The fissure's green glow still burned behind us, Envy's whispers echoing in the ruins. Wrath's storm raged in the distance, crimson lightning tearing the horizon. Two Sins awake, the cycle unraveling faster than the System could contain.
Kael stumbled beside me, his voice hoarse. "We can't keep running. If Wrath hunts us and Envy spreads, there's nowhere left."
I slowed, forcing him to meet my gaze. "That's why we don't run. We build."
He frowned. "Build what?"
"The Null Covenant," I said. "The System gave me a quest. For once, it wasn't chains—it was a choice. Allies. People who refuse Sin and Boon. People who want freedom."
Kael's eyes widened. "You think anyone else would dare?"
I raised my hand, Origin Power swirling. The light and shadow twisted together, forming a beacon that pulsed against the night sky. It wasn't Wrath's fury or Envy's hunger—it was something new. A signal.
The System trembled.
[System Notice]: Null Beacon detected.
Warning: Influence spreading.
Directive: Suppress Covenant formation.
Kael shielded his eyes from the glow. "You're calling them. But who will answer?"
The answer came sooner than I expected. From the shadows of the ruins, figures emerged—ragged, broken, but unyielding. A woman with scars across her face, her eyes sharp despite the fear. A man missing an arm, his voice steady as he spoke.
"We saw what you did in the hall," the woman said. "You stripped them of power. You stood against the System. We want that freedom."
Kael's breath caught. "They… they came."
I nodded. "Then the Covenant begins."
Wrath's roar echoed across the horizon, crimson lightning splitting the sky. Envy's whispers grew louder, the fissure widening. The Sins were stirring, but so was something else.
The System screamed.
[System Notice]: Critical Error.
Null Covenant forming.
Cycle collapse accelerating.
Entities awakening: Pride detected. Location: Western Spires.
Three Sins now. Wrath, Envy, Pride. The world was unraveling.
The scarred woman stepped closer. "If you lead, we'll follow. But tell us—what are we fighting for?"
I looked at her, at Kael, at the broken souls gathering in the ruins. My voice was steady, unyielding.
"We fight for choice. For freedom. For a world where Sin and Boon aren't chains. We fight for the Origin Path."
The beacon pulsed brighter, light and shadow twisting together. The Covenant's first flame burned against the storm.
Wrath roared. Envy whispered. Pride stirred.
And I smiled. "Let them awaken. We'll be ready."