A horizon of black nothingness stretched in every direction, swallowing sound, light, and even time. Inside it, fragments of the abandoned industrial complex drifted like broken islands, suspended above an abyss with no ground and no sky.
And through this emptiness…
Skanda was floating.
His cloak rippled behind him as he floated, gliding through the void with calm precision. His half-divine, half-demonic mask gleamed faintly, reflecting the eerie purple fog drifting in the distance.
"So this is Kroor's doing…" Skanda murmured. His voice echoed strangely. "Only a Kroor can create a dimensional cocoon."
Ahead, he spotted the shattered complex where Lioran, Aishwarya, and Sharin remained trapped.
"Hold on," Skanda whispered. "I'll reach you soon— I promise."
He leaned forward and began "swimming" through the zero-gravity void with controlled strokes, cutting through the darkness.
"I should've paid more attention in elementary swimming class…" he muttered, annoyed. "Dimension swimming is even worse."
He pushed faster.
Inside the Ruined Building
Dust drifted, metal pipes creaked, and the floor groaned as the void strained the structure from all sides.
Lioran stood with Aishwarya and Sharin, all three bruised, panting, and exhausted. Their bodies trembled from both fear and fatigue.
The Narvan stood opposite them—
A black creature of impossible horror.
Its body twisted like melted tar, limbs too long, mouth too wide, and shadows licking its form like hungry serpents.
"Keep your distance," Lioran warned, forcing strength into his voice. "Touching it means paralysis. Even looking into its eyes can freeze your mind."
Sharin swallowed hard. "Its aura alone feels like drowning. This thing isn't a normal Narvan— it feels like pure evil."
Aishwarya's hands ignited into roaring flames. "Then let's burn that evil down."
She summoned heat into her palms—
FWOOOOSH!
"Flame Ball!"
She hurled a blazing orb that tore through the air and slammed into the Narvan.
KA-BOOOOM!!
Fire swallowed the creature. Smoke rippled across the walls.
Aishwarya allowed herself a small smile. "That should do—"
The smoke parted.
The Narvan stood completely unharmed.
Not even a scratch.
Aishwarya staggered backward. "W-What…? How is that possible?!"
"That's… impossible…" Sharin whispered.
The Narvan tilted its head slowly, as if examining a strange insect. Then—
It raised its hand.
Black energy gathered around its claws.
It placed its hand on the ground.
For a moment—
nothing happened.
Then the floor pulsed.
SKRRRRRT—
The building itself trembled.
Before anyone could react—
A deep, unnatural voice echoed through the room:
"Boom…"
The three froze.
Aishwarya's heart skipped. "Did— Did I hear wrong?"
Sharin's eyes widened. "No. It… spoke."
Lioran's voice was barely a whisper. "This is the first time… I've ever heard a Narvan talk."
The creature lifted its head.
Its twisted smile stretched wide.
"Boom… boom…"
Black energy erupted beneath their feet.
KRRRRAAAASSSHHH!!!
A pillar of darkness shot upward, tearing through multiple floors and blowing a hole straight into the void.
Skanda, still far from the complex, saw the explosion tear the building apart.
He clenched his fist. "Not good… I need to hurry!"
He swam faster.
Inside the Structure — After the Explosion
Smoke filled the corridors. Metal beams collapsed. Walls cracked.
Lioran lay on the ground amid twisted rubble, coughing violently.
"Ugh—!!"
He forced himself upright, vision spinning. Blood dripped from his forehead. His breath came out ragged.
Then he felt it—
a stabbing pain in his left leg.
He looked down.
His bone was bent at an angle no bone should ever bend.
His leg was broken.
"Damn it…" Lioran hissed. "I can't… waste time."
He grit his teeth, forcing himself to stand on one leg.
He looked around.
Aishwarya and Sharin were nowhere to be seen.
"They must've been thrown in another direction…" Lioran muttered. "I have to find them— quickly."
Using the walls to support himself, he limped through the wreckage.
On the Other Side of the Building
Aishwarya coughed as she sat up, dust clouding her vision. Sharin lay beside her, wincing from bruised ribs.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Barely," Sharin groaned. "But alive."
Aishwarya looked around frantically. "Where's Lioran?"
Sharin shook his head. "The explosion threw all of us apart. We have to find Lioran."
A moment of silence.
Then—
A voice slithered through the room:
"Find…"
Both froze.
"That voice…" Sharin whispered. "It's here."
They took their fighting stance.
Suddenly Aishwarya felt something strange.
She looked up at the ceiling.
Slowly—
very slowly—
the Narvan crawled down the corner like a monstrous spider, twisting its limbs unnaturally. Its empty eye-pits gleamed like voids.
Its smile spread wider, saliva dripping from its jagged mouth.
Aishwarya's flame ignited instantly.
Sharin's fog gathered around his arms.
"We fight," Aishwarya said firmly.
Sharin nodded, despite the shake in his hands. "Right."
The Narvan tilted its head back.
And then it leaped.
SLASH!
Blood splat on the wall.
TO BE CONTINUED…