Scene- Blade of Absence
The fire passed through the place where the Traveler had been.
He was already behind the bird.
His hand caught the edge of its wing.
He pulled himself upward.
The creature twisted.
Too late.
The Traveler reached its head.
His fingers closed around one of its eyes.
The bird screamed.
The Traveler pulled.
The eye tore free.
The monster recoiled violently.
Its scream rolled across the mountain.
The Traveler was thrown backward.
He struck the ground.
Rolled.
Stopped.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
The elder sister stared.
The black bird circled above him.
One eye remained.
Its enormous beak opened.
Fire began gathering.
The Traveler slowly pushed himself upright.
His breathing was heavy.
His clothes were torn.
His body was covered in wounds.
But he stood.
The bird fired.
The Traveler moved—
but not fast enough.
The blast caught him.
He was thrown across the mountain.
His body struck the ground.
The elder sister shouted his name.
No answer.
Dust settled.
The Traveler lay motionless.
Then—
his fingers moved.
A faint black light appeared between them.
The elder sister stared.
The light wasn't like ordinary fire.
It didn't illuminate the darkness.
It devoured it.
A black flame crawled across his palm.
Then another.
The Traveler slowly raised his hand.
The flame gathered.
Condensed.
Darkness folded inward.
The shape changed.
A line appeared.
Then an edge.
Then a blade.
It continued growing.
Longer.
Wider.
Until the weapon towered above him.
A colossal blade of black flame.
No metal.
No reflection.
Only absence.
The Blood Moon seemed to dim around it.
The Traveler stood beneath the crimson sky.
His eyes remained closed.
Yet his face was calm.
The black bird sensed the change.
It stopped.
Its remaining eye widened.
The Traveler tilted his head toward it.
His voice was quiet.
"Enough."
The bird screamed and charged.
Its wings opened.
Its beak ignited.
The Traveler stepped forward.
One step.
Then—
he vanished.
The creature passed through empty air.
The Traveler appeared beneath it.
The enormous black blade rose.
For one instant—
everything became silent.
Then the Traveler swung.
The blade passed through the creature.
The black bird froze in midair.
A dark line appeared across its enormous body.
The creature's scream died.
Its form split.
The two halves fell away from each other.
But there was no regeneration.
No movement.
No return.
The black flame spread across both halves.
The creature burned without producing ordinary fire.
Its body collapsed into black ash.
Then even the ash disappeared.
The Blood Moon remained.
The dead remained.
But the monster—
was gone.
The Traveler lowered the blade.
It began shrinking.
The black flame crawled back toward his hand.
Then vanished.
The Traveler swayed.
His knees nearly gave out.
The elder sister rushed toward him.
He remained standing.
Barely.
She looked at the empty sky.
Then at him.
"What... are you?"
The Traveler didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Because somewhere inside the darkness—
Arafial was watching.
And this time—
Arafial smiled.
Not with cruelty.
With recognition.
The Abyss had finally answered.