The world trembled beneath the weight of Drevan's words. The air itself seemed to pulsate with energy, a low hum of power that resonated deep in Adexander's chest. The Seventh Seal… it was a concept that had lingered in the back of his mind like a distant prophecy, a vague memory he hadn't fully understood.
But now? Now, the Seal was awakening, and with it, the consequences of everything they had fought for.
---
A sudden chill swept across the battlefield, sweeping through the land like a shadow. The sky above twisted into a chaotic storm of darkness and light, fractured in ways that made the very air seem alive. The ground cracked, and from the rift below, something stirred—something vast, ancient, and incomprehensible.
Kaien braced himself, his sword held in a defensive stance. "This is bad. This is real bad."
Raik's gauntlet surged with energy, his focus absolute. "We need to move now! Whatever that is, it's waking up."
Velessia's silver eyes narrowed, her wings flaring with ethereal light. "Something is coming. Something far worse than anything we've faced."
Adexander took a step forward, the Fangblade humming at his side. His heart beat in time with the strange rhythm of the land, his pulse thrumming with anticipation. Drevan's words still lingered in the air, like a prophecy he couldn't ignore.
"You said I would see," Adexander muttered, more to himself than to Drevan. "You said the price was greater than I knew. What price?"
Drevan's voice echoed in the distance, still calm, still knowing. "The Seventh Seal is not just a key, Adexander. It's a threshold. Once it's opened, there is no turning back. The Cycle begins anew. And you, my brother, are part of that Cycle. You'll understand soon enough—when the world begins to fall apart."
Adexander's grip tightened on the blade, his eyes scanning the rift before him. The world was shifting. They were on the precipice of something vast and unknowable.
And then it emerged.
A massive, blackened shape, its silhouette outlined against the distorted sky. Its form was ethereal, yet tangible, like the shadow of a god made flesh. Massive wings unfurled, dark as the void, and glowing eyes pierced the air with an intensity that threatened to burn the very air around them.
It roared.
The sound shook the land, an immense, bone-rattling cry that echoed through the rift, tearing apart the fabric of reality itself. The ground beneath them cracked open as massive tendrils of energy surged outward, pulling at the very foundation of the world.
> [System Warning: Rift Stabilization in Progress. Entity of Unknown Origin Detected.]
Adexander's body moved before his mind could catch up. He dashed forward, the Fangblade alight with crimson fury, the blade cutting through the air with deadly precision. He wasn't running from this fight. He was charging straight into it.
Kaien followed immediately, his sword crackling with energy. "I don't care what that thing is, but it's not standing in our way!"
Raik's gauntlet flared with power, and Velessia took to the air, her wings cutting through the wind with lethal grace. Together, they charged into the fray, their combined strength a force that could rival the storm itself.
But as they neared the massive figure—its body now fully revealed—they could see its true nature.
It was a creature of the Abyss. A twisted, forgotten god that had slumbered for millennia. Its body was composed of shifting shadows and cracked stone, with eyes that burned like molten lava. Its very presence seemed to tear at the fabric of space itself.
Adexander's voice rang out, his words cutting through the chaos. "We fight until the end! We end this now!"
The Abyssal creature's eyes locked onto him, the air crackling with energy as its mouth opened in a grotesque, silent scream.
And then, with a force that could level mountains, it lashed out.
Adexander's blade met the creature's massive claw, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. The force of the blow nearly knocked him off his feet, but he held his ground, his blood burning with power. Kaien, Raik, and Velessia joined the fray, their attacks weaving together in a symphony of destruction.
For a moment, it seemed like they were winning. The creature staggered back, its massive form shuddering from the force of their combined blows.
But then, the ground shook, and the rift pulsed with a terrifying light. The creature's roar grew louder, its form beginning to regenerate, its wounds healing at an unnatural speed.
Drevan's voice echoed again, this time filled with a dark satisfaction. "You cannot stop what has already begun. The Cycle will continue, no matter how you fight."
Adexander's eyes narrowed. He could feel it—the weight of the world shifting, the moment of inevitability creeping closer.
"Then we break it."
His words were quiet but resolute.
---
End of Chapter 32