Sylvia’s trembling turned into outright shaking. That thing, that horrifying monstrosity, had reached the Third Stage—ascended to demi-god status. Her mind screamed as memories surged back: its molten eyes, its aura of annihilation that crushed her spirit, and its calm, taunting words that had unraveled her composure. She had barely survived then, and now...
"Why now?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, cracked and raw. Her vision blurred with tears of frustration and despair. Her wounds throbbed, but they were nothing compared to the gaping hole of hopelessness clawing at her chest.
She raised her head just enough to glance at her master, E the Radiant, the strongest Avatar in the Middle Realms. E had paused mid-strike, her golden spear still raised, her shimmering aura clashing faintly with the oppressive weight of the god-beast’s ascension. For the first time in Sylvia’s life, she saw hesitation in her master’s form. Not fear, but something disturbingly close to it: uncertainty.
"That thing," Sylvia muttered, her voice growing hoarse as bile rose in her throat. "It wasn’t enough that it was already a monster. Now it’s a demi-god. We’re doomed…"
The hooded figure stood motionless for a long moment, their head tilted slightly as though assessing the situation. Then, they chuckled, low and mechanical, a sound that sent chills racing down Sylvia’s spine.
"Fascinating," the figure said, their voice laced with amusement. "The god-beast... it grows bolder with every passing moment. A creature of pure destruction, now walking the path of godhood."
Sylvia’s wings stiffened, her body shaking as she clenched her teeth. The hooded figure’s words didn’t feel like a taunt—they felt like a death sentence. Her memories of the god-beast resurfaced in vivid detail: how it had looked down at them like insects, how it had eaten Elyndor without hesitation, how its mere presence had crushed her will to fight. And now… now it was something far beyond what they had faced before.
"No…" Sylvia muttered, barely able to speak. "It can’t be… it can’t be…"
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Her voice cracked, raw and filled with despair, as she slammed a fist into the broken ground. She hated herself for running, for leaving James to face that monster alone. And now she hated herself even more for knowing that, even if she’d stayed, it wouldn’t have mattered. The god-beast had ascended beyond anything they could possibly face.
E’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts, sharp and commanding. "Sylvia. Focus."
Sylvia snapped her head up, her master’s tone forcing her to at least try to gather herself. E’s golden eyes were locked on the hooded figure, though her voice softened as she addressed her student. "Fear will not serve you here. Breathe. Heal yourself. Stay vigilant."
But Sylvia could barely move. The overwhelming pressure from the god-beast’s aura hadn’t lessened, and just as she thought it couldn’t get worse, another wave of power swept over them.
This second aura was different. Unlike the suffocating and destructive nature of the first, this one was pure, ancient, and… serene. It felt as though it had been unearthed from the deepest layers of the world itself, untouched by time. And somehow, that made it even more terrifying.
The contrast between the two was staggering, yet both auras came from the same direction—the Scorching Badlands.
The hooded figure chuckled again, the sound more sinister this time. "The Codex of Creation," they murmured, almost reverently. "It would seem the god-beast has found a toy far beyond its comprehension."
Sylvia froze. The Codex of Creation? Her mind spun. She had heard stories, legends whispered among the angels of objects capable of shaping reality itself. But they were just that—legends. To think that such an artifact not only existed but had fallen into that creature’s claws… it was unthinkable.
"Master," Sylvia croaked, her voice trembling. "What… what do we do now?"
E didn’t answer immediately. Her focus remained on the hooded figure, but Sylvia could see the tension in her stance. Finally, E spoke, her voice calm but firm. "This changes nothing. We finish what we started here."
"And then what?" Sylvia pressed, desperation creeping into her tone. "Do you think we can just… ignore that? It’s a demi-god now! It’s—"
"Enough." E’s voice cut through like a blade, silencing Sylvia’s panic. The Radiant Avatar turned her head slightly, her golden aura flickering like a dying star. "We will face one challenge at a time. Focus on the fight in front of us, or you will not live to see the next."
Sylvia bit her lip, swallowing her fear as she forced herself to sit up straighter. But even as she began to heal her wounds, the weight of the god-beast’s ascension pressed down on her like a suffocating fog.
The hooded figure, meanwhile, seemed almost amused by their exchange. "You should listen to your master, little angel," they said mockingly.
E’s golden aura flared, her celestial spear raised high as she gathered an immense amount of energy into its tip. The hooded figure had turned his back, readying himself to leave, but she wasn’t going to let him slip away so easily.
A blinding column of radiant energy surged from her spear, descending like judgment itself toward the hooded figure. The attack tore through the broken remnants of the celestial platform, bathing everything in golden light.
But just as the beam was about to strike him, the air shimmered around the hooded figure. The radiant energy faltered and fractured, scattering harmlessly into motes of light before fading entirely. His nullification barrier held firm.
The figure glanced back over his shoulder, his voice calm and taunting. "Celestial energy? How quaint. Did you think that would work, Radiant Avatar?"
E didn’t respond. Her golden spear disappeared from her hand, and she vanished in a blink of light. The hooded figure stiffened, sensing her presence behind him.
"Got you," E whispered, thrusting her spear toward his spine.
But the weapon passed through nothing but shadow, the figure’s body dissipating like mist. He reappeared a few feet away, his hood knocked back slightly from the force of her attack.
E’s sharp eyes widened slightly as she finally saw his face—a man of dark, ebony skin, his features unsettlingly smooth. He had no eyes, no ears, only a wide, toothy grin that stretched far too unnaturally across his face. His appearance was an abomination, a mockery of a human form.
"You always did have impressive resolve," the figure said, his voice reverberating hollowly, as though carried from the depths of an endless void. The tone was wrong—layered, warped, like two voices speaking in discord. "But it’s pointless now. You’re too late. Chaos has already begun."