The void beyond creation trembled.
From the throne of shattered suns, Xekron rose, his eyes swirling with collapsing galaxies. His voice, calm yet thunderous, rolled through dimensions unseen.
"Prepare my descent… right now, Zalos."
Zalos, cloaked in obsidian armor that pulsed with fragmented starlight, knelt immediately. His tone carried the weight of aeons.
"As you command, my Lord."
And in an instant—he vanished.
He appeared within a chamber vast enough to cradle a dying universe. At its heart floated a massive cube of translucent glass, humming softly. Symbols, older than matter itself, rippled across its surface.
Zalos approached and pressed his palm against it.
The cube pulsed once, then shattered—disintegrating into motes of silver dust.
Those motes swirled into a spiral, twisting reality itself. A low, soundless whooooom reverberated through the room, bending the curvature of space-time.
The particles vanished, only to reappear before Xekron's chest—piercing into him like beams of divine light. His form ascended slowly, shadows coiling around his body.
It was like watching a god reborn in silence.
Zalos reappeared before him, kneeling once more.
"My Lord," Zalos said, bowing deeply, "everything is ready. The Golsen Cube will suppress your power within that universe. None will sense your true presence."
Xekron chuckled—a low, resonant sound that rippled through the abyss.
"Well done, Zalos."
His voice grew soft, almost amused. "Now I will ascend beyond all limits… a higher existence, above the cycles of time itself."
He paused, glancing down at his loyal servant. "Tell me, Zalos—you said the future ahead was… unclear?"
Zalos lowered his head. "Yes, my Lord. The moment your descent begins, the future itself shatters. I cannot see beyond your first step."
For a brief instant, silence ruled. Then—Xekron smiled.
"Interesting… so even your Authority can not gaze upon that universe?"
He laughed quietly. "No matter. I have Ukresol. Should I face peril… that relic will turn fate itself to dust."
Zalos bowed. "Yes, my Lord."
And then—
With a ripple of light, Xekron vanished.
Far across the boundary of the known universe—
A black hole stirred.
Once silent, it now burned with fury, devouring nearby stars and bending gravity like molten silk.
At its edge, streams of foggy, ethereal smoke began to pour outward—mana.
An ancient, forbidden energy born from another realm, never meant to reach this one.
The smoke drifted, slowly… steadily… toward the Solar System.
Outside the fabric of creation, a dome of translucent light surrounded the cosmos—the Guardian's barrier. A shell woven from absolute law, invisible to all mortals.
And there, on its edge—Xekron appeared.
His eyes gleamed with dark delight.
"So the Guardian still stands guard, hm?" he whispered. "How quaint… and futile."
He extended one foot forward.
The barrier shivered but did not react.
The Golsen Cube had already masked his existence, suppressing his energy below detection. He slipped through the divine wall like smoke through glass.
Inside the universe, space trembled at his arrival. He appeared near the void where Maxis had once fallen—before Michael.
Yet the planet was gone.
Xekron frowned, scanning the void.
"This is the coordinate…" he muttered. "Then—either Maxis destroyed it… or that Guardian took the core himself—"
He stopped.
Every cell in his being screamed.
Pressure—pure, unbearable pressure—crushed down on him.
He turned sharply—and froze.
Before him stood a humanoid figure. No eyes. No mouth. Just emptiness where a face should be.
The Guardian.
Xekron couldn't react.
A blur.
And then—pain.
He was hurled backward across thousands of kilometers, blood spilling into the vacuum.
"GHHHAAHHH—!!"
His suppressed strength couldn't even shield him from that single strike.
He staggered, clutching his chest, voice trembling.
"Damn… I underestimated you, Guardian. I must—use it now!"
He raised his palm—and a tiny sphere of light appeared.
Ukresol.
The Guardian flickered again, approaching—too fast.
Xekron hurled the relic forward.
For an instant, the artifact shimmered like dust—then accelerated, breaking light itself.
It grazed the Guardian's shoulder.
And that was enough.
The sphere burst open—unfurling into a black veil that consumed reality. Faster than time itself, it wrapped around the Guardian entirely, binding, sealing, folding him within layers of eternal nullity.
Xekron floated still, panting.
Then, slowly, a smile curved across his lips.
"Hah… you should have never met me, Guardian."
He drifted closer, eyes gleaming with triumph. "You are now trapped within Ukresol. Forever."
He chuckled darkly, voice echoing through the silent void.
"Now… I will take what I desire. This universe will soon be mine."
He touched the veil—
And the darkness compressed, shrinking back into a small sphere, pulsing faintly.
The Guardian—imprisoned within.
Meanwhile, on Earth.
In Antarctica, under a pale sun, a lone man stood near an ice-crusted lake. Half-naked, shivering, camera ready—he grinned at the lens.
"Alright guys… today I'll show you how it feels to dive into freezing water in Antarctica!"
He stepped forward.
And then—
Something unseen touched him.
A thread of mana drifted through the air and sank into his skin.
The man froze—then screamed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
He clutched his chest as heat tore through his veins, his body glowing faintly.
He fell into the icy hole—steam rising as his body hit the freezing water.
The pain didn't stop. It grew—bones creaking, muscles spasming. "Wh-what is this—?! My body— it's burning!"
Inside him, mana intertwined with his essence—changing him, strengthening him, rewriting the structure of his cells.
He gasped, clawing at the ice, voice breaking.
Minutes passed.
Then, silence.
He emerged, panting—
But now his body was… different. Muscles firm, eyes glowing faintly.
He flexed his hand—and the ice beneath him cracked.
He stumbled back to his camera. "Uh… okay… I have to redo that clip—"
He touched the device.
It shattered instantly.
His eyes widened. "What?! That was ten thousand dollars!!"
And when he knelt to inspect it—
The ice beneath his knees cratered.
Across the world, similar events unfolded.
People fainted, convulsed, screamed—then awakened with strength beyond comprehension. Objects shattered, buildings shook.
Mana had returned to Earth.
And chaos bloomed.
In his darkened room, Michael watched.
Dozens of holographic screens reflected in his calm eyes. His lips curved faintly.
"Well, well… that black hole's gift is more amusing than expected," he murmured.
His tone carried quiet amusement. "Let's see how Arina handles this… she'll be interesting to watch."
A chill crept up his spine.
A hand rested gently on his shoulder.
A voice, soft but dangerous, whispered behind him.
"What did you just say, Michael? What do you want to know about her?"
He froze.
Turning slowly, he found Luna standing behind him—her eyes glowing faintly crimson, her smile beautiful and terrifying.
He laughed weakly. "L-Luna… you're misunderstanding. I didn't mean it like that—haha—"
She leaned closer, her boobs pressed against him, her warmth sinking into his skin.
Her breath brushed his ear as she whispered, "Hmm… really now? Because I smell lies…"
Her tone dropped lower, silkier.
"I think I'll need to… punish you. For honesty's sake, my hubby~~~."
Michael's throat went dry.
Her fingers slid across his jaw, tracing it gently. "You've been busy, haven't you? Watching worlds crumble while ignoring me?"
He tried to laugh it off. "Heh… you know me… multitasking is my specialty."
But her eyes darkened with obsession.
"Then let's multitask together."
Before he could react—she straddled him on the chair, her lips hovering near his ear, voice trembling with affection and madness.
"You belong to me, Michael… in every world, in every lifetime. No Guardian, no cosmic fool will take you from me."
He sighed—equal parts fear and fondness. "You'll be the death of me someday, Luna."
Her eyes softened for a fleeting second. "Then I'll die with you," she whispered as she sat on his lap, her back grinding against his crotch area.
The room fell silent. The light from the monitors flickered, casting their silhouettes together in quiet chaos.
Outside—the world trembled.
Inside—their fates intertwined deeper than destiny itself.
And far, far away—
The imprisoned Guardian pulsed within Ukresol, silent, waiting.
In the endless dark, something ancient stirred once more.
Xekron whispered into the void, eyes gleaming.
"Now… the real game begins."
_____________
To Be Continued…