He turned toward the other deities.
"And this will allow you all to experience it firsthand. To move within it. To resist it. To feel its pressure."
His voice lowered.
"Because once the primordials awaken… there will be no second chances."
Barilo looked back at Nolan.
"This test," he said, "may very well decide whether this world lives… or dies."
Nolan nodded once.
Firm.
Unwavering.
"…Then let's do it."
The air trembled.
Time itself seemed to inhale.
More than fifty figures descended from the skies.
Deities.
Archangels.
High beings whose mere presence bent reality.
One after another, they landed atop the vast, ancient lava field, its surface cracked, glowing faintly beneath their feet, as if the world itself was resisting their weight.
The heat was unbearable to mortals.
Nolan turned his head slightly.
"Celia. Linda," he said calmly.
The two stiffened.
