The battlefield was no longer a place of earth and stone—it was ruin incarnate. What had once been valleys and rivers now lay split by bottomless chasms. The very sky bore scars where Kael's power had torn light and shadow apart.
The Seraph Blades were gone. Some had been annihilated, others retreated in shattered silence, their wings broken, their faith shaken. For the first time in recorded history, the agents of the heavens had been forced to flee.
And Kael stood at the center of it all.
His chest heaved with slow, deliberate breaths. Shadows still coiled around him, restless and alive, whispering with the hunger of the abyss. His newly formed wings—half blazing light, half devouring dark—stretched wide, blotting out the stars.
Selene took a step toward him, her heart warring with dread.
"Kael… you won. But look at what you've become."
He turned, his eyes a swirling storm of violet and black. For a fleeting instant, there was recognition, a flicker of the man she once knew. But it vanished beneath the weight of power.
Arion's voice was sharp, cold.
"This isn't victory. It's a warning. If he keeps using that power, it won't matter who we fight—he'll destroy everything."
Lyra wrapped her arms around herself, her shadows quivering in fear. She whispered what the others dared not say:
"Maybe… maybe he already has."
Kael's gaze swept across them. His expression was unreadable, his voice deeper, resonating with something no longer human.
"You fear me. Good. Fear will keep you alive. But understand this—I am the only shield this world has left. If the heavens themselves want me erased, what do you think is coming next?"
The silence that followed was heavier than thunder. None of them could argue, because deep down, they knew he was right.
But Selene could not shake the chill creeping into her bones.
Because even if Kael stood as their shield… he was also the blade that could cut them all down.
Far beyond the ruined battlefield, whispers of Kael's ascension spread like wildfire.
In the Celestial Dominion, the surviving Seraphs knelt in shame before the Divine Throne. Their commander's wings were torn, his radiant armor dimmed.
> "He cannot be left unchecked," the Seraph spat, his voice trembling with fury. "He is not a man. He is the undoing of creation."
The High Oracle, her eyes blind yet burning with sight beyond sight, only whispered:
> "No… he is creation rewritten."
In the Kingdom of Ashenfall, lords and generals debated in trembling voices. Their armies had seen many wars, but none had faced a foe who could sunder heavens and earth alike. Some called for alliance. Others demanded assassination.
In the Shadow Guild, contracts were already being forged.
> "Kill him, and you own fear itself," their leader purred, sealing bounties in blood
And in the frozen Titan Graves, ancient eyes blinked open once more. The earth rumbled as something older than gods shifted in its sleep. For the first time in millennia, even the titans stirred in answer to Kael's power.
Meanwhile, Kael himself stood apart from his companions, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The abyss within him murmured louder now, its voice sweet and cruel.
> "Every god must pay a price, Kael. Every devil must claim a soul. Yours will not be enough—you will need theirs."
He pressed a hand to his chest, grimacing. A crack of shadow pulsed across his skin, spreading like a living brand. For all his power, it was consuming him.
Selene noticed, stepping closer. Her voice was firm, though fear laced her words.
"You're burning from the inside out. Kael, you can't keep this up. You're tearing yourself apart."
Kael's jaw tightened, his expression a storm of denial and defiance.
"No. I will not fall. I've been given this power for a reason—and I will see it through, no matter what it takes."
Arion's blades rang as he crossed them, his stance defensive.
"And what if the cost is us?"
For the first time, Kael did not answer. His silence was louder than any vow.
The abyss whispered again. Louder. Stronger. More demanding.
And deep within his soul, Kael felt it: the promise of endless power… but at a price he could no longer ignore.
Night fell over the shattered battlefield, but the darkness did not bring rest. Kael sat alone at the edge of the broken chasm, his wings half-folded, their glow dimmed to a dull shimmer. His companions slept uneasily nearby, though each of them kept a weapon close—out of habit… or out of fear.
The abyss stirred inside him. Louder now. Insistent.
> "You carry infinity, but you bleed mortality. Too weak. Too fragile. Claim more… or be claimed."
Kael's fist clenched. The shadows at his feet thickened, tendrils writhing across the stone like living serpents. His breath grew heavy as if every inhale was a battle.
"Enough," he hissed under his breath. "I am in control. Not you."
The abyss laughed. A sound that wasn't sound—something that scraped against the walls of his soul.
> "Control? You think you are master? Every strike, every victory, every breath of power you wield is ours. You are nothing without us."
Kael pressed his palms to the ground, sweat beading his brow. He could feel it now—the mark spreading across his chest, rooting deeper into his flesh. Power without end… but chains unseen.
Selene woke first. She moved quietly to his side, her eyes soft but filled with unease.
"Kael… it's happening again, isn't it? The abyss is clawing at you."
He didn't look at her.
"I won today because of it. Without this power, we'd all be dead."
"But at what cost?" she pressed, her hand trembling as it reached toward him. "If you lose yourself, Kael, it won't matter who the enemy is. You'll destroy us too."
For a heartbeat, he let her hand linger against his arm. Her touch was warmth in a storm of ice. The abyss recoiled—but only slightly, like a beast testing the chain that bound it.
Then Arion's voice cut through the night, sharp as his blade.
"She's right. You're unraveling. If you don't find a way to anchor yourself, we'll have no choice but to stop you before the abyss does."
Kael's head snapped up, his eyes glowing faintly violet.
"Stop me? You couldn't."
Lyra, silent until now, whispered from the shadows. Her tone was softer, but more terrifying.
"Don't tempt us to try."
The abyss laughed again, feeding on their fear, coiling tighter around Kael's soul.
> "See? Even they are ready to betray you. Why protect them, when their lives could be fuel for eternity?"
Kael shut his eyes, his jaw trembling. For the first time, he wasn't sure if he was fighting the abyss—
or if it was already winning.
And somewhere far away, the world's enemies moved their pieces into place, united by one purpose:
to destroy Kael before he destroyed everything else.