The golden stardust still lingered in the air, catching the fractured light of a broken world. The angel stepped forward, his luminous wings folding with serene grace as he neared Karlos.
"I am Frazaris," the figure said, voice resonant yet gentle. "But once, I was called Detric — the man you remember."
Karlos stiffened. Jacob's eyes felt something like remembering old days.
"I was sent to Earth by the gods," Frazaris continued. "Not to interfere, but to delay what was written. One goddess — gifted with foresight — saw this war, this devastation… all born from a single night. She pleaded with the heavens. And though the gods are bound by destiny, they allowed me to descend."
He paused.
"But Earth was sealed. A spiritual barrier kept the divine away. I could not descend as a celestial being. So, I came as a man. A sliver of my power hidden — just enough to survive."
His eyes turned distant.
"That night, under the stars, I landed. I saw them — men in black robes, killing someone at the city's edge. When I arrived, he was already dead. A spy. Sent to uncover the truth about the orphanage — the same truth I sought."
Softly, Frazaris said, "I buried him on a quiet mountain slope. Took his identity. Entered the city."
He turned to Jacob.
"I met him soon after. A boy with sharp eyes… and a scarred soul. When I asked where he was from, he said, 'The orphanage.' That's when the plan began."
Karlos stared, old chains breaking one by one in his mind.
"But… you were an angel," he whispered. "Why didn't you just stop it? Why didn't you save us?"
Frazaris turned, sorrow flooding his gaze — ancient and endless.
"Because I couldn't. My power was sealed. I was just a man. Weak. Mortal. I hid what little essence I had to avoid detection. I tried, Karlos… but even angels cannot defy fate. We can only hope to delay it."
He looked to the skies.
"The gods are not rulers. They are witnesses. Even they cannot rewrite the story of the universe. They are bound… as are we all."
Silence fell.
Karlos dropped to his knees. "I misunderstood everything. I thought Jacob… I thought he—"
He turned to his old friend.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice cracking. "Jacob… I'm sorry."
Jacob's eyes welled. "I failed too. I should've come back. I thought… I wasn't worthy."
They embraced. Childhood grief melted into adult forgiveness. Kell turned away, his shoulders trembling. Even the Butler bowed his head.
Frazaris's voice rose again.
"Jacob. It's time. Release the girl."
Jacob closed his eyes, sending a silent command(telepathy).
Far below the sect, in a crimson-fogged chamber...
The Forgotten Vein — Dao Sect's Hidden Chamber...
Buried deep beneath the main sanctum of the Dao Sect, beyond sealed corridors laced with suppression glyphs and illusion arrays, lies a subterranean prison known only to a select few elders: The Forgotten Vein.
Carved into the roots of the mountain itself, the chamber is encased in Voidforged Stone, a rare mineral that nullifies spiritual energy, Dao resonance, and even thoughts of escape. Its walls pulse faintly with an ancient rhythm, not mechanical, but alive, as though the mountain watches those trapped within.
The chamber is not grand—just a single, circular cavern with no doors, no windows, and no visible means of entry or exit. Prisoners are transported in and out through spatial folding, performed only by a Grand Elder who holds the Key Seal, a sigil etched into their soul flame. No other passage exists.
The floor is inscribed with a Suppression Mandala: a living formation that drains the prisoner's Qi, memories of cultivation paths, and even the will to resist. Time here flows oddly. Days stretch into weeks, or collapse into seconds, making the mind unstable and escape planning impossible.
There is no torture here—only silence, stillness, and the crushing weight of being forgotten. Those imprisoned often lose their sense of self long before they ever hope for release.
To the outside world, The Forgotten Vein does not exist.
In that Jiya, Ru, and Luo lay unconscious, bound by spiritual runes. Poisonous mist curled around them like a sleeping serpent.
But now — the fog dispersed. Disciples rushed in, disabling the array, awakened them. Jiya stirred, eyes fluttering open as a hand reached for her.
Back in the garden, Karlos turned to Frazaris.
"After you met Jacob… what happened?"
Jacob answered.
"We went to Lavya City — the hometown of the man Frazaris had impersonated. Bought a small house. Lived quietly. He raised me like a father. Gave me what I never had."
"After the world changed," Jacob continued, "he revealed who he truly was. I was terrified… but he explained everything — the gods, the orphanage, the plan. He told me to build a sanctuary. The Uaan Sect."
"He gave me ancient scrolls, artifacts, martial techniques. One day, he came to me and said, 'Take Jiya. Not to start a war — but to protect her.' Then… the gods summoned him. They had another task."
Jacob lowered his voice. "He said, 'If war comes, fight. But do not die.'"
Karlos's breath caught.
"Why Jiya?"
Frazaris hesitated. His eyes turned skyward, seeking permission.
Then he spoke.
"Because of… Element L37. Or as you call it—"
He paused.
"—It is not an element. It is a key."
The wind stirred.
"A key," Frazaris said, "not to treasure or knowledge… but to an ancient prison. One that holds something the gods cannot destroy. Only contain."
The earth seemed to hold its breath.
"And Jiya," he whispered, "carries its last fragment within her soul."...
The golden light lingered, fading like a memory as the realm stilled.
Frazaris stood, wings now hidden, his gaze turned to the heavens.
"I am not permitted to speak of it," he said, voice hushed with divine restraint. "The gods have denied me this truth."
A silence followed — deep and reverent — until the air shifted.
A soft ripple shimmered through the garden.
Jiya appeared.
The crimson mist that once bound her had dissolved. She stepped forward — barefoot, eyes wide — as if awakened from a long dream. Karlos's breath caught.
"Jiya…" he whispered.
She turned, and for a heartbeat, the war, the pain, the betrayals all vanished.
Karlos, her uncle, ran to her and pulled her into his arms. She clutched him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder.
Kell took a single step forward, then stopped. He said nothing. Only looked — heart bare, eyes shining. Jiya met his gaze, and her lips trembled.
The Butler, silent and composed, bowed deeply. "Lady Jiya… you are safe. That is all that matters."
Behind them, Luo emerged slowly, his face aged not by time but by burden. Ru followed, pale and watchful.
Kell turned to them. "Mother… Father."
Luo's jaw tightened. Ru blinked rapidly, then rushed to embrace her son.
Karlos stepped back, taking Kell by the shoulder. "You're stronger than I imagined. What Jacob did… none of it defines you."
The Butler added gently, "And you are not alone anymore."
Frazaris exhaled. The air shimmered. A figure stepped out from the light — robed in flowing silver, with a helm of crystal flame.
"A messenger," Frazaris said. "The gods have sent witness."
The figure offered no words, but the scent of incense and distant stars followed it. As it stood, unmoving, the veils between worlds seemed to shiver.
Luo stepped forward, his eyes locked onto the Butler.
"Old friend," he said, tone half-grave, half-fond. "Still playing the part of the loyal shadow."
The Butler blinked. "Luo… Ghost of the Black Wastes. I never thought it was truly you."
They stood silently, then embraced like warriors reunited after decades.
"We hunted each other through seven nations," Luo said.
"And failed every time," the Butler smiled faintly.
"Until we both got too old to care."
Laughter followed — weary, real. The room softened.
Jacob stepped forward, expression stunned.
"That man… you… were the ghost? I never knew."
"Few do," Luo replied. "Some truths wait decades to be told."
Then Frazaris raised his hand, and the sky shimmered.
"The gods have spoken. A new era must begin. Every living being — animal, man, or plant blessed by spiritual essence — must be taken. Sent to realms where they may evolve, grow, and choose their fates anew."
From his robes, Frazaris drew forth the Heart of Migration — a crystalline orb woven with golden vines, inscribed with celestial runes. It pulsed with soft rhythm, like the heartbeat of creation, and whispered with the language of starlight.
He raised it above his head. The orb spun, releasing threads of starlight that danced across the air. The realm around them became transparent, woven with mirrors of possibility.
Winds sang with the voices of old gods. Like the echo of the Scroll of Nine Dawns.
Beasts howled joyfully in distant forests. The earth beneath them bloomed, golden and green.
One by one, those chosen began to vanish:
— Luo and Ru, hand-in-hand, disappeared into the Dao World, their forms trailing ribbons of ancient wind.
— Jiya, her eyes full of light, ascended in a spiral of violet flame toward the Immortal God Realms.
— Karlos, smiling with tears in his eyes, gave a final nod to Jacob before vanishing into the Mana World, armor gleaming with legacy.
— The Wolves, each bathed in the light of their affinity, stepped into realms shaped by their unique Dao and strengths.
— Jacob, finally, stood alone. He turned once to Frazaris. "If I am granted another chance… I will face the ruin I left behind."
Then he too vanished, drawn into the Dao World.
Only Kell remained.
He looked at his hands. No glow. No light. No realm.
Frazaris turned to him.
"You have no power, Kell. Not yet."
Kell looked up, confused and hurt. "Then why… why didn't I go?"
Frazaris placed a hand over his heart. "Because the gods have not decided where you belong. Not because you are less — but because you are more than anyone knows."
The boy said nothing.
He only looked to the place Jiya had vanished. His breath shivered.
Frazaris stepped beside him. They stood beneath the cherry tree, now stripped bare, petals scattered like memory.
The Messenger of the Gods turned once — helm gleaming — and murmured, "The pivot turns… and the third spiral has begun."
They looked at the empty world together.
And somewhere deep in the cosmos, a voice whispered:
"The true story… begins now."...