The world… fell into a suffocating silence.
Not the gentle quiet of peace—
but the kind that crushed the soul.
Aria's fingers remained frozen in the air, still reaching for a hand that was no longer there.
Gone.
Just like that.
Her chest tightened painfully, breath trembling as if her heart had forgotten how to beat. Slowly—almost fearfully—she lifted her gaze.
And saw him.
Rowan stood before her.
But…
Those eyes…
They weren't his.
No warmth.
No fire.
No trace of the man who had once protected her, fought beside her, and smiled in the face of danger.
Only darkness.
Endless.
Bottomless.
"...Who are you?"
His voice echoed across the shattered battlefield.
Cold.
Detached.
Like he was looking at a stranger.
Aria felt something inside her break.
"R-Rowan…"
Her voice trembled, barely holding together.
"It's me… Aria…"
She took a step forward, her body shaking, her heart screaming for him to recognize her.
But Rowan didn't react.
No flicker.
No hesitation.
Nothing.
Just a blank, emotionless stare.
The Sky's Wrath
Above them, the裂 in the sky tore wider, ripping through the heavens like a wound that refused to heal.
Darkness poured down like a storm, swallowing light, devouring everything it touched.
The voice returned.
Louder.
Closer.
"He… belongs… to me."
The ground shook violently, cracks spreading like veins beneath their feet.
Even the Dragon King stepped back, his massive form tense, his golden eyes filled with something rare—
Concern.
"This presence…" he growled deeply,
"…it is no longer a fragment."
A pause.
"…The Void Emperor is awakening."
A Changed Rowan
Rowan slowly descended from the air.
But he didn't walk.
He didn't fall.
He floated.
Like gravity itself no longer applied to him.
Darkness wrapped around his body like chains, yet it moved like it was alive—like it was part of him.
Aria stepped forward instinctively.
"Rowan… please… listen to me…"
Her voice cracked.
But before she could reach him—
BOOM—
A powerful force exploded outward.
Aria was thrown back violently, her body crashing against the broken ground.
Pain shot through her entire body.
"Ahh—!"
She struggled to breathe, her vision spinning.
But Rowan didn't move.
Didn't even look at her.
Inside the Void
Somewhere deep within Rowan's mind—
There was still something.
A faint light.
Small.
Weak.
But alive.
Inside that fragile glow—
A voice echoed softly.
"…Aria…"
It was faint.
Almost gone.
But not completely.
Not yet.
Back to Reality
Rowan tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes fixed on Aria like she was something unfamiliar.
"Your existence… interferes."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I will erase it."
Aria's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Erase… me…?"
Her heart clenched—but she didn't move away.
She couldn't.
Not when it was him.
The First Attack
Rowan slowly raised his hand.
Darkness gathered instantly, forming a massive sphere of void energy above his palm.
The air twisted violently around it, space itself distorting under its power.
The Dragon King roared from behind.
"ARIA! MOVE NOW!!"
But Aria didn't move.
She stood there.
Facing him.
Tears streamed down her face—but her eyes never left his.
"You won't do it…"
Her voice trembled, but her resolve didn't.
"Because you're still there…"
A faint golden glow began to rise from her body.
Warm.
Gentle.
But powerful.
Light vs Void
"ROWAN!!"
She screamed his name—not in fear—
But in faith.
Light burst from her body, clashing against the overwhelming darkness.
BOOOOOOM—
The battlefield shattered under the impact.
Light and void collided violently, neither willing to give way.
The sky trembled.
The earth cracked.
Everything shook under the weight of their power.
A Small Miracle
For just a moment—
Rowan's hand trembled.
The dark sphere flickered.
Inside the void—
The throne cracked again.
A deeper fracture.
The dark figure narrowed its eyes.
"…So you still resist?"
Aria's Determination
Aria stepped forward again.
Even as the pressure crushed her body.
Even as the darkness tried to tear her apart.
She didn't stop.
"I don't care what you've become…"
Her voice was weak—but unwavering.
"You're not alone…"
Another step.
"You're not a monster…"
Her light burned brighter.
"You're not the Void Emperor!"
She reached out her hand toward him—
"…You're my Rowan."
A Flicker of Hope
Everything paused.
The wind.
The darkness.
Even time itself.
Rowan's black eyes flickered.
For a brief moment—
A faint golden light appeared within them.
Tiny.
Fragile.
But real.
Aria saw it.
And smiled through her tears.
"I knew it…"
The Emperor's Rage
But the sky screamed.
Louder than before.
Furious.
"ENOUGH."
A massive wave of darkness surged down from the裂, far stronger than anything before.
It didn't hesitate.
Didn't wait.
It struck.
Directly into Rowan.
The Fall
His body froze.
The golden flicker—
Shattered.
Consumed instantly by the overwhelming darkness.
Aria's smile vanished.
"…No…"
Her voice broke completely.
Rowan slowly lifted his head again.
His eyes—
Completely black.
No light.
No hesitation.
No resistance.
Nothing.
Final Moment
He raised his hand once more.
This time—
Without stopping.
Without shaking.
Without doubt.
His voice echoed coldly—
"…Disappear."
Darkness gathered again.
Stronger.
Deadlier.
Unstoppable.
Aria stood there—
Alone.
Broken.
But still…
She didn't run.
🔥 To Be Continued… 🔥