[EXT. SACRED FOREST – AFTER SUNSET]
Golden embers fell like silent rain through the sky.
Haruto and Airi sat beneath the shattered clearing, the echoes of Krevaz's curse still staining the air.
The child was gone — safe with his parents — but the weight lingered.
Haruto stared at the watch on his wrist, now silver-gold, spinning faintly.
> Haruto (quiet):
"It feels… different. But still not whole. It's like something's been unlocked… but something else is still holding it back."
Airi gazed at her ring, fingers curling slightly.
> Airi (softly):
"And yet I feel freer. Like part of me was asleep… until I saw that child suffer."
The air thickened — shimmering.
Two figures stepped forth from ripples in space itself.
The God of Living — robed in ever-blooming leaves and pulsing light.
The Goddess of Nonliving — her crystalline form shimmering with the dust of broken stars.
---
The Gods Speak Truth
> God of Living (warm, resonant):
"Haruto. Airi. You've passed the test of heart. But now… comes the truth of soul."
> Goddess of living (sharp, clear):
"And of what binds it still."
She raised her hand — the watch floated free from Haruto's wrist, glowing brighter than ever.
Three glyphs spun around it — two faded, one still blazing.
> Goddess of living:
"This… is what remains of the curse."
---
[FLASHBACK: FROM THE BEGINNING]
Narration Over Visuals:
The Absolute God birthed existence — Time, then Light.
When Time was born, a flaw stirred — the Dark God, formed from subconscious necessity.
He whispered into Time — corrupting it.
Time bent, and war erupted.
The Light God, in desperation, used ten seconds to strike a final divine slash — severing the cursed fragment of Time and sealing it inside a sacred object.
> Goddess of living (voice-over):
"That fragment… was too dangerous to destroy. So we forged this."
> God of Living:
"A vessel strong enough to hold the cursed Time — and pure enough to reject its darkness."
---
[BACK TO PRESENT – THE ORIGIN OF THE WATCH]
> Goddess of living:
"We created this watch — from cursed Time, stabilized by my essence and his life energy."
> God of Living (nodding):
"It is the prison of corrupted time — and the only weapon capable of bending it back."
Haruto clenched his fists.
> Haruto:
"Then… why me?"
> Goddess of living (firm):
"Because this watch is laced with the Dark God's curse. If any other god or being tries to use it — even the purest — they will be corrupted."
> God of Living:
"But you… you and Airi are different. You carry the fragments of the Light God's essence. And the curse cannot touch Light."
> Goddess of living (softly):
"Only Light can balance Time. That's why you were chosen. Why this burden — and this power — is yours alone."
---
The Final Seal Breaks
The three restraints appeared — glowing in the air:
Two, set by the Time God — already broken.
One, forged by the Creators — still burning gold.
The gods raised their hands.
A divine chant — older than stars — echoed through the clearing.
BOOM—!
The final lock shattered.
---
The Watch Transforms
The watch floated midair — fragments spinning around Haruto.
Reforging.
Becoming.
No longer a mere device — it became a cosmic time dial, orbiting Haruto like a star caught in his gravity.
Haruto stared in awe.
> Haruto (breathless):
"It feels… alive. More than ever."
> Goddess of living:
"Because now, it recognizes you — not as a user… but as its master."
> God of Living:
"The curse is still inside. Dormant. But if you waver — it will awaken again. From now on… it's not a restraint. It's a mirror."
---
The Dark God's Plan Revealed
> Goddess of living:
"Krevaz was a trap. If he killed you, Light would fall. If you killed him… the Dark God would gain time."
> God of Living:
"You've been on his board since the beginning. But now… the pieces are shifting."
---
Preparation for the Final Arc
Haruto's gaze sharpened.
> Haruto:
"Then we flip the board."
Airi smiled faintly, her ring pulsing.
> Airi:
"And we burn it down."
The gods nodded solemnly.
The air stilled.
The stars above shimmered once — then dimmed.
> Goddess of living:
"Your time is no longer restrained. But time itself… is running out."
> God of Living:
"From here on… nothing is sealed. No past. No power. No truth.
But you must remember everything."
The gods vanished — particle light scattering into the night.
---
[EXT. SKY – ABOVE THEM]
The clouds twisted.
A spiral of black ether churned across the heavens — the first sign of the Final Eclipse.
Airi clenched her ring tighter.
> Airi (whispering):
"It's coming."
Haruto stood, the cosmic dial orbiting him.
> Haruto (quiet, burning):
"Then let's become what we were always meant to be."
TO BE CONTINUED...
[END OF VOL 3-"ECHOES OF DIVINITY"]