Dev was strapped tightly to a chair, his entire body restrained so completely that even the slightest movement was impossible, while before him stood an old man whose appearance alone felt unsettling, his disheveled hair, hollow eyes, and unstable expression making it clear that he was no longer bound by normal reason, and without hesitation he drove a syringe deep into Dev's arm, pushing the liquid inside with steady hands as if this act had been repeated countless times before. Dev tried to speak, his throat tightening as panic rose within him, but no sound escaped because his mouth had been stuffed with cloth and sealed, his hands, legs, and torso bound firmly to the chair, leaving him conscious yet powerless, forced to endure as the old man continued injecting one syringe after another without pause, the number increasing steadily until it reached nearly forty-nine, only then did he stop, lowering his hand slowly while staring directly into Dev's eyes with growing anticipation.
For several minutes nothing happened, and the silence that followed began to suffocate the room itself, the old man swallowing nervously as he waited for a reaction, his gaze fixed and unblinking, yet even after fifteen minutes there was no visible change, and that stillness slowly turned into frustration, then anger, and finally a violent outburst as he grabbed an empty glass tube from the side and hurled it toward Dev with force, the impact striking him sharply, and in that exact moment something shifted within Dev's body. His muscles began to twitch before expanding uncontrollably, his form growing larger as his skin twisted into a deep green shade, while his veins bulged violently beneath the surface as if they were about to tear through, and the pressure building inside him became so intense that even the ceiling above could not withstand it, cracking and collapsing as his body continued to grow without control.
His heartbeat grew louder with each passing second, echoing inside him like a war drum, faster and heavier until it became overwhelming, and then came the pain, not a simple pain but something that spread through every nerve, every cell, every fragment of his being, as if his body was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time, leaving him unable to resist or even think clearly, and as that agony continued without end, his strength gave out and his body collapsed lifelessly.
It was then that everything shattered.
It was a dream .
Dev's eyes snapped open as he found himself lying on the ground, his breath uneven and his mind still trapped in the remnants of that nightmare, but the world around him was no longer the same, because he now stood within an endless library, vast and seemingly infinite, filled with towering shelves made of dark brown wood that stretched beyond what his eyes could follow, each one packed with books and strange instruments that resembled experimental tools, creating a space that felt both ancient and unnatural at the same time.
As he slowly stood up, he realized something was different, because his vision was clear and sharp, the constant pain that once haunted his eyes completely gone, replaced by a sense of clarity he had never experienced before, and when his gaze shifted toward his own body, he froze for a moment as he noticed the changes, because his once thin and fragile frame had been replaced with a stronger, well-built physique, his muscles defined, his posture steady, and even his face no longer pale and weak but brighter and more alive, while his clothes had changed into a black outfit that fit him perfectly, his shirt slightly open at the top as his black hair moved lightly as if touched by an unseen force.
Despite the transformation, he did not allow himself to be distracted for long, because the thought of survival took priority over everything else, and without wasting time he began searching for an exit, moving quickly through the endless library, passing shelves, corridors, and stairways, yet no matter how far he went there was no sign of a way out, and what troubled him even more was that his body did not tire, his breathing remained steady, and his strength felt constant, as if exhaustion no longer applied to him.
After running for some time, he finally saw a door in the distance, simple and brown, standing alone as if it were the only escape in that endless space, and a sense of relief appeared within him as he immediately moved toward it, increasing his speed, yet no matter how fast he ran the distance between him and the door did not decrease, remaining the same as if space itself was distorted, trapping him in place despite his efforts.
At that moment, a voice echoed across the entire library, deep and cold, spreading through every corner as the space itself seemed to tremble under its presence, and you could feel it pressing against you as it spoke with absolute certainty, telling you that you were trapped here and that no matter what you tried, escape was impossible, making it clear that this place was not something you could fight against with normal means.
"Who are you?" Dev forced the words out, his voice steady despite the situation, his eyes scanning the endless space as if trying to locate the source.
A low laugh followed, filled with something unnatural.
"I am Raphael," the voice answered without delay, carrying both pride and madness in equal measure, "One of the disasters of world and the killing scientist of history, and one of the seven pillars of death."
The air shifted.
Before Dev could react, Raphael appeared directly in front of him without warning, closing the distance instantly as his hand shot forward and grabbed Dev's face firmly, forcing him to look straight into those unsettling eyes that held no trace of humanity.
"You should be afraid," Raphael said slowly, his voice dropping into something heavier as his grip tightened, "every single person who has stood before me has trembled to their core, yet you… there is not even a hint of fear in your eyes or your body."
Dev did not resist, his gaze steady as he spoke without hesitation, his tone calm in a way that only made the moment more intense.
"My grandfather said that fear stays buried deep inside most people," he replied, his voice even and controlled, "but for me, it never came close to taking root, so no matter what you do, if you are waiting to see fear in my eyes, that will not happen."
For a brief moment, silence settled between them, but instead of anger, a slow smile spread across Raphael's face, as if he had just confirmed something he had been expecting all along.
"As expected," Raphael said, his voice now carrying a strange satisfaction, "the one who opens the path toward godhood would not be ordinary."
His grip tightened slightly.
"But even so," he continued, his tone shifting back into something cold and final, "this place will become your end."
Far above the ground, as Ruby cut through the sky with overwhelming speed, a sudden disturbance formed within her mind, not a clear thought but an instinct, something deeply wrong that refused to settle, because the actions of Dev's grandfather did not align with what she understood of him, and the more she tried to reason through it, the more the unease grew into certainty, a cold realization forming that Dev was not safe, that something had gone terribly wrong, and without allowing even a moment of hesitation, she pushed her speed further and rushed toward the forbidden region, her wings tearing through the air as she reached the boundary, only to halt abruptly as the truth became clear, because the moment she stepped inside, her life force would be drained completely, leaving her unable to reach him no matter how strong she was.
Frustration surged first, then anger, then something far deeper than both, because this was not just about being unable to act, this was about being forced to stand still while someone she had accepted was in danger, and as her claws struck against the barrier again and again, her cries echoed across the sky, yet nothing changed, nothing responded, and in that moment of helplessness, memories began to surface, not as calm reflections but as sharp reminders of everything she had already lost, of the companion whose final wish still lingered within her, of the promise that she would never again stand powerless when it mattered, and those memories did not weaken her, they hardened her resolve into something absolute.
Her movements slowed as her breathing steadied and her eyes sharpened with a terrifying clarity, because she understood that waiting would only lead to regret, and even if the cost was her own life, she would not allow herself to remain useless again, and as that thought settled completely within her, she whispered to herself to endure, not as a plea but as a command, before igniting the flames within her own body, allowing them to consume her entirely as her massive form was engulfed in fire, the heat rising violently as flesh, feathers, and everything she was began to burn, yet she did not stop, because this is sheer will.
The pain that followed was beyond anything she had endured before, spreading through every part of her being as the flames devoured her without mercy, her screams tearing through the sky as the fire continued to rage, carrying not only agony but defiance, because even as her body burned, her resolve did not waver, and for nearly twenty minutes the flames continued, her voice echoing across the land, reaching far beyond the forbidden region.
Near the Pillar of Death, Kai, Chiru, Vaal, Karn, Sethr, and Rehx all froze as that sound reached them, because they recognized it immediately, not as an ordinary cry but as Ruby's voice filled with pain, and the realization that something was happening to her caused tension to spread among them, yet they were bound by their positions, unable to move freely, and in that moment Kai forced himself to act despite the restriction, quickly gathering his thoughts before ordering Sethr, Vaal, and Karn to move and investigate, his voice firm despite the concern he tried to suppress, while the three of them nodded and disappeared into the forest without delay, leaving Kai , chiru and rehx behind as they stood there, watching the direction of the screams, unable to ignore the growing unease for both Ruby and his king.