*Chapter 17: "The Rot’s Requiem"**
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**Page 1:**
**Panel 1 (Full-page spread):** The Last Fissure pulses violently, its glow now a sickly green. The surrounding landscape withers—trees rot mid-bloom, rivers turn to sludge, and the sky darkens with storm clouds shaped like screaming faces. Jin stands at the edge, the Seed of Balance in his grip, its light strained. **Caption**: *"The Rot sings its final hymn… and the world listens."*
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**Page 2:**
**Panel 1:** Yuri's prosthetic arm twitches, veins of Shade-energy snaking up her shoulder. **Yuri**: *"This isn't a fissure. It's a* **mouth.***"
**Panel 2:** The ground splits further, revealing jagged teeth-like formations deep within. A cacophony of whispers rises: *"Feed us… King."*
**Panel 3:** Jin's shadow elongates, the Deathless Prince's silhouette grinning. **Jin (internal)**: *"Not again… Not* **now.***"
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**Page 3:**
**Panel 1:** Flashback: The original Deathless Prince kneeling in the First Grave, carving his Rot into the world's foundation. **Original Prince**: *"You will carry my song… little heir."*
**Panel 2:** Present. The child emerges from the fissure, now aged into a teenager, their void eyes bleeding black tears. **Child**: *"You broke the Crown… but the* **song** *remains."*
**Panel 3:** Jin's Seed flickers. The Child's tears hit the ground, sprouting twisted flowers that scream.
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**Page 4:**
**Panel 1:** Yuri's book tears open, pages morphing into Shade-wings. **Kara's Voice**: *"The fissure leads to the* **Root.** *The Rot's birthplace."*
**Panel 2:** Jin's Rot lashes out, devouring the screaming flowers. **Jin**: *"Then we burn the Root."*
**Panel 3:** The Child laughs, dissolving into a swarm of ash-locusts. **Child**: *"You'll need a guide… and* **she** *is mine."*
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**Page 5:**
**Panel 1:** The locusts swarm Yuri, binding her in a cocoon of Rot. **Yuri**: *"Jin—!* **Don't** *hesitate!"*
**Panel 2:** Jin's Seed flares, but his human hand trembles. **Jin**: *"I can't… Not you too."*
**Panel 3:** The cocoon cracks. Yuri emerges, her eyes glowing Eclipse Corp blue. **Yuri (corrupted)**: *"We're going* **down.***"
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**Page 6:**
**Panel 1:** They plunge into the fissure, falling through a kaleidoscope of fractured memories:
- **Memory 1**: Jin's mother stitching his jacket.
- **Memory 2**: Kara's soul being torn apart.
- **Memory 3**: The original Prince's crown shattering.
**Panel 2:** The Child's voice booms: *"The Root remembers* **all.***"
**Panel 3:** They land in the **Root**—a cavernous womb of pulsating flesh, walls lined with Eclipse Corp logos. At its center: a massive, beating heart made of Rot.
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**Page 7:**
**Panel 1:** The heart's veins throb, each strand connected to a suspended corpse—Min-ah, Kara, Dr. Veyra, and countless others. **Jin**: *"This… is the Rot's* **truth.***"
**Panel 2:** Corrupted Yuri strides toward the heart, her arm morphing into a Shade-drill. **Yuri**: *"We end this.* **Together.***"
**Panel 3:** Jin's shadow rebels, the Deathless Prince's claw seizing his throat. **Prince's Voice**: *"You are* **my** *vessel. Always."*
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**Page 8:**
**Panel 1:** Jin's Seed shatters. Rot consumes him, his body transforming into the Deathless Prince fully—crown, claws, and void eyes. **Jin/Prince**: *"****ENOUGH.****"*
**Panel 2:** He tears into the heart, Rot versus Rot. The cavern collapses. Corpses disintegrate.
**Panel 3:** Yuri's corruption breaks. She falls, her prosthetic arm shattering. **Yuri**: *"Jin…* **stop!**"
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**Page 9:**
**Panel 1:** The Root implodes. Jin/Prince stands amid the wreckage, the world above crumbling.
**Panel 2:** The Child reappears, now elderly and frail. **Child**: *"The song is over… but the singer remains."*
**Panel 3:** Jin/Prince's crown cracks. His human eye flickers. **Jin (whispering)**: *"Min-ah…* **forgive me.***"
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**Page 10 (Full-page cliffhanger):**
**Panel 1:** The renewed world collapses into a void. Jin/Prince floats at its center, the Seed's remnants orbiting him.
**Panel 2:** Yuri wakes in a featureless white realm, her body restored but marked with Rot scars. **Kara's Voice**: *"You're not done yet."*
**Panel 3:** A shadowy hand breaches the void—**Jin's human hand**, reaching for her. **Text**: *"The Rot's requiem… or its rebirth?"*
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**Key Developments**:
- **Jin's Full Transformation**: He becomes the Deathless Prince entirely, losing his humanity.
- **The Root's Destruction**: The Rot's origin is obliterated, but the cost is apocalyptic.
- **Yuri's New Role**: Marked by Rot scars, she may hold the key to reclaiming Jin.
**Visual Madness**:
- **The Root**: A biomechanical nightmare blending organic horror and Eclipse Corp's cold tech.
- **Jin/Prince**: A towering, regal monster with a fractured crown and dual voices.
**Addictive Hooks**:
- **The Void Realm**: Is this death, a new dimension, or the Rot's rebirth?
- **Yuri's Scars**: Do they grant power or doom her to corruption?
- **The Child's Fate**: Their final words hint at the original Prince's survival.
**Tone**: Apocalyptic tragedy. Jin's sacrifice destroys the Rot but leaves the world in ruins, forcing Yuri to confront an impossible choice: save him or save what's left.