60: A New Sun in the Darkness
The supposed mural at the center of everything was not a mural.
Grey stared in awe at the rune carved into the heart of a gravestone, barely standing on the edge of its own existence. Six deep cracks marred the rune's surface, like scars on an ancient and mystical artifact.
The rune, shaped like an eyeless pupil framed by a doorway in the background and a circle in between, emanated an ominous aura that Grey couldn't quite put into words.
"It's going to..."
Before he could finish the thought, a thunderous roar shook the air, reverberating through the labyrinth like the tolling of an impending apocalypse.
Suddenly, a dark and unsettling energy surged through the City of Light, spreading like an invisible tide that seeped into the depths of Grey's being, searching hungrily for something to devour.
He clutched his chest as an oppressive and nauseating sensation welled up from within. His knees buckled, his breath came in ragged gasps, and the world itself seemed to sway around him.
His panic-stricken eyes darted across the scene, searching desperately for any anomaly that could explain the chaos. That's when he noticed it—the crimson labyrinth was losing its vibrant glow, fading into duller shades.
The color drained from his face as a massive impact shook the ground. Something enormous had collapsed, the force of its fall so overwhelming that the entire city trembled in response.
His chest heaved uncontrollably as his wide eyes locked onto the towering structure of black onyx crashing down upon the city.
The last tower of the City of Light had fallen.
One single thought pierced through his frantic mind: "What the hell is happening here?"
---
Forcing his mind to steady, he shut out the chaos around him. Closing his eyes, he descended into the sea of his soul, searching for answers.
Inside, the once-serene sky, where clouds drifted peacefully over a vast blue expanse, now churned violently as if ripped apart by a raging storm. The ocean of his soul roared, its waves colliding in a spectacle of pure disorder.
Above it all, at the center of the sky, Grey's three soul cores blazed fiercely, wreathed in flames of divine radiance.
"A soul attack? Again? What the hell is happening now?"
The divine flames flickered erratically, covering and shielding his cores as if desperately fending off an assault from something beyond comprehension—an abomination likely stemming from the Forgotten Coast.
---
Disturbed, Grey resurfaced from his soul sea, scanning his surroundings for any sign of the enemy behind this disaster.
As expected, he found nothing.
The burning sensation in his chest intensified, as if scorching embers had been ignited within him, yet the pain remained bearable. His soul still endured.
"I need to hide."
Gripping Odyssey tightly, he prepared to flee as far as possible. His skin began to glow faintly, his muscles coiling in anticipation of escape... but fate had no intention of letting him go so easily.
Just as he took the first step, his sharpened senses picked up a subtle yet ominous sound—the faint crumble of stone.
The source was mere meters away.
The rune with six cracks... had fallen.
And with it, a wave of terrifying power erupted outward, sending an icy shiver down Grey's spine.
"No more. Damn it."
His voice, weary and exasperated, escaped in a whispered curse.
Without wasting another second, he sprinted forward. The ruins of the city blurred past him as he sought the fastest path to the labyrinth walls, their colors fading ever so slowly.
"Just a little more... almost there."
His feet touched the labyrinth's outskirts, and in the next moment, he plunged into its winding depths. Dangerous as it was, its walls offered a fleeting illusion of safety.
"Yes! Now I just have to get out of here..."
But once again, it wouldn't be that easy.
A deafening explosion shook the air behind him. Massive chunks of stone were hurled skyward, crashing down like meteors and sending tremors through the ground upon impact.
Grey barely had time to turn before a blinding flash engulfed him.
His body slammed into a wall of grayish coral, shattering it on impact before tumbling across the ground.
"No, no, no! Not another one of those things!"
He desperately rubbed his eyes, trying to regain his vision. But his mind already knew the answer. A not-so-distant memory resurfaced with cruel clarity: a colossal bird, its golden feathers radiating a searing glow.
"It was a minion...!"
As his sight returned, Grey looked up.
The darkened sky was now pierced by a new sun—brilliant, majestic, and suffocating in its presence.
---
From every corner of the decaying labyrinth, dozens of luminous creatures cried out in agony as their souls cracked apart.
Yet a select few withstood the pain, responding to the call of their progenitor.
They took flight, scattering their radiance across the desolate sky. From the farthest reaches, the entity's servants were returning to their nest.
---
Upon the bloodstained battlefield atop a crimson spire, both monsters and humans trembled at the sight of the rising light from the labyrinth's heart.
Some watched in terror. Others bore expressions of horror, as if witnessing the birth of a new nightmare. And a few, in utter silence, studied the unfolding event with cold calculation.
Inside the tower, a dark-haired young man, in the midst of sealing a cursed sea, lifted his gaze. Through the open doors, he beheld the newborn sun tearing through the darkest night.
At his feet, shadows danced.
At the tower's peak, the structure shuddered.
For a fleeting moment, time itself seemed to hold still as all beheld the magnificent scene.
Then, chaos erupted.
Souls were assaulted by an indescribable force. The tormented screams of humans and monsters alike drowned out even the collapsing labyrinth. Wails, moans, and cries of anguish echoed through every corner.
The young man shook his head, dispelling his shock, and bolted toward the tower's entrance.
There was no time to waste. He had to warn the Dreamers.
---
Across the Forgotten Coast, the air grew heavier, laden with a suffocating pressure.
Far above, the majestic sun stirred.
With the head of a colossal eagle, it turned its gaze toward the distant crimson tower.
Below, Grey felt the crushing weight of his own insignificance as he watched the creature—an imitation of a miniature star—slowly part its beak.
Within, a monstrous surge of energy began to churn.
Only one phrase surfaced in his battered mind.
"A Fallen Terror."