The wind was biting, cold as death itself, as Kaelus and his companions—Selena, Elias, Kain, and Gabriel—journeyed further north. The terrain had changed dramatically as they neared the outer regions of the world. Where once there had been forests and fields, the land had become barren, covered in frost and ice. The further north they travelled, the more desolate the landscape grew. Jagged cliffs and frozen rivers marked the path, while the sun, dimmed by a blanket of swirling grey clouds, cast an eerie light over the world.
Their journey was arduous. The constant chill gnawed at their bones, even though each member of the party possessed magic to shield themselves from the elements. Despite this, there was an oppressive air to the north, an unnatural cold that even magic could not fully repel.
“It’s almost as if the land itself is dead,” Selena murmured, her voice barely audible over the howling wind.
Elias, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon, nodded grimly. “The reshaping of the world has left its scars. Entire kingdoms are gone. Those who survived the void’s encroachment are scattered—some wandering, others lost to madness.”
Kaelus remained silent, his gaze focused ahead. He had felt it, too—the pain of the land, the suffering of its people. Every step they took brought them closer to the heart of the chaos that had been unleashed upon the world. The northern regions were where the void had first taken hold, where the Abyss Rift had opened. It was no surprise that the world had become twisted here, but the extent of the devastation was worse than they had imagined.
They reached the outskirts of a ruined city by dusk. The once-grand towers had been reduced to rubble, and the streets were filled with the remnants of lives torn apart. Snow-covered debris, broken carts, and shattered statues littered the ground, the silence of the city broken only by the wind. There were no signs of life, no people moving about. The city was dead, a casualty of the reshaping world.
As they entered the city, they finally encountered survivors—small groups of humans, huddled together around makeshift fires, their faces gaunt and hollow. The people of this city had been living in the ruins, struggling to survive in the cold, forsaken by the gods and abandoned by their rulers.
One of the men, an older figure with a thick beard and hollow eyes, stepped forward as the party approached. His voice was rough, worn from the cold and suffering. “You’re not from here, are you?” he asked, his tone a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
Kaelus shook his head. “No. We’ve come from the south, journeying north.”
The man’s eyes flicked to their weapons and armour, then back to Kaelus. “You’re warriors, then? You’ve seen what’s happening to the world?”
“We’ve seen enough,” Gabriel answered, his voice firm but gentle. “The world is in turmoil. The void has claimed much, but we aim to stop it.”
The man let out a bitter laugh. “Stop it? The world’s been broken, lad. You can’t fix what’s already shattered.”
Selena stepped forward, her expression softening as she crouched beside the man. “What happened here? This city—it wasn’t always like this, was it?”
“No,” the man sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It used to be a prosperous place, one of the northern kingdoms. But when the void rift opened, it swallowed half the city. Those who didn’t die... well, they weren’t the lucky ones. The ones who survived have been living in fear ever since.”
“And the rulers?” Elias asked, his tone sharper. “What happened to the leadership?”
The old man shook his head. “Gone. Abandoned us when the rift opened. The nobles fled south, leaving us to fend for ourselves. We’ve been trying to survive ever since, but the cold... the creatures... it’s getting worse.”
Kain’s jaw tightened. “It’s not just the void that’s causing this. The reshaping of the world—it’s affected more than we know. Reality itself is changing.”
The man looked up at them, his eyes filled with a mixture of despair and hope. “If you’re going north... you’re braver than most. But be careful. The deeper you go, the worse it gets. There are things out there that defy explanation.”
Kaelus nodded, offering the man a small pouch of food. “We will be careful. Thank you for your warning.”
The party moved on, leaving the ruins behind as the survivors watched them disappear into the night. The air grew colder, the wind more biting, and as they continued their trek, Kaelus couldn’t help but feel the weight of the world pressing down on them.
---
By the time they reached the outskirts of the northern castles, night had fully fallen. The landscape had grown more treacherous, with jagged cliffs and narrow pathways that wound through the mountains. At the top of one of these cliffs stood a castle—*Eisengrim*, a fortress from a forgotten age, built from dark stone and iron. It loomed above them like a sentinel, its high walls casting long shadows in the moonlight. Though its structure seemed abandoned, Kaelus could sense the remnants of old magic clinging to its stones.
“We should rest here for the night,” Gabriel suggested, his voice breaking the silence. “We’ve travelled far, and the path ahead will only grow more dangerous.”
Kain nodded in agreement, his breath visible in the cold air. “A good idea. We need to conserve our strength.”
They entered the castle cautiously, their steps echoing through the empty halls. The air inside was cold, but not as biting as it had been outside. There were remnants of old furniture—broken chairs, decaying tapestries, and long-forgotten banners that hung limp on the walls. Despite its age and abandonment, the castle still held an air of majesty, as though it had once been a stronghold of great power.
They found a room near the centre of the castle, where a large hearth stood empty but intact. Kain and Elias quickly set to work, using magic to kindle a fire, while Selena and Gabriel set up makeshift beds from their supplies.
As they settled in, the crackling fire providing some much-needed warmth, they began to talk—first about the journey ahead, then of trivial matters. The conversation was light, a brief respite from the weight of their quest.
“We’ve come far,” Kain said, leaning back against the wall. “But the worst is yet to come. The north is where the void is strongest.”
Selena nodded, her expression serious. “The rift... it’s still growing, isn’t it? We’ve seen the devastation, but what happens when it consumes everything?”
Kaelus stared into the fire, his mind heavy with thoughts. “We stop it before that happens,” he said, his voice firm. “There’s no other choice.”
Elias, who had been silent for some time, spoke up. “There’s more to it than just stopping the void.” His sharp eyes flickered towards Gabriel, who had been quiet throughout the conversation. “I saw something earlier, during the battle with Dagon. A moment... fleeting, but I saw it.”
Gabriel’s brow furrowed, and he met Elias’s gaze. “What did you see?”
Elias hesitated for a moment, then continued. “When you spread your wings, for that brief moment, I saw something—something holy. There was a power in you... different from the rest of us.”
The others fell silent, their gazes turning to Gabriel.
Gabriel’s expression hardened, though he remained calm. “You must be mistaken,” he said evenly. “I am no different from any of you. A knight, fighting for justice.”
Elias’s eyes narrowed. “You can deny it if you wish, but I know what I saw. Your wings—”
“Enough,” Kaelus interjected, his voice firm but not unkind. “Whatever Gabriel’s past may be, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re in this together. We have a quest to finish, and right now, that’s all that matters.”
Elias looked at Kaelus, then back at Gabriel. He let out a slow breath, but did not press the matter further. “Very well,” he said quietly. “For now.”
Selena, sensing the tension, spoke up to change the subject. “Kain, can you help me heal these wounds? I want to make sure we’re all at full strength before we head out tomorrow.”
Kain nodded and moved to assist her. Together, they worked to heal the injuries sustained during their battles, using their magic to restore vitality and strength. As the healing magic flowed through them, Kaelus closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself a brief respite from the weight of leadership.
---
Elias’s breath formed a cloud in the cold air as he wandered the dark corridors of *Eisengrim*. The others had accepted his excuse to “look around” without question. He couldn’t stay by the fire any longer, not when they all dismissed what he had seen—Gabriel’s wings, the holy light. It wasn’t an illusion, it wasn’t his mind playing tricks on him. He was sure of it. Yet, they all continued to pretend as if nothing had happened. That frustration burned hotter than the fire they had lit, driving him into the icy, desolate halls of the castle.
He pressed forward, his boots echoing off the stone floor as his mind drifted back to his previous life—the one before this bizarre, broken world. He had been a chief in a small village, a leader responsible for protecting his people. His decisions had shaped the lives of those around him. He had been respected, even feared at times, for his wisdom and his ability to see through lies. Those eyes of wisdom had served him well then, and they were serving him well now. He knew what he had seen. Something wasn’t right with Gabriel.
But why couldn’t the others see it? Why did they brush off his warnings so easily?
Lost in thought, Elias barely noticed that his path had taken him deeper into the castle. The oppressive air of *Eisengrim* pressed down on him, heavy and cold, like a shroud of forgotten memories. As he turned a corner, the stone walls seemed to close in on him, the flickering shadows cast by his faint magical light dancing like spectres.
Suddenly, something caught his attention.
It was a faint shimmer in the air—a ripple, like the surface of disturbed water, bending light and space. He stepped closer, squinting, and reached out cautiously. But as his fingers brushed the air, everything changed.
He was standing at the entrance of the castle again. The same broken gate. The same snow-covered courtyard. The same worn path he had taken when he first set out on his walk.
“What the—?”
Elias blinked, his heart skipping a beat. Had he taken a wrong turn? No, that was impossible. He had walked straight ahead, he hadn’t retraced his steps.
With a frown, he turned back and started down the path again, determined to explore the farthest reaches of the castle. His thoughts returned to Gabriel, to the mystery that gnawed at him, pushing him further into the maze of cold stone.
But after several minutes, he found himself... back at the same spot.
The entrance. The courtyard. The gate.
The same snow-covered ruins.
His eyes widened as realisation dawned on him, a creeping sense of dread curling in his stomach. “A time loop,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m in a damn time loop.”
He rubbed his temples, trying to focus. The situation was more than unsettling—it was maddening. Time loops were a rare phenomenon, not just in his world but across many planes of existence. They required a deep disruption in the fabric of causality, a break in the threads that connected events, actions, and consequences. For him to be caught in one meant something—or someone—had tampered with the flow of time in this place.
Elias, his mind racing, began to piece together the situation. Time itself was not linear here. The castle was warped—bent by ancient magic or the void’s influence. Each step he took moved him forward physically, but temporally, he was being pulled back to his starting point. The flow of time was looping upon itself in a paradoxical cycle, a self-perpetuating loop that constantly reset whenever he ventured too far.
He thought back to the concept of **causal chains**—the intricate web of events that connect every moment to the next. In a normal timeline, each action led to a result, like a line of dominos falling in sequence. But in a time loop, the chain was broken. Instead of progressing from cause to effect, the loop circled back upon itself, locking him in an endless repetition. The end became the beginning, and the beginning became the end.
"The threads..." Elias whispered, eyes narrowing. The threads of causality were *knotting* around him, tightening into a closed loop, trapping him in this cycle.
He paused, rubbing his chin as he considered the theoretical mechanics of it. **Temporal inertia**—a force that kept objects in a state of rest or motion within time—was likely the key here. Normally, objects within time followed a natural progression, moving from one second to the next in an unbroken flow. But something within the structure of this castle had shifted that flow. The inertia of time itself had been disturbed, creating a closed-loop system in which his actions continually reset the timeline, pulling him back to a predefined moment.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
It was as if the **spacetime manifold** had folded in on itself, creating a pocket of distorted reality where the rules of time and space no longer applied in the usual way. He was moving through the same space, but the **temporal coordinates** had been folded like the pages of a book, causing him to return to the beginning of the loop each time he crossed a specific threshold.
But why? And more importantly—who had set this in motion?
Elias clenched his fists, determination flooding his veins. He wasn’t about to let this castle trap him. He had faced worse odds before, and he had no intention of giving up now.
Focusing his magic, Elias extended his senses, trying to detect any fluctuations in the **temporal field** surrounding him. His **Eyes of Wisdom** glowed faintly as he sought out the source of the disturbance. There had to be a point where the loop originated—an anchor, a central point in space-time where the loop was being maintained.
He ventured forward again, his steps slower, more deliberate. This time, he focused not on the physical space around him, but on the subtle currents of time. The **temporal oscillations** in the castle’s structure became clearer to him, like a song just out of tune. It was dissonant, a broken rhythm that clashed with the natural flow of time outside.
As he approached the point where the loop had reset before, he paused. Instead of stepping forward, he channelled his magic into the ground beneath him, searching for the **temporal node**—the point of origin for the loop.
“There,” he muttered, feeling a faint pulse in the air. It was a distortion, a tiny tear in the **causal fabric** that marked the loop’s epicentre. Whoever had created this loop had done so with great precision, anchoring it to a single point in the castle’s architecture. Elias smiled grimly. That was their mistake.
Summoning his magic, Elias reached into the distortion, his fingers crackling with energy as he pulled at the threads of time. **Temporal manipulation** was delicate work, but he had trained for this. With a grunt of effort, he unravelled the knot of causality, loosening the threads that had bound him to the loop.
There was a sharp *snap* as the temporal field broke, and the air around him shimmered.
The loop was undone.
Elias exhaled, feeling the weight of the distortion lift from his shoulders. He glanced around, half-expecting to find himself at the entrance of the castle once more, but no. This time, he was still in the corridor, exactly where he had been.
He had done it. The loop was broken.
But as he stood there, catching his breath, Elias couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Something—or someone—had set that loop in place. The castle was more than just a ruin. It was a prison, and there were forces at work here far beyond what they had yet encountered.
Whatever had trapped him in the loop was still out there, watching. Waiting.
Elias turned back towards the direction of the party, his mind racing. They needed to know. And as much as they might dismiss his warnings, he wouldn’t let this go. Gabriel, the castle, the time loop—it was all connected somehow.
He quickened his pace, his heart pounding in his chest.
They weren’t safe here.
Elias strode through the winding corridors of *Eisengrim*, his mind still reeling from the realisation of the time loop. The castle’s eerie atmosphere gnawed at him—its walls creaked with ancient power, and the air was thick with the weight of unseen eyes. He finally reached the room where the rest of the heroes had been resting, but what he found chilled him to the bone: the room was empty, completely devoid of any sign that Kaelus, Gabriel, Selena, or Kain had ever been there.
His eyes darted around, seeking answers, but the stillness was suffocating. "Where did they go?" he muttered, clenching his fists. The unsettling feeling in his gut grew stronger. Something was wrong—terribly wrong. He turned on his heels, sensing movement behind him.
Before he could fully comprehend the shift in energy, five grotesque figures materialised from the shadows of the walls. These weren’t just creatures of flesh and bone but entities born of void, their very existence defying reality itself. Each of them moved as if they were not bound by the laws of this world, flickering in and out of sight like shadows under a flickering flame. Their forms shifted—constantly in flux—as if they were trying to choose between solidifying and dissipating.
One had a serpentine body wrapped in thick, sinewy tendrils that pulsed with dark energy. Another had what resembled wings but with no feathers—just long, jagged blades of pure void essence. A third one floated, with its form entirely amorphous, only defined by multiple glowing eyes that blinked sporadically across its shape. The fourth creature was massive, humanoid in shape but with skin like cracked obsidian, veins of void energy running across its body. The fifth, smaller and more nimble, darted between the others, its form stretching unnaturally.
Elias squared his shoulders and raised his blade, the divine runes on its surface glowing faintly. "Void creatures... So this is what was waiting for me." His eyes narrowed. His gods-blessed abilities thrummed through him as he prepared for the inevitable battle. His mind raced, recalling the teachings of the gods who had granted him immense power.
One of the void creatures lunged first—the serpentine one—its tendrils snaking out toward Elias with blinding speed. They aimed to pierce through him, seeking to inject a paralytic void toxin. Elias raised his hand and whispered, “*Vēritās Annuō*,” invoking a shield of holy light. The tendrils crashed into the glowing barrier, recoiling as the divine energy burned them.
With a swift motion, Elias countered, his sword slicing through the air. "Lux Aeterna!" he shouted, releasing a burst of radiant light. The blinding flash seared across the room, disorienting the creatures momentarily. The serpentine creature hissed in agony, its form flickering as if it struggled to maintain cohesion.
But they quickly regrouped. The winged void creature flared its jagged appendages, launching razor-sharp void blades toward Elias. At the same time, the amorphous one summoned a wave of dark energy that warped the very fabric of space, bending it toward Elias in a crushing spiral.
Elias leapt back, his body twisting in mid-air. "Spatial compression... tricky." With a surge of focus, he invoked another skill. “*Tempus Stabilitas!*” A temporal field spread around him, stabilising the space and stopping the distortion in its tracks. The wave of dark energy collapsed under its own weight as if it had been flattened back into normality.
The massive humanoid creature stomped forward, its obsidian-like fists raised high. Elias gritted his teeth, feeling the air tremble with each step of the beast. Its sheer physical strength was undeniable, but its real threat lay in the void essence pulsing through its veins—a power that could obliterate existence itself. The creature raised its fist, preparing to bring it down with the force of a cataclysm.
But Elias was faster. “*Vectus Divinitas!*” He called upon divine vector manipulation, shifting the trajectory of the incoming blow. The beast’s massive fist crashed into the ground beside him, shattering the stone floor, but Elias remained unscathed.
The smaller void creature darted in from the side, using its agility to phase through Elias’s defences. Its form flickered as it attempted to bypass his shields through intangibility. But Elias anticipated it, invoking a countermeasure just as the creature closed in. “*Aetherium Nullification!*” His sword glowed with aetheric energy, piercing through the creature’s void-shifted form. The voidling shrieked as its intangibility was forcibly negated, leaving it vulnerable to a devastating strike that split it in half.
The amorphous void creature attempted to overwhelm Elias once more, this time summoning a cloud of dark mist. It moved with intent—aiming to corrupt his very being by engulfing him in a cloud of void-born poison. But Elias merely smirked. "Absorption, is it?" He raised his sword and channelled a new skill. “*Omnia Devora!*” With a gesture, he turned the tables, drawing the mist toward him. The dark energy swirled into his blade, siphoned into the divine runes along its edge. "Your power is mine now," Elias muttered.
The winged creature, watching its allies falter, began to unleash a barrage of void-energy blasts, each one capable of erasing existence itself. Elias spun in place, deflecting each blast with precise strikes. But they were relentless, forcing him to adapt. The serpentine creature had recovered by now, lashing out with renewed fury, while the massive humanoid was preparing another crushing blow.
Elias' mind raced, considering his options. "I need something more... something decisive." He focused inward, recalling one of the void creatures' abilities that had intrigued him. The smaller one had attempted to shift through dimensions, flickering between realities.
His eyes gleamed as the answer came to him. "Yes, that’s it. *Teleportation!*" He reached into the well of power within him, calling upon the ability he had absorbed from the fallen voidling. In an instant, Elias vanished from his position, reappearing behind the serpentine void creature.
The creature barely had time to react as Elias plunged his sword through its core. With a final, piercing screech, the serpentine voidling dissipated into nothingness, its tendrils falling limp. Without hesitation, Elias teleported again, this time appearing atop the massive humanoid creature. He brought his blade down with righteous fury, channelling the absorbed power to deliver a fatal blow. The void-born behemoth let out a low, guttural roar before crumbling into void dust.
The winged creature, sensing its imminent doom, unleashed a final wave of energy. Elias was ready. "Your time is over." He swung his blade, slicing through the void blasts with ease. In one fluid motion, he dashed forward and severed its form in a single strike. The winged creature let out a final cry before fading into the abyss from which it came.
Breathing heavily, Elias stood amidst the remains of the battle, his sword still glowing with the energy he had absorbed. The air around him crackled with the residual void energy, but the threat had passed. He wiped the sweat from his brow, gazing at the crumbled forms of the void creatures.
As he gathered himself, he could feel the new power coursing through him—the voidling’s teleportation ability now his to command. It was a dangerous gift, but one he would need for the journey ahead. "I’ll find the others," he whispered, looking down the darkened hallways. "And we will finish this."
Elias slid his sword back into the floating tome at his side, the blade vanishing into the shimmering, black void within it. The enchanted book hummed faintly, closing itself with a soft snap as if sealing away the power inside. Elias exhaled slowly, his muscles tense from the battle against the void creatures.
Then, a sound broke the stillness of the room—clapping. A slow, deliberate applause that echoed through the halls, growing louder with each clap. Elias froze, his instincts flaring. He had fought gods, demons, and creatures beyond mortal comprehension, but this presence... it was something else entirely. He turned quickly, readying himself for an attack, but found nothing. The clapping continued, seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once.
Then, suddenly, a figure appeared behind him.
In an instant, Elias could feel the shift in space, but it wasn’t from magic. It was something far more terrifying—a speed that transcended time itself. Whoever this was, they weren’t using skill or energy manipulation to warp their location; they had simply moved faster than reality could register. Elias spun around, his heart racing, and came face to face with the woman who had now positioned herself directly in front of him.
She was tall, with long, wild hair that cascaded around her face like a waterfall of black silk. Her eyes were sharp, almost predatory, with a dangerous glint of amusement dancing within them. Her lips were curled into a smile, one that teetered between seduction and madness. She wore an outfit that left little to the imagination—thin, translucent fabric draped over her body, barely concealing her form. Dark runes were etched into her skin, glowing faintly with an eerie, greenish light.
"Impressive," she purred, her voice dripping with a mixture of malice and curiosity. "Dagon's playthings were always so disappointing, but you... You actually managed to survive. No, more than that—you *thrived*."
Elias took a step back, his senses on high alert. "Who are you?"
She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous intensity. "I am Morigan," she said, her voice soft but filled with twisted delight. "A servant of our beloved Demon King, Yami Saito. And..." Her smile widened, almost uncomfortably. "One of Dagon’s... closest companions."
There was no sadness in her voice. No mourning for the fallen warlord. Instead, her expression was one of pure, twisted ecstasy, as though she had found immense pleasure in the events that had unfolded.
Elias' eyes narrowed. "You’re not here to avenge him, are you?"
Morigan laughed softly, a sound that sent shivers down his spine. "Avenge him?" she echoed, almost mocking him with the very notion. "Why would I need to avenge Dagon? He lived for the thrill of battle, and you gave him exactly what he wanted—a worthy end. No, Elias, I’m not here for vengeance. I’m here to observe." She took a slow step forward, her gaze never leaving his.
"Observe what?" Elias asked, not breaking eye contact.
"You," she said, her tone turning even more sultry. "The man who defeated one of the strongest warlords under Yami’s command. You're... fascinating. So much potential, so much power. I wonder..." She trailed off, her smile widening further, eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "Would you be able to entertain me as Dagon did?"
Elias remained silent, the tension between them palpable. This wasn’t just a casual encounter—Morigan was sizing him up, not for combat, but for something more insidious. There was an undercurrent of obsession in her gaze, a kind of madness that was far more terrifying than any direct threat.
"Why are you here, then?" Elias asked, his tone steady. He wasn’t sure what to make of Morigan yet. He had fought creatures of immense power, beings that could obliterate reality itself, but this was different. Her presence was more subtle, like the first tremor before an earthquake.
Morigan’s lips parted slightly, her breath coming in soft, excited whispers. "To see the hero who felled Dagon with my own eyes," she said. "To feel your strength... your *potential.*" She circled him slowly, her movements almost predatory, her fingers trailing through the air near him as if she was tracing some invisible thread that connected them.
Elias kept his composure, though every instinct screamed at him to act. She was toying with him, testing his reactions, and he knew it. But he needed to gather more information—about her, about her connection to Yami Saito, and most importantly, about what lay ahead for him and his companions.
"Do you feel anything for him?" Elias asked, trying to break through her veneer of insanity. "Dagon, I mean. Wasn’t he important to you?"
Morigan stopped, her smile never fading. She slowly raised her hand to her chest, as if contemplating his question. "Dagon... he was a glorious warrior," she said. "He had a heart forged in battle, a soul that yearned for combat. But emotions... sentiments like loyalty, friendship, or love?" She laughed softly again, a dark and twisted sound. "He and I were far beyond such trivialities. We understood each other in ways no one else could. Our relationship wasn’t bound by human concepts like affection or sorrow."
Her eyes glinted dangerously as she took another step closer to Elias, the distance between them shrinking. "But there’s one thing you must understand, Elias." Her voice dropped to a whisper, her lips nearly brushing his ear. "I don’t mourn Dagon. His death only excites me. You took away one of my favourite toys, and now I want to see what you can do."
Elias’s body tensed, every fibre of his being on edge. She was dangerous—not just because of her power but because of her unpredictability. Her obsession with power, her twisted sense of loyalty, and the eerie pleasure she derived from death and destruction—it all pointed to someone who thrived on chaos.
"Then you’re here for me?" Elias asked, his voice low and guarded.
"Perhaps," Morigan replied, stepping back again. Her hands rested behind her back, the playful grin still etched across her face. "But I’m in no rush. I like to take my time with interesting people like you. There's so much we could learn from each other."
Elias stared at her, trying to gauge her intentions. "And Yami? Is he watching all of this unfold?"
Morigan’s eyes darkened, a flicker of something more dangerous passing through her expression. "Yami sees everything," she said softly, her voice now laced with something far more serious. "But don’t think that his interest in you is anything like mine. He has his plans, his goals, and you are but one piece on the board."
She paused, her gaze piercing through Elias, as if trying to unravel the depths of his soul. "But I... I’m not bound by those plans. I’m free to do as I wish. And I choose to watch you."
Elias felt a shiver run down his spine, not from fear, but from the sheer madness radiating off her. This wasn’t a warrior seeking revenge or even a challenge. This was someone who derived joy from torment, from manipulating and twisting the world around her.
He knew now that Morigan wasn’t just a servant of Yami Saito. She was a force of chaos, one that operated on her own whims, and her interest in him wasn’t something to be taken lightly. He would have to tread carefully.
"Then what happens next?" Elias asked, gripping the hilt of his sword, his gaze locked with hers.
Morigan smirked, her eyes gleaming with wild amusement. "That, Elias, is entirely up to you. For now, I’ll be watching. And when the time comes..." She leaned in closer, her breath brushing against his skin. "I’ll make my move."
With a final, lingering look, Morigan stepped back into the shadows, her form flickering like the void creatures before disappearing completely. The oppressive silence returned, leaving Elias standing alone in the ruined hall, his heart pounding in his chest.
He exhaled slowly, his mind racing with the implications of their conversation. He had faced many enemies, but Morigan was something else entirely—a twisted enigma with no clear motive beyond her own amusement.
Elias blinked, his mind spinning as he stood in the now-empty room, his heart still racing from the eerie encounter with Morigan. The space around him seemed to warp and shift as if reality itself was unstable, and for a moment, it felt as though the ground was giving way beneath his feet. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to focus, but the sensation of being trapped in a nightmare lingered.
When he opened his eyes again, the scene had changed. He was no longer in the cold, dark corridor of the castle where Morigan had appeared. Instead, he found himself back at the camp where his companions rested, the flickering fire casting soft shadows over the stone walls. Selena was asleep, curled up near the fire, but even in her sleep, her posture remained vigilant, as if her body instinctively guarded against any threat. Kaelus was seated nearby, sharpening his blade in quiet concentration, while Gabriel and Kain sat opposite him, their expressions calm, though alert.
Elias stood there for a long moment, his mind struggling to reconcile the two realities. Morigan's words, the haunting sensation of her presence, it all felt so real—so vivid. Yet here he was, back with his companions as though nothing had happened. He pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to shake off the confusion. Was it a dream? A vision? Some trick of the void?
He sighed deeply, collecting his thoughts, trying to piece together the fragments of his mind. **It wasn’t real**. The conclusion echoed in his head, a desperate grasp at normalcy. **It was just a dream. A nightmare born from the void’s influence.**
He glanced at Kaelus, who noticed him standing there, still as a statue. "Everything alright?" Kaelus asked, his voice low but filled with concern.
Elias hesitated, the image of Morigan still fresh in his mind. "Yeah," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Just... disoriented."
Kaelus raised an eyebrow, his sharp gaze scanning Elias as if searching for cracks in his composure. "It’s been a long day. Rest. We’ll need our strength for what’s ahead."
Elias nodded, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. He looked around the camp once more, his eyes falling on Selena, Kain, and Gabriel, all where they should be. But the memory of Morigan lingered, and her voice, dripping with malice and madness, echoed faintly in his mind. **"I’ll be watching you..."**
His hand instinctively went to his sword, the familiar weight of it grounding him in the present. **It was just a dream**. He repeated the thought like a mantra. **A mere dream.** After all, it hadn’t been him who killed Dagon. That victory belonged to Kaelus, the one who wielded a blade capable of shattering the warlord’s very essence.
Elias took a seat by the fire, still feeling the remnants of the dream—or whatever it had been—nagging at him. Gabriel glanced at him, his eyes reflecting the firelight. "You seemed troubled," he said, his voice neutral but observant. "Is something on your mind?"
For a moment, Elias considered telling them about Morigan, about the haunting encounter that felt too real to dismiss, but then he stopped himself. What would they say? Would they even believe him? He didn’t fully believe it himself.
"Nothing important," Elias finally replied. "Just dreams."
Gabriel nodded, though Elias couldn’t help but notice a flicker of suspicion in his gaze. The same suspicion Elias had begun to feel toward Gabriel after their encounter with Dagon. There was something about the way Gabriel had fought, the way his wings had flared with holy power, that didn’t sit right with him. But now wasn’t the time to question it.
Kain stood and stretched, his hand idly rubbing a bruise along his shoulder from the battle earlier. "We’ve faced worse than this," he said, grinning despite his exhaustion. "A few void creatures won’t stop us."
Selena stirred from her sleep, her eyes flickering open as if she had been listening the entire time. "How far do we have left?" she asked, her voice slightly groggy but steady.
"Not much," Kaelus replied, his eyes still fixed on his sword. "We’ll reach the northern fortress soon enough."
Elias leaned back, trying to ease the tension that still gripped him. He knew that whatever lay ahead, it would only grow more dangerous. The world was reshaping itself around them, twisting and contorting in ways that defied all logic. The creatures they fought, the strange rifts in space-time—they were all signs of something far greater than any of them could fully comprehend.
As the others talked quietly, planning their next move, Elias’s mind drifted once again to Morigan’s words. The way she had spoken about Dagon, not with sorrow, but with twisted excitement. He wondered how many more of Yami’s servants they would have to face. How many more twisted beings, consumed by power and madness, waited for them in the dark corners of the world?
His hand brushed against the hilt of his sword, and he reminded himself once more: **It was just a dream**.
But deep down, a small part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been more than that. Something was coming. Something far worse than anything they had encountered so far. And when it arrived, he wasn’t sure if even their combined strength would be enough to stop it.