The ground quaked beneath Lyra's knees as the Divine Executor stepped forward, the air around them humming with power. His voice was neither loud nor soft—it simply existed everywhere, vibrating in her bones.
"The curse was meant to end with your last death, Kael. Yet you continue to defy eternity."
Kael gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand. "If defiance means protecting her, then I'll defy until the end."
The Executor tilted his head, faintly amused. "And you, mortal girl… you tether yourself to a fallen god. Are you prepared for what that means?"
Lyra's heart pounded. Her hands trembled, but she stepped forward. "I don't care what he was or what he is. I won't let you take him."
The system flickered violently in her vision:
[Warning: Divine Presence – Reality Distortion Detected][Skill Unlock Potential: 89%][Do you wish to awaken latent power? Y/N]
Her breath caught. Latent power?
Kael's eyes widened. "Lyra—don't! The gods never grant power freely. There's always a cost!"
The Executor raised his hand, divine light gathering in his palm. "You speak of love as if it absolves sin. Let me remind you what happens when mortals love the damned."
The light erupted toward them. Lyra screamed and instinctively activated her shield, but it shattered instantly under the blast. Kael threw himself in front of her, his aura exploding with gold, taking the full force of the attack.
When the smoke cleared, Kael was bleeding, barely standing. His once-brilliant golden aura flickered weakly.
Lyra's tears blurred her vision. "Stop it! Please!"
But the Executor's expression didn't change. "Pity does not alter law. He was cursed for killing a god. His punishment is endless death and rebirth. And now you—his anchor—shall share that fate."
The system pulsed again, brighter this time—urgent, demanding:
[Life Risk 99%][Fatal Bond Limit Reached][Do you accept Awakening Protocol?]
Lyra stared at the glowing text. Her choice was killing her—but not choosing would kill Kael.
"Lyra—don't—" Kael coughed, blood spattering the ground.
She screamed into the void. "I accept!"
The world froze. The air shattered like glass.
For a moment, there was nothing—no sound, no pain, no fear. Then came the voice.Not divine. Not human. Something older.
"Child of prophecy, your soul remembers the beginning. Do you wish to rewrite fate?"
Lyra's eyes glowed gold and silver, twin lights dancing in her pupils. The system transformed before her, ancient runes spiraling across the display:
[New System Branch Activated: Godslayer Protocol][Title Unlocked: The One Who Defies][Skill Unlocked: Temporal Seal – Rewinds fate by 1 minute at cost of life force.]
Her magic surged, the ground beneath her cracking open with light. Kael looked up, his eyes wide. "Lyra… what did you do?"
She stepped forward, her aura flaring like a star. "I changed the rules."
The Executor frowned for the first time. "Impossible. A mortal cannot—"
But before he could finish, Lyra raised her hand. The system's runes wrapped around her arm, forming a glowing sigil. She spoke softly, voice trembling yet resolute:
"Temporal Seal—activate."
Time shattered.
The divine blast reversed mid-air, rushing back toward the Executor. The trees regrew, the shattered ground reformed, and Kael's wounds vanished. But Lyra's knees buckled—her skin paling as energy drained from her body.
Kael caught her, eyes wide with terror. "You're burning your life force! Stop!"
Lyra smiled weakly. "Just once more… let me protect you."
The reversed blast struck the Executor, forcing him to step back for the first time. He stared at her, shocked, then smiled faintly. "So… the cycle begins again."
"What?" Kael demanded, sword raised.
The Executor's golden eyes burned brighter. "You think this is new? You two have been killing each other for centuries. Every time your love defies fate, it resets. Every time she awakens, she dies."
Lyra's head spun. "What are you talking about?"
Kael froze, realization dawning in his eyes. "That's the curse… It's not just me. It's us."
The Executor's form began to fade, the air shimmering with divine distortion. "You've doomed yourselves again. The curse feeds on defiance. Every lifetime you choose each other, the world unravels further."
Lyra reached out desperately. "Tell me how to end it!"
The Executor's voice echoed as he vanished. "End it? You can't end what began with love."
Silence fell.
Kael sank to his knees, hands trembling. Lyra knelt beside him, still glowing faintly with residual power. The world around them was eerily quiet, the stars burning faintly above.
He turned to her, voice breaking. "Lyra… you shouldn't have done that."
She smiled sadly. "Then you shouldn't have kept dying for me."
The system blinked softly:
[Godslayer Protocol Active – 3% Synchro][Life Force Depletion Detected – Recovery Needed]
Kael held her hand tightly, his gaze full of regret and love all at once. "If what he said is true… then this isn't our first lifetime."
Lyra's eyes shimmered. "Then maybe this time, we break it."
He leaned closer, their foreheads touching as the system dimmed to silence. For a fleeting moment, there was peace.
Then the sky cracked open.
A colossal golden eye appeared above the clouds—watching, unblinking.
The system screamed in red across Lyra's vision:
[Emergency Quest Triggered][Survive Divine Judgment – 00:59:59 Remaining]
Wind howled, the earth trembled, and the divine voice roared:
"You dare rewrite fate? Then prove you deserve it."
The chapter ends there.