*Chapter 15: "The Rot’s Crown"*
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**Page 1:**
**Panel 1 (Full-page spread):** The renewed world at dawn—golden light filters through the trees, but the ground pulses faintly with black veins. Jin stands at the edge of a dormant fissure, the Seed of Balance glowing weakly in his hand. The shadow-tinged light casts his face in stark relief, his human eye tired but resolute. **Caption**: *"The Rot never sleeps… and neither can I."*
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**Page 2:**
**Panel 1:** Yuri approaches, her prosthetic arm flickering with faint Shade-energy. She holds Kara's book, now glowing faintly. **Yuri**: *"The Archive's acting up again. It's… showing me things."*
**Panel 2:** Jin's Rot flares defensively as the Seed dims. **Jin**: *"What kind of things?"*
**Panel 3:** Yuri opens the book. A page flips to reveal a map of the fissure network, converging at a central point deep underground. **Kara's Voice (echoing)**: *"The Rot's Crown… it's waking."*
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**Page 3:**
**Panel 1:** Flashback: The original Deathless Prince forging the first Seed, his voice echoing. **Original Prince**: *"The Crown is the Rot's heart… and its curse."*
**Panel 2:** Present. Jin's Rot crystallizes into a blade. **Jin**: *"If it's waking, we bury it. For good."*
**Panel 3:** Yuri's prosthetic arm sparks, her expression conflicted. **Yuri**: *"What if it's not just a weapon? What if it's… a way to fix this?"*
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**Page 4:**
**Panel 1:** They descend into the fissure, the walls lined with pulsating Shade-tech. The air grows heavier, the Rot's presence suffocating.
**Panel 2:** Jin's Seed flickers, its light barely piercing the darkness. **Jin (internal)**: *"It's feeding on me… but I can't stop."*
**Panel 3:** Yuri's book glows brighter, pages flipping wildly. **Kara's Voice**: *"You're close… but so are they."*
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**Page 5:**
**Panel 1:** They reach a massive cavern. At its center: the **Rot's Crown**—a jagged, obsidian throne fused with Shade-cores, pulsing with malevolent energy.
**Panel 2:** The Crown's shadow forms into the child from the forest, their void eyes glowing. **Child**: *"You're late, King."*
**Panel 3:** Jin's Rot surges, crystallizing into armor. **Jin**: *"I'm not your king."*
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**Page 6:**
**Panel 1:** The child dissolves into ash, their voice echoing: *"The Crown chooses… and it has chosen* **you.***"
**Panel 2:** The Crown's energy lashes out, forming tendrils that wrap around Jin. **Jin (struggling)**: *"Yuri—!"*
**Panel 3:** Yuri's prosthetic arm morphs into a Shade-blade. She slashes at the tendrils, but they regenerate instantly. **Yuri**: *"We need to destroy it!"*
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**Page 7:**
**Panel 1:** Jin's Seed pulses weakly. He slams it into the Crown, but the energy absorbs it, growing stronger. **Jin**: *"It's… too much."*
**Panel 2:** Yuri's book glows brighter. Kara's voice grows urgent: *"The Crown's a prison. Free them!"*
**Panel 3:** Jin's Rot crystallizes into a massive blade. He plunges it into the Crown, shattering its surface.
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**Page 8:**
**Panel 1:** The Crown explodes, releasing a shockwave of light and shadow. Jin and Yuri are thrown back, the cavern collapsing around them.
**Panel 2:** The Crown's fragments reform into spectral figures—lost souls, including Min-ah and Kara. **Min-ah (smiling)**: *"You did it."*
**Panel 3:** The souls dissolve into light, their energy stabilizing the Seed. The fissure seals, the Rot's presence fading.
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**Page 9:**
**Panel 1:** Jin and Yuri emerge into the sunlight. The world feels lighter, the black veins in the soil gone.
**Panel 2:** Jin's Seed glows steadily, its light pure. **Jin (whispering)**: *"Is it… over?"*
**Panel 3:** Yuri's prosthetic arm is now inert, her expression unreadable. **Yuri**: *"For now."*
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**Page 10 (Full-page cliffhanger):**
**Panel 1:** The final panel zooms out, showing the renewed world—vibrant and peaceful. But in the distance, a single fissure glows faintly.
**Panel 2:** A shadowy figure watches from the forest—**the child**, now older, their void eyes glowing. **Child**: *"The Crown is gone… but the Rot remains."*
**Panel 3:** The Seed's light flickers, casting Jin's shadow as a monstrous silhouette.
**Cliffhanger Text**: *"Next: The Last Fissure."*
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**Key Developments**:
- **Crown's Destruction**: The Rot's heart is shattered, but its remnants linger.
- **Souls Freed**: Min-ah and Kara's spirits find peace, but their influence may linger.
- **The Child's Return**: A harbinger of the Rot's resurgence, hinting at a new threat.
**Visual Contrast**:
- **Renewed World**: Vibrant and peaceful, but with faint cracks beneath the surface.
- **The Child**: A symbol of the Rot's duality—innocence and corruption intertwined.
**Addictive Hooks**:
- **The Last Fissure**: What lies beneath it, and is it a threat or an opportunity?
- **Yuri's Future**: With her prosthetic arm inert, will she seek new power or embrace peace?
- **Jin's Shadow**: His monstrous silhouette hints at the Rot's lingering influence.
**Tone**: Bittersweet victory. The world is renewed, but the cost of balance remains. Readers will question if true peace is possible—or if the Rot's hunger is eternal.