The silence that followed Lucifer's declaration was suffocating.
It spread across the floating city like a frozen wave, swallowing every sound beneath the crushing pressure radiating from the heavens above.
The bustling war-fortress of Zephyria normally alive with the thunder of engines, marching soldiers, and roaring arcane reactors had gone completely still.
Millions stared upward.
The colossal Avatar of Solaris Prime floated beyond the planetary shield like a newborn sun wrapped in divine fury.
Its body was not truly flesh, but condensed celestial plasma shaped into humanoid form. Vast spinning rings of golden fire rotated behind its back, each one lined with thousands of burning, unblinking eyes.
Every eye stared directly at Lucifer.
The sheer heat pouring from the entity warped the sky itself. The iridescent planetary barrier protecting Zephyria shimmered violently under the pressure, ripples spreading endlessly across its surface.
