The skies cracked with thunder. Not from weather... but from wrath.
Steven hovered above the edge of the Aetheric Divide — the border between reality and chaos — his cloak billowing like a war banner. Maeron Valcairn stood beside him, silent, shadow trailing behind like living ink.
> "This is the place?" Steven asked.
"It breathes lightning," Maeron replied. "Only one soul commands the storms that never rest."
Far beneath them stretched the Skyshatter Expanse — a realm of eternal hurricanes, skyquakes, and cloud-forged leviathans. And at its heart stood a citadel built on floating tempests — Vaelyrix Spire.
As they descended, bolts of lightning shot past them like warning shots from the heavens. A voice echoed, booming across the roaring winds:
> "Who dares tread my tempest?!"
The clouds exploded. A figure emerged — tall, armored in crystalline stormplate, with glowing eyes like twin cyclones. Electricity danced across his arms. In his hand, a spear forged from a thunder god's rib.
Vaelstrom Raegar, Warden of Endless Storms.
> "Steven Lethal," Steven declared, floating forward. "I've come for your oath."
Vaelstrom laughed — the sound rolled like thunder grinding mountains.
> "You think the storm kneels to mortals?"
"No," Steven said, raising a hand glowing with Codex runes. "But maybe it listens to Starcasters."
The clouds swirled violently as Vaelstrom surged forward, hurling his spear — a bolt of divine fury. Steven dodged mid-air, conjuring a prism shield that shattered on impact.
The battle began.
Vaelstrom became a blur of lightning, raining blows faster than thought. Steven countered with precision — teleporting, warping, conjuring mirrored illusions. But even with Maeron assisting from the shadows, it wasn't enough.
Steven gritted his teeth, blood trailing from his lip.
> "This isn't just about power," he growled. "It's about truth—the Codex is being rewritten. Reality is collapsing. If we don't unite, everything dies."
For a moment, Vaelstrom paused. The storm hesitated.
> "Then prove your resolve, Spellcaster," the Warden said, spreading his arms. "Let me see your storm!"
Steven closed his eyes. The Codex symbols swirled around him, forming a circle — a spell older than gods.
> "Arcana: Ninth Seal—Tempest Devourer!"
The skies above split open. A second storm fell from the heavens, drawn by Steven's will. It collided with Vaelstrom's tempest — not to destroy, but to harmonize.
Vaelstrom's eyes widened. His storm quieted... and bowed.
> "So be it," he said. "The Endless Storm answers your call, Starcaster."
Steven lowered himself, exhausted but triumphant. Another power awakened. Another guardian won.
Maeron nodded. "Three remain."
> "Then we find them," Steven said, eyes burning with lightning. "Before Pain does."
(To be continued)