Chapter 20: Myria (Part 2)

After a night of rest, the party moved once more. The stillness of Caer Xahn followed them as they walked, their footsteps echoing softly against the empty streets. The city remained unchanged—silent, untouched, and eerily intact—as though it neither acknowledged their presence nor cared for it. Whatever life had once existed here had long since faded, leaving behind only structure and memory.

But now, their focus was fixed ahead. The tower in the middle of the city. It loomed above everything else. Even from a distance, it had dominated the skyline, but up close, its scale became overwhelming. It did not simply rise—it imposed itself upon the world, a monolith of smooth metal that stretched endlessly upward, disappearing into the pale sky above.

There were no imperfections. No cracks. No signs of wear. Time had not touched it, and that alone made it feel wrong.

Ryu slowed as they approached its base, his eyes tracing the seamless surface upward. The Third Eye stirred faintly within him, reacting to the presence that lay somewhere inside.

He was stronger now, closer to his destiny than ever before. "This is it," he said quietly. There was no doubt left in his voice. "She's in there."

Garr stepped beside him, his gaze fixed on the structure with a familiarity that bordered on unease. "Yes…" he replied. The single word carried weight—recognition, perhaps even something deeper, though he did not elaborate.

They approached the entrance. Massive reinforced doors stood embedded within the base of the tower, their surface as flawless as the walls around them. No handles. No visible mechanisms. Just an unbroken barrier separating them from what lay within.

Ryu reached out, placing a hand against the metal. Cold, and unyielding. There may not be guards or other protective beasts, but it was clear that visitors were not welcome. He pushed slightly, and nothing responded.

Rei let out a long sigh, rolling his shoulders as he stepped forward. "Of course," he muttered. "Not like they'd make it easy for us."

He glanced sideways at Garr, already knowing the answer."Alright… same plan as before?"

Garr did not respond, he surely didn't need to. He stepped forward. The Beast Spear shifted in his grip as he positioned himself before the door, his stance steady, his movements precise. There was no hesitation, no buildup—only action.

The spear drove forward. The impact rang out like a thunderclap. Metal screamed as the blade forced its way into the seam of the door, the structure resisting for a brief moment before giving under the sheer force behind it. Garr twisted the weapon, the sound of tearing metal echoing outward as fractures spread along the surface.

He pulled back, then struck again. This time, the resistance broke. With a final surge of strength, Garr forced the spear deeper, the doors splitting apart under the pressure. The seam widened, metal buckling and tearing as the reinforced barrier finally gave way.

The doors groaned, then opened. Darkness greeted them. It spilled outward from within the tower, thick and absolute, swallowing the light behind them as though the interior itself rejected illumination. No glow, no flicker, no sign of activity. Only silence.

For a moment, they stood at the threshold. No one spoke. No one moved.

Then Ryu stepped forward. The others followed. The air inside was colder than before, heavier, carrying with it the same preserved stillness they had felt in the outer structures—but deeper, denser. Their footsteps echoed faintly as they crossed into the interior, the sound swallowed quickly by the vastness around them.

Garr found a switch that brought light to the area. The light from the outside world faded. Ahead of them was only confusion. The lowest floors unfolded before them like a labyrinth. Corridors stretched in multiple directions, branching and curving with unnatural precision. Walls were smooth, identical, offering no distinction between one path and another. There were no markings. No signs. No guidance.

Rei's eyes narrowed as he scanned the layout, his instincts already working to map the space. "…Great," he muttered under his breath. "A maze."

Garr stepped forward, his gaze steady as he looked down one of the corridors. "This was designed to delay intruders," he said. "To disorient. To exhaust."

Ryu nodded slightly, his expression calm despite the oppressive atmosphere. "Then we don't waste time." The Third Eye stirred again. Faint at first, but present. The eye pointed somewhere above them.

He turned and found a door leading to some stairs. "This way." And without hesitation, they stepped deeper into the maze.

The first floors were confusing. Not in appearance—but in intent. At a glance, the corridors seemed simple enough. Smooth walls, clean angles, uniform design. But the longer they walked, the more something felt wrong. Hallways twisted at subtle, unnatural angles. Intersections repeated in patterns that didn't quite align. Doors led into rooms that appeared identical—until they didn't.

And worst of all, some paths led them back to where they started.

Rei stopped for the third time, staring down a corridor they had already walked through. "…This place is a nightmare," he muttered, his voice tight with irritation.

He dragged a hand through his hair, ears flicking in frustration as he scanned the walls again, searching for anything—any detail—that might distinguish one passage from another. But there was nothing. No markings, no signs, and no variation. Just endless, repeating structure.

Each new floor felt darker than the last. The deeper they went, the more oppressive the darkness became, swallowing their surroundings until even distance felt uncertain.

Panels lined the walls at regular intervals—sleek, embedded surfaces that hinted at control systems long since dormant. Their surfaces were dark, unresponsive, as if waiting for something that had never come.

Ryu stepped toward one, his hand brushing lightly across its surface before pressing firmly against it. Nothing, no light came on that floor.

"Power," Garr said from behind him. His voice echoed faintly in the corridor, steady and certain. "We must restore it to progress."

There was no argument, so they searched. Paths split and twisted, forcing them to choose directions without guidance. Each turn felt like a gamble, each corridor another test of patience. They pressed switches blindly, pulled levers that resisted before giving way, and triggered mechanisms that responded only partway—never fully, never immediately.

At times, nothing happened at all. At others, something shifted far beyond their sight. The tower did not reveal its secrets so easily, especially to those who didn't build the infrastructure to begin with.

Even Garr slowed. For the first time since engaging with technology, there was uncertainty in his movements. His knowledge of Windrunner technology guided him—but only so far. This place was different. More advanced. More refined. Built beyond his instinct. Beyond familiarity.

"…This level of design, it surpasses even what my demon instincts understands."

Time passed. It was impossible to measure how much. Minutes blurred into something longer as they moved, retraced steps, and tried again. Frustration built slowly, not from danger—but from resistance. The tower was not attacking them. It was stalling them.

Then, they finally found the master switch. They pulled the lever. Lights from all corners of the lower floors flickered. One of the panels they had activated earlier hummed faintly. A dim light sparked across its surface, weak at first—but growing.

Rei glanced up immediately. "Hey—something's happening."

A distant mechanism engaged. The sound echoed faintly through the structure, metal shifting against metal somewhere far above them. It was followed by another—then another—as systems long dormant began to respond.

Lights flickered again. Once, twice, then steadied. The darkness broke. Pale white light flooded into the corridors, illuminating paths that had once been swallowed entirely. The difference was immediate—what had once felt like an endless maze now revealed subtle distinctions. Doors that had blended into the walls became visible. Pathways that had looped indistinguishably now showed direction.

The tower was finally waking up. More switches followed. More sequences. They began to understand the pattern—not fully, but enough. Buttons had to be pressed in order. Levers engaged in sequence. Panels activated in tandem.

It wasn't random. It was deliberate. Only the Windrunners who built this facility can truly understand what each button, each switch, each lever did. The confused intruders would be intercepted before they knew how to navigate this area. Like a security system that needed no alarms or strobes.

And slowly, they adapted. They had unlimited time to figure the tower out. Doors that had once refused to budge now slid open with smooth precision. Hidden pathways revealed themselves behind seamless walls. Corridors that had once led nowhere now extended forward, guiding them deeper.

Each success brought a subtle shift in the tower's response. It no longer resisted as strongly. As if it accepted them.

Nina glanced around as another section illuminated, her voice quiet with a mix of awe and unease. "It's like… it knows we're here."

Ryu didn't answer, but he felt it too. The Third Eye stirred faintly again—not with direction this time, but with awareness. Something within the tower had noticed their progress. Not Myria—not yet. But something.

Eventually, they found something. At the end of a newly opened corridor, partially concealed behind a sliding wall that had only just retracted, stood a structure unlike the rest. A vertical chamber. Smooth, encased in reinforced metal and glass. With a single panel beside it, now lit.

Rei stepped forward, his earlier frustration replaced with cautious satisfaction. "Finally," he muttered.

Garr approached the panel, examining it briefly before pressing his hand against its surface. This time it responded. A soft chime echoed through the chamber as the doors slid open with mechanical precision, revealing the interior of the lift. An elevator.

Ryu stepped closer, looking inside. It was intact. Functional. Waiting. "Looks like this will take us higher," he said.

Garr nodded. "To the upper levels."

Rei cracked his neck slightly, stepping inside first without hesitation. "Good, I was getting tired of going in circles."

Nina followed, her gaze lingering briefly on the corridors behind them before stepping into the chamber. Ryu entered next, his expression calm but focused.

Garr was last. As the doors slid shut, sealing them inside, the hum of the tower grew slightly louder—as if acknowledging their progress. Then, the elevator began to rise. Slowly at first, then steadily. Carrying them upward, closer to the heart of the tower.

As the elevator reached the end of the tube, the doors slid open, the air changed. It was immediate. Gone was the dry, stale stillness of the lower floors. In its place came something cooler… heavier. Moisture clung faintly to their skin, and the scent that followed was unmistakable—earth. Living earth.

They stepped forward cautiously, crossing the threshold into the next chamber. Then they stopped.

"What… is this?" Nina whispered.

Before them stretched something impossible. A forest.

Not a simulation. Not a projection. A living biome flourished within the confines of the tower, its boundaries hidden behind towering trees that reached toward an artificial ceiling glowing with soft, sunlike light. The illumination was gentle, diffused, mimicking daylight with unsettling perfection.

Grass covered the ground in thick, vibrant layers. Bushes spread outward in tangled clusters. Vines curled along trunks and walls alike, weaving through the space as though they had grown there for centuries.

Flowers bloomed. Leaves rustled. The room was alive, unlike the desert outside.

Rei blinked slowly, his usual sharp composure slipping for just a moment. "…Okay," he said, glancing around as his ears twitched in confusion. "I was not expecting this."

Ryu stepped forward carefully, his boots sinking slightly into the soft earth beneath him. He reached out, brushing his fingers gently against a nearby leaf. It bent naturally under his touch, cool and real.

"It's all real," he murmured. "…But how?"

"Artificially sustained," Garr answered from behind him. His gaze swept across the biome with measured understanding, though even he seemed faintly unsettled by the scale of it.

Rei crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the space more critically. "…Yeah, I got that part. But why?"

No one answered, because something had already begun to move. It started subtly. A shift in the undergrowth, a ripple through the vines. Then a vine snapped forward. It lashed toward Nina with sudden, violent speed.

She leapt back instinctively, her wings flaring as she took to the air. "Watch out!" she cried.

The ground erupted. A massive plant burst upward from beneath the soil, tearing through roots and earth alike as it revealed its full form. Its petals spread wide—lined not with softness, but with jagged, serrated teeth. At its center, a writhing maw twisted and pulsed, dripping with something dark and unnatural. The forest was not what it seemed.

A sound came from above. A wet, fluttering noise. They looked up and saw them. Shapes descended from the artificial canopy—floating, drifting, circling. They resembled heads, but grotesquely distorted. Beaked mouths stretched too wide. Skin twisted and layered with sharp protrusions. Their eyes glowed faintly, burning with a hunger that mirrored the creatures beneath.

They were watching. Then, they dove to feed. Rei growled, baring his teeth as his stance shifted. "Of course it's not just a forest! Its a sanctuary for demons!"

The attack came all at once. Rei lunged forward, his body already shifting mid-stride. Bones cracked and reformed, muscles expanding beneath his skin as fur erupted along his arms and back. His form grew larger, more powerful—his claws lengthening into deadly weapons. The Weretiger emerged.

He tore into the nearest plant with savage force, claws ripping through twisted flesh and metal-veined roots alike. The creature shrieked as it split apart under his assault, collapsing back into the earth.

Garr moved next. His Beast Spear carved through the air in precise arcs, each strike clean and devastating. Vines snapped under the force, tendrils severed before they could fully extend. He advanced steadily, cutting through anything that dared approach.

Above them, Nina rose higher. Her wings spread wide, catching the artificial light as she lifted her wand. "Inferno!"

Flame surged outward. A burst of heat cut through the unnatural forest, igniting the air itself as fire swept through the smaller creatures. The floating demons recoiled, their distorted forms scattering as the flames forced them back. Leaves blackened. Vines recoiled. The illusion of life began to burn away.

At the center of it all, Ryu stood. Calm and unmoving. Light gathered in his hands, soft but powerful, pulsing outward in waves that reached his allies without delay.

"Vitalize!" The energy flowed through them, closing wounds, restoring strength, steadying their movements. Where the battle sought to wear them down, Ryu ensured they endured.

He did not transform. He refused. "I must keep Kaiser quiet," he murmured to himself, his voice low, controlled. "We don't want her to know we're here."

The power within him stirred—but he held it back for now.

The battle raged; briefly but undeniably violent. Then as quickly as it started, it ended. The last of the creatures fell, their forms collapsing into lifeless husks that withered rapidly into nothing. The vines stilled. The ground settled. The air cleared.

The forest remained. But now it felt different. Only the faint rustling of leaves remained, as though nothing had happened at all.

Rei exhaled sharply, his body shifting back into his normal form. He rolled his shoulders slightly, shaking off the last of the tension. "I hate this place," he muttered.

Nina descended gently, her wings folding behind her as she brushed dirt from her dress. Her eyes moved cautiously across the forest, no longer seeing it as something beautiful.

"Why would they build something like this?" she asked quietly.

Garr looked around, his gaze lingering on the trees, the vines, the carefully maintained ecosystem that now revealed its true purpose. "To create life," he said. "Or to control it."

The forest stood silent once more. But now they knew that even life in this place was just another weapon.

After navigating the forest—now quiet, now deceptive in its stillness—they pressed onward. The path revealed itself gradually, as if the tower had decided they were worthy of moving forward. Hidden mechanisms shifted behind smooth walls, and a section of the biome receded just enough to expose a reinforced passage beyond. At the end of it, another elevator awaited them—sleeker than the last, its surface pristine, its panel already illuminated.

No puzzles this time. They were past the resistances. Just access to the even higher levels.

They stepped inside. The doors sealed shut behind them with a soft, final sound. Ryu reached forward and pressed the control. The elevator responded instantly.

It rose. The ascent was smoother than before, faster—almost deliberate. The faint hum beneath their feet felt different now, more active, more aware. No one spoke during the climb. There was nothing left to say that hadn't already been understood. They were nearing the end.

The doors opened and they stepped out. And the truth revealed itself.

Rows of glass tubes lined the chamber before them, stretching in perfect symmetry from one end of the room to the other. Each one was filled with a glowing green liquid, softly illuminated from within. The light cast an eerie glow across the metallic floor, reflecting in distorted patterns that shifted with the movement inside the tubes.

Something was moving. At first, it was subtle. A twitch, then a ripple. A slow, unnatural motion beneath the surface. Then, they saw them. Shapes, but not fully formed. Not fully alive yet, but growing. The closest comparison was undeniable.

They resembled fetuses suspended in a womb, their bodies incomplete, their forms shifting and developing in uneven, unnatural ways. Limbs that hadn't fully formed. Faces that lacked definition. Flesh that merged with bone and claws, veins of light pulsing beneath translucent skin.

They were not human. They were not beasts. They were demons being made. Nina stepped back instinctively, her breath catching as her wings drew closer to her body.

"No…" she whispered. Her voice trembled—not with fear, but with horror.

Rei's expression hardened, his usual sarcasm gone entirely as he stared at the rows of suspended forms. "You've gotta be kidding me…" he muttered.

Within the tubes, the creatures moved. They breathed in the liquid, preparing for birth. Their movements were slow. Their metamorphisis incomplete. Waiting to consume life.

Ryu's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his gaze sweeping across the chamber as the realization settled into him like a weight. "The Windrunners were making them," he said, his voice low and steady. "Even now, even though their not here anymore."

The machines had never stopped. Even after the continent had died, even after the people were gone, even after the world had abandoned this place; the systems continued.

An infinite supply of demons waiting to be released.

Garr stepped forward, his expression colder than before, his eyes fixed on the tubes with something that bordered on quiet judgment.

"This was their design," he said. His voice carried no defense. No justification. Only truth. "And Myria continued where they left off."

He moved toward a nearby control panel, its surface still glowing faintly with active energy. Symbols shifted across it in patterns too complex for the others to follow—but Garr understood enough to act.

Without hesitation, he shut it down. The response was immediate. The lights dimmed. The steady hum that had filled the chamber began to fade, systems powering down one by one in a cascading sequence. The green liquid within the tubes stilled, its glow weakening as energy ceased to flow.

Inside, the shapes stopped moving completely. Garr stood there for a moment, watching as the last flickers of activity vanished. His body, the body of his comrades, created right here. The spirit of the Endless were then stuffed into demonic bodies and animated.

"Time will kill them without energy," he said quietly. Silence followed. And for once, death was mercy.

They did not linger. They trusted Garr's instincts and let time decide their fate. They had a more important things to deal with. Beyond the lab, a single path remained.

A corridor led them forward, narrowing slightly before opening into a larger chamber unlike any they had seen before. At its center stood another elevator—but this one was different.

Larger and more reinforced. Its structure integrated directly into the central column of the tower itself. This was no ordinary lift. This was the final ascent.

Beside it stood a sign. Clear as day. Unfaded—as though it had been placed there moments ago:

Myria Station.

The words hung in the air. Heavy and final. Rei crossed his arms, staring at the sign for a moment before letting out a quiet breath. "Well, that's subtle."

Nina turned toward Ryu, her expression steady despite everything they had just seen.

"She's there," she said.

Ryu nodded slowly, "She must be."

The Third Eye pulsed, stronger than ever before. Not distant anymore. Nor faint in the slightest. She was right above them. They were close, extremely close. And for the first time since entering the tower, there was no more path to search. Only one direction left, up.

Ryu turned to the others, his expression steady, his voice calm—but final. "This is it," he said. "Once we step inside… there is no turning back." The words did not carry fear, only truth.

Rei smirked faintly, though there was no humor behind it this time. His eyes were sharp, focused, already fixed on what lay ahead. "Wasn't planning on it," he replied.

Nina reached for Ryu's hand, her fingers intertwining with his as naturally as breathing. There was no hesitation in her touch, no doubt in her eyes—only quiet strength. "I'm with you," she said softly.

Garr rested his Beast Spear against his shoulder, his stance firm, grounded. He gave a single nod, small but absolute. There was nothing more to say.

Ryu looked at each of them in turn. Not as allies or companions. But as something deeper; his friends, his family.

Then Ryu stepped forward. "Let's finish this."

The elevator doors opened. Light poured out, and the final battle awaited. The ascent ended with a soft chime. The doors parted once more, but this time, there was no light waiting for them. Only darkness.

Not the natural kind. Not the absence of illumination. But something deeper. The air beyond was still and cold. It pressed against them as they stepped forward, as though the space itself resisted their presence.

They exited slowly. The room stretched before them—vast beyond comprehension. It did not feel like a chamber contained within a tower, but something far larger, far deeper. The edges of it vanished into darkness, swallowed completely as though distance itself had no meaning here.

Far off in the void, faint lights flickered. Blinking in and out. Like distant stars trapped within metal walls.

A narrow platform extended from the elevator, cutting through the darkness like a blade. It led forward in a single, unbroken line—no railings, no barriers, no protection. Only open space beneath.

Rei glanced down briefly, his ears flicking once as he took in the sheer drop below. "Yeah, I'm not falling off this."

They moved forward together, step by step. The sound of their footsteps echoed softly, carried outward into the endless void before fading into nothing.

Ryu felt it. Stronger than ever. The Third Eye burned faintly beneath his skin, pulsing with a steady rhythm that matched the presence ahead.

She was there, so close.

They reached the center platform, and stopped. For a moment, nothing happened. Then out of nowhere, light appeared. It began as a faint glow in the air before them, soft and golden, barely more than a flicker. But it grew steadily, expanding outward, gathering shape and form with quiet precision.

The light did not feel hostile. It felt gentle. It coalesced as it took shape, becoming something more. A figure descended slowly from within it, as though carried by the light itself. Her movements were effortless, graceful, untouched by gravity or weight. She did not fall. She simply arrived. And when the glow faded, she stood before them.

Ryu's breath caught. Not from fear or even from awe. But from something he hadn't expected.

Rei blinked, his usual composure slipping entirely as he stared. "What?"

Nina's eyes widened, her voice trembling as disbelief took hold. "No… it can't be…"

Myria stood before them. Not as a monster they expected. Not as a tyrant, though thats still up for debate. But as something… perfect.

Her long golden hair flowed like sunlight itself, shifting softly with a movement that did not come from wind. Her wings shimmered with colors that blended and changed like the sky at dawn—soft blues, greens, and golds woven together in a radiant, living glow. Her presence was calm and gentle. Her dress hugged her slender frame. She was nothing less than beautiful. Not in a way that inspired fear. But in a way that demanded belief.

Nina stepped back slightly, her wings trembling as recognition struck her. "She looks like… Elena."

The resemblance was undeniable. The same soft features, the same serene expression. The same presence that once belonged to Windia's legacy.

Ryu couldn't look away. Everything he had expected, Everything he had prepared for, none of it matched what stood before him now.

He took a slow breath. "…You're… Myria?"

The chamber fell silent. It was not the silence of peace, nor the quiet before battle. It was something heavier—something suffocating. The air itself seemed to still, as though the very structure of the tower was holding its breath in anticipation.

Myria did not look at Ryu, nor Nina, nor Rei. Her gaze settled on one figure alone. "Garr." Her voice cut through the silence—clear, controlled, and far colder than her radiant appearance suggested.

"Tell me," she continued, tilting her head ever so slightly, "why have you brought a dragon… to me?"

The weight of her attention was immense. It pressed against the room, against their bodies, against their very thoughts.

Garr then stepped forward. And to everyone's shock, he knelt.

Ryu's eyes widened, his voice barely above a breath "Garr…?"

Garr lowered his head—not in submission, but in acknowledgment. In respect to his creator. "I have brought him," he said calmly, his voice steady despite the presence before him, "to defeat you."

Silence followed as if even time itself paused to allow Myria to process what had just been said. She placed a delicate hand against her chin, her expression thoughtful—curious, almost amused. "So… you're not going to do as I command… and kill this dragon?" A faint giggle escaped her lips. "How disappointing."

She rose slightly from the ground, her body lifting with effortless grace as she drifted around him in a slow, lazy circle. Her wings shimmered faintly, casting shifting colors across the cold metal floor.

"You are Endless," she continued, her voice smooth, almost conversational. "Just like me." She paused behind him. "A being beyond decay… beyond need…"

Then her tone changed and her gaze sharpened. "And yet, your heart has become… mortal."

Her smile twisted. "Love, friendship." Each word dripped with quiet disdain. "How… pathetic."

Garr's hand tightened around his spear. Then, he stood slowly, deliberately, and defiantly.

"I was wrong," Garr said. His voice did not waver. It did not rise. But it carried something stronger than defiance. It carried truth.

"For a long time… I believed only in one purpose," he continued. "In orders. In obedience. And in exchange, I can return home."

His gaze lifted—not to her—but forward. "But I have seen things that have changed my stance. I have seen a child stand before the might of a god…" Ryu's breath caught. "…with no chance of victory…"

Garr's voice softened—not with weakness, but with memory. "…and he fought anyway."

He turned his head slightly towards Ryu. "He challenged me. He defeated me. And he showed me that life is worth protecting."

The chamber fell silent again. But this time, it was different. Myria listened, and she was not pleased.

"And when this is over," Garr continued, his voice steady to the very end, "I will face him once more. And he will send me to the Farplane."

The words lingered. A final wish. A warrior's end.

Myria's expression did not soften. Instead, it darkened. "Is that what you want?" she asked. Her voice was soft, too soft. A smile spread across her face, cruel and cold.

"Very well." She raised her hand. "I'll grant your wish. I will send you there myself. But I will not grant you the satisfaction… of a final battle." Her fingers snapped.

Something broke inside Garr. A violent rupture tore through his chest, shattering him from within. His body convulsed, a scream ripping free before he could contain it.

"GARR!" Nina cried out.

He collapsed. His form cracked—not like flesh, but like something constructed. Light burst from within him in jagged fractures, spilling outward through his body as it began to break apart.

Myria laughed. "Did you forget?" she said lightly. "I created that demonic body of yours… right here in this building." Her eyes gleamed. "And I can unmake it whenever I please."

Ryu dropped to his knees beside him. "No!"

Rei's fists clenched, his entire body trembling with barely contained rage. "You BITCH!"

Garr's hand moved weakly. He reached for Ryu. Ryu caught it instantly, gripping it tightly as if he could hold him together through sheer will.

"Ryu…" Garr's voice was fading, his strength slipping away with every passing second. "Thank you…"

Ryu shook his head, desperation breaking through his composure. "Don't—don't talk like that—!"

Garr's expression softened. "For showing me… how to care." His gaze shifted briefly to Nina and to Rei. The closest thing an Endless could ever have to family.

The light within him flickered. "This is enough for me," he said.

Ryu's grip tightened. "Garr!"

But it was already over. His body began to crumble. Not violently, not painfully, but gently. Turning to dust piece by piece, carried away by an unseen wind. Until nothing remained.

Ryu remained where he was. Kneeling, still holding on to Garr's memory. Nina's quiet sobs filled the space beside him. Rei turned away, his jaw clenched so tightly it threatened to crack, his claws digging into his palms as he fought to keep the weretiger within him restrained.

Then, Myria's laughter filled the room. Myria stood there mocking their grief. "Such insolence," she said. "To believe he could choose his own end."

Her gaze swept over them. "Guardians do not choose. They obey."

Ryu slowly stood. His head remained lowered. His fists trembled. Not from fear, not even from grief. But from rage. Then he looked up. And for the first time, there was no hesitation, only fury.

"Myria!" His voice shook. "I am going to destroy you."

Ryu quickly drew the Dragon Sword, its blade igniting with radiant power as energy surged through him. The light flared, cutting through the oppressive darkness as he rushed forward.

He swung. The blade cut through the air and missed. Myria vanished. She simply wasn't there. A flicker of light. A whisper of presence. Gone and reappeared behind him.

Ryu turned instantly, swinging again, nothing. Again and again, she vanished and reappeared just out of the sword's reach. She moved like a thought.

Rei growled, his voice low and sharp. "She's playing with you!"

Myria laughed softly. "Of course I am." She drifted backward, her movements effortless, untouchable, until she reached the very edge of the platform. Beyond her lay nothing but endless void.

Her wings shimmered. Her smile widened. "You wish to die so soon?" she asked. "Very well. As the Goddess of Destruction and Desire… I will grant your wish."

And then, she stepped back and fell.

"Myria!" Nina shouted angrily.

The moment she fell, they ran. All three of them surged forward instinctively, boots striking hard against the metal as they reached the edge of the platform. The abyss below stretched into absolute darkness—no bottom, no reflection, no sign of depth. It was not simply empty. It was consuming. For a heartbeat, there was nothing.

Then, something moved. Slowly at first, like a shadow pulling itself free from nothingness. Then faster. The darkness churned, twisting and folding as if something vast was forcing its way upward through it. The air trembled, the platform beneath them vibrating with a low, unnatural resonance.

And then, she emerged. Myria.

Her body no longer resembled anything human or Windian. It coiled upward in impossible length, a massive serpentine form that twisted and layered upon itself. Flesh and scale fused together in shifting patterns, each segment marked with faint, glowing runes that pulsed with unstable energy. Rings circled portions of her body, tightening and loosening in subtle motion, as though the creature itself could not remain still.

Her arms stretched outward as colorful wings—vast, distorted, and magnificent in a way that inspired only dread. And yet her face remained. Still beautiful and perfect. But everything about it was wrong. Too still and too pleased.

Her golden hair no longer flowed gently—it writhed, shifting like living strands of light corrupted into dark tendrils. Four massive horns curved from her head, jagged and imposing, framing her face like a crown of ruin.

"DIE!" Her voice shook the tower.

She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. A storm of thick, purple Venom erupted from her lungs, spilling across the platform in a violent wave. It spread instantly, consuming everything in its path, filling the air with burning poison that clung to skin and seared the lungs with every breath.

Rei coughed violently, staggering back as the gas engulfed him. "What—is this—?!" he choked.

Nina's vision blurred almost instantly. She staggered, her wings faltering as she tried to remain upright. "…I—I can't see—!"

The world twisted. Sight faded. Balance vanished. Every breath became agony. Ryu dropped to one knee. His vision flickered, his body weakening as the venom took hold. His chest tightened, his limbs growing heavy as the poison worked its way through him.

Myria laughed loudly. "Yes… suffer…" Her eyes locked onto Nina. "The Windian will fall first."

Her smile widened, cruel and delighted. "Prepare to watch your friends die… like Garr did!"

Nina collapsed. Rei staggered beside her, barely holding himself upright. The platform was about to become a grave. And Myria watched enjoying it.

Then light flickered. Ryu stood. His body trembled—but not with weakness, instead with defiance. He raised his hand and shouted, "Sanctuary!"

Light exploded outward. Golden, pure, and radiant. The venom vanished instantly. The corrupted air burned away as if it had never existed, replaced by warmth and clarity. The suffocating weight lifted in an instant, leaving only clean breath in its wake.

Rei gasped sharply, his vision snapping back into focus."What the—?!"

Nina blinked, strength returning to her limbs as the poison faded. "Ryu!"

Myria froze. Her expression faltered "What? How?"

Ryu did not stop, "Vigor!"

Stars of light filled the platform, drifting through the air like fragments of the sky itself. They settled upon his allies, their glow gentle yet powerful, restoring strength, mending wounds, pushing back exhaustion as if it had never existed.

Rei straightened. Nina rose. They stood again, alive and ready to fight back.

Myria's expression twisted with anger and rage. "That power…" she hissed, her voice dropping into something colder, sharper. "That is my son's power…"

Her eyes burned. "DeathEvan's power. How dare you!"

Ryu had already moved beyond her anger. It was now time to summon Kaiser. He closed his eyes, and breathed. The world trembled. Power gathered within him—not gradually, not carefully, but all at once. It surged through his body like a storm breaking free, uncontrollable, unstoppable.

Ryu ascended. The platform groaned beneath him as golden lightning erupted across his form. The air warped, bending under the pressure of his presence. Light burst outward from his chest, violent and blinding. His body changed.

Scales spread across his skin—burning orange and crimson, alive with energy. Wings tore free from his back, unfurling with a thunderous roar that shook the chamber. A tail snapped into existence, cracking the air like a whip. His form expanded.

Power—ancient, absolute—flooded the chamber. Even Myria paused. She felt it, the King of Dragons.

The transformation reached its peak. A shockwave exploded outward, rippling through the air and forcing even Myria's massive form to recoil slightly.

Then the light faded. Ryu hovered in the air. Not human or dragon. Something more. His eyes burned like twin suns. His wings stretched wide, dominating the space around him. The air itself seemed to bow to his presence.

He opened his eyes, and looked at her. Not with rage. Not with fear. But with certainty that he will punish her for everything she has done. "Your chaos ends here."

Myria stared at him, her smile faltered. "…So, the King of Dragons has finally returned."

Her wings spread wide, energy surging violently around her. "I can finally exact my revenge!"

She smiled again. Wilder and unhinged. "Good."

Her voice rose, echoing with destructive intent. "Then suffer! Suffer until everything breaks!" The air shattered.

Ryu moved first. His wings snapped downward, and he surged forward like a comet, the force of his movement tearing through the air itself. The Dragon Sword ignited in his grasp, blazing with the full power of the Brood.

The world could not withstand him. Myria watched him approach, and her face melted. Not cracked. Not shattered. Her features collapsed inward like wax under unseen heat. Eyes, lips, skin—everything dissolved, folding into itself until nothing remained. Only a void, a hole where her face would normally be.

And from that darkness, lightning erupted. Bolts of chaotic energy screamed outward, tearing through the air with violent precision.

"Ryu—!" Rei shouted.

But Ryu was already moving. He twisted mid-air, his body responding with perfect instinct. One bolt missed him by inches. Then another. Then another. Each movement precise, controlled, effortless. He did not falter. The King of Dragons had awakened.

Myria's laughter echoed again—distorted, broken, wrong."HOLOCAUST!" More lightning burst forth, wild and unstable, filling the space with destructive energy.

But Ryu was already above her. His wings spread wide, catching the air as he descended blade first. The strike landed clean.

Myria's body split. Not like flesh or bone. Like a curtain being pulled aside. Her form peeled away, collapsing inward, revealing what lay beneath.

Silence fell. Ryu hovered in place taking in the sight before him. Nina stared. Rei stared. They recoiled at Myria's true form.

"…What… is that…?" Nina whispered.

Her voice trembled despite herself, barely more than breath as she stared at what lay before them. Her wings drew inward, instinctively shrinking away from the sight, as if even looking at it too long might somehow pull her closer to it.

Rei's expression twisted, his lip curling in open disgust as his ears flattened against his head.

"…That's not a goddess…" he muttered. What stood before them was not beauty, nor divinity. Not even a creature in any recognizable sense. It was a mass. Flesh, layered upon itself in grotesque formations that shifted and pulsed with unnatural life. Exposed muscle coiled and uncoiled like something breathing beneath skin that no longer existed. Veins throbbed visibly, thick and dark, carrying energy that flickered like corrupted blood through its body.

Worm-like appendages crawled across its surface, each lined with tiny, gnashing teeth, writhing hungrily as if searching for something to consume.

Fragments of bone jutted outward at jagged, impossible angles, piercing through layers of tissue that refused to heal properly. Membranes stretched between structures like decayed wings, twitching faintly as though remembering a purpose long lost.

And embedded within it, faces. Half-formed, distorted, frozen in silent screams. They shifted beneath the surface, eyes opening and closing without focus, mouths stretching in voiceless agony as if trapped within the thing itself.

Nina staggered back, her breath catching sharply in her throat. "…This is what happened to Elena?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Her body was used to create this… thing?"

The resemblance was still there. Buried under flesh. Twisted beyond recognition. Desecrated by the Windrunners who created her. What had once been gentle had become grotesque. What had once been Windian had become something else entirely.

Ryu's eyes hardened. "So this is what you really are."

The mass convulsed. It shifted violently, layers of flesh pulling apart and reconnecting in grotesque patterns as if it struggled to maintain a single form. The entire structure pulsed, expanding and contracting with erratic force.

Then it spoke from everywhere. A chorus of voices. Layered and broken. "I… AM… EVERYTHING…"

The flesh pulsed violently, veins glowing brighter as the sound echoed through the chamber. "I… CREATE… I… DESTROY…"

The platform trembled beneath their feet, the air itself vibrating with the force of its existence. "I… AM… CHAOS!"

Rei bared his teeth, his claws flexing as his body tensed for movement. "Yeah? You're also disgusting."

The mass surged forward. Limbs formed from nothing—twisted appendages of bone and flesh that extended outward only to collapse and reform again in the same instant. They struck wildly, unpredictably, each movement fueled by raw, unstable energy.

The platform shook violently under the assault. Ryu steadied himself in the air, his wings adjusting with precise control as he hovered above the chaos. His grip tightened around the Dragon Sword as its light flared brighter, reacting to the abomination before him.

Behind him, Nina rose into the air, her wings spreading wide as wind gathered around her in spiraling currents."Ryu, we're with you!" she called.

Rei stepped forward, his body shifting once more as the Weretiger emerged with a low, feral growl. His muscles expanded, claws extending as his form grew larger, stronger, ready to tear through whatever stood in front of him. "Let's finish this nightmare," he snarled.

Ryu glanced back once at the people who had stood beside him through everything. Then forward again at the abomination. "No more illusions."

His wings flared. Power surged outward, bending the air around him as the Dragon Sword ignited with renewed intensity. "No more lies."

The blade burned brighter, hotter. "This ends now!"

The battlefield trembled as Ryu lowered his blade and struck the mass, splitting her in two. Light erupted. The mass convulsed violently as the attack tore through it, splitting layers of flesh apart in a surge of burning energy. The chamber filled with the sound of tearing, of something ancient and wrong being forced apart. Everything burned.

The many faces embedded within it twisted, their silent screams now made visible in the writhing chaos of its destruction. Their forms stretched and collapsed, caught between existence and annihilation. Its voice—once layered and overwhelming finally broke. "NO… NO…!"

The sound fractured, splintering into countless tones as the mass struggled to hold itself together. Flesh dragged itself back into place. Veins reconnected. Organs shifted, fused, reformed.

"She's still alive," Nina whispered.

Rei snarled, his claws digging into the platform beneath him. "Of course she is. She's an Endless."

Ryu's eyes remained fixed on the writhing mass, his expression unchanging despite the horror unfolding before him. "Endless don't die," he said. "But their bodies can be destroyed."

The truth hung heavy in the air. Garr and Gaist. They were Endless. And yet, their physical forms had fallen. This was going to be no different.

Myria shrieked. Her form twisted violently, layers of flesh pulling together in desperate attempts to seal the damage. The mass surged outward, expanding, growing, rebuilding itself in frantic defiance. "I… AM… ETERNAL!"

The tower shook violently. Her body expanded further, pushing outward with unstable force, threatening to overwhelm the very space around them. But this time they understood that she could not be killed. But her rein of terror could be ended.

Ryu turned. Without a word, he reached for Nina's hand.

She didn't hesitate. Her fingers slipped into his, warm despite everything they had endured, and tightened with quiet certainty. There was no fear in her eyes now, no hesitation—only trust. In that single moment, everything that had brought them here passed between them without the need for words. They understood.

Together, they descended. Ryu's wings folded slightly as he lowered himself back toward the platform, the storm of power around him stabilizing just enough to act. The writhing mass of Myria still convulsed before them, rebuilding, screaming, refusing to end.

But Ryu no longer looked at her. He turned instead to Rei.

"One last time," Ryu said.

Rei smirked faintly, though his eyes were sharp with focus, the feral edge of the weretiger still lingering in his stance.

"Heh," he muttered. "Took you long enough."

He stepped forward without hesitation, reaching out and grabbing both Ryu's and Nina's arms. The three of them stood together—shoulder to shoulder, bound not by fate alone, but by everything they had survived.

Not just allies, not just friends, but as family. Ryu closed his eyes and reached deeper than he ever had before. Beyond his strength, beyond the Kaiser. Beyond even the power of the Brood as he had known it.

He called upon something older, something absolute. Something that did not belong to this world alone.

The air shattered. Lightning split the sky above the tower, tearing through the clouds in a violent cascade of energy. A single bolt—pure, blinding—crashed downward, striking the platform with a force that shook the entire structure.

The impact formed a black orb absorbing the party into one creature. It pulsed violently, unstable and alive, swallowing light into its surface as if it consumed everything around it. Runes began to form across it, glowing faintly at first, then brighter—ancient symbols twisting and shifting as the power within continued to build.

Myria's voice shrieked. "NO—!"

But it was too late. Ryu's voice echoed from within the orb, steady and absolute. "YORAE KAISER!" The orb expanded and swallowed everything. Light and darkness twisted together, collapsing inward as power beyond comprehension condensed into a single point. The very fabric of the space around it warped, bending under the weight of what was being born.

Then it shattered. A roar split the heavens. Kaiser emerged. Not merely a dragon or a king. A god killer.

Purple scales were replaced by golden scales blazed with radiant, uncontainable power, each one shimmering like a fragment of the sun itself. Its wings spread outward—vast beyond measure, eclipsing the tower entirely as they unfurled with a force that distorted the air. Energy poured from its body like fire from a dying star.

The world could not contain it. Reality itself bent beneath its presence.

Myria screamed. The tower began to collapse. Not from impact or the force. From the existence of Kaiser alone.

Kaiser moved. With a single beat of its wings, it launched upward. The tower shattered beneath it. Steel tore apart as if it were nothing. Stone fractured and disintegrated under the pressure. The entire structure of Caer Xahn broke apart in its wake as Kaiser pierced through the ceiling and ascended into the sky.

Higher, faster. Like a comet tearing through the heavens. Clouds split violently as Kaiser passed. The desert below shrank into insignificance, the dead continent trembling under the force of its ascent.

Kaiser reached the stratosphere. From that height, the world below looked small and fragile. Kaiser turned and looked down at Caer Xahn. At the source of corruption. At the heart of decay.

Its jaws opened. Energy started to gather near its throat. Not with fire or light. Something greater. A force born from the very essence of the Brood.

"Super Kaiser Breath!"

The air ignited. Then it descended. A storm of annihilation. Flames beyond heat. Energy beyond destruction. They fell upon Caer Xahn. And everything broke. The city did not burn. It was erased. Every structure. Every machine. Every trace of Myria's dominion, gone. Consumed in a single, overwhelming act of power.

From below, they heard a final scream. "NOOOOO—!"

Myria's voice shattered, breaking apart as her form disintegrated completely. Flesh turned to ash. Ash to nothing. Her presence—once overwhelming, once eternal—collapsed into silence.

The flames faded, the storm ended. And where Caer Xahn once stood, there was nothing. Only scorched earth and wind.

Kaiser hovered above it all. Its wings lowered slowly, the immense force around it beginning—finally—to settle. The battle was over.

The fire had finally faded, leaving behind a sky that felt strangely quiet after the chaos that had consumed it. Where Caer Xahn had once risen in impossible towers of metal and divinity, there was now only a vast emptiness that stretched beyond sight. The land itself seemed to mourn, its scorched surface whispering of a city that had vanished into ash and memory.

Blackened sand extended in every direction, shifting gently as the wind carried away the last remnants of what had once been a place of gods, machines, and ancient purpose. The party moved slowly across the ruin, their steps careful and unhurried as though the ground itself demanded reverence. There was no urgency left in them, no danger pressing at their backs, only the heavy stillness that follows great loss.

Ryu came to a halt as something half‑buried in the ash caught his eye, its shape unmistakable even beneath the soot. He knelt with deliberate care, brushing away the debris until the familiar weight of the Beast Spear rested in his hands once more. For a long moment he simply held it, saying nothing as the truth of its presence settled over him like a shadow.

Then he drew it close, his voice barely more than a breath as he whispered, "…Garr."

Nina stepped forward at the sound, but her strength faltered, and she collapsed gently against him as though the grief had finally become too heavy to bear. Tears streamed down her cheeks in quiet, unrestrained waves, each one carrying the echo of a bond that had been deeper than duty.

"…He's gone…" she managed, her voice breaking as she clutched tightly at Ryu's tunic. "He was… more than just a Guardian…" The words trembled with the weight of everything she could not bring herself to say, and when she finally whispered, "…He was family…" the air around them seemed to still in acknowledgment.

Ryu wrapped an arm around her, holding her close as though he could shield her from the ache settling into her heart. He did not try to offer false comfort or empty promises; he simply remained at her side, steady and present in a way that spoke louder than any reassurance. "I know," he murmured, the words soft but certain.

A short distance away, Rei stood in silence, his expression unreadable as he watched the two of them grieve. He did not interrupt or approach, understanding instinctively that this moment belonged to them more than to him. Yet his stillness carried its own kind of respect, a quiet acknowledgment of the man they had lost.

Garr had not been his mentor, nor had he been bound to Rei by blood or oath. But he had been something just as important—an unwavering presence, a shield that never faltered, a warrior whose strength had steadied them all more times than any of them could count. Rei exhaled slowly, his voice low as he muttered, "…He was a good man."

A sudden shift in the wind brushed across the barren land, carrying with it a faint change that prickled at the edge of awareness. Rei turned slightly, his posture tightening as something in the distance caught his attention. Then he froze, his eyes narrowing as he whispered, "…Hey."

His voice sharpened with urgency as he gestured toward the horizon. "Look."

Ryu and Nina lifted their heads, following the direction of his gaze with a mixture of confusion and dawning disbelief.

At the far edge of the scorched landscape, where the heat haze blurred the boundary between earth and sky, a solitary figure stood motionless. The air around it shimmered faintly, as though light itself bent to acknowledge its presence. Radiance clung to the silhouette, soft yet unmistakably powerful, and for a heartbeat the world seemed to hold its breath.

Ryu felt his breath catch as the figure before them took shape, standing tall with a presence that needed no armor or ornament to announce itself. There was no trace of corruption clinging to him now, no shadow of the decay that had once marked his final moments. Instead, he radiated a quiet strength, as if the very air around him recognized the purity of his restored form.

Golden light shimmered across his skin in gentle waves, illuminating the contours of a body that looked as though it had been sculpted by the gods themselves. His hair burned with a soft, eternal flame, not destructive but warm, steady, and impossibly alive. Behind him, a halo of radiant energy circled in slow, serene motion, casting long arcs of light across the barren land.

In his hand he held a halberd, the weapon resting easily against his palm as though it weighed nothing at all. Ryu felt a familiar ache rise in his chest as recognition settled over him, heavy and bittersweet. "…Garr," he whispered, the name escaping him like a prayer he had not realized he was holding.

Beside him, Nina's tears fell anew, but this time they trembled with joy rather than grief. She took a single step forward before stopping, her hands pressed to her chest as she breathed out a trembling, "…Grandfather…" The sight of him—whole, peaceful, unburdened—seemed to unravel something inside her that had been knotted for far too long.

Garr said nothing, but the calm in his eyes spoke more clearly than any words could. He stepped forward with a grace that felt both familiar and impossibly distant, as though he now walked between worlds rather than upon them. There was no weight upon his shoulders anymore, no chains of duty or guilt dragging behind him.

Then another presence emerged from the light, cooler and sharper, carrying with it the faint flicker of blue flame. The figure was lean and silent, his movements measured and watchful, as though he had always been there just beyond the edge of sight. Rei blinked in disbelief before muttering, "Doesn't that beat all..."

Gaist stood beside Garr, the two Endless aligned not as enemies or servants but as beings who had finally stepped beyond the boundaries of the world that once defined them. Their forms glowed with a quiet certainty, as though they had already accepted the path ahead. In their stillness, there was a sense of freedom so profound it made the air feel lighter.

Ryu felt a soft smile tug at his lips as he murmured, "…I guess the Endless really can't die after all."

Garr inclined his head in a silent acknowledgment, a gesture that carried the weight of farewell without the sorrow. Nina moved as if to reach for him, but her steps faltered when she understood what this moment truly was.

This was not a reunion meant to last. It was a goodbye, gentle and inevitable, shaped by the choices they had all made. Gaist turned slightly, and together the two Endless bowed—not to a king, not to a dragon, but to companions who had changed them in ways neither time nor eternity could erase.

Without a word, their bodies began to rise, lifting effortlessly from the ground as though gravity no longer recognized their existence. They ascended higher and higher, passing beyond the sky, beyond the clouds, and beyond the world itself. Their journey stretched toward the Farplane, a realm untouched by time or space, a destination no mortal could ever hope to reach.

The distance they traveled was immeasurable—millions, billions, even trillions of years would pass in the span of their crossing. Universes would collapse and be reborn, stars would ignite and fade, and time itself would lose all meaning. Yet for the Endless, the passage felt no longer than the flicker of a distant star.

Ryu stood in silence, watching until the last glimmer of their light vanished into the horizon.

Nina wiped her tears, but a soft smile remained, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, "He made it…"

Rei crossed his arms with a small smirk, adding, "…Yeah. Took him long enough."

A gentle wind swept across the empty land, carrying with it a sense of renewal that had been absent for far too long. For the first time, the world did not feel dead or hollow; instead, it felt open, unbound, and quietly free. Ryu adjusted his grip on the Beast Spear, letting the weight of the moment settle before he looked ahead.

"…Let's go home," he said, his voice steady with resolve. Together, they turned away from the ashes of chaos and began walking toward a future waiting to be shaped, their steps guided not by loss but by the promise of what came next.