AURA OF THE SEVEN 🌪️
​Chapter 21: The Shattered Mirror — Brother vs. Brother ⚔️🌑
​The air in the Void was thick with the scent of ozone and ancient dust. Gojung stood up from his obsidian throne, his every movement radiating a pressure that made the other Guardians struggle to breathe.
​🌑 The King's Cold Welcome
​"Ryun... you always were too stubborn to stay in the light," Gojung spoke. His voice sounded like grinding stones. He raised his hand, and the shadows around him coalesced into a massive, jagged blade.
​"Gojung, stop!" Ryun stepped forward, his Crimson Sword humming in warning. "We came to bring you home. This isn't you!"
​"Home?" Gojung laughed, a hollow, terrifying sound. "This is my home. I am the Void, and the Void is me."
​⚔️ The Duel of Fate
​Without another word, Gojung vanished and reappeared in front of Ryun. Their blades collided with a shockwave that shattered the floating islands nearby.
​The Combat: It was a dance of fire and shadow. Ryun's White Flame clashed against Gojung's Abyssal Darkness.
​The Struggle: Ryun was fighting to disarm, but Gojung was fighting to kill. Every strike from Gojung was infused with the memories he was trying to suppress—every laugh they shared, every battle they won, now turned into weapons of pain.
​🛡️ Mei-Lin's Intervention
​While the others fought off the Abyssal Guardians, Mei-Lin saw the truth. She could see Gojung's soul through her new powers. It wasn't gone; it was trapped in a cage of black ice at the center of his chest.
​"Ryun! He's being suppressed by the Crown!" she screamed. "The crown is a parasite!"
​🔥 The Crimson Gambit
​Ryun realized he had to take a massive risk. He lowered his guard.
"Ryun, what are you doing?!" Kael shouted from afar.
​Gojung's shadow blade pierced Ryun's shoulder, but Ryun didn't flinch. He grabbed Gojung's arm, pulling him close. Blood dripped onto Gojung's ashen skin.
​"Do you remember the day we swore to protect the Seven Cities?" Ryun whispered, his eyes burning with tears and fire. "You said you'd be my shadow so I could be the sun. A shadow can't exist without its light, brother."
​💥 The Soul Resonance
​Ryun channeled all his Aura—not into his sword, but into Gojung's heart. Mei-Lin joined him, sending her Soul Wave to shatter the black ice cage.
​Gojung's eyes flickered. For a split second, the void-black faded, and the old starlight returned.
"Ryun... get... back..." Gojung groaned, struggling against the crown's control.
​The Crown on Gojung's head began to crack, releasing a scream that felt like a thousand dying stars. Seeing their puppet breaking, Zhou and the Abyssal Guardians stepped forward to end the ritual.
​🌪️ Final Narration
​"The bond of brotherhood was stronger than the chains of the Void.
But the Crown was not just a tool; it was a living entity that wouldn't let go without a fight.
Gojung is waking up, but the Abyssal Guardians are no longer playing games.