The air felt oppressive. A blanket of violet light had engulfed the world. Atticus, Whisker, Ozeroth... every soul stood rigid.

The pillar of light rising on the horizon began to condense. Every eye sharpened on it. From the depths of its radiance, a stoic man emerged.

He was tall and broad, eyes like blocks of ice and an aura that felt otherworldly. He seemed like a beacon in the world, as though only he mattered.

The Spirit King.

"LORD SOLVATH!"

Zenon shot into the sky, staring on with trembling eyes. Below him, the Willguard True God, along with many other True Gods engaged in battle, stared at the Spirit King in shock. He... he had tricked them all.

"This... what is this, my lord!? This god is one of those seeking your destruction! You can’t grant him your power!"

The Spirit King’s mouth did not move, yet a voice rumbled through the world.

"ZENON."

Zenon immediately dropped to one knee.

"Yes, my lord!"

"YOU HAVE BEEN A USEFUL TOOL SO FAR, BUT YOU ARE NOT SUITABLE TO BE MY VESSEL. THE SPIRIT KING IS MORE DETERMINED. MORE OBSESSED. WE ARE MORE ALIGNED. HE IS BETTER. HE WILL BE MY VESSEL."

"M-my lord..." Zenon’s voice trembled. "I don’t understand... Then what about your promise?"

"ZENON. THE PROMISE WAS NEVER GOING TO BE FULFILLED. I SEEK THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS WORLD AND ALL ITS INHABITANTS. THIS VESSEL’S GOAL IS ALIGNED WITH MINE. I INVITED HIM AND REVEALED THE CITY’S LOCATION FOR THIS REASON. YOUR SACRIFICE WILL BE REMEMBERED, VESSEL."

Zenon froze. Solvath had invited the Spirit King? Then this had always been his plan? He had never intended to fulfill any of his promises.

"Y-you..." Zenon’s expression twisted. "You used me...?"

No response came.

"Everything I did... everything..."

"Y-you’re evil..." Rage slowly bled into his voice. "I left my daughter behind for you. I abandoned everything for you. And for what!? You’re nothing but an evil entity! A monster!"

"..."

"I regret it." Zenon’s eyes reddened. "I regret ever following you."

Still, Solvath offered no response. Instead, the Spirit King slowly raised a hand. A small orb materialized above his palm, churning violently.

Zenon’s furious body suddenly locked in place. No matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn’t move a single muscle. Suddenly, the orb burst outward. A tide of purple swept across the land.

Zenon’s eyes trembled. He felt regret. So much regret. He had left his daughter behind to chase power, to bring back his wife, and this was how it would end.

Slowly, he glanced sideways and met his daughter’s eyes. Anorah’s eyes were bloodshot, tears trembling within them.

Oh... she looked just like her mother.

"I-I’m sorry... Norah."

The tide had barely reached him when his body unraveled into nothingness.

"NO!"

Anorah struggled against the force binding her, but it was absolute. The Willguard True God, along with the other gods, became nothingness next. The tide continued forward, surging toward the group.

"Em, my star actor." Whisker looked grimmer than ever before. "Any chance you’ve got one of those absurd miracles hidden away somewhere?"

The group’s expressions were equally grim. They instinctively turned toward Atticus, only for their eyes to widen. Atticus’ face had gone completely pale. His wide, trembling eyes remained fixed on the horizon.

The approaching tide didn’t seem to exist in his mind.

Ozeroth gritted his teeth, realizing what was happening.

"Bond!"

"..."

"Bond!"

"..."

"Bond!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"..."

The silence that followed each call made every expression darken further. The tide was almost upon them. Several people had already begun to unravel. If some miracle didn’t happen soon, they were going to die.

A tremor ran through the air. They turned toward the Pride Queen, whose eyes had begun radiating a blinding light. She didn’t move, couldn’t move. Yet slowly, a faint, trembling arm manifested beside her and reached toward Atticus.

It landed on his shoulder and violently yanked him back. His eyes met, the others. However, the look of realization they had been hoping for never came.

There was only horror in Atticus’ eyes.

"Th-they’re..." Atticus’ mouth quivered. "Th-they’re dead...?"

The group froze. He was their only hope, yet he had never looked so lost.

"Shit..." Whisker gritted his teeth. "We’re actually fucked."

A silent understanding settled over the group as they faced the approaching tide.

It was over.

The tide swallowed them whole.

...

For an inconceivable amount of time, all Atticus saw was darkness. It embraced him well, given all that remained within him felt dark and hollow.

All Atticus could think about was his last interaction with Anastasia.

There’s nothing you can say to me that’ll change my mind, Mom.

His eyes had been cold. Cold toward a woman who cherished him more than anything. She had been afraid. He’d seen it in her eyes. She was afraid of him. Of what he was becoming.

Everything, everything since his birth into this world... he’d done it for her. For his family. Yet he’d made her afraid.

A week had passed since then, yet he’d ignored her, using the war preparations as an excuse. Why had he done that? He was stupid. So fucking stupid. He should have spoken to her. He should have apologized. He should’ve fucking hugged her. Now she was gone. They were all gone.

Atticus sobbed. The pain was overwhelming. He hated this. He hated this so much. After everything... the sacrifices, the endless training, he had still lost them. He had failed.

What was the point? He should have ignored everything and spent time with his family. He had spent so much time chasing power that he barely knew any of them anymore.

Freya. Aurora. Ember. Caldor. They were gone. They were all gone.

Suddenly, the darkness receded. Atticus found himself standing outside the Temple of Origins. There, he’d just spoken the words that had made his mother afraid.

Even as Zenon announced the coming war, while countless expressions had turned grim and serious, Anastasia’s eyes had remained on him.

Atticus hadn’t seen it then. He’d completely missed it. She was worried. He had been cruel to her, yet the love in her eyes had been almost blinding. How had he missed something so obvious? He possessed enough power to shake worlds, yet he had overlooked something so simple.

He had ignored her. And now she was gone. Gone.