The new world was wrong.
It looked like a ruined version of their own—twisted trees, black sun, cracked mountains, cities half-consumed by magic scars. The sky was filled with floating islands, each one bearing the weight of a collapsed realm.
Takeshi's group emerged near what had once been a town square. The remnants of a statue stood crooked in the center—a monstrous hand gripping a sword.
A young boy ran toward them, eyes wide.
"You—you're real! The Bondforger is real!"
They were taken to a crumbling underground refuge. Inside were hundreds of survivors—humans and monsters alike—coexisting, barely surviving. A masked woman greeted them.
"I am Selene. I lead the Ashborn."
Selene explained that her world had begun collapsing years ago. The natural bonds between monsters and humans had broken, corrupted by an event called the "Shattering."
"The False King once tried to bring our worlds together," she said. "When he failed, the backlash began destroying ours."
Takeshi's fists clenched. "Then I owe you more than I thought."
Selene studied him. "If you truly are the Heir, you can restore what was lost."
Fyria raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And how exactly?"
Selene turned.
"You'll have to reach the Heart of the Shatter. But to do that, you'll need to tame the Broken Gods."