Jinx woke to silence.
Soft. Unreal.
She lay on a bed of black petals, their texture cool against her skin. Tiny glowing fireflies drifted around her, lighting the strange world in soft gold.
Above her, the sky was… broken.
Purple. Fractured. Like glass barely holding together.
"…Where am I?" she whispered.
"You crossed realms."
Jinx turned.
Dante stood a few steps away.
But he looked different.
Armor covered him—dark, edged with glowing lines. His presence felt heavier… older. His eyes, once familiar, now carried something deeper.
Pain.
"The flame brought you here," he said quietly. "My home."
Jinx pushed herself up slowly, her chest tightening.
"Your body…" she said, studying him. "It's rejecting my magic."
Dante gave a small, bitter smile.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"Because I was made to kill it."
The throne room was vast.
Cold.
Ancient.
Demon elders surrounded a pulsing seal, their presence suffocating. Their eyes locked onto Jinx like she was a threat… or a weapon.
Dante stepped in front of her without hesitation.
"The Phoenix cannot remain," one elder said, voice echoing. "She brings balance… and balance brings our end."
Jinx stepped forward anyway.
"I'm not here to destroy anything," she said, steady despite the pressure. "I'm here to change the story."
The room went still.
Dante reached for her hand.
"Then we change it together."
Far away, in a dark cave—
Rika struggled to breathe.
Her body was scorched, cracked with lingering burns. Her form flickered between human and something far more broken.
A shadow moved behind her.
"You were sloppy."
The voice was calm. Cold.
Rika's eyes snapped open.
"I weakened her," she hissed. "That's all that matters."
The shadow stepped closer, black flames curling around its form.
"Now you finish it."
The fire darkened.
Something worse had entered the game.