Aeron stood at the edge of the evacuation zone, his hands clenched into fists so tight his nails drew blood. He had gotten the injured to safety—now all he could do was watch.
His heart pounded like a war drum as he tracked Aman's movements—the way he blinked through space, the way he seized the madman, the way he hurled him toward Zephyr's portal with seconds to spare.
They're going to make it—
A flicker of movement.
Aeron saw shadowy hands snap around Aman's ankle and pull him back to the explosion at the last critical moment.
Aeron's breath caught.
The fissure detonated in a cataclysm of blue-green light, the shockwave rippling outward like a tidal wave of pure force. Aeron barely registered being thrown backward—his body skidding across the snowy ground, his ears ringing.
When his vision cleared, his eyes locked onto the epicenter.
Where the fissure had been, there was now only a crater.
"N-No…" Aeron's voice cracked. "It can't be—!"
Around him, others staggered to their feet, their faces pale with shock. Some screamed. Some called for healers or help. Some simply stared, mute with horror.
But Aeron saw none of it.
His gaze was fixed on the smoking ruins where his friend had stood just moments before.
Where Aman had vanished.
No, Aeron gritted his teeth, he can't be dead!
He promised to help him!
Zephyr watched as Aman vanished through the flickering portal—taking his place at the last possible second.
The aerial monster screeched above him, its massive wings beating violently as it prepared to dive again. The portal wavered under the strain of Zephyr's divided focus, but he refused to let it collapse.
His eyes narrowed as the beast descended, talons outstretched.
But Zephyr waited till Aman came out of the other side of the portal.
Zephyr quickly closed the portal. Then—
Zephyr vanished, reappearing directly above the monster in a burst of displaced air. His saber gleamed, space itself distorting around its edge as he slashed downward.
The beast reacted instantly, folding its wings defensively. Razor-sharp feathers launched toward Zephyr like a storm of blades—
—only for him to twist mid-air, his body flowing between them effortlessly. His saber flicked twice, sending crescent waves of spatial aura hurtling toward the creature.
While the monster dodged, Zephyr moved again.
A pulse of aura erupted beneath the beast, yanking it downward with crushing force. The ground shattered as the monster slammed into it, its wings crumpling under the impact.
Zephyr didn't wait. His free hand slashed through the air—
—reopening the portal to Aman's location.
His gaze locked onto the distant figures—Aman throwing the madman through, turning to follow—
—then something seizing him from behind.
Zephyr's breath caught.
Zephyr watched as Aman disappeared into the explosion.
The portal erupted in a backlash of energy, sending a second shockwave ripping outward.
Thinking that Aman might use Blink again, even though he already knew he couldn't do it.
Neverthless, he tanked the blast head-on, his saber crossed defensively as the force hurled him backward. His body skidded across the ruined courtyard, carving a trench through stone and dirt before finally crashing to a stop.
Groaning, Zephyr pushed himself up, his vision swimming. The battlefield was unrecognizable—a wasteland of shattered earth and lingering spatial distortions. The injured were screaming.
But Zephyr heard none of it.
His gaze locked onto the emptiness where Aman had stood.
Where nothing remained.
No body. No echo. No aura.
Just scorched air and the fading embers of spatial aura.
Zephyr's fingers dug into his palms hard enough to draw blood.
The thought wouldn't finish.
Somewhere behind him, Aeron's voice cracked like broken glass. "AMAN—!"
But Zephyr didn't turn. Didn't speak.
His saber hit the ground with a dull clink.
And for the first time in five years—
—he let the storm inside him rage unchecked.
The winged monster screeched—a raw, piercing sound that cut through the battlefield's stunned silence. Its feathers were charred from the explosion, its movements erratic with pain and fury. Yet its eyes burned with unmistakable killing intent as it dove toward Zephyr's unprotected back.
He didn't even flinch.
His eyes remained fixed on the empty space where Aman had vanished, his expression eerily calm.
The monster's talons gleamed as they descended, inches from his skull—
—then, with a flick of Zephyr's fingers, a tiny black orb materialized in the air.
No larger than a marble, it hummed with a sound like tearing fabric.
The monster's wings faltered. Its pupils shrank to pinpricks as it felt the pull—an irresistible, crushing force yanking it backward.
It screeched, thrashing wildly, but the orb's gravity was absolute. The harder it fought, the faster it was dragged in. Feathers ripped free. Bones cracked under the pressure.
For a single, horrifying moment, the beast's cries turned to something almost human—a guttural, pleading wail—
—before the orb imploded with a sound like the world itself snapping in half.
The monster was gone. No blood. No remains. Just nothing.
The orb also flickered out of existence.
Zephyr collapsed to his knees, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. His body trembled violently, his vision swimming.
That secret technique wasn't meant to be used in his condition. Not after using so many portals. Not after taking the explosion head-on. Not after exhausting himself so much.
Heck, Virion only told him to use it in his peak condition, afraid of its side effects on the user.
What was the point of saving it if he couldn't protect his friend?
What was the point of all this training and power—
—if it couldn't save his only friend?
Zephyr's eyelids grew heavy, his vision tunneling. The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth as another cough wracked his body. Distantly, he heard shouts—a familiar voice—calling his name. But the words blurred together, meaningless noise beneath the ringing in his ears.
The ground rushed up to meet him—
—only for gentle arms to intercept his fall.
The scent that enveloped him was unmistakable—ink and parchment, with the faintest hint of lavender.
The same scent that had clung to him when she'd cry herself to sleep in his arms as a child. The same scent that lingered on his shoulder after those rare moments when exhaustion finally stole her away into slumber.
Zephyr didn't have the strength to lift his head. Didn't need to. That presence alone—the warmth of her arms, the tremor in her fingers as they pressed against his back—told him everything.
"Idiot," her voice wavered, closer now, raw with tears. "You absolute... reckless... idiot..."
Her words broke halfway through, dissolving into a choked sob.
Zephyr wanted to answer. Wanted to tell her he was fine. That Aman—
But the darkness was too heavy. Too tempting.
And so, for the first time in five years of running, of fighting, of being the unshakable pillar...
His body went limp in Luna's arms, the last of his strength bleeding away into the void.
The last thing he heard, as consciousness slipped through his fingers, was Luna's whisper—
"I've got you... I've got you..."
Darkness swallowed him whole.