The sound of ethereal bells echoed between suspended columns.
The Hall of the Order seemed to breathe — with each chime, the runes carved into the marble floor pulsed in soft blue tones, reflecting across the faces of the five figures gathered beneath the symbol of balance.
Cronos stood at the center, wrapped in a black mantle embroidered with silver. His gray eyes observed the others in silence while holograms of light and energy floated above the circular table like fragments of thought made visible.
> Cronos: "The balance has been broken. The Crystal of the North… has vanished."
The projection expanded into the air, revealing the blinding explosion that had devastated one of the Order's fortresses.
Shards of condensed energy spun in the image, resonating with a deep, irregular hum — like a dying heart.
Azel, the guardian of the Northern Sector, stepped forward. His voice cut through the silence, sharp and emotionless.
> Azel: "The defenses were intact. There were no signs of invasion. The crystal… simply disappeared."
Darian, the Southern leader, slammed his fist against the table. The impact made the runes flicker violently.
> Darian: "Disappeared?! That's your report? The North collapses and you tell us the crystal disappeared?"
Seraphine let out a soft laugh, crossing her legs on her levitating throne. Her voice was honey — and venom.
> Seraphine: "Oh, Darian… always so loud. Perhaps if you spent less energy shouting and more thinking, you'd realize this reeks of something beyond mere incompetence."
Darian rose abruptly, golden energy crackling around his fists.
> Darian: "Do you want me to teach you some respect, witch?"
Seraphine tilted her head, smiling faintly.
> Seraphine: "Try. Let's see who needs mercy afterward."
A shimmering field burst between them, stopping the clash.
Liora — priestess of the West — stood with eyes still closed, her voice calm but carrying divine weight.
> Liora: "Enough. There's chaos outside already. We don't need another war within these walls."
For a moment, silence reigned.
Cronos raised his hand, and the holograms rearranged themselves, forming the image of Valhart, frozen in luminous static.
> Cronos: "Valhart is gone. The last record shows him standing before Shadow, moments before the destruction of the sunken temple.
And now… the seas stir. Leviathan has awakened."
The name struck the hall like a curse. Even Seraphine's smirk faded.
> Azel: "Leviathan… was sealed centuries ago. That means—"
> Cronos: "That the seal has been broken. And not just his. Signs of magical distortion are appearing across every sector."
Liora opened her eyes — her pupils white, reflecting the glow of the runes.
> Liora: "Then the judgment has begun. Once more, the fate of worlds will rest in mortal hands."
Darian scoffed.
> Darian: "Fate? You call this fate? This is war — and we're losing."
Cronos exhaled slowly, his tone grave and measured.
> Cronos: "This is beyond war now. It's survival. A council is being summoned — humans, witches, primordials alike.
If we fail to unite them… the world will fall."
Seraphine's laugh echoed softly.
> Seraphine: "Unity? After everything we've done to each other? You still believe in that, Cronos?"
> Cronos: "No. But we have to try."
The silence that followed fell like a blade.
For a heartbeat, even the bells ceased ringing — the hall was swallowed by darkness.
A chill wind swept through the floating pillars.
Then, a white light tore through the air at the center of the table.
A faceless figure emerged within it, translucent and radiant. Its voice was layered — male, female, ancient, newborn — all at once.
> The First Voice:
"The peace you seek… is not of will, but of necessity.
And the one who defies balance… shall be the first to fall."
The runes blazed to life. Each leader felt the weight of that presence pierce their very souls — as if the world itself was watching.
Cronos didn't flinch. His gaze met the light.
> Cronos: "Then… time has run out."
The brilliance faded, leaving only the distant echo of thunder beyond the hall.
---
The air in the adjoining chamber was heavy — thick with the weight of the past and the present intertwining.
Lilith, still sealed within Yuta's body, felt closer to the surface than ever before.
Her spectral form shimmered faintly, an aura cold and cutting radiating around her.
Five glowing seals pulsed at her side — ancient, merciless, alive.
At the center stood Iota, an ethereal being of regal presence. He stepped toward Yuta slowly, almost reverently, his voice soft but unyielding — the voice of someone who had witnessed eras rise and fall.
> Iota: "Lilith, Queen of Magic… was not sealed merely to protect the world, but to preserve balance itself.
These five seals were forged to contain your power.
And now, for Yuta's true fate to unfold… your memories must awaken."
He extended his hand and touched each seal, one by one.
With every touch, a spark of light surged into Lilith's essence — she trembled, resisting, her eyes flaring with restrained fury.
At the same moment, in the chamber next door, Lyra felt a rush of energy course through her veins.
Her eyes widened — heat crawled down her spine.
She collapsed onto the bed, her body relaxing as if being pulled into a vast, dark abyss.
> Lilith's voice, within her mind — both sweet and cruel:
"Lyra… my sister, my closest friend…
What is about to awaken will change everything."
Meanwhile, Yuta remained motionless, eyes closed, breath steady.
Memories began to flood his consciousness — flashes of forgotten lives, ancient battles, faces long turned to dust.
A whisper rose from the depths of his soul — Lilith's voice intertwined with his, a harmony between past and present.
> Lilith (whispering): "You are not merely Yuta.
You are the sum of millennia — choices, sacrifices, victories, and losses that shaped what you are now.
But your power… still sleeps."
Iota watched intently, waiting for the full awakening.
Yet Yuta did not rise in flames or thunder.
He simply breathed — calm, composed — as if beginning to understand rather than unleash.
In the other room, Lyra's eyes fluttered open. Her mind was clear yet tangled with fragments of emotion and memory.
The weight of history pressed upon her… but so did a new strength.
> Lyra (softly): "Lilith… why now? Why show me all this now?"
Lilith's laughter echoed in her mind — low, bittersweet.
> Lilith: "Because, my dear… not all truths can be revealed at once.
You must learn to stand on your own.
Awakening the Queen's power within you isn't a gift — it's a burden to be carried."
Fear and determination clashed within Lyra's chest.
Their connection ran deeper than blood or magic — a bond of past lives and an uncertain future waiting to be forged in fire and blood.
Iota turned and quietly left the chamber, his mission complete — for now.
He knew this was only the beginning.
The last image lingered —
Yuta and Lyra, side by side, unconscious yet bound by something far greater than themselves:
an ancient past now stirring from its slumber.
---
Next Chapter Teaser:
They have recovered their memories… but the true power still lies beyond reach.
As the past resurfaces, the future prepares a storm that will consume everything.