The Eternal Tavern shuddered, its rune-etched walls pulsing with a frail, golden light, like a star on the verge of collapse. Crimson shadows bled from the cracked ceiling, where Klythar's void had retreated, leaving a jagged scar of darkness. The oak floor, battered by sigils and battle, bore a new, chilling mark—a coiling design whispering Zoryn, the End. Below, a fissure gaped, its blood-red altar now dim, but a scarred hand had emerged, its voice—human, desperate—calling Elias Varn "brother." The air was thick with scorched runes, starlight ale, and a cold malice that sank into Elias's bones. His curse clawed at his chest, each throb stealing life, but his emerald eyes burned with defiance, his grin a charismatic blaze against the tavern's twilight.
Patrons clung to tables, their faces etched with dread behind Lirien's faltering arcane barrier. Kaelith, her wings torn but her dagger steady, knelt by the boy, his lunar eyes now clear, free of Klythar's grip. Lirien's tome glowed, its pages weaving threads to hold the nexus, her silver hair matted with sweat. Drenvar, the former keeper, stood at the fissure's edge, his fiery scars dim, his gaze locked on the altar. Sylva, her scarred wrist steady, gripped her dagger, her courage a quiet flame. Mira, the halfling barmaid, rallied the crowd, her voice a spark in the gloom.
Ping!
The Vitality System's chime pierced the silence, its golden screen flaring with urgency.
Vitality System: Critical Objective Unlocked.
Objective: Uncover Zoryn's Intent within 12 hours.
Reward: +700 Vitality Points, [End's Whisper].
Penalty: -1200 Vitality Points if the nexus falls.
Current Vitality: 1350/500 (Excess stored).
New Hint: The hand is tied to your curse's origin.
Use the [Eternal Seal] to unlock the altar's truth, but beware Zoryn's gaze.
Elias's heart pounded. Twelve hundred points was beyond fatal, and the word "brother" from the altar's hand cut deeper than any voidborn claw. The [Ashera's Echo], [Betrayer's Mark], and [Eternal Seal] in his inventory pulsed, their energies resonating with the Zoryn sigil. His curse, Ashera's betrayal, Klythar's pact, and now Zoryn—a deity beyond the First Ones—formed a web with Elias as its heart.
He knelt by the fissure, his scars glowing as he traced the altar's edge. The energy was frigid, a void beyond Nythera's, stirring a vision: a man with his face, chained in darkness, Zoryn's black eyes watching. "Lirien," Elias said, his voice steady despite the pain, "what's Zoryn? And don't say 'bad news.'"
Lirien's eyes were sharp, her tome humming. "Zoryn is the End," she said, her voice low. "Pre-Prime, older than Nythera or Klythar. He devours realms, and his sigils unmake reality. The altar's his anchor, tied to your blood."
Drenvar's scars flared, his voice grim. "Ashera bound you to Zoryn, not just Nythera. Your curse isn't a lock—it's a beacon. That hand? It's no stranger."
Elias's grin was a blade, his charisma cutting the dread. "Family reunion, then. Kaelith, watch the kid. Sylva, back Lirien. Drenvar, you're with me. Let's meet my 'brother.'"
Kaelith's wings twitched, her voice sharp. "You're diving into Zoryn's trap, Elias. That altar's screaming death."
He winked, his charm unshaken. "Death's an old friend. Keep the tavern standing."
Elias descended into the fissure, Drenvar at his side, the [Eternal Seal] guiding him like a star. The altar chamber was a crypt of obsidian, its walls carved with sigils depicting a man—Elias's twin—chained to a void. The scarred hand lay still, but its voice whispered, "Brother, free me." The air was heavy with iron and despair, and Zoryn's presence loomed, a shadow beyond shadows.
Ping!
Vitality System: Optional Mission Available! Mission: "Unlock the Altar."
Objective: Use the [Eternal Seal] to reveal the hand's truth.
Cost: -120 Vitality Points.
Reward: +250 Vitality Points, [Zoryn's Chain].
Accept? [Y/N]
Elias selected Y, wincing as the system drained him. Current Vitality: 1230/500. The [Eternal Seal] flared, and the altar pulsed, the hand stirring. A figure materialized—a man with Elias's face, his eyes hollow, scars mirroring Elias's. "I'm Kael," he said, his voice raw. "Your twin, bound by Ashera to hold Zoryn's leash."
Elias's grin faltered, his chest tightening. "Twin? Ashera's got a sick sense of humor."
Kael's eyes darkened. "She split us—your curse, my chains. You guard the tavern; I guard the void. Zoryn's waking, and your blood calls him."
Elias gripped the [Betrayer's Mark], its energy burning. "Then we break the call."
Kael's form flickered, and Zoryn's sigil flared, summoning three void wraiths—shadows with black eyes and claw-like limbs. Elias unleashed a starlight torrent, his scars blazing, shattering one wraith. A claw grazed his arm, costing 20 Vitality Points. Current Vitality: 1210/500. Drenvar's fire incinerated another, but the third struck Elias, draining 25 Vitality Points. Current Vitality: 1185/500.
Ping!
Vitality System: Emergency Alert! Threat Detected: Void Wraiths (x3).
Abilities: Void Drain, Sigil Amplification.
Reward: +300 Vitality Points, [Wraith Shard].
Penalty: -400 Vitality Points if the nexus is damaged.
Current Vitality: 1185/500.
Upstairs, the tavern quaked, runes screaming. Kaelith's voice echoed: "Elias, the nexus is at 28%!" Lirien's chant faltered, Sylva's dagger slashing at voidlings breaching the barrier. The boy stirred, his voice faint: "He's not Zoryn's pawn."
Elias's vision blurred, a memory flashing: Ashera's altar, two boys, their blood binding the nexus. One to guard, one to chain, she'd said. He roared, channeling the [Eternal Seal] into the altar. The sigil cracked, the wraiths dissolving, and Kael's chains shattered, his form solidifying. The altar dimmed, but the nexus dropped to 25%.
Ping!
Vitality System: Optional Mission Complete! Altar Unlocked.
Rewards: +250 Vitality Points, [Zoryn's Chain].
Emergency Mission Complete! Wraiths Neutralized.
Rewards: +300 Vitality Points, [Wraith Shard].
Current Vitality: 1735/500.
Elias helped Kael stand, his twin's eyes haunted. "Zoryn's coming," Kael said. "Our blood's the key. You can't fight him alone."
The tavern's runes flickered, and a new crack split the ceiling, revealing a void blacker than Klythar's. Zoryn's eyes—endless, devouring—gazed through, and a voice like breaking worlds spoke: "Varn, your blood is my gate." The [Zoryn's Chain] burned, showing a vision: Elias and Kael, bound together, facing a colossus of void. A new sigil burned on the floor, its energy a promise of annihilation.
Ping!
Vitality System: Final Objective Unlocked: Defy Zoryn's Gate.
Reward: +1000 Vitality Points, [End's Key].
Deadline: 6 hours.
Penalty: Tavern Annihilation, Curse Unraveled.
Elias's scars blazed, his grin defiant, but his heart raced. Kael gripped his shoulder, his voice fierce: "Together, brother." The tavern trembled, and a shadow moved in the void—not Zoryn, but Ashera, her starlit eyes gleaming. "You freed him," she purred. "Now the End begins."