The sky should not move like that.
Yet above Astra Prime, it twisted.
Not clouds.
Not energy.
But something deeper—like a curtain being slowly pulled back to reveal a truth never meant to be seen.
At the center of the ruined battlefield stood Kael Varyn.
Unmoving.
Unyielding.
Unstable.
The distortion in his raised hand pulsed violently, space folding into itself as if reality were being crushed into a single point.
"…Come down," Kael said.
His voice echoed unnaturally, layered with something vast and ancient.
"…Or I'll pull you out."
Behind him, the others watched in silence.
"…He's serious," Eren Shade muttered.
"He shouldn't even be able to touch something like that…" Lyra Frost whispered, barely conscious.
Zarek didn't speak.
Because he felt it.
That connection forming.
Not just power—
But a link.
Between Kael…
And whatever existed beyond the fracture.
"…He's forcing a bridge," Zarek Voidborn said quietly.
"And if that thing answers?" Darius asked.
Zarek didn't look away from Kael.
"…Then we stop being the hunters."
A pause.
"…And become the hunted."
The air above split further.
The fracture pulsed—
Then stretched.
Then—
Something moved.
Not fully visible.
Not entirely present.
But undeniable.
A shape formed behind the veil.
Massive.
Unfathomable.
Watching.
Then—
It reached back.
Kael's distortion point trembled violently as resistance met force.
The air screamed.
Reality bent.
And for the first time—
The entity responded directly.
"…You seek to grasp the abyss…"
The voice no longer sounded distant.
It was closer now.
Heavier.
Each word carried weight that pressed down on everything below.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…I don't seek it."
His grip tightened.
"…I take it."
The distortion expanded.
Pulled harder.
The fracture widened further—
And something began to emerge.
Not fully.
Not yet.
But enough.
A hand.
If it could be called that.
A massive, shadowed appendage pushed through the tear in space, its form shifting constantly—solid one moment, abstract the next.
It didn't belong in this world.
It refused to belong.
And yet—
Kael was dragging it in.
"…This is insane…" Darius whispered.
"No…" Ragnar said quietly.
"…This is impossible."
The hand pushed further through the fracture, reality warping violently around it.
The moment it crossed fully into their world—
Everything changed.
The air collapsed.
The ground sank.
Even time felt… heavier.
Kael's body trembled.
Not from fear.
From strain.
His system flared violently.
[CRITICAL WARNING — FOREIGN ENTITY INTERFERENCE]
[Primordial Awakening: 75% → 78%]
Blood ran from his nose.
From his eyes.
But he didn't stop.
"…Almost…" he muttered.
The entity's voice shifted.
No longer amused.
No longer curious.
Now—
Interested.
"…You force connection… beyond your capacity…"
The hand twitched.
Then—
Moved.
Not toward Kael.
But outward.
Toward everything.
A wave of pressure erupted from it, slamming into the battlefield like an invisible tidal force. Zarek's barrier shattered instantly, sending everyone crashing backward.
Lyra cried out.
Darius barely managed to hold his footing.
Eren vanished into shadows to avoid being crushed.
"…It's not even fully here!" Zarek shouted.
"…And it's already this strong?!"
Kael's grip faltered for a split second.
And that was enough.
The entity pushed.
The distortion destabilized.
The connection trembled.
"…You are not ready."
Kael's teeth clenched.
"…Shut up."
He forced more power into the connection.
More than his body could handle.
More than his system could stabilize.
[WARNING — LIMITER FAILURE]
[Primordial Awakening: 78% → 80%]
The surge detonated.
Not outward.
Inward.
Kael's body convulsed as energy tore through him, his aura spiraling out of control as the strain reached its peak.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
Then—
It broke.
The distortion collapsed.
The connection snapped.
Violently.
The hand recoiled instantly, retreating back into the fracture as the tear in the sky sealed partially, snapping shut like a wound rejecting intrusion.
The pressure vanished.
The battlefield dropped back into reality.
Kael staggered.
Then fell to one knee.
His aura flickered violently, unstable, fractured, barely contained.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Zarek was the first to move.
"…Kael!"
He rushed forward, stopping just short as the residual energy around Kael lashed outward unpredictably.
"…Don't touch him!" Ragnar warned.
Kael's breathing was uneven now.
Ragged.
His body trembling.
His eyes flickered between normal—
And something else.
"…I almost…" he muttered.
"…Had it…"
"No," Zarek said firmly.
"…You almost lost yourself."
Kael didn't respond.
Because deep down—
He knew it was true.
Above them, the fracture remained.
Smaller now.
But not gone.
And from beyond it—
The voice returned one last time.
Soft.
Faint.
But unmistakable.
"…Interesting."
A pause.
"…You may yet become worthy."
Then—
Silence.
True silence.
The presence vanished completely.
Zarek exhaled slowly.
"…That thing…"
"…Was watching everything," Eren finished.
Lyra looked at Kael weakly.
"…And now it knows you."
Kael slowly pushed himself to his feet.
His aura dimming.
Stabilizing.
But not entirely gone.
His gaze lifted toward the sky.
Toward the fracture.
Now quiet.
Now distant.
"…Good," he said quietly.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only resolve.
"…I'm not done either."
Far below—
The hidden observer leaned back, a satisfied smile forming.
"…Phase two successful."
Their fingers tapped lightly against the interface.
"…Now we prepare for phase three."
Back on the battlefield—
The war had paused.
But something far greater—
Had just begun.