AURA OF THE SEVEN 🌪️
Chapter 20: The Seventh Legacy — Descent into the Abyss 🌌🗡️
The ultimatum from the Abyssal Guardian, Zhou, had sent tremors through the foundations of the world. To rescue Gojung and survive the crushing pressure of the Void, the circle needed to be closed. They needed a seventh soul. Every eye turned toward Ryun's younger sister, Mei-Lin.
🛡️ The Awakening of Mei-Lin
Mei-Lin had spent her life in the shadow of legends, but now, she had to become the light that guided them. Ryun stepped forward, handing her a crystal shard forged from the original Strength Stone.
"Mei-Lin," Ryun said, his voice thick with emotion. "You aren't replacing Gojung. You are carving your own destiny. Your power isn't just energy—it is the 'Aura of the Soul.'"
As Mei-Lin's fingers brushed the shard, a violent surge of golden and violet radiance erupted from her core. She didn't just control shadows; she could perceive the essence of all living things. The Seven were whole once more.
🌀 Unsealing the Forbidden Gate
Noct and Ryun combined their powers, tearing at the fabric of reality. The air near the monument shrieked as the blackened portal groaned open. This time, no monsters crawled out. Instead, a chilling, death-like silence exhaled from the mouth of the Abyss.
"Once we cross this threshold, there is no map, no light, and no turning back until we find him," Noct warned, his eyes reflecting the infinite dark.
Without a second of hesitation, one by one, the seven guardians plunged into the rift.
🌑 The Realm of Nothingness
The world inside the portal was a nightmare of broken physics. There was no ground, no sky—only floating islands that drifted like shards of a shattered mirror. Inside these shards, distorted memories of the past played on a loop.
Then, a voice drifted through the cold vacuum—Gojung's voice, but stripped of all warmth.
"Why have you come? Here, there is only the end."
⚔️ First Contact: The Shadow Hounds
Suddenly, a pack of Shadow Hounds—beasts made of pure, sentient darkness—leaped from the fog.
Mei-Lin stepped forward, testing her newfound strength. She swept her hand through the air, releasing a pulse of shimmering energy.
"SOUL WAVE: PURIFICATION!" ✨🌀
The wave disintegrated the hounds upon contact, turning them into stardust. Ryun looked at his sister with pride, but he knew this was merely the gatekeeper's breath. The true horror was waiting.
👁️ The Fallen King
On the highest peak of a drifting obsidian island, they saw a throne. There sat Gojung, but he was unrecognizable. An iron-black crown rested on his brow, his skin had turned the color of cold ash, and his eyes were void of any recognition.
Behind him stood the three Abyssal Guardians. Zhou smirked, his voice dripping with malice. "Meet the new Sovereign of the Void."
🌪️ Final Narration
"Gojung was no longer their brother-in-arms.
He had become the King of the Abyss, a puppet held by the strings of the Abyssal Guardians.
Can Ryun remind him of the man he used to be?
Or will the Seven be forced to kill the very person they came to save?