A World Unmade
The Sentinel's golden radiance dimmed for the first time.
It was faint—almost imperceptible—but Jorath saw it.
Hesitation.
A divine executioner of the Eternal Dominion, an entity forged in celestial law, had paused.
And it was because of Thalos.
The ground cracked beneath him, shadows twisting in ways they shouldn't. The very air warped around his form as an unseen force rippled outward, distorting reality itself.
Jorath's breath hitched.
He knew power when he felt it.
But this—this was something else.
This wasn't just strength.
It was defiance against the fundamental laws of existence.
And the Sentinel recognized it.
That alone terrified Jorath more than anything.
Then—
The Sentinel moved.
A golden sigil ignited in the air before him, divine letters spiraling outward, forming a celestial seal.
A decree of annihilation.
And in the next instant—
The sky fell.
---
The Unleashing
A lance of pure divine wrath tore through the atmosphere, descending upon Thalos like the judgment of an uncaring god.
The impact was instant.
A column of golden annihilation erupted, consuming everything in its wake. Trees, stone, earth—all were erased in a single, blinding detonation.
The pressure sent Jorath and Eryndra hurtling backward, their bodies slamming into the shattered ground.
Eryndra coughed, her limbs trembling. "Did—did he just—?"
Jorath's vision blurred. The force of the attack still lingered in his bones.
And yet, somehow—
He knew it wasn't over.
The air cracked.
A low, resonant hum filled the space where Thalos had stood.
And then—
A figure emerged from the golden storm.
Unharmed.
Untouched.
Unbound.
Thalos exhaled.
And the world broke.
---
The Sentinel's Fear
The Sentinel staggered back.
Jorath didn't know what was more shocking—Thalos emerging unscathed…
Or the fact that a celestial executioner had flinched.
It was impossible.
Sentinels did not fear.
Yet this one… hesitated.
Thalos raised a single hand. Effortlessly.
The space between them collapsed inward.
A ripple of black and gold swallowed the light, twisting it, devouring it.
The Sentinel's divine armor cracked.
A sound like shattering glass rang out.
Jorath had no words.
He barely understood what he was seeing—
But the Sentinel did.
And that was why it spoke its first words of doubt.
"You should not exist."
Thalos smiled.
And the Sentinel fell.