The battlefield trembled.
The sky had become a chaotic mass of unstable energy,裂 open by streaks of gold and black lightning. The ground cracked beneath their feet, unable to withstand the pressure of their power.
Lyra and Kael stood side by side.
Their hands still intertwined.
Their bond… still alive.
But something had changed.
The Council hovered above them, silent and watchful.
And the dark figure…
Was smiling.
— You still think you can win together…
Her voice was soft.
Too soft.
— But you still refuse to see the truth.
Lyra frowned.
— What truth?
A pause.
Then—
— Your bond… is the cause of everything.
Lyra's heart tightened.
Kael tightened his grip on her hand.
— We don't care, he said. We can control our power now.
— No, the figure replied. You're only delaying it.
She slowly raised her hand.
And the world shifted.
Again.
They were no longer on the battlefield.
But in a white void.
Silent.
Endless.
And in front of them…
A vision appeared.
Clearer.
Crueler.
Lyra stepped back.
— No…
She saw herself again.
But this time…
It wasn't just a fragment.
It was the full truth.
Kael stood before her.
Injured.
Exhausted.
But still standing.
— Stop, Lyra…
His voice… broken.
— You're losing control…
And her…
She was crying.
But her hands…
Were glowing with uncontrollable power.
— I can't…
Then—
A moment.
Just one.
An explosion.
And Kael…
Was gone.
Lyra screamed.
— NO!!!
The void shattered.
They were back.
But this time…
Lyra was shaking.
Truly shaking.
— I… I killed you…
Her voice barely audible.
Kael stared at her.
Silent.
— In another life…
She stepped back.
— I killed you…
— Lyra—
— DON'T COME CLOSER!
A wave of energy burst from her.
Kael was thrown backward violently.
Their bond…
Flickered.
For the first time.
The dark figure watched, satisfied.
— Finally…
— You're beginning to understand.
Lyra shook her head, panicking.
— No… no… if I stay with him…
She looked at Kael.
Fear filled her eyes.
— I'll lose you again…
Kael slowly got back up.
— That's not true.
— YES IT IS!
Her voice cracked.
— You don't understand! It's not just a memory! It's a cycle!
Silence.
Even the Council watched closely.
— In every life… the figure whispered… you find each other…
— You fall in love…
— And you destroy him.
The words hit like a sentence.
Lyra's chest tightened painfully.
— Then… this time…
She stepped back again.
Her voice trembling.
— I won't make the same mistake.
Kael felt something inside him break.
— What are you saying…?
She looked away.
— I have to leave.
Silence.
Complete.
— No.
His voice was low.
Dangerously calm.
— You're not leaving.
— I don't have a choice.
— Yes, you do.
He stepped forward.
— You're choosing to run.
She closed her eyes.
Tears fell.
— I'm choosing to protect you.
Those words…
Were worse than any attack.
Kael froze.
— You think I want to be protected… if it means losing you?
She didn't answer.
Because she knew.
But she couldn't turn back.
Not now.
Not after what she had seen.
— I'm the problem… she whispered.
— No.
— YES!
Her power began rising again.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
— If I stay… everything will happen again…
She raised her hand.
A blinding light formed.
Kael's eyes widened.
— Lyra… wait—
— I'm sorry…
And in an instant—
She vanished.
A burst of light.
Then…
Nothing.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Brutal.
Kael stood there.
His hands empty.
His gaze… hollow.
— …Lyra…
No answer.
Their bond…
Was still there.
But faint.
Distant.
As if stretched across space itself.
The dark figure slowly descended.
— There it is…
— Destiny restoring itself.
Kael slowly raised his head.
His eyes…
Were no longer the same.
— You think this is over…?
His voice was low.
Cold.
Dangerous.
The figure smiled faintly.
— She's gone. The cycle has begun again.
Silence.
Then—
Kael clenched his fists.
A new energy…
Darker.
Stronger.
— Then I'll break the cycle.
The ground trembled beneath him.
The Council watched.
Interested.
— Even if I have to…
He looked up.
— Destroy this entire system.
Silence.
Then the figure whispered—
— Interesting…
The game…
Was far from over.
It had only just begun.