Chapter 22: The Executioners from the Sky

The sky split apart.

A golden rift that had initially been just a small crack now widened, illuminating the peak of Mount Sambo with a blinding light. From within that fissure, colossal figures began to descend, their presence shaking the very foundation of the world.

The Executioners.

Ancient deities who had long hidden in another dimension, observing the world like puppeteers pulling the strings of fate.

They knew.

They realized that the seal they had placed thousands of years ago was now weakening.

And they would not allow history to repeat itself.

—

The Awakening of an Ancient Power

Anya stood with clenched fists, her body trembling under the weight of the memories that had resurfaced.

Zero—or Zerachiel—remained beside her, his expression wary. Kaelan, though still struggling to comprehend everything, could feel the ominous aura of death creeping toward them.

The air around the mountain shifted dramatically.

The temperature dropped, but instead of a chilling cold, it was something more suffocating—something that seemed to drain the very life from the air.

Then, they saw it.

One of the first Executioners landed on the ground.

Its body was semi-transparent, as if made of pure light, with hollow silver eyes devoid of pupils. Glowing inscriptions covered its form, shifting and changing like an ancient code beyond human comprehension.

When it spoke, it wasn't just one voice.

It was thousands of voices speaking at once.

"You have overstepped your bounds."

Its steps made the earth tremble.

"You were never meant to remember the truth."

"And you will not be allowed to live to change it."

Anya felt her head throb violently.

The Executioners' presence was overwhelming—just by being there, they threatened to drown her mind in confusion once again.

But this time, she wouldn't fall into their trap again.

She lifted her head, locking eyes with the towering figure, her irises now glowing gold.

"You have deceived us for thousands of years."

"And now, I will take back what is mine."

As those words left her lips, something exploded within her.

—

The Merging of Two Souls

The blue flames that once flickered at Anya's fingertips erupted, spiraling around her body in a vortex of energy that made the air vibrate.

In an instant, she was no longer just Anya.

She was no longer just Nasha.

She was both.

The past and present fused, creating a being that should no longer exist in this world.

Nasha, the Banished Ruler of Utopia.

Kaelan watched in shock. "Anya…?"

She turned to him, but her gaze was different. This was not the Anya he knew.

And in that moment, Kaelan understood—he was no longer speaking to just Anya.

He was speaking to the entity that once tried to create a new world, only to be destroyed by the Executioners.

—

The Beginning of a New War

Zero stepped forward, his voice calmer than before.

"You've fully awakened."

Anya—or Nasha—looked at him coldly. "So have you."

Zero smirked. "It seems we're on the same side this time."

Anya sighed. "For now."

Both of them raised their hands at the same time, and in an instant, the mountain began to collapse.

Kaelan stumbled backward, dodging the falling debris.

The Executioners, though motionless, seemed to realize that things were not going as planned.

"Resistance will not change your fate," their voices echoed once more.

Zero chuckled. "Funny. That's what you said before we destroyed your old world."

The Executioners raised their hands in unison.

The already fractured sky tore open even further, and from within the darkness, something descended upon the world.

Not just one.

Not just a handful.

But an army of immortal beings once used to exterminate the old civilization.

They had been reawakened.

"Today marks your end."

"Today, the old fate shall be restored."

And then, they attacked.

—

Kaelan and an Unexpected Change

Amidst the chaos, Kaelan struggled to make sense of everything.

The world he once knew was crumbling.

What he thought was true was now false.

What he thought was false turned out to be true.

Anya was no longer just Anya. Zero was not their enemy. And now, they were up against a force far greater than anything he could have imagined.

But something else was happening.

Kaelan felt something within himself.

Something he had never noticed before.

Something that had been sealed away all this time.

Suddenly, the world around him fell silent.

The sounds of battle faded as if he had been pulled into another plane of existence.

And in that space, he saw him.

A man—long white hair flowing, piercing blue eyes staring at him with intensity.

"Kaelan."

The voice echoed in his mind.

Kaelan didn't know him, but somehow, he felt as if this man was a part of him.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled. "I am the part of you that you have forgotten."

And suddenly, memories that were not his own began to flood into his mind.

Memories of a world long lost.

And at that moment, Kaelan realized who he truly was.

—

A Battle That Changes Everything

In the real world, it only lasted a split second.

But for Kaelan, it felt like years.

When he came back to consciousness, he was no longer the same Kaelan.

He stood with a different expression, his body glowing faintly with a strange light.

And in that instant, the Executioners stopped attacking.

They stared at him.

"Impossible…"

Anya and Zero also turned to him, equally shocked.

Kaelan looked down at his hands, feeling the new energy coursing through him.

And then, he smiled.

"It looks like I finally remember, too."