Sayos roared inside the void, his wind bursting outward. The storm pushed back against the voices, shredding the illusions. His father's face cracked, breaking into pieces. The shadows screamed as his crystal blazed green.
"I'm not weak. I'm not a joke. I'm Sayos. And I'll blow you all away."
His wind formed into blades, cutting through the storm. The void shattered like glass. He fell—straight back into the cavern.
The warden recoiled, its chains snapping, its mask cracking. Sayos hit the ground hard, coughing blood but grinning. "Still alive. Told you I'd pass."
The chains hissed, retreating—but the shadow from before returned. The burning eyes reappeared, glaring down at Mizu's body.
**"You swore. And now… you pay."**
The shadows surged, colliding with the warden's chains. The cavern became a battlefield of shadow and iron, fire and wind, lightning and blood. The ground split wider, the abyss roaring.
Mizu's body lay at the center, glowing faintly, caught between light and dark.
Rika screamed, her flames flaring, tears streaming down her face. "Mizu—wake up! Please!"
---
The shadows struck downward, aiming to pierce his chest.