Chapter 55 (Part 08)
The chamber trembled, vibrating with an eerie silence that pressed on every soul inside.
Jong floated within the golden lattice of Wordsal energy, wings folded, his chest heaving. The divine power coursing through him had warped his body into something monstrous and radiant. Molten runes danced across his skin, wings flaring with a brilliance that made the very air shimmer.
But then… a voice thundered, cutting through the power and the pulse of the labyrinth.
"Offer your heart. Return your divinity to your master."
Extera's words weren't merely spoken they were commanded. Wordsal magic twisted reality itself, a force pressing upon Jong, bending his will. The molten aura around Jong surged violently, yet his eyes reflected a torment that no power could mask.
Rihan's voice trembled. "Alok… he's… he's going to "
Alok didn't answer. His eyes were locked on Jong, who struggled against the invisible chains of command, trembling under the weight of the divine Wordsal.
Jong's voice cracked, trembling, yet resolute. "I… I… must…"
With a scream that split the air, Jong plunged his claws into his own chest. A blinding golden light erupted, pulsing like a living sun. Every heartbeat echoed through the chamber, every pulse devouring the light around him.
"Master… my heart… my faith… all for you."
He wrenched it free, blood and molten energy dripping from his fingers, and held it aloft toward Extera. The Devourer's grin widened, eyes burning like twin stars of cruelty.
"You have served well."
With deliberate slowness, Extera reached out, his fingers brushing the radiant heart. And then he crushed it between his hands. The sound of shattering flesh and magic resonated like the tearing of the heavens.
A tidal wave of violet flame erupted, spiraling outward, twisting the chamber into screaming vortices of sound and energy. The very walls seemed to moan under the force. Extera rose, reborn, wings of pure flame unfurled, veins of Wordsal runes singing across his armor. He radiated divinity and terror, infinite in power.
The remaining companions froze. Soldiers, mages, and allies alike once brave enough to follow Alok and Rihan into the labyrinth now quivered in absolute fear. Their courage crumbled instantly.
"Impossible… he he's not even human! It's terrifying Monster" Ceya gasped, staggering back.
"Run!" Fynel shouted. " We can't fight that!"
As the group bolted, Extera's hand moved lazily. The stone beneath them shivered, twisted, and a crushing force bore down from the floor itself. Gravity bent to his will. The fleeing allies screamed pinned to the stone like insects under a magnifying glass.
"Move, and the labyrinth swallows you," Extera whispered, cruelly soft, a smirk on his lips.
"All who follow… will serve only despair."
Amid the chaos, only two figures remained standing: Alok and Rihan. Their hearts pounded, sweat ran down their brows, but neither faltered. Their gazes locked on Extera, unwavering.
The Devourer's grin widened, wings crackling with Wordsal energy. "So… only you remain. How quaint. The labyrinth, the companions, the Wordsal… all meaningless now."
Rihan gritted his teeth, but Alok's stance was calm, deliberate. "You've taken everything you think you deserve,"
he said softly, voice steady. "But you still do not see. You are blind to what truly binds power."
Extera tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Blind? I have seen far more than you, little Wordbearer. I command all you perceive and all you cannot. "Hmm...Ha Ha.... Haa..."Tell me, why should I fear a mere Lowly human?"
Alok's chains shimmered, gold weaving around his arms, coiling like molten fire. "Even the strongest chain has its anchor. Even the mightiest flame has its limit. And the labyrinth… it does not obey you."
For a heartbeat, the chamber held its breath. The allies still pinned to the ground stared wide-eyed, hearts hammering, witnessing the calm defiance of two mortals against a force that had consumed a divine commander.
Extera laughed a sound rich with cruelty and awe at his own power. "Very well. Let us see if words alone can withstand the weight of reality."
The chamber seemed to bend, violet flames licking the edges of the stone as the stage was set for the ultimate confrontation.