His whole body felt like lead.
He crashed to the ground, barely catching himself on his arms.
His vision blurred. His breathing was ragged.
For a second—he didn’t even understand what was happening.
Then it clicked.
He had been moving too fast for his own body to process.
Now? He was paying for it.
Aetheron turned at the sound of Shukan hitting the ground.
“Yo—?”
He was beside him in an instant, kneeling down. “Shukan? Hey—what’s wrong?”
Shukan gritted his teeth. “…Can’t… move.”
His legs felt dead. Like they weren’t even part of him anymore.
Chronos watched carefully, his golden circuits flickering as he analyzed the situation.
“His body isn’t damaged.”
“It’s his perception catching up to him.”
Aetheron frowned. “Meaning?”
Chronos exhaled. “His body overclocked past its limit. Now it's trying to force a full shutdown to compensate.”
Shukan clicked his tongue. “Tch… I really hate science right now.”
Jikan pulsed softly.
For a moment, Shukan felt it in his mind.
Not words. Not a voice.
A quiet confirmation.
Jikan had known this would happen.
It had let him push past the limits—but only because it was necessary.
Aetheron exhaled, shaking his head. “Alright, you’re not dying, so that’s good.”
He grabbed Shukan by the arm and threw him over his shoulder.
“Up you go, dumbass.”
Shukan groaned. “I hate you.”
Aetheron grinned. “Yeah, yeah. You’ll walk it off.”
Except he wouldn’t.
Because Shukan still couldn’t feel his legs.
Chronos stood nearby, watching. “…He needs rest.”
Aetheron raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean AFTER we figure out how to survive in the middle of FALLEN NEXUS?”
Chronos was silent for a moment. Then—
He turned toward the exit. “…We move. Now.”
The shift was instant.
One second, they had been in a dead city, fighting for their lives.
Now—the streets were ALIVE.
Laughter echoed through the air.Bright lanterns glowed above, bathing the city in warm colors.Food stalls, music, bustling crowds—it looked like a festival.
But it wasn’t real.
It was TOO joyful.
Shukan, still slumped against Aetheron, groaned. “…Did we die?”
Aetheron smirked. "If we did, hell’s got great food."
No one looked at them.
No one reacted.
People walked past them, around them, through them—like they weren’t even there.
Chronos narrowed his eyes. “…This isn’t right.”
Then—Yurei grabbed Shukan and broke off from the group.
Because someone was watching them.
She had been standing on a rooftop.
A girl in a black coat, face hidden beneath a white mask.
The first person to actually see them.
Yurei stopped beneath the building, adjusting Shukan against her shoulder.
The masked figure tilted their head.
Then they turned—and walked away.
They wanted to be followed.
Shukan groaned. “…Yurei. Don’t. Follow. Creepy. Mask. Lady.”
Yurei rolled her eyes. "Too late."
She leapt onto the rooftops and chased after them.
Chronos and Aetheron moved further into town, weaving through the cheerful, unsettling crowd.
Patterns.
Chronos saw them instantly.
The people were looping.
A man at a food stall took a bite of food, laughed, and repeated the motion exactly the same way. A group of kids ran down the street—then appeared again seconds later, doing the exact same thing. A woman in a red dress smiled at them—but when they looked away and back, she was in the EXACT same position, smiling like she had never moved.
Chronos clenched his fists. "This place is FAKE."
Aetheron’s expression darkened. "Then let’s find what’s real."
They move toward the town’s center—where the joy feels strongest.
Yurei landed lightly on the rooftop. The masked girl—Madona—was standing at the edge, back turned to them, looking down at the festival-like streets below.
Yurei set Shukan down, but kept a tight grip on her ice-arm. “Alright, enough games. Who the hell are you?”
The girl didn’t turn around. She just chuckled. “…So you can see through it too.”
Shukan, still slumped against the wall, groaned. “Yeah, yeah. The town’s fake, everyone’s a puppet, blah blah—get to the part where you explain what’s going on.”
Madona finally turned to face them.
She pulled off her mask.
Underneath… she looked completely normal. A young woman, dark eyes, tired expression, short messy hair.
But something was off.
Her face was flickering. Like she was stuck between being real and unreal.
Madona sighed, stretching. “Alright, fine. Since you two are so impatient… my name’s Madona.”
"And this? This town? It’s a joke.”
Yurei frowned. “What do you mean?”
Madona smirked, pointing at the streets below.
“This town is a perfect dream. A paradise. It’s designed to keep people HAPPY forever.”
“The only problem? The people here don’t exist.”
Yurei and Shukan exchanged glances.
Shukan muttered. “...Okay, I’m too damn tired for this.”
Madona shrugged. “Too bad. You’re in it now.”
Before Yurei could ask more—Madona’s flickering increased.
She grabbed her head, wincing.
And suddenly—THE ENTIRE TOWN STOPPED MOVING.
Every single person below froze in place.
Like someone had just PAUSED reality.
Madona’s eyes snapped to them.
“Shit—They noticed us.”
“We need to move. NOW.”
Everything was silent.
Shukan could barely keep his eyes open. His body still wasn’t responding, but he could hear them talking.
Then he heard the SNAP.
Yurei stiffened. “…Did you hear that?”
SNAP. SNAP. SNAP.
Every single "person" in the town had just twisted their heads toward them.
Like broken dolls on rusted hinges.
Their eyes were GONE. Just empty voids staring straight at them.
Shukan’s exhaustion vanished instantly.
“…Oh, hell no.”
Then the screaming started.
The townspeople’s bodies twisted, bones stretching, mouths splitting open wider than they should.
Their arms and legs bent the wrong way, fingers extending into jagged claws.
Then they CHARGED.
Chronos and Aetheron, still deeper in town, felt it before they saw it.
Reality itself SHOOK.
Chronos’ golden circuits flared violently.
Aetheron whirled around. “Okay, THAT is not normal.”
Then they saw it.
Dozens. No, HUNDREDS of "people" were mutating, twisting, and RUSHING toward one direction.
Chronos immediately understood. "Shukan and Yurei."
They MOVED.
The eldritch townspeople were TOO FAST.
Yurei grabbed Shukan, throwing him onto her back as she prepared to run—but they were already surrounded.
Madona hissed, “You idiots took too long!”
“MOVE. NOW.”
Then—a golden flash.
Chronos and Aetheron ARRIVED, snatching up Shukan and Yurei.
Chronos grabbed Yurei by the arm and PULLED HER INTO A TIME-STEP.
Aetheron swooped down, hooking his arms under Shukan and launching into the sky.
The creatures SCREAMED.
The entire town was now chasing them.
Madona, already ahead, shouted: "FOLLOW ME! We need to get OUT before the real nightmare shows up!"
Shukan, still barely processing, muttered: "THAT WASN’T THE REAL NIGHTMARE?!"
They ran for what felt like forever.
The monstrous townspeople chased them through twisting alleys, across rooftops, through abandoned markets— But eventually, the horrors stopped following.
Madona led them deep into the ruins, through a passage disguised as a collapsed building.
The place was small, dimly lit, packed with old maps, glowing artifacts, and shelves lined with strange data pads.
Madona leaned against a table, catching her breath.
“Alright. Sit down. You guys need an explanation.”
Chronos crossed his arms. “No arguments there.”
Aetheron was still tense. “That whole town was a damn trap. What the hell was that?”
Madona ran a hand through her messy hair, sighing.
"Fallen Nexus is a lie. This city isn’t supposed to exist anymore."
"Everything here is either a memory—OR a nightmare that doesn’t know it’s dead."
Yurei narrowed her eyes. “And the people?”
Madona’s expression darkened.
“Not people. Just echoes of something that USED to be.”
“And when something living steps inside?” She shakes her head. “The city tries to make you part of the illusion.”
Shukan sat against the wall, still exhausted.
He wasn’t even listening anymore.
All he could think about was this:
“We came here for ONE THING.” “ONE. DAMN. THING.” “To learn why there were intelligent Void creatures.”
“And now we’re stuck in horror town, dealing with ghosts, eldritch nightmares, and a girl who may or may not be real.”
“How the HELL did we get stuck doing SIDE QUESTS?!”
He sighed heavily, rubbing his face.
Aetheron, noticing his look, smirked. “Something wrong, fearless leader?”
Shukan just glared at him. "I'm about to side quest my foot into your damn face."
Madona could feel it.
They didn’t trust her.
Chronos’ golden eyes flickered, analyzing her movements.Yurei had her arms crossed, ice-arm pulsing faintly.Aetheron leaned back against the wall, arms folded, watching.
And Shukan?
Shukan was still sitting on the floor, barely giving a shit.
He exhaled. “…Alright, I’ll bite. Why the hell are you flickering like a damn broken screen?”
Madona smirked. “Because I’m not supposed to exist.”
Before they could question her, she raised a hand.
Then she stepped forward—right through the table.
Yurei’s eyes widened. “What.”
Her entire body glitched, shifting between real and unreal, flickering like a dying projection.
Then—she walked BACK out of the table, solid again.
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
“Like I said—Fallen Nexus is a lie.”
“It was erased. The real city doesn’t exist anymore.”
“And I? I was erased along with it.”
“I’m a memory of someone who died here.”
“And the only reason I still exist… is because the city won’t let me leave.”
Silence.
Chronos narrowed his eyes. “You’re saying you’re a ghost?”
Madona chuckled. “If that helps you sleep at night, sure.”
Shukan blinked.
Then he sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the wall. “Okay. Fine. Sure. Why the hell not.” “Because at this point, this city is just throwing every horror trope at us.”
“Ghosts? Check.” Eldritch monsters? Check.” “Fake reality? Check.” “Next thing you’re gonna tell me is that we’re not actually awake.”
Madona smirked. “You sure you are?”
Shukan immediately sat up. “Alright, I’M gonna kill you now.”
Chronos was still skeptical.
“If you’re just a ‘memory,’ how are you aware of it?”
Madona shrugged. “Because I didn’t fade like the others.”
“Something—or someone kept me here.”
“And I need to find out why.”
“Because if I don’t…”
Her flickering increased.
“I’m gonna disappear.”
“And something else is gonna take my place.”
And whatever that was… wasn’t going to be friendly.
The ground shook violently.
Glass cracked. Shelves toppled. Dust rained from the ceiling.
It wasn’t just a tremor.
It was a WARNING.
Chronos snapped to attention, golden circuits flashing. “…That wasn’t natural.”
Yurei’s ice-arm pulsed cold. “That was a Void Tremor.”
Shukan, still slumped against the wall, blinked. “…Well. That’s great. Love that for us.”
Aetheron sighed, flexing his wings. “Alright, for those of us who aren’t experts on this hellhole, what does that mean?”
Chronos' voice was sharp. "It means there are too many Void creatures. The planet is trying to force them out."
Yurei finished the thought. “…Which means they’re about to start pouring out of whatever cracks just opened.”
Shukan exhaled slowly.
“Side quest or not, we’re about to be drowning in Void.”
Madona, who had been listening quietly, suddenly tensed.
Her glitching got worse.
“…No. No no no, this is bad.”
“They shouldn’t be HERE.”
Chronos immediately caught that. “What do you mean?”
Madona’s hands trembled.
“Void creatures don’t belong in Fallen Nexus.”
“Something is letting them IN.”
And whatever was doing it… wasn’t finished yet.
“They’re here.”
Yurei’s voice was sharp as she closed the door behind her.
Chronos’ golden circuits flickered. "How many?"
“A lot. But that’s not what’s weird.” Aetheron raised an eyebrow. “Weird how?”
Yurei’s ice-arm pulsed again, reacting to her unease. “They’re not acting like Void creatures.”
Silence.
Shukan, still on the floor, groaned. “…Great. Love that. Can’t wait to find out what that means.”
Aetheron suddenly grinned. “Alright, then. Time for a stealth mission.” He pulled something from his side—a dark, worn-out cloak.
“Illnath’s Cloak. It’ll keep you hidden.”
Yurei stared at him. “You had that this whole time?”
Aetheron shrugged. “Didn’t need it until now.”
“Go find out what’s really happening.”
Yurei exhaled, then pulled the cloak over her shoulders.
Her body faded.
Yurei moved through the streets, completely invisible.
Illnath’s Cloak worked. She had tested it before leaving—her body was fully concealed.
But she made one mistake.
She had masked her footsteps.She had kept her breathing quiet.She had stayed in the shadows.
But she didn’t suppress her energy signature.
And the town noticed.
SNAP.
Every villager turned their head toward her.
They saw nothing—but they FELT her.
Yurei froze. Her heart slammed in her chest.
They weren’t attacking.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
They were just STARING.
Acknowledging her.
Like a system recognizing a foreign entity.
She had triggered something.
The air around her shifted.
A voice.
Not from the villagers. Not from the Void creatures.
Something else.
"—You are not supposed to be here—"
Her entire body went cold.
Before she could react, something CHANGED.
The villagers ALL took a step toward her.
As if waiting for her next move.
Yurei didn’t hesitate.
She launched herself into the air, ice forming instantly beneath her feet.
A jagged spike SHOT from the ground, propelling her higher.
Before gravity could pull her back down—she created ANOTHER ice platform in midair, pushing forward.
Run. Jump. Create. Repeat.
She was now LITERALLY running across the sky.
Below her, the villagers glitched violently.
One second, they were normal. Smiling. Laughing. Too perfect.Then next, their bodies SNAPPED into nightmare shapes.
Then, THEY MOVED.
Too fast.
They started CLIMBING buildings—crawling like insects, moving with no regard for physics.
Their necks twisted unnaturally, keeping their gaze LOCKED on her.
Then—THEY STARTED JUMPING.
One after another, LEAPING toward her, stretching, distorting, glitching THROUGH the air.
Yurei gritted her teeth.
Stealth was a joke now.
She RIPPED OFF Illnath’s Cloak, tossing it to the wind.
"Yeah, THAT’S not helping anymore."
The tremors hadn’t stopped.
Inside the hideout, Shukan, Aetheron, Chronos, and Madona felt the shift in the air.
Then they heard it.
A distant, unholy SCREECH.
Aetheron immediately stood up. “…That’s her, isn’t it?”
Chronos’ circuits pulsed. "She’s in pursuit."
Shukan groaned. "You mean she's BEING pursued."
Madona's glitching got worse. "This is bad. If she was detected, that means he's going to wake up soon."
Aetheron narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell is 'he'?"
Madona looked at them, deadly serious.
"The thing that actually RUNS this city."
Before they could respond, something CRASHED into the hideout—
YUREI BURST THROUGH THE ROOF, LANDING HARD. "WE NEED TO GO. NOW."
Yurei’s ice arm was BURNING COLD.
Not like normal. Not like when she was in a fight.
It was reacting to the city itself.
The air around her shimmered, frozen mist swirling violently.
She clenched her fist, teeth grinding. “Madona. Is ANY of this real?”
Madona didn’t answer immediately.
Yurei stepped toward her. “ANSWER ME.”
Before Madona could speak, Chronos sighed heavily.
Without even looking, he reached down, grabbed Shukan, and slung him over his shoulder.
Like a tired parent carrying a tantrum-throwing toddler.
Shukan grunted. “…Bro.”
Chronos started running. “We’re leaving. Ask your questions while moving.”
Aetheron snorted. “Man just picked you up like a damn ragdoll.”
Shukan groaned. “I hate all of you.”
Then they SPRINTED.
As they ran, dodging collapsing buildings and glitching streets, Madona finally spoke.
“There IS a real part of Fallen Nexus.”
Yurei’s eyes snapped toward her. “Where?”
“DEEPER.”
Aetheron groaned. “Oh, great. That’s where we were trying not to go.”
Madona’s flickering worsened. “If you want REALITY, that’s where you have to go.”
“Because the center of Fallen Nexus is where the city’s last real memories exist.”
Chronos glanced at her. “And what’s guarding it?”
Madona’s voice was cold.
“Him.”
The moment she said that, the sky above them SHIFTED.
And something started to wake up.
Shukan was still slung over Chronos’ shoulder, arms crossed, looking more pissed by the second.
“…I swear to God, Chronos.”
Chronos didn’t even look at him. “We’re moving too fast for you to argue.”
Aetheron laughed. “Damn, man, just let it happen.”
Shukan narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I’ll let it happen, alright.”
Then, in an instant, his body flared with Auln energy.
BOOM.
A shockwave EXPLODED beneath him, launching him straight into the air.
He broke free. “Hah—LATER, LOSERS!”
For about 0.5 seconds.
Chronos sighed, vanished in a flash of golden circuits—
And immediately CAUGHT HIM AGAIN in midair.
Shukan blinked. “Bro. BRO.”
Chronos held him effortlessly. “Done?”
Shukan groaned. “I hope your armor rusts.”
Aetheron was CACKLING. “You really thought that was gonna work?!”
Yurei smirked. “I respect the effort.”
They came to a full stop.
They didn’t have a choice.
The villagers were EVERYWHERE.
Aetheron turned in a slow circle. “...We’re surrounded.”
Chronos’ golden circuits pulsed. “They aren’t attacking.”
Yurei clenched her ice-arm. “Yet.”
Shukan was still in Chronos' arms. “Okay. You can put me down now.”
Chronos dropped him immediately.
Shukan landed on shaky legs, still recovering, but focused on the real problem.
The villagers weren’t moving. They weren’t shifting between human and nightmare.
They were just staring.
And then—the sky started to darken.
Aetheron frowned. “...What the hell?”
It wasn’t just nightfall.
The air itself felt WRONG.
Madona exhaled sharply. “Shit. Shit. We’re out of time.”
Chronos’ gaze sharpened. “Explain. Now.”
Madona took a step back, flickering harder than before.
“He’s waking up.”
“The one who actually controls this city.”
Shukan’s stomach dropped.
They weren’t just dealing with a fake town anymore.
Now, they were dealing with its KING.
The first meteor hit in the distance.
Then another. Then a hundred more.
The sky turned a deep, unnatural blue, swirling like an ocean in reverse.
Something was changing. Something was breaking.
Madona stumbled back, her glitching worse than ever. “…No. No no no. This can’t be happening.”
She looked genuinely afraid now.
Chronos’ golden circuits pulsed. “...I’ve heard of this.”
Aetheron’s expression darkened. “Skyfalls aren’t normal. They happen when something BIG is changing in reality.” Yurei tensed, her ice-arm burning with cold. “So what’s causing it?”
Madona’s voice was tight. “Him.”
They all turned to her.
Madona clenched her fists. “The King of Fallen Nexus. The one who controls this place.”
“He’s not just waking up.” “He’s rewriting the city.”
Another meteor crashed—this time, much closer. Reality was unraveling. Whatever was coming— It was almost here.
Aetheron’s wings flared, carrying Shukan high above the destruction.
The meteors burned against the deep blue sky, painting the city in flickering shadows.
Shukan focused, his golden eye glowing as Jikan activated.
Time unfolded before him. Possibilities stretched into infinity.
He scanned for REAL threats. Not the chaos, not the meteors— Something deeper. Something hidden.
Then—Jikan flared.
Something was coming. Shukan turned his head— A villager was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.
It had TELEPORTED DIRECTLY INTO HIS SPACE.
Before Aetheron could react—
The villager leaned in and WHISPERED into Shukan’s ear. Jikan shut off instantly.
Shukan’s body went completely limp. He was OUT.
Aetheron’s eyes widened. "SHUKAN?!"
He barely caught him before he fell.
Chronos and Yurei saw everything from below.
Madona’s glitching SPIKED.
Yurei immediately covered her ears. "DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!"
Chronos’ circuits flashed—he covered his ears with golden energy.
Aetheron struggled to keep his balance mid-air, holding onto Shukan.
The villager was still there, hovering in place, its mouth still MOVING—but now it was soundless.
More villagers began teleporting onto rooftops, into the sky—watching. Waiting.
Whispering.
They were using their voices as a WEAPON.
Aetheron struggled to keep Shukan balanced in his arms.
The whispering was everywhere now. It was soundless. Empty.
Then—Aetheron FELT it.
Something was pulling at Shukan.
He looked down—his stomach DROPPED.
A small villager child was CLINGING to Shukan’s side.
Its tiny hands—stretching, twisting, warping— DIGGING into his flesh.
Ripping. Pulling. Tearing him apart.
Shukan wasn’t even awake to fight back.
Aetheron reacted IMMEDIATELY—
He KICKED the child off, sending it spiraling into the air.
But it DIDN’T SCREAM.
It just twisted in mid-air—floating—watching him.
Then—MORE villagers started MOVING toward them.
Chronos and Yurei were already covering their ears, unable to hear.
But then—they saw it.
Villagers reaching out. Not to attack. To MARK them.
Strange symbols burned into the air, glowing above Chronos and Aetheron’s heads.
Madona’s glitching SPIKED. “NO—THEY’RE MARKING YOU FOR THE KING!”
Chronos clenched his fists. “What does that mean?”
Madona’s voice was tight. “It means if you don’t break those marks—YOU’RE GETTING FED TO HIM.”
Aetheron gritted his teeth. “Yeah, I don’t like the sound of that.”
The sky rumbled. The meteors burned BRIGHTER.
Something was COMING. And the villagers had just CHOSEN who it was going to EAT FIRST.
Shukan’s body was failing.
Chronos didn’t hesitate. Golden circuits flashed—reality FOLDED—
And in an instant, Shukan was GONE.
Pulled into Chronos’ Time-Space.
Everything was frozen. A golden world of endless gears, suspended motion, and reversed entropy.
Time moved DIFFERENTLY here. Shukan’s wounds sealed rapidly. His energy stabilized.
In moments, he would be back at full power. But outside? The war was just getting started.
Chronos emerged back into the battlefield, his hand slamming to the ground.
A ripple of GOLDEN ENERGY erupted outward.
An Energy Anchor formed—a gravitational core, pulling in the energy types the villagers were using.
Immediately, their movements slowed. Their whispers distorted.
Chronos gritted his teeth. "You’re not using that anymore."
But then—he FELT it. Buried beneath the chaotic power of Fallen Nexus…
Something else. Something OLDER. Faint, but undeniable. A CREATOR’S ENERGY.
Aetheron saw the shift in Chronos’ expression. "Chronos? What is it?"
Chronos clenched his fists. “…This energy. It’s not just Nexus.”
Madona’s glitching worsened. "What are you talking about?"
Chronos' golden circuits flared.
“A Creator has been here.” Yurei’s ice-arm pulsed dangerously. “You mean…?”
Aetheron’s expression darkened. “This isn’t just some broken city. This was designed.”
Madona’s breath caught. “…Then that means…”
Fallen Nexus wasn’t a forgotten ruin. It was a CREATOR’S EXPERIMENT. And the King?
He was NEVER a King. He was a TEST SUBJECT.
Madona barely dodged an attack, glitching mid-step as she landed near Chronos.
She had just witnessed something insane.
One second, the villagers were whispering, surging forward with unnatural speed— The next, they were SLOWING DOWN. Their energy was being DRAINED.
Chronos had just CHANGED THE RULES OF THE BATTLEFIELD.
Madona stared at him. “WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!”
Chronos didn’t look at her—his focus was locked on the enemy forces.
But he still answered.
“Energy Anchor.”
Madona blinked. “What the hell is an Energy Anchor?!”
Chronos raised his hand—golden circuits flaring.
The ground beneath him pulsed, the Energy Anchor spreading further.
“Energy Anchors are stabilizers. They force an area to obey a certain energy flow.”
A villager lunged at them—Chronos moved a finger.
The enemy was YANKED to the ground, its energy completely locked in place.
Madona’s eyes widened. “You’re CONTROLLING their power?!”
Chronos nodded. “I’m hijacking the energy they’re using.”
Madona looked at the battlefield.
She realized it wasn’t just slowing them down.
The villagers were getting WEAKER.
Their energy was being pulled AWAY—siphoned into the golden pulse beneath Chronos’ feet.
Madona’s mind raced. “You—You’re taking their energy—”
Chronos' golden eyes locked onto hers. “…And now I know where it comes from.”
Madona froze.
Chronos clenched his fists. “This city’s power isn’t natural. A Creator made this.”
The battlefield trembled. The sky rumbled.
The villagers’ forms glitched again—but this time, they looked more… controlled.
The King of Fallen Nexus was fully awake now.
And he KNEW they had figured it out.
The ground trembled.
Then it CRACKED.
A massive chasm split through the heart of Fallen Nexus, engulfing entire streets.
Buildings didn’t collapse.
They LIFTED.
Like they were part of something RISING beneath them.
A shadow covered the sky Something impossibly LARGE pulled itself into reality. The King had arrived.
Its form was incomprehensible at first—too massive, too vast.
Buildings were embedded in its body. Streets, ruins, entire districts twisted into its shifting frame, as if the city itself had always been part of it.
Its ‘head’ was a jagged, malformed construct—like a cathedral turned inside out.
Eyes—hundreds of them—blinked open across its body, massive and unfeeling.
Each one locked onto Chronos, Aetheron, Yurei, and Madona.
Then, it SPOKE.
The sound nearly shattered reality.
"—YOU HAVE STOLEN FROM ME.—"
"—YOU HAVE TAKEN WHAT WAS NEVER YOURS.—"
"—AND NOW, YOU WILL BE UNMADE.—"
The sky itself responded.
The dark blue abyss above them PULSED—energy rippling like an ocean in the heavens.
Gravity BENT as the King raised a titanic limb—
And the entire city started FALLING UPWARD.
Aetheron’s wings flared as he stabilized himself mid-air. “Okay—nope. NOPE. This is some Creator-level bullshit.”
Chronos’ golden circuits flashed dangerously. “…He’s integrated with the city itself.”
Yurei’s ice-arm radiated uncontrollably. “How the hell do you fight something THIS big?”
Madona was shaking. Glitching violently. “…You don’t.”
“You RUN.”
But as she said it—the King’s eyes burned brighter.
And suddenly, space itself was LOCKED. They couldn’t run.
They could only FIGHT.
The city was breaking apart.
Gravity had no meaning anymore. Buildings were falling upward, streets twisted into spirals, and entire districts were folding into the King’s body.
And in the middle of it all—Yurei MOVED.
She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t hold back.
Her ice-arm radiated with such intensity that the air itself FROZE, turning the battlefield into an endless storm of jagged frost.
With a single step, she LAUNCHED herself toward the King.
Her entire body burned with power.
The first impact sent a shockwave through the void itself.
Ice SPIKES burst from the King's shifting form, freezing entire sections of his massive frame.
The meteors still falling from the sky? They froze MID-AIR. Then—SHATTERED.
But the King barely reacted. He was TOO BIG.
Yurei wasn’t stopping. She screamed through gritted teeth, her ice-arm pulsing like a star, reinforcing her body as she STRUCK AGAIN. This wasn’t an attack.
This was a FORCE OF NATURE.
Chronos, still stabilizing the battlefield with his Energy Anchor, felt it FIRST. Jikan was MOVING. Then—a pulse of golden energy SEVERED the sky. Shukan stepped out of Chronos’ Time-Space. He was quiet. Focused. His golden eye burned like a sun. And without hesitation—
He drove a Focalized Energy Point (FEP) directly into his own heart. Instantly, his body SHOOK.
Time folded, space fractured, and his very EXISTENCE began accelerating. This wasn’t just power. This was erasing the LIMITS of what his body could handle.
The King’s many eyes focused on them.
He saw it now. They weren’t just intruders. They were THREATS. His massive frame shifted, energy RUSHING toward his core, reality bending around him. And then, for the first time— He moved to ATTACK.
The sky cracked apart as the King of Fallen Nexus moved.
Entire districts shattered and reformed within his massive frame, the city itself shifting like an extension of his will.
Yurei didn’t care.
Her ice-arm radiated pure, destructive cold as she RUSHED the King, dodging a collapsing street before launching herself upward.
She struck hard.
A massive section of the King’s shifting body was consumed in frost, jagged ice erupting in every direction.
The King barely reacted.
His voice—deep, layered, more like a command from reality itself—rumbled through the broken battlefield. “YOU WILL DROWN IN MY DOMAIN."
The sky darkened even further. The swirling deep blue abyss twisted, becoming something almost liquid. Yurei clicked her tongue. "Tch. Big words for a guy getting his limbs frozen off." Then, a flash rained down from the sky. Shukan was moving. Fast. He felt his heartbeat accelerate unnaturally. Too fast. Too unstable. The Focalized Energy Point embedded in his heart burned like a second sun inside him. Jikan’s golden glow pulsed through his veins.
His vision was a blur of possible futures. Possible failures. Didn’t matter. This was what he needed to do.
As he twisted mid-air, dodging a massive shifting structure, a random thought hit him. “…Wait a damn second.” Yurei, still dashing along ice platforms, glared at him. "What?"
Shukan barely had time to land before launching himself again. "Where the hell were the Trivia Knights?"
Yurei blinked. "Who?"
Shukan deflected a spiraling piece of debris, then continued. "The guards. The guys who were supposed to be protecting Fallen Nexus."
Yurei’s ice-arm pulsed slightly. She hadn’t even considered that.
He was right.
They had entered Fallen Nexus expecting to deal with its infamous Trivia Knights—but the second they got dragged into the cyberpunk city, they never saw a single one. "Did we just completely skip them?" Shukan asked, half-joking, half-serious.
Yurei frowned. "…Or were they already gone?"
For the first time, Shukan didn’t have a smart-ass response.
Where were they? And why did the King let them through so easily?
Aetheron shot through the air, weaving between falling debris.
Golden light flared from his wings as he blasted through a wave of villagers, incinerating them instantly.
Chronos landed hard on a floating street fragment, golden circuits pulsing as he calculated the King’s shifting structure.
“Focus attacks on his weakest integration points!” he called out.
Madona was moving too—her flickering getting WORSE as she threw distorted energy into the battlefield, creating gaps in the King’s defenses.
Yurei gritted her teeth. "No more holding back."
She launched herself AGAIN, ice forming into jagged spears that tore through the King’s shifting frame. The battle was in FULL FORCE now.
Then, suddenly—THE AIR CHANGED.
One second, it was burning hot. The next, FREEZING cold.
Rain started falling—but it wasn’t normal rain. It was shifting. One drop was liquid. Another was SNOW. Another was BURNING HOT. The entire battlefield was cycling through SEASONS, seconds at a time.
Chronos narrowed his eyes. “…He’s rewriting the environment itself.”
Aetheron dodged a burst of searing heat, then immediately had to shield himself from a wave of frost. “Yeah, no kidding.”
Madona’s flickering got worse. “If he keeps doing this, we’ll start breaking apart before we even reach him.”
Shukan clenched his fists. His heart was SLAMMING against his ribs now.
He exhaled sharply. "Then we end this NOW."
He ignored the pain and CHARGED.
Everything happened at once.
The King moved. Not like before.
Not slow. Not like an unstoppable force. FAST. Faster than he should EVER be.
One second, his massive cathedral-like form was towering in the distance.
The next, his HAND was ALREADY SWINGING. It was as if reality had SKIPPED FORWARD.
Like time had TRIED to process him moving—then just gave up.
The battlefield shook. Shukan’s instincts SCREAMED.
Move. MOVE.
But this wasn’t like dodging a normal attack.
This required the SAME SPEED he had used before— When he was running for his LIFE against the Figure.
Aetheron’s eyes widened. “WHAT THE HELL?!”
Chronos barely managed to Time-Step away.
Yurei skidded back on an ice path, barely avoiding the SHOCKWAVE from the swing.
Madona clutched her head, glitching violently. “…No. This—this isn’t just him being fast.”
Chronos narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Madona’s voice was unsteady. "He’s moving like something ELSE." She clenched her fists. “Like something that’s SEEN this kind of speed before.”
Shukan gritted his teeth. His body was SCREAMING from the FEP burning in his chest.
"If that’s the case…"
His golden eye flared. "Then I’ll have to be even faster." He VANISHED.
Jikan roared to life, and the real fight BEGAN.
Shukan saw it.
Every time he dodged. Every time he countered.
The King was LEARNING.
Adjusting his swings. Fixing his timing. Moving better with each attack.
It was like the whole universe had one rule:
“NOTE TAKEN.”
And Shukan was DONE with it.
Then—something in his body shifted.
A pulse. A surge of something UNFAMILIAR—yet completely natural. Zeyth had awakened.
olden energy LASHED out from Shukan’s body, but it wasn’t Jikan.
It was WILD. UNCONTROLLED. UNTAMED.
Zeyth—the energy type that ONLY manifests in the MOST EXTREME battles—had fully ignited inside him.
And the moment it did, everything about him CHANGED.
His movements became SHARPER. His dodges became INSTANT. His attacks? More LETHAL.
Jikan had given him control over time. But Zeyth? It gave him PURE, UNFILTERED, EXPONENTIAL COMBAT EVOLUTION. Now it was HIS turn to say ‘NOTE TAKEN.’
Shukan felt it— or rather, he DIDN’T. His heart wasn’t beating anymore. There was no pulse. No rhythm. His body should’ve shut down.
But it didn’t. Because Zeyth had fully taken over. He wasn’t alive because of biology anymore. He was alive because his ENERGY REFUSED TO LET HIM DIE.
And if he was still breathing, still moving— Then this fight wasn’t over.
The King’s eyes shifted. For the first time… he hesitated. He had adapted to everything. He had countered everything. But he had NEVER seen something like THIS. A being who wasn’t bound by life or death. Someone who had pushed past his limits and KEPT GOING. And then—Shukan moved. Too fast for the King to register. One second, he was in the distance. The next, his fist was ALREADY SMASHING INTO THE KING’S FORM. The impact didn’t just shake the battlefield. It BROKE IT. The entire city cracked apart, shockwaves EXPLODING across Nyxiria.
Shukan’s fist SLAMMED into the King’s form, tearing through its massive structure. Another hit. Another. Another. The battlefield was CRUMBLING from the sheer force of his blows.
The squad could barely keep up. Aetheron shielded himself from the aftershocks. “Okay, I love violence as much as the next guy, but he’s DESTROYING everything!”
Chronos was locked onto Shukan, circuits flaring. “No. Look closer.”
Yurei’s ice-arm pulsed violently as she watched. “…It’s not working anymore.”
Madona’s glitching worsened. “No way. That’s—” And then, everything STOPPED.
The entire battlefield went SILENT.
The King’s shifting, massive body TREMBLED—
Then restructured ITSELF INSTANTLY. The cracks in his form closed. The ice shattered.
And then—his TRUE power surfaced. His eyes, once dim, burned with an INTENSE RADIANCE.
His presence became suffocating. His voice no longer sounded distant—it was RIGHT THERE, EVERYWHERE. "—YOU THOUGHT THIS WAS MY LIMIT?—"
The world itself BENT. The dark blue sky became BLACK, as if the void itself was descending.
And with one movement—THE KING STRUCK BACK. Shukan barely managed to move.
A shockwave SLAMMED into him, sending him hurtling through the ruined sky.
For the first time, his body DIDN’T INSTANTLY RECOVER. He was STILL.
The King’s real power was UNFOLDING.
And Shukan knew—if he stopped now, if he even hesitated for a SECOND— He was DEAD.
The battlefield was silent.
Then, the ice spread.
A wave of deep, unnatural cold erupted from Yurei’s body, freezing the air itself. The chaotic, shifting climate of the Fallen Nexus stopped. No more fire. No more rain. No more distortion.
Everything was frozen in place. Yurei didn’t know how she did it. She didn’t care.
Her veins burned with freezing energy, her ice-arm glowing with impossible intensity. She clenched her fist, breath coming out in sharp, misty exhales. It felt different.
This wasn’t like before.
She took a step forward.
The ice spread beneath her feet, cracking and reforming instantly. Her body felt lighter. Stronger. Like something inside her had finally started waking up.
She didn’t understand it. But she was going to use it.
Chronos’ golden circuits pulsed violently. He adjusted his stance, stabilizing the battlefield with his Energy Anchor.
Aetheron flared his wings, a radiant burst of energy surging outward, amplifying everyone’s power.
Madona twitched violently, glitching harder than ever. But she didn’t stop moving. She refused to.
And Shukan—
Shukan was still standing.
His body wasn’t functioning anymore. His heart had stopped. But his energy refused to let him die.
He exhaled slowly. His golden eye burned, and for the first time, he realized— He wasn’t tired.
He was just getting started. They weren’t just fighting anymore. They were going to end this.
The King of Fallen Nexus had no more time to adapt.
The battlefield trembled.
Not from an attack.Not from the fight.
From something else.
The ice cracked. The sky shifted.
For the first time—the King hesitated.
Something changed.
Something bigger.
And then, for the first time— Jikan stopped moving.
Shukan’s eye twitched.
His entire body locked in place, as if something had seized him. His vision blurred—Jikan wasn’t responding.
It wasn’t resisting. It wasn’t warning him.
It was just staring.
Watching something else.
Shukan had no idea what was happening.
But he knew, deep in his core—
This fight wasn’t over.
Yurei exhaled sharply, watching the ice spread under her feet.
Her body still burned with impossible energy, her ice-arm glowing violently. It felt stronger, faster—like something had awakened inside her.
But then… everything stopped. The flames. The storms. Even the broken sky. Nothing moved.
Even the King wasn’t attacking anymore. “…Why did everything stop?” Yurei muttered.
She turned to the others.
Shukan was still standing. His golden eye burned, his body barely holding together, but his energy kept him alive. He wasn’t tired. He wasn’t done. Chronos’ circuits pulsed as he adjusted his Energy Anchor. Aetheron flared his wings, maintaining his stance. Madona twitched, her glitches worsening, but she still held her ground. None of them were moving.
They were waiting. For what, they didn’t know.
Then— Shukan’s breath hitched. His body tensed.
"We need to move. NOW. “Chronos’ voice was sharp, immediate. Urgent.
Aetheron flinched, his usual grin completely gone. “…What the hell is that?”
Shukan gritted his teeth, barely able to form words. "I— I don't know."
Madona clutched her head, glitching violently. Her voice broke as she whispered: "It’s coming."
Yurei narrowed her eyes. "What is?"
Then the air collapsed. The sky folded inward.
And the VOID arrived.