, it worked. The buildings started to vanish. The neon streets blinked in and out of existence. The world was breaking. Then¡ªThe city RESPONDED. Then he moved. Yurei spun around. ¡°¡­Shukan.¡± He barely had time to react¡ªbefore the first of the robotic guards dropped from above. One. Ten. Fifty. More and more poured in, their bodies sleek, jagged, and inhuman. Their movements were too smooth, too perfect, as if they weren¡¯t following normal physics. They weren¡¯t just responding to his attack. They had been waiting for it. Shukan clicked his tongue. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡± The first guardian lunged, and the fight was on. Chronos froze mid-step. Aetheron immediately noticed. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s not normal. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chronos¡¯ golden circuits pulsed violently. Reality had just been distorted somewhere nearby. Something, no, someone had just tried to rewrite existence. Chronos¡¯ mind raced. Jikan. That was Jikan¡¯s energy. Which meant Shukan had just tried to destroy something¡ªand it had fought back. Chronos clenched his fists. Something had just OVERWRITTEN Shukan¡¯s ability. Aetheron frowned. ¡°Yo. Talk to me. What the hell is happening?¡± Chronos¡¯ voice was calm. Too calm. ¡°¡­Shukan and Yurei aren¡¯t in Fallen Nexus anymore.¡± Yurei spun, slashing through one of the robotic Guardians. It shattered into shards of glowing metal, but another one was already moving in to take its place. Shukan¡¯s daggers flashed through the air, cutting through the machines, but there were too many. No matter how many they destroyed, more kept coming. The city was fighting back. Then, Everything went still. The Guardians stopped moving. Shukan and Yurei froze, breathing heavily, waiting for the next attack. But nothing happened. A sound echoed through the empty streets. A low, distorted hum. A voice, layered and broken. "¡ªFound you¡ª" Yurei¡¯s blood ran cold. It was here. From the shadows of the cybernetic city, it emerged. The figure that had overwhelmed them before. The thing that adapted to everything. It had learned from their last battle. And now, it wanted them dead. Shukan immediately moved, daggers already in hand. "Oh, HELL no." He lunged forward¡ª And got knocked back instantly. The figure didn¡¯t even let him get close. It had already adapted to his speed. Yurei threw up a frozen barrier, trying to slow it down¡ªbut the moment her ice touched it, the figure¡¯s body shifted. It copied her ability. Its arm turned to ice¡ªthen shattered the barrier like it was nothing. Yurei stumbled back, eyes wide. It¡¯s even faster than before. Shukan rolled to his feet, eyes blazing. ¡°Tch. Alright. You want a rematch? Let¡¯s go.¡± The figure tilted its head. Watching. Calculating. Then it spoke. "¡ªJikan¡­ does not belong to you¡ª" Shukan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. "¡­What?" The figure didn¡¯t answer. It just attacked. Chronos stopped walking. Aetheron saw the look on his face and knew something was wrong. ¡°¡­Oh. That¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Reality trembled. Aetheron FELT it now. Not just Jikan¡¯s energy. Not just Shukan¡¯s power. Something else. Something WRONG. Chronos¡¯ voice was quiet."It¡¯s here." Aetheron frowned. "What¡¯s here?" Chronos clenched his fists. ¡°The thing we ran from.¡± Chronos stopped walking. Aetheron saw the look on his face and knew something was wrong. ¡°¡­Oh. That¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Reality trembled. Aetheron FELT it now. Not just Jikan¡¯s energy. Not just Shukan¡¯s power. Something else. Something WRONG. Chronos¡¯ voice was quiet. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "It¡¯s here." Aetheron frowned. "What¡¯s here?" Chronos clenched his fists. ¡°The thing we ran from.¡± It finally hit Shukan. He couldn¡¯t win. Not at this level. Shukan moved. He didn¡¯t think. He didn¡¯t plan. He just ran. One second, he was standing in front of a monster that couldn¡¯t be beaten.The next¡ªhe was already gone. Yurei barely registered what happened. One moment, she was bracing for death. The next¡ªher entire body was weightless, the world blurring into streaks of neon and metal. Shukan had grabbed her and MOVED. Not teleportation. Not time manipulation. Just PURE speed. Too fast. Too fast even for himself. For the first time in his life¡ªhis body was ahead of his own thoughts. His mind couldn¡¯t keep up. The city twisted around him¡ªbuildings warping, colors blurring into streaks of gold and blue. He tried to think¡ªbut his brain was too slow. For the first time, Shukan felt what it was like to be left behind by his own power. It was terrifying. But he didn¡¯t stop. Because if he did¡ªthey were dead. The moment Shukan disappeared, the figure twitched. It adapted. The Guardians were already moving, recalibrating, tracking the energy signature. But the figure didn¡¯t follow. Instead¡ªit watched. "¡ªJikan¡­ is still incomplete¡ª" "¡ªHe is still¡­ unworthy¡ª" "¡ªRun, then. It will not matter¡ª" "¡ªI will take it soon¡ª" Then, it vanished. It didn¡¯t need to chase. It already knew where they were going. Chronos staggered back, gripping his head. Something just SHATTERED the flow of time. Aetheron¡¯s wings flared. "What the hell was THAT?!" Chronos'' voice was sharp. "Shukan just ran."He snapped his head up. "No¡ªhe FLED." Chronos didn¡¯t just sense movement¡ªhe sensed something NEW. A speed so great that even Jikan was struggling to keep up. Aetheron clenched his fists. ¡°¡­That means it found them.¡± Chronos exhaled sharply. "We need to move. Now." Aetheron felt it before he saw it. The air twisted. Reality warped. Then¡ª It was just there. The figure stood before them, its form shifting¡ªunstable, glitching in and out of existence. Chronos'' golden circuits flared. "¡­No." Aetheron¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve gotta be kidding me.¡± The thing they had RUN FROM was standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM. And this time¡ªit wasn¡¯t waiting. "¡ªChronos¡ª" The voice was wrong. Layered. Broken. "¡ªYou have something I require¡ª" Chronos stiffened. He already knew. Law Rewrite. It wasn¡¯t just after Jikan. It wanted both. Jikan governs time. Law Rewrite governs the very rules of existence. If it took both¡ª it wouldn¡¯t just be unbeatable. It would CONTROL REALITY ITSELF. Chronos¡¯ golden eyes burned. ¡°Over my dead body.¡± The figure responded by attacking IMMEDIATELY. The figure MOVED. Faster than last time. Faster than Chronos had ever seen. It closed the distance in an instant, its hand warping into a jagged, shifting blade¡ª It was aiming for Chronos¡¯ core. Aetheron reacted first. A BLAST of radiant energy EXPLODED from his palm¡ª But the figure ADAPTED. The moment the attack touched it¡ª it absorbed the energy and FIRED IT BACK at Aetheron TENFOLD. BOOM. Aetheron was sent CRASHING through the underground tunnel, smashing through walls. Chronos didn¡¯t flinch. Golden circuits surged. "LAW REWRITE: CEASE ATTACK FUNCTION.¡± The command struck the figure¡ªbut instead of stopping¡ª It laughed. "¡ªI have already evolved past that command¡ª" Chronos¡¯ stomach dropped. It had kept the immunity from their last battle. Law Rewrite wouldn¡¯t stop it anymore. And now, it was coming for him. The figure STRUCK. Chronos barely dodged¡ªbut the sheer force of the attack shattered the stone behind him. Aetheron pulled himself from the rubble, shaking off the hit. "Okay¡ªNOW I¡¯m mad." He flashed forward, wings glowing¡ªslamming a concentrated blast of radiant force at the figure¡¯s back. It hit. HARD. BOOM. The tunnel collapsed around them. For a moment, silence. Then¡ª "¡ªPredictable¡ª" The figure stepped out of the dust¡ªcompletely unharmed. "¡ªYou cannot defeat me. I have already seen this outcome¡ª" Chronos gritted his teeth. It¡¯s already adapting again¡­ They couldn¡¯t beat this thing with conventional attacks. Which meant only one option was left. They had to escape. Shukan skidded to a stop, boots scraping against the smooth metal street. He felt it. Chronos. Aetheron. Their energy. Above? No. Underground. Reality had shifted. Shukan¡¯s golden eyes flashed. ¡°Oh, hell no.¡± Then he MOVED. He crouched. Energy surged through his legs. Then he JUMPED. Shukan Jumps So Hard He Breaks Reality The force shattered the ground beneath him. He wasn¡¯t just jumping. He was PIERCING THROUGH EXISTENCE ITSELF. The air around him fractured¡ªThe sky twisted¡ª The very laws of reality BENT under his speed. For a brief second, Shukan SAW it. The layers of existence. The distortions that hid Chronos and Aetheron. He wasn¡¯t just moving through space. He was TEARING THROUGH DIMENSIONS. Meanwhile ¨C Chronos & Aetheron The figure was seconds away from killing Chronos. Aetheron had already moved¡ªbut they were too slow. "¡ªThis outcome is already decided¡ª" The figure¡¯s blade-arm swung¡ªaiming straight for Chronos¡¯ core. Then everything BROKE. A sonic explosion of raw force CRACKED through the underground tunnel¡ª And a golden blur SLAMMED into the figure, sending it FLYING through the walls. The impact shattered the ceiling. Chronos barely processed what just happened. One second, he was about to die. The next¡ª Shukan stood in front of him. Breathing heavily. Eyes BURNING with golden light. Jikan was flaring uncontrollably. And for the first time ever¡ªJikan wasn¡¯t just active. It was ANGRY. Jikan Wants the Figure DEAD Jikan doesn¡¯t feel emotions¡­ but right now, it is FURIOUS. The Figure messed with something it SHOULDN¡¯T HAVE. Shukan clenched his fists. He felt it. Not just power¡ªpure, overwhelming HATRED. Jikan HATED THIS THING. Shukan smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Damn, Jikan. Never felt you like this before." Chronos stared at him. ¡°¡­What did you just do?¡± Shukan turned his head slightly, eyes still glowing. "I stopped running." The figure emerged from the rubble, completely unharmed. But for the first time¡ªit hesitated. Because now, Jikan wasn¡¯t just watching. Jikan was HUNTING. The Figure emerged from the rubble. Its form shifted, warped, and glitched¡ªadapting AGAIN. It had never lost. It had only evolved. But something was different now. It hesitated. A fraction of a second. And that¡¯s when Jikan spoke to Shukan. Not in words. Not in visions. In certainty. It already knew what would happen next. Chronos¡¯ golden circuits flickered. Something in his mind shifted. Not a voice. Not a command. A realization. Law Rewrite wasn¡¯t a power¡ªit was a perspective. It had always known the rules. It was simply waiting for Chronos to notice them. "It does not know what it is." "It does not know what it has become." "It is evolving toward nothing." Chronos¡¯ breath hitched. Law Rewrite PITTIED the Figure. Because the Figure wasn¡¯t ¡°winning.¡± It was simply changing, endlessly, forever¡ªwithout reason. That¡¯s why Jikan already knew. The Figure¡¯s evolution had no destination. It was just running in circles. The Figure TWISTED. Its form exploded outward, breaking into dozens of shifting versions of itself¡ªeach one rewriting its existence in real-time. It was evolving past identity. Past form. It was trying to become something Jikan couldn¡¯t predict. But Jikan didn¡¯t care. Because this outcome was already decided. Before it even happened, Jikan had already accounted for it. Shukan smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Too slow." The Figure stood in its new form. It was no longer one being. It had multiplied. Dozens of shifting, fractured versions of itself glitched in and out of existence. Each one evolving, rewriting, adapting in real time. It had evolved past form. Past identity. It was becoming something beyond recognition. Something that should have been impossible to predict. But¡ª Jikan had already seen it happen. And Jikan had already rejected it. The moment the Figure reached its "new form"¡ªit GLITCHED. It flickered. Its body SHATTERED inward, collapsing on itself¡ª As if it had evolved into something that wasn¡¯t allowed to exist. Because Jikan had decided it would not. The Figure twitched. For the first time ever¡ªit hesitated. It tried to evolve AGAIN¡ª But Jikan SHUT IT DOWN. Shukan¡¯s golden eye blazed. "Yeah, no. You''re done." Before the Figure could adapt¡ªits form FROZE MID-EVOLUTION. It wasn¡¯t being erased. It wasn¡¯t being rewritten. It was being DENIED. It couldn¡¯t move. It couldn¡¯t adapt. Because Jikan had already determined this outcome was over. The Figure twitched violently. It was trying to force another change¡ªtrying to escape. But Jikan wasn¡¯t letting it. It couldn¡¯t evolve anymore. For the first time¡ªit was TRAPPED in its own body. The evolution it had relied on, the power that made it unstoppable¡ªwas now its cage. For the first time ever¡ªit felt FEAR. And Jikan knew. "¡ªYou should not exist¡ª" The golden energy in Shukan¡¯s eye flared. Jikan was about to END IT. The Figure twitched, body still flickering, still trying to evolve¡ª But Jikan had shut it down. It couldn¡¯t move properly. It couldn¡¯t adapt. It was weak. Vulnerable. For the first time ever¡ªit was a target. Shukan took a deep breath, his golden eye dimming slightly. He could feel it. Jikan had won. It didn¡¯t need to fight anymore. The Figure froze in place. Then¡ª Jikan let it go. The moment the pressure lifted, the Figure MOVED. It glitched backward¡ªdistorting, reforming¡ª It fled into the collapsing tunnels. It was running. But it didn¡¯t realize¡­ it had already lost. Chronos watched it disappear into the darkness. His golden circuits pulsed. Law Rewrite whispered to him again. "It has no future." Chronos sighed, tilting his head slightly. ¡°¡­Yeah. I know.¡± Then, he raised his hand. And rewrote the Figure¡¯s fate. Deep in the tunnels¡ª The Figure twitched. It had escaped. It had survived. Or at least¡­ it thought it had. Then¡ªit froze. Something was wrong. It tried to move¡ªbut its body wouldn¡¯t respond. It tried to evolve¡ªbut the command never activated. Then it realized. Its future had already been decided. Chronos had rewritten its fate before it even reached the exit. It was already dead. It just hadn¡¯t caught up yet. And then¡ª It ceased to exist. No explosion. No scream. Just nothing. Chronos lowered his hand. Aetheron whistled. ¡°Damn. That was kinda cold.¡± Chronos exhaled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t necessary to kill it before.¡± "But it was never going to survive after running away." Shukan cracked his neck, smirking. ¡°So¡­ we good?¡± Jikan pulsed softly in his eye¡ªCalm again. Chronos nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± The Figure was gone. For good. The dust settled. The Figure was gone. Jikan¡¯s presence had dimmed, its golden energy pulsing faintly in Shukan¡¯s eye. It was satisfied. Shukan took a deep breath¡ª And then the fatigue hit him like a landslide. His legs collapsed beneath him. Chapter 5 His whole body felt like lead. He crashed to the ground, barely catching himself on his arms. His vision blurred. His breathing was ragged. For a second¡ªhe didn¡¯t even understand what was happening. Then it clicked. He had been moving too fast for his own body to process. Now? He was paying for it. Aetheron turned at the sound of Shukan hitting the ground. ¡°Yo¡ª?¡± He was beside him in an instant, kneeling down. ¡°Shukan? Hey¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong?¡± Shukan gritted his teeth. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t¡­ move.¡± His legs felt dead. Like they weren¡¯t even part of him anymore. Chronos watched carefully, his golden circuits flickering as he analyzed the situation. ¡°His body isn¡¯t damaged.¡± ¡°It¡¯s his perception catching up to him.¡± Aetheron frowned. ¡°Meaning?¡± Chronos exhaled. ¡°His body overclocked past its limit. Now it''s trying to force a full shutdown to compensate.¡± Shukan clicked his tongue. ¡°Tch¡­ I really hate science right now.¡± Jikan pulsed softly. For a moment, Shukan felt it in his mind. Not words. Not a voice. A quiet confirmation. Jikan had known this would happen. It had let him push past the limits¡ªbut only because it was necessary. Aetheron exhaled, shaking his head. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re not dying, so that¡¯s good.¡± He grabbed Shukan by the arm and threw him over his shoulder. ¡°Up you go, dumbass.¡± Shukan groaned. ¡°I hate you.¡± Aetheron grinned. ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯ll walk it off.¡± Except he wouldn¡¯t. Because Shukan still couldn¡¯t feel his legs. Chronos stood nearby, watching. ¡°¡­He needs rest.¡± Aetheron raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, you mean AFTER we figure out how to survive in the middle of FALLEN NEXUS?¡± Chronos was silent for a moment. Then¡ª He turned toward the exit. ¡°¡­We move. Now.¡± The shift was instant. One second, they had been in a dead city, fighting for their lives. Now¡ªthe streets were ALIVE. Laughter echoed through the air.Bright lanterns glowed above, bathing the city in warm colors.Food stalls, music, bustling crowds¡ªit looked like a festival. But it wasn¡¯t real. It was TOO joyful. Shukan, still slumped against Aetheron, groaned. ¡°¡­Did we die?¡± Aetheron smirked. "If we did, hell¡¯s got great food." No one looked at them. No one reacted. People walked past them, around them, through them¡ªlike they weren¡¯t even there. Chronos narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­This isn¡¯t right.¡± Then¡ªYurei grabbed Shukan and broke off from the group. Because someone was watching them. She had been standing on a rooftop. A girl in a black coat, face hidden beneath a white mask. The first person to actually see them. Yurei stopped beneath the building, adjusting Shukan against her shoulder. The masked figure tilted their head. Then they turned¡ªand walked away. They wanted to be followed. Shukan groaned. ¡°¡­Yurei. Don¡¯t. Follow. Creepy. Mask. Lady.¡± Yurei rolled her eyes. "Too late." She leapt onto the rooftops and chased after them. Chronos and Aetheron moved further into town, weaving through the cheerful, unsettling crowd. Patterns. Chronos saw them instantly. The people were looping. A man at a food stall took a bite of food, laughed, and repeated the motion exactly the same way. A group of kids ran down the street¡ªthen appeared again seconds later, doing the exact same thing. A woman in a red dress smiled at them¡ªbut when they looked away and back, she was in the EXACT same position, smiling like she had never moved. Chronos clenched his fists. "This place is FAKE." Aetheron¡¯s expression darkened. "Then let¡¯s find what¡¯s real." They move toward the town¡¯s center¡ªwhere the joy feels strongest. Yurei landed lightly on the rooftop. The masked girl¡ªMadona¡ªwas standing at the edge, back turned to them, looking down at the festival-like streets below. Yurei set Shukan down, but kept a tight grip on her ice-arm. ¡°Alright, enough games. Who the hell are you?¡± The girl didn¡¯t turn around. She just chuckled. ¡°¡­So you can see through it too.¡± Shukan, still slumped against the wall, groaned. ¡°Yeah, yeah. The town¡¯s fake, everyone¡¯s a puppet, blah blah¡ªget to the part where you explain what¡¯s going on.¡± Madona finally turned to face them. She pulled off her mask. Underneath¡­ she looked completely normal. A young woman, dark eyes, tired expression, short messy hair. But something was off. Her face was flickering. Like she was stuck between being real and unreal. Madona sighed, stretching. ¡°Alright, fine. Since you two are so impatient¡­ my name¡¯s Madona.¡± "And this? This town? It¡¯s a joke.¡± Yurei frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Madona smirked, pointing at the streets below. ¡°This town is a perfect dream. A paradise. It¡¯s designed to keep people HAPPY forever.¡± ¡°The only problem? The people here don¡¯t exist.¡± Yurei and Shukan exchanged glances. Shukan muttered. ¡°...Okay, I¡¯m too damn tired for this.¡± Madona shrugged. ¡°Too bad. You¡¯re in it now.¡± Before Yurei could ask more¡ªMadona¡¯s flickering increased. She grabbed her head, wincing. And suddenly¡ªTHE ENTIRE TOWN STOPPED MOVING. Every single person below froze in place. Like someone had just PAUSED reality. Madona¡¯s eyes snapped to them. ¡°Shit¡ªThey noticed us.¡± ¡°We need to move. NOW.¡± Everything was silent. Shukan could barely keep his eyes open. His body still wasn¡¯t responding, but he could hear them talking. Then he heard the SNAP. Yurei stiffened. ¡°¡­Did you hear that?¡± SNAP. SNAP. SNAP. Every single "person" in the town had just twisted their heads toward them. Like broken dolls on rusted hinges. Their eyes were GONE. Just empty voids staring straight at them. Shukan¡¯s exhaustion vanished instantly. ¡°¡­Oh, hell no.¡± Then the screaming started. The townspeople¡¯s bodies twisted, bones stretching, mouths splitting open wider than they should. Their arms and legs bent the wrong way, fingers extending into jagged claws. Then they CHARGED. Chronos and Aetheron, still deeper in town, felt it before they saw it. Reality itself SHOOK. Chronos¡¯ golden circuits flared violently. Aetheron whirled around. ¡°Okay, THAT is not normal.¡± Then they saw it. Dozens. No, HUNDREDS of "people" were mutating, twisting, and RUSHING toward one direction. Chronos immediately understood. "Shukan and Yurei." They MOVED. The eldritch townspeople were TOO FAST. Yurei grabbed Shukan, throwing him onto her back as she prepared to run¡ªbut they were already surrounded. Madona hissed, ¡°You idiots took too long!¡± ¡°MOVE. NOW.¡± Then¡ªa golden flash. Chronos and Aetheron ARRIVED, snatching up Shukan and Yurei. Chronos grabbed Yurei by the arm and PULLED HER INTO A TIME-STEP. Aetheron swooped down, hooking his arms under Shukan and launching into the sky. The creatures SCREAMED. The entire town was now chasing them. Madona, already ahead, shouted: "FOLLOW ME! We need to get OUT before the real nightmare shows up!" Shukan, still barely processing, muttered: "THAT WASN¡¯T THE REAL NIGHTMARE?!" They ran for what felt like forever. The monstrous townspeople chased them through twisting alleys, across rooftops, through abandoned markets¡ª But eventually, the horrors stopped following. Madona led them deep into the ruins, through a passage disguised as a collapsed building. The place was small, dimly lit, packed with old maps, glowing artifacts, and shelves lined with strange data pads. Madona leaned against a table, catching her breath. ¡°Alright. Sit down. You guys need an explanation.¡± Chronos crossed his arms. ¡°No arguments there.¡± Aetheron was still tense. ¡°That whole town was a damn trap. What the hell was that?¡± Madona ran a hand through her messy hair, sighing. "Fallen Nexus is a lie. This city isn¡¯t supposed to exist anymore." "Everything here is either a memory¡ªOR a nightmare that doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s dead." Yurei narrowed her eyes. ¡°And the people?¡± Madona¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Not people. Just echoes of something that USED to be.¡± ¡°And when something living steps inside?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°The city tries to make you part of the illusion.¡± Shukan sat against the wall, still exhausted. He wasn¡¯t even listening anymore. All he could think about was this: ¡°We came here for ONE THING.¡± ¡°ONE. DAMN. THING.¡± ¡°To learn why there were intelligent Void creatures.¡± ¡°And now we¡¯re stuck in horror town, dealing with ghosts, eldritch nightmares, and a girl who may or may not be real.¡± ¡°How the HELL did we get stuck doing SIDE QUESTS?!¡± He sighed heavily, rubbing his face. Aetheron, noticing his look, smirked. ¡°Something wrong, fearless leader?¡± Shukan just glared at him. "I''m about to side quest my foot into your damn face." Madona could feel it. They didn¡¯t trust her. Chronos¡¯ golden eyes flickered, analyzing her movements.Yurei had her arms crossed, ice-arm pulsing faintly.Aetheron leaned back against the wall, arms folded, watching. And Shukan? Shukan was still sitting on the floor, barely giving a shit. He exhaled. ¡°¡­Alright, I¡¯ll bite. Why the hell are you flickering like a damn broken screen?¡± Madona smirked. ¡°Because I¡¯m not supposed to exist.¡± Before they could question her, she raised a hand. Then she stepped forward¡ªright through the table. Yurei¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What.¡± Her entire body glitched, shifting between real and unreal, flickering like a dying projection. Then¡ªshe walked BACK out of the table, solid again. She sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°Like I said¡ªFallen Nexus is a lie.¡± ¡°It was erased. The real city doesn¡¯t exist anymore.¡± ¡°And I? I was erased along with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a memory of someone who died here.¡± ¡°And the only reason I still exist¡­ is because the city won¡¯t let me leave.¡± Silence. Chronos narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯re a ghost?¡± Madona chuckled. ¡°If that helps you sleep at night, sure.¡± Shukan blinked. Then he sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the wall. ¡°Okay. Fine. Sure. Why the hell not.¡± ¡°Because at this point, this city is just throwing every horror trope at us.¡± ¡°Ghosts? Check.¡± Eldritch monsters? Check.¡± ¡°Fake reality? Check.¡± ¡°Next thing you¡¯re gonna tell me is that we¡¯re not actually awake.¡± Madona smirked. ¡°You sure you are?¡± Shukan immediately sat up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯M gonna kill you now.¡± Chronos was still skeptical. ¡°If you¡¯re just a ¡®memory,¡¯ how are you aware of it?¡± Madona shrugged. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t fade like the others.¡± ¡°Something¡ªor someone kept me here.¡± ¡°And I need to find out why.¡± ¡°Because if I don¡¯t¡­¡± Her flickering increased. ¡°I¡¯m gonna disappear.¡± ¡°And something else is gonna take my place.¡± And whatever that was¡­ wasn¡¯t going to be friendly. The ground shook violently. Glass cracked. Shelves toppled. Dust rained from the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t just a tremor. It was a WARNING. Chronos snapped to attention, golden circuits flashing. ¡°¡­That wasn¡¯t natural.¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed cold. ¡°That was a Void Tremor.¡± Shukan, still slumped against the wall, blinked. ¡°¡­Well. That¡¯s great. Love that for us.¡± Aetheron sighed, flexing his wings. ¡°Alright, for those of us who aren¡¯t experts on this hellhole, what does that mean?¡± Chronos'' voice was sharp. "It means there are too many Void creatures. The planet is trying to force them out." Yurei finished the thought. ¡°¡­Which means they¡¯re about to start pouring out of whatever cracks just opened.¡± Shukan exhaled slowly. ¡°Side quest or not, we¡¯re about to be drowning in Void.¡± Madona, who had been listening quietly, suddenly tensed. Her glitching got worse. ¡°¡­No. No no no, this is bad.¡± ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be HERE.¡± Chronos immediately caught that. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Madona¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°Void creatures don¡¯t belong in Fallen Nexus.¡± ¡°Something is letting them IN.¡± And whatever was doing it¡­ wasn¡¯t finished yet. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Yurei¡¯s voice was sharp as she closed the door behind her. Chronos¡¯ golden circuits flickered. "How many?" ¡°A lot. But that¡¯s not what¡¯s weird.¡± Aetheron raised an eyebrow. ¡°Weird how?¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed again, reacting to her unease. ¡°They¡¯re not acting like Void creatures.¡± Silence. Shukan, still on the floor, groaned. ¡°¡­Great. Love that. Can¡¯t wait to find out what that means.¡± Aetheron suddenly grinned. ¡°Alright, then. Time for a stealth mission.¡± He pulled something from his side¡ªa dark, worn-out cloak. ¡°Illnath¡¯s Cloak. It¡¯ll keep you hidden.¡± Yurei stared at him. ¡°You had that this whole time?¡± Aetheron shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t need it until now.¡± ¡°Go find out what¡¯s really happening.¡± Yurei exhaled, then pulled the cloak over her shoulders. Her body faded. Yurei moved through the streets, completely invisible. Illnath¡¯s Cloak worked. She had tested it before leaving¡ªher body was fully concealed. But she made one mistake. She had masked her footsteps.She had kept her breathing quiet.She had stayed in the shadows. But she didn¡¯t suppress her energy signature. And the town noticed. SNAP. Every villager turned their head toward her. They saw nothing¡ªbut they FELT her. Yurei froze. Her heart slammed in her chest. They weren¡¯t attacking. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. They were just STARING. Acknowledging her. Like a system recognizing a foreign entity. She had triggered something. The air around her shifted. A voice. Not from the villagers. Not from the Void creatures. Something else. "¡ªYou are not supposed to be here¡ª" Her entire body went cold. Before she could react, something CHANGED. The villagers ALL took a step toward her. As if waiting for her next move. Yurei didn¡¯t hesitate. She launched herself into the air, ice forming instantly beneath her feet. A jagged spike SHOT from the ground, propelling her higher. Before gravity could pull her back down¡ªshe created ANOTHER ice platform in midair, pushing forward. Run. Jump. Create. Repeat. She was now LITERALLY running across the sky. Below her, the villagers glitched violently. One second, they were normal. Smiling. Laughing. Too perfect.Then next, their bodies SNAPPED into nightmare shapes. Then, THEY MOVED. Too fast. They started CLIMBING buildings¡ªcrawling like insects, moving with no regard for physics. Their necks twisted unnaturally, keeping their gaze LOCKED on her. Then¡ªTHEY STARTED JUMPING. One after another, LEAPING toward her, stretching, distorting, glitching THROUGH the air. Yurei gritted her teeth. Stealth was a joke now. She RIPPED OFF Illnath¡¯s Cloak, tossing it to the wind. "Yeah, THAT¡¯S not helping anymore." The tremors hadn¡¯t stopped. Inside the hideout, Shukan, Aetheron, Chronos, and Madona felt the shift in the air. Then they heard it. A distant, unholy SCREECH. Aetheron immediately stood up. ¡°¡­That¡¯s her, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chronos¡¯ circuits pulsed. "She¡¯s in pursuit." Shukan groaned. "You mean she''s BEING pursued." Madona''s glitching got worse. "This is bad. If she was detected, that means he''s going to wake up soon." Aetheron narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell is ''he''?" Madona looked at them, deadly serious. "The thing that actually RUNS this city." Before they could respond, something CRASHED into the hideout¡ª YUREI BURST THROUGH THE ROOF, LANDING HARD. "WE NEED TO GO. NOW." Yurei¡¯s ice arm was BURNING COLD. Not like normal. Not like when she was in a fight. It was reacting to the city itself. The air around her shimmered, frozen mist swirling violently. She clenched her fist, teeth grinding. ¡°Madona. Is ANY of this real?¡± Madona didn¡¯t answer immediately. Yurei stepped toward her. ¡°ANSWER ME.¡± Before Madona could speak, Chronos sighed heavily. Without even looking, he reached down, grabbed Shukan, and slung him over his shoulder. Like a tired parent carrying a tantrum-throwing toddler. Shukan grunted. ¡°¡­Bro.¡± Chronos started running. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Ask your questions while moving.¡± Aetheron snorted. ¡°Man just picked you up like a damn ragdoll.¡± Shukan groaned. ¡°I hate all of you.¡± Then they SPRINTED. As they ran, dodging collapsing buildings and glitching streets, Madona finally spoke. ¡°There IS a real part of Fallen Nexus.¡± Yurei¡¯s eyes snapped toward her. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°DEEPER.¡± Aetheron groaned. ¡°Oh, great. That¡¯s where we were trying not to go.¡± Madona¡¯s flickering worsened. ¡°If you want REALITY, that¡¯s where you have to go.¡± ¡°Because the center of Fallen Nexus is where the city¡¯s last real memories exist.¡± Chronos glanced at her. ¡°And what¡¯s guarding it?¡± Madona¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Him.¡± The moment she said that, the sky above them SHIFTED. And something started to wake up. Shukan was still slung over Chronos¡¯ shoulder, arms crossed, looking more pissed by the second. ¡°¡­I swear to God, Chronos.¡± Chronos didn¡¯t even look at him. ¡°We¡¯re moving too fast for you to argue.¡± Aetheron laughed. ¡°Damn, man, just let it happen.¡± Shukan narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll let it happen, alright.¡± Then, in an instant, his body flared with Auln energy. BOOM. A shockwave EXPLODED beneath him, launching him straight into the air. He broke free. ¡°Hah¡ªLATER, LOSERS!¡± For about 0.5 seconds. Chronos sighed, vanished in a flash of golden circuits¡ª And immediately CAUGHT HIM AGAIN in midair. Shukan blinked. ¡°Bro. BRO.¡± Chronos held him effortlessly. ¡°Done?¡± Shukan groaned. ¡°I hope your armor rusts.¡± Aetheron was CACKLING. ¡°You really thought that was gonna work?!¡± Yurei smirked. ¡°I respect the effort.¡± They came to a full stop. They didn¡¯t have a choice. The villagers were EVERYWHERE. Aetheron turned in a slow circle. ¡°...We¡¯re surrounded.¡± Chronos¡¯ golden circuits pulsed. ¡°They aren¡¯t attacking.¡± Yurei clenched her ice-arm. ¡°Yet.¡± Shukan was still in Chronos'' arms. ¡°Okay. You can put me down now.¡± Chronos dropped him immediately. Shukan landed on shaky legs, still recovering, but focused on the real problem. The villagers weren¡¯t moving. They weren¡¯t shifting between human and nightmare. They were just staring. And then¡ªthe sky started to darken. Aetheron frowned. ¡°...What the hell?¡± It wasn¡¯t just nightfall. The air itself felt WRONG. Madona exhaled sharply. ¡°Shit. Shit. We¡¯re out of time.¡± Chronos¡¯ gaze sharpened. ¡°Explain. Now.¡± Madona took a step back, flickering harder than before. ¡°He¡¯s waking up.¡± ¡°The one who actually controls this city.¡± Shukan¡¯s stomach dropped. They weren¡¯t just dealing with a fake town anymore. Now, they were dealing with its KING. The first meteor hit in the distance. Then another. Then a hundred more. The sky turned a deep, unnatural blue, swirling like an ocean in reverse. Something was changing. Something was breaking. Madona stumbled back, her glitching worse than ever. ¡°¡­No. No no no. This can¡¯t be happening.¡± She looked genuinely afraid now. Chronos¡¯ golden circuits pulsed. ¡°...I¡¯ve heard of this.¡± Aetheron¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Skyfalls aren¡¯t normal. They happen when something BIG is changing in reality.¡± Yurei tensed, her ice-arm burning with cold. ¡°So what¡¯s causing it?¡± Madona¡¯s voice was tight. ¡°Him.¡± They all turned to her. Madona clenched her fists. ¡°The King of Fallen Nexus. The one who controls this place.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not just waking up.¡± ¡°He¡¯s rewriting the city.¡± Another meteor crashed¡ªthis time, much closer. Reality was unraveling. Whatever was coming¡ª It was almost here. Aetheron¡¯s wings flared, carrying Shukan high above the destruction. The meteors burned against the deep blue sky, painting the city in flickering shadows. Shukan focused, his golden eye glowing as Jikan activated. Time unfolded before him. Possibilities stretched into infinity. He scanned for REAL threats. Not the chaos, not the meteors¡ª Something deeper. Something hidden. Then¡ªJikan flared. Something was coming. Shukan turned his head¡ª A villager was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. It had TELEPORTED DIRECTLY INTO HIS SPACE. Before Aetheron could react¡ª The villager leaned in and WHISPERED into Shukan¡¯s ear. Jikan shut off instantly. Shukan¡¯s body went completely limp. He was OUT. Aetheron¡¯s eyes widened. "SHUKAN?!" He barely caught him before he fell. Chronos and Yurei saw everything from below. Madona¡¯s glitching SPIKED. Yurei immediately covered her ears. "DON¡¯T LISTEN TO THEM!" Chronos¡¯ circuits flashed¡ªhe covered his ears with golden energy. Aetheron struggled to keep his balance mid-air, holding onto Shukan. The villager was still there, hovering in place, its mouth still MOVING¡ªbut now it was soundless. More villagers began teleporting onto rooftops, into the sky¡ªwatching. Waiting. Whispering. They were using their voices as a WEAPON. Aetheron struggled to keep Shukan balanced in his arms. The whispering was everywhere now. It was soundless. Empty. Then¡ªAetheron FELT it. Something was pulling at Shukan. He looked down¡ªhis stomach DROPPED. A small villager child was CLINGING to Shukan¡¯s side. Its tiny hands¡ªstretching, twisting, warping¡ª DIGGING into his flesh. Ripping. Pulling. Tearing him apart. Shukan wasn¡¯t even awake to fight back. Aetheron reacted IMMEDIATELY¡ª He KICKED the child off, sending it spiraling into the air. But it DIDN¡¯T SCREAM. It just twisted in mid-air¡ªfloating¡ªwatching him. Then¡ªMORE villagers started MOVING toward them. Chronos and Yurei were already covering their ears, unable to hear. But then¡ªthey saw it. Villagers reaching out. Not to attack. To MARK them. Strange symbols burned into the air, glowing above Chronos and Aetheron¡¯s heads. Madona¡¯s glitching SPIKED. ¡°NO¡ªTHEY¡¯RE MARKING YOU FOR THE KING!¡± Chronos clenched his fists. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Madona¡¯s voice was tight. ¡°It means if you don¡¯t break those marks¡ªYOU¡¯RE GETTING FED TO HIM.¡± Aetheron gritted his teeth. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡± The sky rumbled. The meteors burned BRIGHTER. Something was COMING. And the villagers had just CHOSEN who it was going to EAT FIRST. Shukan¡¯s body was failing. Chronos didn¡¯t hesitate. Golden circuits flashed¡ªreality FOLDED¡ª And in an instant, Shukan was GONE. Pulled into Chronos¡¯ Time-Space. Everything was frozen. A golden world of endless gears, suspended motion, and reversed entropy. Time moved DIFFERENTLY here. Shukan¡¯s wounds sealed rapidly. His energy stabilized. In moments, he would be back at full power. But outside? The war was just getting started. Chronos emerged back into the battlefield, his hand slamming to the ground. A ripple of GOLDEN ENERGY erupted outward. An Energy Anchor formed¡ªa gravitational core, pulling in the energy types the villagers were using. Immediately, their movements slowed. Their whispers distorted. Chronos gritted his teeth. "You¡¯re not using that anymore." But then¡ªhe FELT it. Buried beneath the chaotic power of Fallen Nexus¡­ Something else. Something OLDER. Faint, but undeniable. A CREATOR¡¯S ENERGY. Aetheron saw the shift in Chronos¡¯ expression. "Chronos? What is it?" Chronos clenched his fists. ¡°¡­This energy. It¡¯s not just Nexus.¡± Madona¡¯s glitching worsened. "What are you talking about?" Chronos'' golden circuits flared. ¡°A Creator has been here.¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed dangerously. ¡°You mean¡­?¡± Aetheron¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°This isn¡¯t just some broken city. This was designed.¡± Madona¡¯s breath caught. ¡°¡­Then that means¡­¡± Fallen Nexus wasn¡¯t a forgotten ruin. It was a CREATOR¡¯S EXPERIMENT. And the King? He was NEVER a King. He was a TEST SUBJECT. Madona barely dodged an attack, glitching mid-step as she landed near Chronos. She had just witnessed something insane. One second, the villagers were whispering, surging forward with unnatural speed¡ª The next, they were SLOWING DOWN. Their energy was being DRAINED. Chronos had just CHANGED THE RULES OF THE BATTLEFIELD. Madona stared at him. ¡°WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!¡± Chronos didn¡¯t look at her¡ªhis focus was locked on the enemy forces. But he still answered. ¡°Energy Anchor.¡± Madona blinked. ¡°What the hell is an Energy Anchor?!¡± Chronos raised his hand¡ªgolden circuits flaring. The ground beneath him pulsed, the Energy Anchor spreading further. ¡°Energy Anchors are stabilizers. They force an area to obey a certain energy flow.¡± A villager lunged at them¡ªChronos moved a finger. The enemy was YANKED to the ground, its energy completely locked in place. Madona¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re CONTROLLING their power?!¡± Chronos nodded. ¡°I¡¯m hijacking the energy they¡¯re using.¡± Madona looked at the battlefield. She realized it wasn¡¯t just slowing them down. The villagers were getting WEAKER. Their energy was being pulled AWAY¡ªsiphoned into the golden pulse beneath Chronos¡¯ feet. Madona¡¯s mind raced. ¡°You¡ªYou¡¯re taking their energy¡ª¡± Chronos'' golden eyes locked onto hers. ¡°¡­And now I know where it comes from.¡± Madona froze. Chronos clenched his fists. ¡°This city¡¯s power isn¡¯t natural. A Creator made this.¡± The battlefield trembled. The sky rumbled. The villagers¡¯ forms glitched again¡ªbut this time, they looked more¡­ controlled. The King of Fallen Nexus was fully awake now. And he KNEW they had figured it out. The ground trembled. Then it CRACKED. A massive chasm split through the heart of Fallen Nexus, engulfing entire streets. Buildings didn¡¯t collapse. They LIFTED. Like they were part of something RISING beneath them. A shadow covered the sky Something impossibly LARGE pulled itself into reality. The King had arrived. Its form was incomprehensible at first¡ªtoo massive, too vast. Buildings were embedded in its body. Streets, ruins, entire districts twisted into its shifting frame, as if the city itself had always been part of it. Its ¡®head¡¯ was a jagged, malformed construct¡ªlike a cathedral turned inside out. Eyes¡ªhundreds of them¡ªblinked open across its body, massive and unfeeling. Each one locked onto Chronos, Aetheron, Yurei, and Madona. Then, it SPOKE. The sound nearly shattered reality. "¡ªYOU HAVE STOLEN FROM ME.¡ª" "¡ªYOU HAVE TAKEN WHAT WAS NEVER YOURS.¡ª" "¡ªAND NOW, YOU WILL BE UNMADE.¡ª" The sky itself responded. The dark blue abyss above them PULSED¡ªenergy rippling like an ocean in the heavens. Gravity BENT as the King raised a titanic limb¡ª And the entire city started FALLING UPWARD. Aetheron¡¯s wings flared as he stabilized himself mid-air. ¡°Okay¡ªnope. NOPE. This is some Creator-level bullshit.¡± Chronos¡¯ golden circuits flashed dangerously. ¡°¡­He¡¯s integrated with the city itself.¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm radiated uncontrollably. ¡°How the hell do you fight something THIS big?¡± Madona was shaking. Glitching violently. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t.¡± ¡°You RUN.¡± But as she said it¡ªthe King¡¯s eyes burned brighter. And suddenly, space itself was LOCKED. They couldn¡¯t run. They could only FIGHT. The city was breaking apart. Gravity had no meaning anymore. Buildings were falling upward, streets twisted into spirals, and entire districts were folding into the King¡¯s body. And in the middle of it all¡ªYurei MOVED. She didn¡¯t hesitate. She didn¡¯t hold back. Her ice-arm radiated with such intensity that the air itself FROZE, turning the battlefield into an endless storm of jagged frost. With a single step, she LAUNCHED herself toward the King. Her entire body burned with power. The first impact sent a shockwave through the void itself. Ice SPIKES burst from the King''s shifting form, freezing entire sections of his massive frame. The meteors still falling from the sky? They froze MID-AIR. Then¡ªSHATTERED. But the King barely reacted. He was TOO BIG. Yurei wasn¡¯t stopping. She screamed through gritted teeth, her ice-arm pulsing like a star, reinforcing her body as she STRUCK AGAIN. This wasn¡¯t an attack. This was a FORCE OF NATURE. Chronos, still stabilizing the battlefield with his Energy Anchor, felt it FIRST. Jikan was MOVING. Then¡ªa pulse of golden energy SEVERED the sky. Shukan stepped out of Chronos¡¯ Time-Space. He was quiet. Focused. His golden eye burned like a sun. And without hesitation¡ª He drove a Focalized Energy Point (FEP) directly into his own heart. Instantly, his body SHOOK. Time folded, space fractured, and his very EXISTENCE began accelerating. This wasn¡¯t just power. This was erasing the LIMITS of what his body could handle. The King¡¯s many eyes focused on them. He saw it now. They weren¡¯t just intruders. They were THREATS. His massive frame shifted, energy RUSHING toward his core, reality bending around him. And then, for the first time¡ª He moved to ATTACK. The sky cracked apart as the King of Fallen Nexus moved. Entire districts shattered and reformed within his massive frame, the city itself shifting like an extension of his will. Yurei didn¡¯t care. Her ice-arm radiated pure, destructive cold as she RUSHED the King, dodging a collapsing street before launching herself upward. She struck hard. A massive section of the King¡¯s shifting body was consumed in frost, jagged ice erupting in every direction. The King barely reacted. His voice¡ªdeep, layered, more like a command from reality itself¡ªrumbled through the broken battlefield. ¡°YOU WILL DROWN IN MY DOMAIN." The sky darkened even further. The swirling deep blue abyss twisted, becoming something almost liquid. Yurei clicked her tongue. "Tch. Big words for a guy getting his limbs frozen off." Then, a flash rained down from the sky. Shukan was moving. Fast. He felt his heartbeat accelerate unnaturally. Too fast. Too unstable. The Focalized Energy Point embedded in his heart burned like a second sun inside him. Jikan¡¯s golden glow pulsed through his veins. His vision was a blur of possible futures. Possible failures. Didn¡¯t matter. This was what he needed to do. As he twisted mid-air, dodging a massive shifting structure, a random thought hit him. ¡°¡­Wait a damn second.¡± Yurei, still dashing along ice platforms, glared at him. "What?" Shukan barely had time to land before launching himself again. "Where the hell were the Trivia Knights?" Yurei blinked. "Who?" Shukan deflected a spiraling piece of debris, then continued. "The guards. The guys who were supposed to be protecting Fallen Nexus." Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed slightly. She hadn¡¯t even considered that. He was right. They had entered Fallen Nexus expecting to deal with its infamous Trivia Knights¡ªbut the second they got dragged into the cyberpunk city, they never saw a single one. "Did we just completely skip them?" Shukan asked, half-joking, half-serious. Yurei frowned. "¡­Or were they already gone?" For the first time, Shukan didn¡¯t have a smart-ass response. Where were they? And why did the King let them through so easily? Aetheron shot through the air, weaving between falling debris. Golden light flared from his wings as he blasted through a wave of villagers, incinerating them instantly. Chronos landed hard on a floating street fragment, golden circuits pulsing as he calculated the King¡¯s shifting structure. ¡°Focus attacks on his weakest integration points!¡± he called out. Madona was moving too¡ªher flickering getting WORSE as she threw distorted energy into the battlefield, creating gaps in the King¡¯s defenses. Yurei gritted her teeth. "No more holding back." She launched herself AGAIN, ice forming into jagged spears that tore through the King¡¯s shifting frame. The battle was in FULL FORCE now. Then, suddenly¡ªTHE AIR CHANGED. One second, it was burning hot. The next, FREEZING cold. Rain started falling¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t normal rain. It was shifting. One drop was liquid. Another was SNOW. Another was BURNING HOT. The entire battlefield was cycling through SEASONS, seconds at a time. Chronos narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­He¡¯s rewriting the environment itself.¡± Aetheron dodged a burst of searing heat, then immediately had to shield himself from a wave of frost. ¡°Yeah, no kidding.¡± Madona¡¯s flickering got worse. ¡°If he keeps doing this, we¡¯ll start breaking apart before we even reach him.¡± Shukan clenched his fists. His heart was SLAMMING against his ribs now. He exhaled sharply. "Then we end this NOW." He ignored the pain and CHARGED. Everything happened at once. The King moved. Not like before. Not slow. Not like an unstoppable force. FAST. Faster than he should EVER be. One second, his massive cathedral-like form was towering in the distance. The next, his HAND was ALREADY SWINGING. It was as if reality had SKIPPED FORWARD. Like time had TRIED to process him moving¡ªthen just gave up. The battlefield shook. Shukan¡¯s instincts SCREAMED. Move. MOVE. But this wasn¡¯t like dodging a normal attack. This required the SAME SPEED he had used before¡ª When he was running for his LIFE against the Figure. Aetheron¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°WHAT THE HELL?!¡± Chronos barely managed to Time-Step away. Yurei skidded back on an ice path, barely avoiding the SHOCKWAVE from the swing. Madona clutched her head, glitching violently. ¡°¡­No. This¡ªthis isn¡¯t just him being fast.¡± Chronos narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" Madona¡¯s voice was unsteady. "He¡¯s moving like something ELSE." She clenched her fists. ¡°Like something that¡¯s SEEN this kind of speed before.¡± Shukan gritted his teeth. His body was SCREAMING from the FEP burning in his chest. "If that¡¯s the case¡­" His golden eye flared. "Then I¡¯ll have to be even faster." He VANISHED. Jikan roared to life, and the real fight BEGAN. Shukan saw it. Every time he dodged. Every time he countered. The King was LEARNING. Adjusting his swings. Fixing his timing. Moving better with each attack. It was like the whole universe had one rule: ¡°NOTE TAKEN.¡± And Shukan was DONE with it. Then¡ªsomething in his body shifted. A pulse. A surge of something UNFAMILIAR¡ªyet completely natural. Zeyth had awakened. olden energy LASHED out from Shukan¡¯s body, but it wasn¡¯t Jikan. It was WILD. UNCONTROLLED. UNTAMED. Zeyth¡ªthe energy type that ONLY manifests in the MOST EXTREME battles¡ªhad fully ignited inside him. And the moment it did, everything about him CHANGED. His movements became SHARPER. His dodges became INSTANT. His attacks? More LETHAL. Jikan had given him control over time. But Zeyth? It gave him PURE, UNFILTERED, EXPONENTIAL COMBAT EVOLUTION. Now it was HIS turn to say ¡®NOTE TAKEN.¡¯ Shukan felt it¡ª or rather, he DIDN¡¯T. His heart wasn¡¯t beating anymore. There was no pulse. No rhythm. His body should¡¯ve shut down. But it didn¡¯t. Because Zeyth had fully taken over. He wasn¡¯t alive because of biology anymore. He was alive because his ENERGY REFUSED TO LET HIM DIE. And if he was still breathing, still moving¡ª Then this fight wasn¡¯t over. The King¡¯s eyes shifted. For the first time¡­ he hesitated. He had adapted to everything. He had countered everything. But he had NEVER seen something like THIS. A being who wasn¡¯t bound by life or death. Someone who had pushed past his limits and KEPT GOING. And then¡ªShukan moved. Too fast for the King to register. One second, he was in the distance. The next, his fist was ALREADY SMASHING INTO THE KING¡¯S FORM. The impact didn¡¯t just shake the battlefield. It BROKE IT. The entire city cracked apart, shockwaves EXPLODING across Nyxiria. Shukan¡¯s fist SLAMMED into the King¡¯s form, tearing through its massive structure. Another hit. Another. Another. The battlefield was CRUMBLING from the sheer force of his blows. The squad could barely keep up. Aetheron shielded himself from the aftershocks. ¡°Okay, I love violence as much as the next guy, but he¡¯s DESTROYING everything!¡± Chronos was locked onto Shukan, circuits flaring. ¡°No. Look closer.¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed violently as she watched. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not working anymore.¡± Madona¡¯s glitching worsened. ¡°No way. That¡¯s¡ª¡± And then, everything STOPPED. The entire battlefield went SILENT. The King¡¯s shifting, massive body TREMBLED¡ª Then restructured ITSELF INSTANTLY. The cracks in his form closed. The ice shattered. And then¡ªhis TRUE power surfaced. His eyes, once dim, burned with an INTENSE RADIANCE. His presence became suffocating. His voice no longer sounded distant¡ªit was RIGHT THERE, EVERYWHERE. "¡ªYOU THOUGHT THIS WAS MY LIMIT?¡ª" The world itself BENT. The dark blue sky became BLACK, as if the void itself was descending. And with one movement¡ªTHE KING STRUCK BACK. Shukan barely managed to move. A shockwave SLAMMED into him, sending him hurtling through the ruined sky. For the first time, his body DIDN¡¯T INSTANTLY RECOVER. He was STILL. The King¡¯s real power was UNFOLDING. And Shukan knew¡ªif he stopped now, if he even hesitated for a SECOND¡ª He was DEAD. The battlefield was silent. Then, the ice spread. A wave of deep, unnatural cold erupted from Yurei¡¯s body, freezing the air itself. The chaotic, shifting climate of the Fallen Nexus stopped. No more fire. No more rain. No more distortion. Everything was frozen in place. Yurei didn¡¯t know how she did it. She didn¡¯t care. Her veins burned with freezing energy, her ice-arm glowing with impossible intensity. She clenched her fist, breath coming out in sharp, misty exhales. It felt different. This wasn¡¯t like before. She took a step forward. The ice spread beneath her feet, cracking and reforming instantly. Her body felt lighter. Stronger. Like something inside her had finally started waking up. She didn¡¯t understand it. But she was going to use it. Chronos¡¯ golden circuits pulsed violently. He adjusted his stance, stabilizing the battlefield with his Energy Anchor. Aetheron flared his wings, a radiant burst of energy surging outward, amplifying everyone¡¯s power. Madona twitched violently, glitching harder than ever. But she didn¡¯t stop moving. She refused to. And Shukan¡ª Shukan was still standing. His body wasn¡¯t functioning anymore. His heart had stopped. But his energy refused to let him die. He exhaled slowly. His golden eye burned, and for the first time, he realized¡ª He wasn¡¯t tired. He was just getting started. They weren¡¯t just fighting anymore. They were going to end this. The King of Fallen Nexus had no more time to adapt. The battlefield trembled. Not from an attack.Not from the fight. From something else. The ice cracked. The sky shifted. For the first time¡ªthe King hesitated. Something changed. Something bigger. And then, for the first time¡ª Jikan stopped moving. Shukan¡¯s eye twitched. His entire body locked in place, as if something had seized him. His vision blurred¡ªJikan wasn¡¯t responding. It wasn¡¯t resisting. It wasn¡¯t warning him. It was just staring. Watching something else. Shukan had no idea what was happening. But he knew, deep in his core¡ª This fight wasn¡¯t over. Yurei exhaled sharply, watching the ice spread under her feet. Her body still burned with impossible energy, her ice-arm glowing violently. It felt stronger, faster¡ªlike something had awakened inside her. But then¡­ everything stopped. The flames. The storms. Even the broken sky. Nothing moved. Even the King wasn¡¯t attacking anymore. ¡°¡­Why did everything stop?¡± Yurei muttered. She turned to the others. Shukan was still standing. His golden eye burned, his body barely holding together, but his energy kept him alive. He wasn¡¯t tired. He wasn¡¯t done. Chronos¡¯ circuits pulsed as he adjusted his Energy Anchor. Aetheron flared his wings, maintaining his stance. Madona twitched, her glitches worsening, but she still held her ground. None of them were moving. They were waiting. For what, they didn¡¯t know. Then¡ª Shukan¡¯s breath hitched. His body tensed. "We need to move. NOW. ¡°Chronos¡¯ voice was sharp, immediate. Urgent. Aetheron flinched, his usual grin completely gone. ¡°¡­What the hell is that?¡± Shukan gritted his teeth, barely able to form words. "I¡ª I don''t know." Madona clutched her head, glitching violently. Her voice broke as she whispered: "It¡¯s coming." Yurei narrowed her eyes. "What is?" Then the air collapsed. The sky folded inward. And the VOID arrived. Chapter 6 The sky collapsed inward. The world bent. A soundless void ripped through reality itself, swallowing the frozen air, devouring the broken battlefield. The pressure was unbearable¡ªlike existence itself was being pulled into something wrong. Something hungry. Madona twitched violently. The distortion around her was no longer subtle¡ªher entire body was breaking apart. But she still moved. She still spoke. ¡°You need to go deeper.¡± "What?" Yurei turned sharply. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Madona smiled. It was forced, fractured. Her body flickered between forms, twisting, pulling apart at the edges. "There''s no time." Her voice was warped. "You can''t fight that. Not here. But if you go deeper¡ª" Her body jerked violently. Chronos¡¯ circuits flashed in alarm. ¡°Madona, your structure is¡ª¡± "I KNOW." She hissed through clenched teeth, barely holding herself together. ¡°I won¡¯t last. You will. So GO.¡± Shukan¡¯s eye flickered. His body was barely functioning. His energy was the only thing keeping him alive. He took a slow step forward. "We can pull you out." Madona just laughed¡ªshort, bitter. "No, you can''t." Her glitching worsened. Her hand was gone now. Then her forearm. Then her shoulder. She didn¡¯t even react. She just looked at them. And she grinned. "Get moving, idiots." "Madona¡ª" The VOID TWISTED. The entire battlefield lurched, pulled violently inward. Aetheron cursed. ¡°MOVE. NOW.¡± Chronos didn¡¯t hesitate. He grabbed Shukan and Yurei, forcing them back. Madona turned away from them. Toward the Void. For the first time, she wasn¡¯t shaking anymore. She was just smiling. And then¡ª She was gone. Aetheron exhaled sharply. ¡°Shit, man.¡± His wings flared as he looked at the others. ¡°Where the hell are we even supposed to go?¡± Chronos was silent, his circuits pulsing with heavy calculation. Yurei¡¯s ice-arm flared violently, reacting to the shifting battlefield. Her new power had stabilized¡ªbut she still didn¡¯t know what it WAS. Shukan¡ªdespite his body running purely on energy¡ªtilted his head, thinking. His golden eye flickered as he glanced at the King. Then he spoke. "What if¡­ we go inside?" "Inside what?¡± Yurei shot him a glare. ¡°Be specific before I hit you.¡± Shukan pointed. At the King."Inside him." The words settled like a weight. No one responded at first. Then, Aetheron let out a short, bitter laugh. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s a joke, right?¡± Shukan just stared at him. Chronos adjusted his stance. ¡°...No. It makes sense.¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed violently. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you want us to JUMP INTO THAT THING?¡± Shukan shrugged. ¡°Think about it. The Nexus isn¡¯t just a city.¡± He motioned to the King¡¯s massive, ever-shifting form. ¡°This IS the city. The Trivia Knights, the missing people, the ruins¡ªit¡¯s all connected to HIM.¡± Chronos nodded. ¡°And if there¡¯s a ¡®real¡¯ part of Fallen Nexus¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be outside. It would be buried INSIDE.¡± "At the very core." "You guys are actually considering this?" Aetheron gestured to the battlefield. ¡°Look around! He¡¯s barely taking damage! He adapts to everything we throw at him!¡± Shukan grinned slightly. ¡°Then we stop attacking from the outside.¡± Chronos¡¯ circuits pulsed in agreement. ¡°We go deeper.¡± Yurei exhaled sharply, clenching her ice-arm. ¡°...You guys are INSANE.¡± Shukan smirked. ¡°And you¡¯re coming with us.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Duh.¡± Aetheron groaned, running a hand down his face. ¡°Alright. Fine. But if I die, I¡¯m haunting all of you.¡± Shukan stretched his arms, energy crackling around his body. "Let¡¯s hope we don¡¯t die then." Chronos¡¯ circuits flared dangerously. ¡°We don¡¯t have time.¡± Shukan cracked his neck, his energy pulsing. ¡°Yeah, no shit.¡± Yurei¡¯s ice-arm pulsed aggressively, as if it could feel the Void getting closer. "It¡¯s going for the King first." Aetheron groaned. "Great. So we¡¯re jumping INTO the thing that¡¯s about to get EATEN? Love that for us." Chronos ignored him. "If we don¡¯t, we¡¯re next." Shukan grinned slightly. "Then we don¡¯t get eaten." Yurei shot him a glare. "You say that like it¡¯s an option." Aetheron sighed. ¡°It BETTER be.¡± He looked at the kings head. "How the hell do we even GET inside?" Shukan wiped sweat from his brow. His body was still burning with unstable energy, but there was no time to rest. ¡°We cut our way in.¡± Chronos analyzed the King¡¯s shifting body, golden circuits flaring. ¡°No. That won¡¯t work. He restructures too fast.¡± Yurei scowled. ¡°Then what? Knock on his front door and ask?¡± Aetheron¡¯s wings pulsed with radiant energy. ¡°¡­Maybe.¡± They all turned to him. He pointed upward. To the King¡¯s massive, cathedral-like head. "We go through the top." Shukan exhaled sharply, grinning. ¡°Now you¡¯re speaking my language.¡± Chronos adjusted his stance. ¡°We¡¯re out of time. Move.¡± The sky folded inward. The Void was almost here. This was it. They launched themselves toward the King¡¯s head, knowing full well¡ª Once they entered, there was no turning back. Shukan exhaled sharply as he launched himself toward the King¡¯s head, his golden eye burning with power. The others followed¡ªChronos adjusting his Energy Anchor, Yurei¡¯s ice-arm glowing violently, Aetheron weaving between the falling debris. They were almost there. They just had to get inside. Then¡ª Something went wrong. Shukan¡¯s body locked up. The burning energy inside him VANISHED. Zeyth was GONE. His breath caught in his throat. For the first time since activating the FEP¡ª His body felt HEAVY. Too heavy. He wasn¡¯t fighting anymore. So Zeyth stopped working. And now? His heart needed to beat. NOW. Chronos¡¯ circuits flared dangerously as he turned, immediately sensing the shift. Aetheron reacted next, wings burning with radiant energy. ¡°NO NO NO¡ª YOU¡¯RE NOT DROPPING NOW¡ª¡± Yurei saw it too. His body was FALLING. She didn¡¯t hesitate. She GRABBED HIM. But he was COLD. His chest wasn¡¯t rising. His body wasn¡¯t moving. No pulse. No heartbeat. Nothing. Chronos locked onto him, golden circuits calculating at rapid speed. ¡°The FEP collapsed. His body isn¡¯t generating energy anymore.¡± Aetheron¡¯s face was tight. ¡°Okay¡ªfix it. You¡¯re the smart one, right?¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chronos didn¡¯t respond. Yurei clenched her fists. ¡°¡­He needs his heart.¡± No one spoke. Because they all knew¡ª His heart wasn¡¯t starting on its own. It had been STOPPED for TOO LONG. They were moving too fast. The Void was right behind them ¡ª And Shukan was DYING. One minute to reach the cathedral. Two minutes before Shukan was truly dead. They didn¡¯t have time to argue. They didn¡¯t have time to THINK. They just moved. "We¡¯re throwing him in."Chronos¡¯ circuits burned with golden light as he adjusted his stance. ¡°I¡¯ll stabilize his descent. Aetheron, be ready.¡± Aetheron clenched his fists, wings flaring violently. "No pressure, huh?" Yurei was already moving. She grabbed Shukan¡¯s body, ice surging around her arms. And she THREW HIM. STRAIGHT INTO THE CATHEDRAL. Shukan¡¯s body crashed through the cathedral¡¯s entrance, ice still clinging to his clothes from Yurei¡¯s desperate throw. He hit the ground hard, rolling limply across the fractured marble floor. He didn¡¯t react. His golden eye was still glowing, but there was nothing behind it. He wasn¡¯t breathing. His chest didn¡¯t rise. Jikan wasn¡¯t responding. Aetheron didn¡¯t hesitate. He ripped through the air, wings burning brighter than they ever had before, pushing past the pain in his body. This wasn¡¯t a battle. This was survival. He landed beside Shukan in an instant, dropping to one knee, hand hovering over his chest. His fingers shook. No pulse. No warmth. Too long. TOO LONG. ¡°Come on, man, you¡¯re not gonna go out like this¡ª¡± Aetheron muttered, pressing his palm against Shukan¡¯s chest, forcing energy into him. His light crackled. Chronos landed next, golden circuits burning dangerously. ¡°Aetheron,¡± Chronos¡¯ voice was sharp. ¡°How long do we have?¡± Aetheron didn¡¯t look up. ¡°One minute. Maybe less.¡± His wings twitched violently. He couldn¡¯t do this alone. Chronos exhaled sharply, kneeling beside him. His circuits shifted, calculations burning across his armor. ¡°Then we do this manually.¡± Aetheron blinked. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Chronos didn¡¯t let him finish. His hand snapped forward, slamming into Shukan¡¯s chest. Lightning-like energy erupted from Chronos¡¯ fingertips, a golden shock of raw power surging into Shukan¡¯s body. His muscles jerked violently. Still. No response. Aetheron reacted instantly, pressing both hands down, his light flaring out. Two sources of energy. One stabilizing. One reigniting. Shukan¡¯s body twitched. Chronos pressed harder. ¡°Come on, you stubborn bastard¡ª¡± Aetheron¡¯s voice was raw. ¡°BREATHE, DAMN IT.¡± Another pulse. Jikan flickered. Then stopped. Chronos and Aetheron both went still. Nothing. The energy wasn¡¯t working. Yurei finally crashed through the cathedral doors, eyes wide. She was out of breath, her ice-arm pulsing from exertion. But the second she saw them¡ª saw Shukan¡¯s unmoving body¡ª She froze. The silence stretched. Yurei¡¯s fists clenched. Tightly. ¡°¡­No.¡± Chronos didn¡¯t look at her. Didn¡¯t say a word. Aetheron¡¯s hands slowly curled into fists against Shukan¡¯s chest. His light dimmed. They had seconds left. Nothing was working. Shukan was¡ª Thump. A pause. Then¡ª THUMP. Aetheron¡¯s head snapped down. Chronos¡¯ circuits flickered. Jikan burned. Then¡ª Shukan GASPED. He arched violently off the ground, his entire body reacting at once. His chest contracted sharply, his lungs finally pulling in air. Then he COUGHED. Hard. Violently. His hands scrambled for something, fingers twitching like they didn¡¯t know how to function. His breath came in ragged, broken gasps. Aetheron immediately grabbed him, keeping him steady. ¡°Shukan¡ª!¡± Shukan squeezed his eyes shut, choking. His throat was raw, his vision blurred. His entire body was screaming. Chronos exhaled slowly, pressing two fingers to Shukan¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­Heartbeat¡¯s back.¡± The tension shattered. Yurei let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she was holding, pressing a hand against her face. ¡°You are NOT allowed to do that again.¡± Shukan barely processed the words. His ears were ringing. His chest hurt. But he was alive. Aetheron exhaled sharply, dropping his head for a second. ¡°Man, don¡¯t ever make me do that again.¡± Shukan finally opened his mouth, voice wrecked. ¡°¡­Not my fault.¡± Chronos rolled his eyes. Then, without warning¡ªthe cathedral SHOOK. Shukan immediately winced. Yurei¡¯s eyes snapped up. ¡°What now?¡± Chronos¡¯ circuits flickered dangerously. ¡°The King knows we¡¯re here.¡± The cathedral¡¯s walls rippled. Aetheron stood fast, wings flaring. ¡°So we¡¯re still not safe.¡± Shukan exhaled. Slowly. Then¡ªhe forced himself up. Everyone stared. Aetheron immediately pushed him back down. ¡°BRO, CAN YOU SIT DOWN FOR FIVE SECONDS¡ª¡± Shukan shoved him off. ¡°We don¡¯t have five seconds.¡± Chronos watched him closely. His circuits were still analyzing, still calculating. ¡°¡­You shouldn¡¯t be moving yet.¡± Shukan rolled his shoulders. His body still ached. His breath was still uneven. But something was different. His golden eye burned. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I have a choice.¡± Jikan pulsed. The cathedral rumbled again. Something was waking up. The ground lurched again. Dust rained from the cathedral¡¯s shattered ceiling, cracks crawling across the walls like something alive. Shukan forced himself to breathe evenly. His body was still wrecked, but he refused to stay down. Chronos didn¡¯t agree. Without a word, he grabbed Shukan and threw him over his shoulder. ¡°¡ªThe hell?!¡± Shukan coughed violently, his body still weak. Chronos didn¡¯t respond. He just kept moving. Aetheron and Yurei were already ahead, scanning the room for any way out. Then¡ªYurei stopped. ¡°¡­There.¡± She pointed at the floor¡ªmore specifically, at a heavy iron hatch near the cathedral¡¯s altar. It was rusted, bolted shut, and covered in strange, ancient markings. It didn¡¯t belong here. Aetheron exhaled sharply. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ new.¡± Shukan gritted his teeth. ¡°How the hell do we open it?¡± Chronos scanned it, circuits flaring. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not locked. It¡¯s just old.¡± Yurei cracked her knuckles. ¡°Then we break it.¡± Without hesitation, she slammed her ice-arm against the hatch. It didn¡¯t move. Aetheron whistled. ¡°Damn. Usually, you break everything you touch.¡± Yurei shot him a glare. ¡°I¡¯ll break your face next.¡± Shukan exhaled. ¡°Okay, okay¡ªjust move.¡± Chronos adjusted his grip on Shukan before stepping forward. His golden circuits flashed. Then¡ªhe stomped down. The hatch buckled. Aetheron grinned. ¡°See? All it needed was some pressure.¡± Then¡ª Shukan¡¯s head tilted slightly, his golden eye flickering. And he heard it. Screaming. From below. His entire body tensed. It wasn¡¯t the kind of screaming you heard in a battle. It wasn¡¯t even the kind that came from pain. It was something else. Something raw. Something wrong. His breath hitched. It was close. ¡°¡ªWait.¡± His voice was sharp. Chronos stopped immediately. Aetheron blinked. ¡°What?¡± Shukan¡¯s golden eye glowed faintly. He stared at the hatch. ¡°¡­There¡¯s something down there.¡± Yurei narrowed her eyes. ¡°Something, or someone?¡± Shukan didn¡¯t answer. Because he wasn¡¯t sure. All he knew was, The screaming was getting louder. Aetheron knelt, pressing his ear against the cracked floor. His wings twitched¡ªinstinctively tense. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a creature.¡± The screaming was too human. Too raw. Then¡ª Silence. Not gradual. Not fading. Just¡ªgone. Like something had reached out and cut the sound from existence. Aetheron immediately pulled back, his wings flaring as he stepped away from the hatch. His entire body was rigid. Shukan felt his throat tighten. Chronos¡¯ golden circuits flared. ¡°That wasn¡¯t normal.¡± Yurei exhaled sharply, ice creeping along her arm. ¡°No sh*t, Chronos.¡± Shukan clenched his fists. The silence felt heavier than the screaming. It wasn¡¯t just gone. It felt like something was waiting. Watching. Aetheron¡¯s face was unreadable. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± Chronos scanned the hatch again. ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice.¡± He reached forward¡ª Shukan grabbed his wrist. Chronos froze. Shukan¡¯s grip was tight. ¡°¡­That was too perfect.¡± Shukan¡¯s voice was low. ¡°The timing. The way it just¡ªstopped.¡± He looked down at the hatch. His golden eye flickered. ¡°¡­What if it wasn¡¯t a person?¡± Yurei scoffed, crossing her arms. ¡°Then what, genius?¡± Shukan¡¯s expression was sharp. ¡°What if it was bait?¡± Silence. Chronos didn¡¯t move. Aetheron¡¯s wings twitched. Yurei frowned. ¡°You think it was¡­ faking?¡± Shukan exhaled slowly. ¡°I think it knew we were listening.¡± Chronos¡¯ circuits flickered. His voice was steady, but cold. ¡°¡­Then we just confirmed that we¡¯re not the only ones down here.¡± Another crack ran through the cathedral floor. The hatch groaned. Something on the other side shifted. Shukan¡¯s stomach dropped. Because for the first time since it stopped screaming¡ª It was knocking back. Faint screeches from the floor below echoed as something started moving. Yurei blinked. ¡°Should we really go down there? ¡° ¡°¡­Probably not,¡± Shukan muttered, his legs still burning and trembling in pain. ¡° But we have to. The king already knows we are here so it will probably blitz us with something.¡± The entire Cathedral tilted. Not like a building collapsing, Not like something natural. Like it was being yanked toward something stronger then gravity. The entrance was wide open, a howling void-born wind ripping through the structure, pulling everything towards it. Debris shot through the air, pillars crumbled under the force¡ªthe King was resisting. The Void was pulling. The king was pushing. And the squad was caught in between. Shukan clenched his fists, still draped over Chronos¡¯s shoulder, his voice was hoarse, but sharp. ¡° CLOSE THE DOORS!¡± Aetheron was already moving. His wings burned with radiant energy as he fought back against the vacuum, his mission to get to the entrance. Each step a battle against the force pulling them back. He reached the entrance, grabbing the massive stone doors. They wouldn¡¯t budge. Aetheron gritted his teeth. The void was fighting. His light flared, pushing against the pull. Chronos turned sharply, his veins burning golden. ¡°The vacuum is warping reality¡ªcan you overcome that?¡± He said, while he was locked in a push and pull stasis. Aetheron turned back giving him a deadpan look. ¡°Trying.¡± He snarled. Yurei grabbed onto a pillar, bracing herself against the wind. Her ice-arm pulsed violently. ¡°Put me down Chronos.¡± He said, finally being able to really feel his legs. Shukan¡¯s voice was sharp, but his body was barely responding. Chronos didn¡¯t let go. His golden circuits burned, his stance locked against the impossible force. "You can barely stand," he said flatly. Shukan gritted his teeth. "I don¡¯t care." Chronos didn¡¯t react. Then¡ªhe dropped him. Shukan¡¯s legs nearly buckled the second his feet hit the ground. He clenched his fists. Forced himself to stay upright. Forced his body to work. He had to. Behind him, Aetheron was still fighting. The doors were massive¡ªtoo heavy for a normal person. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. The Void was holding them open. Aetheron¡¯s wings burned bright, his body straining against something invisible. Yurei dug her ice-arm into the ground to stay anchored. ¡°If this keeps up, we¡¯re gonna get ripped apart before we even go down.¡± Chronos¡¯ golden veins flared. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to argue.¡± Shukan took a slow, painful breath. His chest still ached. His heartbeat was too slow. But Jikan was active. And Jikan hated the Void. Shukan stepped forward. Chronos noticed immediately. "You''re not stable." Shukan exhaled. "Never was." Aetheron gritted his teeth. "If you got a plan, I need it now." Shukan didn¡¯t answer. He just raised his hand¡ª And Jikan pulsed. For one instant¡ª Time hesitated. The force of the pull weakened. The wind stuttered. Aetheron felt it. And in that fraction of a second¡ª He SLAMMED the doors shut. BOOM. The silence hit like a gunshot. Everything stilled. Aetheron exhaled, pressing his hand against the stone. ¡°Never¡­ wanna do that again.¡± Yurei pulled herself up, rolling her shoulder. "You good, or should I start writing your will?" Aetheron shot her a look. "Oh, I¡¯m great. Just got into a physical fight with a cosmic vacuum, but I¡¯m great." Shukan took a shaky breath. His legs were trembling. But he was standing. Chronos crossed his arms, watching him closely. "...Your heartbeat still isn''t normal." Shukan ignored him. Instead¡ªhe turned toward the hatch. The knocking had stopped. The silence wasn¡¯t natural. It was waiting. Shukan steeled himself. ¡°Alright.¡± He rolled his shoulders. ¡°We¡¯re out of time. Let¡¯s go down.¡± Chapter 7 The squad stood at the edge of the hatch. The stone was old¡ªtoo old. Cracks ran through its surface like veins. It pulsed, like a heartbeat buried underground. Shukan stared at it. His golden eye flickered, scanning for movement. Nothing. But that silence? It wasn¡¯t empty. It was waiting. Aetheron let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. ¡°Alright. Who wants to be the first idiot to step into the abyss?¡± Yurei smirked. ¡°Was that a volunteer?¡± Aetheron scoffed. ¡°Hell no.¡± Chronos ignored them both. He was already calculating. His circuits burned gold as he reached out¡ªtouching the stone. It was warm. That was wrong. Everything down here was supposed to be cold. The King¡¯s remains should have been like untouched ruins¡ªdead, frozen in time. But this wasn¡¯t dead. This was alive. Chronos narrowed his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s something¡­ off.¡± Shukan, still breathing heavy, clenched his fists. ¡°More than usual?¡± Chronos didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he pressed down. click. The hatch snapped open. A gust of hot air shot out. Stale. Stagnant. But beneath that¡ª Something else. Aetheron¡¯s wings flared as he pulled back. ¡°...Did the floor just breathe?¡± Shukan said nothing. He felt it too. The space below wasn¡¯t just open. It was inhaling. Yurei stepped forward, peering down. The hole was wide. It led into darkness. The walls looked like they had been carved¡ªnot by hands, but by something larger. Something with claws. Shukan exhaled. His chest still hurt. His body was still weak. But he moved first. He jumped. Chronos¡¯ circuits flared. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Too late. Shukan dropped. Darkness swallowed him whole. His feet hit the ground. Hard. His knees buckled, but he caught himself¡ªbreathing, stabilizing. The air was thick. Heavy. Wrong. The walls stretched unnaturally. Too tall. Too wide. Like something tried to imitate a real structure¡ªbut failed. Behind him¡ª Aetheron landed, wings dimmed. ¡°Could¡¯ve given a warning before jumping into hell, dude.¡± Yurei dropped next, rolling her shoulder. ¡°Yeah, well. That¡¯s just how he is.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Chronos landed last. His eyes immediately scanned the environment. His circuits pulsed. The readings were unstable. Reality here was¡­ Fractured. Shukan took a slow breath. He felt it. There was something here. Something alive. And then¡ª Footsteps. A single humanoid figure stepped out of the darkness ahead. Walking toward them. Not in a rush. Not aggressive. Just¡­ approaching. Shukan froze. His heartbeat finally spiked. Aetheron tensed. "Who¡ª" Then¡ª The figure spoke. "It took you long enough." Along the walls, glyphs and patterns stretched across, reaching through the cracks in the hard metal like floor. Shukan, still in disbelief, managed the courage to say something. "A-Akira...?" His foot tripped on his other boot, causing him to fall on the floor. But he didn''t get up. The moment Shukan hit the floor, his mind split. The impact rattled his bones, but his body didn¡¯t register the pain. Because his heartbeat stuttered. Because the second he saw her¡ª The past slammed into him like a falling star. White walls. Bright lights. The cold hum of something mechanical. Shukan was small. His feet barely touched the ground from where he sat. His arms were crossed. His chest felt too tight. His father was standing near the door. Silent. Stiff. Avoiding eye contact. His mother was seated beside him. One hand resting on his shoulder. Not gripping. Not holding. Just¡­ there. As if to remind herself he was real. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Except for her voice. "You have to understand." Shukan¡¯s small hands clenched into fists. He didn¡¯t speak. Didn¡¯t move. The chair across from him was empty. But it wasn¡¯t supposed to be. Someone should have been sitting there. Someone should have been next to him. But she wasn¡¯t.Because she was gone. Shukan¡¯s breath caught in his throat. His fingers twitched against the cold metal floor. His body was here. But his mind was there. In that white room. In that memory. "Akira..." He barely realized he said it out loud. But the figure¡ªno, the woman in front of him¡ª She reacted. A slow blink. A tilt of her head. Not shocked. Not angry. Just expectant. Like she had been waiting for him to say it. Aetheron squinted, looking between them. "You know... her?" Chronos¡¯ circuits pulsed, but his voice was colder than before. "Why... are you still here?" Shukan finally pushed himself up. His body felt weak. His limbs felt disconnected. His heartbeat was wrong. Because this wasn¡¯t just shock. This wasn¡¯t just recognition. This was denial. He stared at her. Hard. She didn¡¯t flinch. Didn¡¯t look away. Her red eyes locked onto his. Patient. Amused. Shukan exhaled sharply, his voice shaking. "You''re not supposed to be here." Akira just smiled. "Neither are you." The moment she said that, Shukan wasn''t in the present anymore. The air in the underground chamber was heavy, but his body felt weightless. His chest tightened. His vision blurred. Jikan pulsed violently inside him¡ªtoo much, too fast. Because this wasn''t just a memory. This was reliving it. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Shukan''s breath hitched as he stepped inside, his boots barely making a sound against the floor. The air smelled wrong. Copper. Thick. His stomach twisted. Something inside him already knew. He took another step forward. Then¡ª He saw them. His parents. Their bodies weren''t whole. They were torn. Twisted. Blood splattered the walls, pooling onto the wooden floor beneath them. The scene was wrong. Horrifically, impossibly wrong. Shukan''s mind blanked. His body locked up. His heart pounded. And then¡ª A single voice. Calm. Steady. "You''re late, little brother." Shukan¡¯s golden eye snapped up. She was standing there. Akira. Her red eyes glowed in the dim light. Her hands weren¡¯t shaking. Her expression wasn¡¯t panicked. She just¡­ stood there. Like this wasn¡¯t new. Like she had been waiting. Shukan''s body finally moved. He stumbled forward, his hands hitting the bloodstained floor. His breath came in ragged gasps. His chest felt like it was caving in. His parents weren¡¯t moving. They weren¡¯t breathing. They weren¡¯t¡ª "What... did you do?" His voice cracked. Akira¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She just tilted her head. "I did what had to be done." Shukan stopped breathing. His fingers twitched against the floor. This wasn¡¯t real. This wasn¡¯t real. Akira took a slow step forward, her boots making a soft click against the floor. "You weren¡¯t supposed to see this." Shukan''s hands curled into fists. His body was shaking. His mind was screaming. "Why." A pause. A soft sigh. "Because if you knew the truth, you¡¯d die too." Shukan¡¯s entire world shattered.