The multiversal cruiser surged through layer after layer of reality — an endless cascade of light, shadow, and infinite space.
Zevak monitored the console, locked onto the strange, overwhelming signal only Kael could feel.
In the command chamber — a moment of calm.
Cryalis stood near Zevak, her icy aura gently pulsing.
Zevak couldn't help but glance her way — voice soft:
"You… really are something else, you know."
Cryalis turned, her gaze cool but amused.
"Hmm? I could say the same to you… tinkering away like that, saving our lives."
Zevak chuckled nervously, adjusting his visor.
"W-well… it's just what I do."
(Inside, his mind spun: "Focus, Zevak, focus… but she's just… wow—")
Nearby, Orion leaned toward Lyra with a sly grin:
"You're keeping up better every day."
Lyra flashed a smile, eyes sharp:
"Better than you in that last spar. Want a rematch after this little trip?"
Orion smirked:
"Looking forward to it."
Up front, Kael and Veyra stood side by side.
The bond between them had grown after everything — battle after battle.
Veyra glanced at him, sensing the tension:
"You're quiet, Kael."
Kael's voice was steady, eyes fixed on the dimensional currents outside:
"This presence… it's getting clearer. Stronger. We're close. I just… don't know what we'll find."
Veyra smiled faintly.
"Whatever it is… we face it together."
Kael's gaze softened.
"Always."
Suddenly — alarms flashed. Zevak's voice rang out:
"I've got it! We're here — a fractured multiverse. Major battle signs… something heavy happened here."
The team readied themselves. The cruiser descended into the broken realm — torn skies, shattered worlds. The aftermath of a titanic conflict.
They landed and spread out — Kael leading the way.
Ruins stretched for miles — burned timelines, collapsed dimensions.
And then —
Veyra called out:
"Over here!"
They rushed to her — and there he was:
A towering figure — radiant, battered, but overwhelming even in unconsciousness.
A being of cosmic supremacy — unconscious among the ruins.
Kael's breath caught:
"Zeraphon."
Even now — the weight of his presence shook the air.
Zero Step narrowed his gaze:
"Who could have left this one in such a state?"
Kael knelt beside the fallen warrior:
"Whoever it was… they're far beyond anything we've seen."
The Tyrants stood together — knowing the next steps would lead them deeper than ever before.
End of Chapter 23