Panic came before the next strike.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
Panic.
"…MONSTER—!"
"…IT'S HERE—!"
"…RUN—!"
The village shattered into chaos.
People pushed past each other—
children crying—
feet scrambling against dirt—
No formation.
No control.
Just survival.
Sora stood in the middle of it—
breathing heavy—
eyes locked forward.
"…Tch… this is bad…"
Johan's gaze swept across the villagers.
"…They're going to get in the way."
Sora clicked his tongue.
"…Yeah, no kidding."
But neither of them moved.
Because ahead—
the figure continued walking.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Unstoppable.
Unaffected.
As if the chaos—
meant nothing.
Then—
He stopped.
At the edge of the village.
Because someone stood in front of him.
The Village Chief.
Alone.
"…Chief—MOVE!" someone screamed.
But he didn't.
His hands trembled.
His breath uneven.
But his feet—
did not move.
"…It's really you…"
His voice cracked.
Soft.
Broken.
"…Vael'thorin…"
Silence.
The name hung in the air.
Heavy.
Unfamiliar.
But it mattered.
Because—
The figure froze.
Just slightly.
Sora noticed.
Johan noticed.
The villagers didn't.
"…Vael'thorin…" the chief repeated.
A step forward.
"…My son…"
The wind stopped.
Not naturally.
Forced.
The aether around the figure—
shuddered.
For the first time—
it wasn't stable.
His head tilted slightly—
eyes flickering.
"…son…"
The word came out—
wrong.
Like it didn't belong to him.
Sora's grip tightened.
"…Johan…"
"…I see it."
Johan's eyes narrowed.
"…He's still there."
The chief took another step.
Closer now.
Too close.
"…Come back…"
Silence.
The figure's hand twitched.
Aether flickered—
unstable—
spiking—
then collapsing—
then spiking again.
"…You don't belong like this…"
The chief's voice trembled more.
"…You're not a monster…"
For a moment—
everything held.
Then—
Something broke.
Not outside.
Inside.
"…STOP…"
The voice came from the figure.
Distorted.
Layered.
Not one voice.
Two.
His body jerked slightly.
Aether surged violently—
no longer controlled—
no longer perfect—
cracks of light spreading across his skin.
"…I said… STOP—!"
BOOM—
The ground beneath him shattered.
Aether exploded outward—
wild—
unstable—
consuming everything around him.
"…He's losing control!" Johan shouted.
Sora stepped forward—
"…No—"
His eyes locked onto the chief—
who was still standing there.
"…He's breaking."
The figure—Vael'thorin—
clutched his head—
his body trembling—
the glowing veins pulsing violently—
"…MAKE IT STOP—!"
The aether surged again—
stronger—
denser—
like something inside him was tearing itself apart.
Then—
For a split second—
It appeared.
Behind him.
A shadow.
Tall.
Distorted.
A hand—
resting lightly on his head.
And a voice—
calm.
Cold.
"…You were almost perfect."
Johan's eyes widened.
"…There it is…"
Sora didn't hear it.
Didn't see it.
But Johan did.
And that was enough.
"…Sora!" Johan shouted.
"…He's not just breaking—!"
The shadow disappeared.
Instantly.
Like it was never there.
But the damage—
remained.
Vael'thorin's body arched—
aether erupting uncontrollably—
cracks spreading—
light bursting from within—
"…No… no… NO—!"
The chief's eyes widened.
"…Vael'thorin…?"
The ground shook.
Violently.
The air screamed.
Everything—
compressed—
unstable—
ready to collapse.
Johan's voice cut through—
"…He's going to explode!"
Silence.
For half a second.
Then—
Sora moved.
"…Don't even think about it—!" Johan shouted.
Too late.
Sora dashed forward—
straight toward Vael'thorin—
toward the center—
toward the explosion.
"…SORA—!"
The chief's voice broke.
But Sora didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't think.
Just moved.
Because—
if that thing went off—
the village—
everyone—
gone.
Flames ignited around him—
wild—
violent—
but focused.
"…If you're gonna blow—"
He raised his blade—
charging straight in—
"…then I'm taking it head-on!"
The light intensified—
blinding—
consuming—
Vael'thorin screamed—
not like a monster—
but like a human—
breaking.
And in that moment—
everything—
collapsed.
To white.