The storm still raged above, crimson lightning tearing the sky apart, but Wrath had not struck me down. My Null Domain had bought seconds, not victory. Each heartbeat felt like a countdown.
Wrath's laughter echoed across the ruins. "You strip me of power, Null, but fury is eternal. You cannot silence me."
I didn't answer. My Origin Power burned hot, but I could feel the strain. Wrath was not just an enemy—it was a Sin, a fragment of the cycle itself. To fight it endlessly was to fight the world itself.
Kael stumbled to my side, his face pale, his voice trembling. "We can't win here. The city's collapsing. People are dying."
He was right. The streets were chaos—citizens consumed by Wrath's influence, Angelics and Demonics tearing each other apart in frenzy. Every strike I made against Wrath only fed the storm, spreading its corruption further.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to think. Freedom wasn't just defiance—it was choice. And right now, the choice was survival.
"Kael," I said, my voice steady despite the roar of Wrath. "We're leaving."
His eyes widened. "Leaving? You're walking away from Wrath?"
"I'm walking toward the future," I said. "This battle isn't won by brute force. It's won by breaking the cycle."
I raised my hand, Origin Power swirling. Light and shadow twisted together, forming a path through the storm. The Null Domain expanded, not to fight Wrath, but to carve space—an opening in the chaos.
Wrath roared, crimson flames surging. "Coward! Run, and I will hunt you to the ends of eternity!"
I met its burning gaze. "Then hunt me. Every step I take will unravel you."
The System trembled, its voice fractured.
[System Notice]: Directive Failure.
Null has evaded Wrath.
Cycle destabilization increasing.
Warning: Envy stirring. Location: Eastern Depths.
Kael clutched my arm as we fled through the broken streets. Behind us, Wrath's fury consumed the city, but ahead, the path opened into shadowed ruins.
The boy's voice was barely a whisper. "You turned your back on Wrath. Doesn't that mean it wins?"
I shook my head. "Wrath wins when we surrender to fury. I chose neither Sin nor Boon. I chose Origin. That means I choose when to fight."
Kael stared at me, awe and fear mingling. "Then what now?"
I looked toward the horizon, where the storm still raged and the earth trembled. "Now we prepare. Wrath is awake. Envy is stirring. The cycle is breaking. And the System is afraid."
The System whispered again, its voice trembling.
[System Notice]: New Quest Generated.
Quest: Gather Allies.
Objective: Form the First Null Covenant.
Reward: Origin Advancement.
Penalty: Isolation.
I smiled. For the first time, the System had given me a quest I wanted.
This wasn't just survival anymore. This was the beginning of rebellion.