In a moment, as if no one had ever been there, they all vanished.
The Orb of Light had moved from the hidden dimension
where nothing existed but silence and darkness to a strange forest pulsing with life.
Floating trees spread across the horizon with huge leaves nearly touching the ground, golden patterns dancing on their surface like glowing closed veins.
The forest felt as if it was pulsing with ancient memories.
And when the Orb of Luminous Energy descended from the sky, it illuminated the area with a dim light, as if even the fog itself had become radiant.
The darkness was profound.
There was no sun, no moon the sky was as dark as the deep abyss.
Black clouds dominated the horizon.
Rain poured relentlessly, heavy yet dry.
It beat upon the tree leaves forcefully, flooding the floating earth in a sea of silent whispers.
Only the shining golden markings, pulsing with life around the Orb of Light, were visible.
Elena, who had never liked humidity, felt a strange shiver run through her body the moment they arrived.
She began observing the place with eyes filled with a sense of unease, yet her gaze quickly darted toward Rash
this strange person who, somehow, felt closer than anyone else.
She wondered in confusion:
What's happening?
How can someone I just met make me feel this safe?
It was as though the moment pierced her mind, unsettling her.
But despite the deep confusion,
she realized that her heart was acting in a way it never had before.
While the forest sank into the silence of a solemn darkness, Rash was staring at the orb of luminous energy, which still appeared incomplete.
It rose higher into the sky, and the higher it went, the more its red glow intensified.
Everyone was tense, waiting
but Rash showed no signs of worry.
His calm voice brought a sense of reassurance to the team, despite the thick tension.
From atop one of the trees, behind a branch, something was hiding, watching them closely.
That girl, who resembled the creatures that lived on Asomia, appeared like one of the shadows of darkness.
Her face was covered in pale, smooth skin. She wore a short-sleeved black shirt, and around her body pulsed a black aura of dense smoke that smelled like death.
The dark markings that spread across her body seemed to be burning from within with black fire, releasing slow, heavy smoke from the symbols.
Her black eyes never left Elena. They shimmered with an endless malice.
It was as if she could pierce Elena's soul in an instant.
Her gaze was cold and merciless
carrying within it the cruelty of the whole world.
Elena felt something strange awaken inside her.
The evil seeping from those eyes began creeping into the light that had merged with her being.
What is this? she wondered silently.
Yet she could feel the determination and protection gifted to her by the Serathygas rising from within.
She knew she would not allow that evil to harm her.
Rash noticed Elena's eyes fixed on a certain spot, so he followed her gaze
then shouted with a booming voice that filled the place:
"Minyana! It's you!
Your dark energy always reveals itself,
no matter how well you try to hide it!"
He smiled bitterly, then added:
"Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"
His voice was filled with anger and regret. He knew very well what that girl was capable of.
Minyana smirked in her place, then responded with a threatening tone, completely unfazed:
"You all know I don't fear your threats.
We, the Shadows of Darkness, only grow stronger the more we're attacked."
Then she turned to Elena, shouting with a voice full of disgust:
"The hybrid of tainted light and human blood...
Your protection won't last much longer.
If those idiots had done their job on Earth, you'd be dead by now
and we'd still be celebrating."
Her words rumbled through the air like thunder, and their impact was deep
Elena's face began to show clear signs of confusion.
Tabitha and Khaiso rushed forward, shouting fiercely:
"This is the end for you!"
Minyana laughed her mocking laugh, as if she had succeeded in staining the air with her darkness, before vanishing
leaving behind a final, echoing message:
"It's not my end…
It's the end of the tainted hybrid."
Despite the threats, Rash tried to calm Elena with a reassuring voice:
"No matter what happens, you're safe with us."
But he knew her heart was still heavy with the evil Minyana had left behind.
Then Khaiso stepped forward, his eyes warm with a smile, and said:
"Rash is right.
Don't let her threats creep into your inner light.
We're with you."
Everyone approached Elena. Siniyata smiled warmly, trying to fill her with reassurance. Tabitha turned her gaze quickly toward the team and said calmly,
"They're just words, nothing more."
Then she smiled proudly while playing with a strand of her hair.
"It's like we don't teach her a lesson every single time."
As the orb of light energy was nearing the end of its cycle, Khaiso pointed out,
"But I haven't seen the Serathygas yet. Not even a trace of their frequencies."
Siniyata nodded in agreement.
"Yes, you're right… Could it be they've withdrawn?"
Rash added with a puzzled tone,
"I think their presence is beyond the competition itself."
Tabitha tightened her expression, affirming,
"Their presence here has a purpose known only to them. But I doubt it's about the tournament."
Everyone exchanged glances with no clear answer.
As the orb of light disappeared into the sky, the team began transitioning to the next dimension.
They moved into another realm completely void of life.
It looked like a barren, desolate land. Sand drifted through the air, and the sky was thick with a red smoke that filled the horizon.
The land was lifeless no plants, no creatures.
Everything was eerily silent, as if the place itself was trapped in a different time.
Crowds gathered there, their eyes nervously shifting between one another, anticipating the appearance of the light orb.
But something strange happened.
The orb wasn't there.
A deadly silence filled the space, the only sounds were their quickened breaths as they anxiously watched the scene.
Tabitha whispered softly, afraid her voice might echo through the stillness,
"What's going on, my friends?
Where did it go?
This has never happened before."
Rash motioned for her to be quiet, as everyone stared into the horizon, watching intently.
They all tried to breathe within the strange silence that filled the air, as if even time itself had stopped.
Then suddenly, they all began to sense something strange
A heavy energy spreading into every corner of the place.
They recognized it well.
It was the energy of the Serathygas
something no one had sensed in any of the previous partial dimensions during the orb's maturity.
But now it filled the space in an unusual way.
Siniyata, clearly concerned, turned to Khaiso and said,
"Khaiso... I thought they had left.
What's happening?"
Before anyone could answer, the Serathygas appeared suddenly from nowhere
As if they belonged entirely to this dimension.
Their arrival resembled shadows dispersing through the air
quiet, unseen
but they were there.
And at that very moment, the light orb finally appeared
Fully formed.
It began to move slowly toward Elena.
She could feel her ability to connect with it.
At that moment, Elena understood what she needed to do.
She approached slowly.
She ignored Rash's attempt to stop her.
Her eyes filled with confidence as she gestured to Rash to stay calm.
She continued walking, step by step, her eyes glowing with both hope and awe.
At that moment, the Serathygas spoke.
Their voices were deep, carrying with them the scent of time itself.
Every word was heavy
echoing with an unmatched majesty.
They said:
"It is a debt upon us.
Today, we have repaid our debt."
Everyone's eyes turned to the Orb of Luminous Energy, which had begun to take a unified form.
A terrifying silence filled the space.
Signs of dread were etched across every face.
As the shaping process completed, it revealed a crystal sphere, inside which floated a radiant red light
glowing like a small planet of brilliance.
Elena, who stood directly in front of the Serathygas,
whispered as her eyes wandered into theirs:
"Tell me... what is this feeling?
I feel as though this moment has passed before, long ago...
I know it well.
This is a turning point in my fate."
No response came
only silence.
Then, the Serathygas guided the crystal toward Elena's hands.
And with their deep, solemn voice, they declared:
"The debt is settled."
As soon as Elena held the crystal, her eyes widened.
She inhaled sharply
clarity flooding her mind.
The journey of the Orb of Luminous Energy...
was never truly about energy.
It had always been the origin of depth itself.
She saw how the crystal had already transitioned from the desert dimension
how the Serathygas had received it even before the others had arrived.
To the Sand Dimension
because the Orb of Luminous Energy was no ordinary energy.
It had to travel to the Dimension of Time to complete its maturity, a place where no creature or energy could survive, except the Serathygas.
The Dimension of Time is where moments merge and overlap, where all possibilities from beginning to end coexist
one realm that contains all of existence.
The idea of the luminous orb wasn't simple; its destiny was far greater than anyone could quickly understand.
Everyone was watching, questions flooding their minds
how could such a powerful energy orb end up in Elena's hands? Was it part of a grander plan orchestrated by the Serathygas through time?
The Serathygas quietly withdrew, followed by the others, but Elena remained, holding the crystal with firm resolve.
The faint whispers she had heard echoed inside her, commanding her to protect it at all costs
for the fate of Azaveria was now in her hands.
The tension grew heavier, but Elena's mind was elsewhere. Her eyes were locked on the crystal, her hands trembling slightly, her thoughts consumed by riddles she couldn't solve. She finally questioned herself:
"Am I even worthy of this burden?"
She turned her eyes to Rash and asked, her voice shaking:
"I just arrived in Azaveria... What is this?"
But Rash had no answer. He didn't understand what was happening. He simply looked at her with a soft gaze and said:
"It's time to go."