Somewhere Beneath the World — Chamber of Abyssal Flame
A single flame burned.
Black. Eternal. Whispering.
Demon King Lucifer stood before it, arms folded behind his back, wings towering like blades of obsidian. His crimson cloak drifted in the stale heat. Chains of tormented souls coiled in the air around him, chanting in lost, reversed tongues. Six dark obelisks pulsed with growing power—each connected by lines of blood, bone, and forbidden runes.
He did not blink.
He did not speak.
He only stared—until—
> Snap.
The final soul tether—one bound to General Envy—broke.
Lucifer's burning gold eyes opened.
> "Envy… gone. And Gluttony as well."
> "Pride. Greed. Now them."
The chamber quaked. The flame shivered. Shadows recoiled.
Lucifer turned toward the blood-slick altar at the center of the ritual circle. At its heart beat a grotesque, heart-like crystal—pulsing with hatred, despair, and agony drawn from across the realms. Above it, the Sigil of Summoning hovered—six points, five now filled.
Only one mark remained.
> "One by one, they fall… to a goldenblooded child of ash, shaped not by fate, but by fire. No prophecy. No divine hand. Just will."
He narrowed his eyes. The smirk that followed was cold as a guillotine.
> "You weren't gifted this power… You forged it yourself."
He slammed a clawed hand onto the altar. The ritual flared—tempo rising, energy crackling.
> "But it changes nothing. The Nameless One will rise."
> "And in two days… if the ritual completes…"
He conjured a burning illusion—Rael in his radiant Second Awakening: glowing hair, solar wings, a blade of living light.
> "I'll kill you with my own hands."
The illusion burned to ash.
---
Elwynd Village – Morning After the Battle
Snow fell again—light, slow, gentle.
Ash still lingered in the air, mixing with the fog.
The village had been repaired as best as its people could manage. Children, once terrified, now watched quietly from behind fences, gazing at the heroes resting near the central bonfire.
Rael lay unmoving beneath thick woolen blankets. His hair, once blazing with radiant white-blue fire, is now black. His chest rose and fell—slow, steady—but his eyes remained shut.
Seraphina Moonwhisper knelt beside him. Her hands glowed as she cast her sixth healing spell of the morning.
> "Greater Heal: Heartlight."
The light flickered—and faded.
No response.
She exhaled shakily, wiping her eyes.
> "Please… wake up. Please, Rael…"
Nearby, Bjorn stood silently, arms crossed. His armor was battered, his face still bandaged. Silas leaned against a wooden beam, eyes locked on Rael, his expression unreadable. Roric Drosen sat by the fire, sharpening his blade—but the sound of the whetstone had long stopped.
> "His core's still active," Silas murmured at last. "But his soul… it's resting."
> "Resting?" Seraphina looked up. "What if he doesn't wake up?"
Roric didn't look away from the blade.
> "He will. That man doesn't fall unless he chooses to. He's just… gathering strength."
---
Inside Rael's Soul — The White Void
No pain.
No sky. No ground.
Only stillness.
Rael floated in an endless white void—his body fractured, but his spirit still flickering like a dying ember.
Then—
A voice.
One he hadn't heard in years.
> "Kael… come."
He turned slowly.
Through the light walked a figure—a man cloaked in fire, red-eyed, regal, ancient. A memory of power. His aura blazed with the strength of a sun long extinguished.
Rael's eyes widened.
> "You… I know you."
> "You should," the figure said calmly. "I'm your blood. One of the last of the true Solari Ascendants."
He stepped closer, gaze piercing through Rael's soul.
> "Even your father—Solari's strongest—couldn't achieve what you did. He reached only the Second Awakening. But you…"
> "You're meant for more."
Rael looked down at his hands—scarred, glowing faintly.
> "But I… I gave everything…"
> "Not everything," the figure smiled faintly. "Your spirit endures. That's enough."
The white space around them shifted—turning into something warmer, brighter.
> "Rest, and when you rise… I'll train you. Myself. We will master the Third Form. No side effects. No regrets."
Rael stared at the figure—and reached out.
---
Elwynd Village – Same Day
Seraphina placed a trembling hand on Rael's cheek.
> "Rael…"
Stillness.
Then—his fingers twitched.
She gasped.
> "He moved! I swear he moved!"
Bjorn was the first to react. He rushed over.
> "You sure?"
> "Yes! Look! Look—he's trying to wake up!"
Roric knelt beside him, eyes narrowing.
> "About time…"
Silas gave a soft, satisfied nod.
> "Told you. He's not finished yet."
But Rael's eyes didn't open—not yet.
---
Demon Realm – Lucifer's Chambers
The Demon King sat cross-legged in the heart of his summoning circle.
He floated just above the ground, eyes closed, whispering ancient words from before time. Around him, lesser demons withered and died—sacrificed one after another, their life force feeding the final seal.
Two days remained.
> "Come," Lucifer whispered.
> "Come, my god of all and ruin. Come with all your fury—so I may snuff you out forever."
Above him, the sixth sigil began to glow.