The warmth of the twin suns seeped through his skin, but it did nothing to chase away the cold inside him.
He sat at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a landscape that stretched beyond the horizon—crystal forests, floating rivers, and mountains that curved in impossible directions. This place, wherever it was, felt untouched by time.
But his mind wasn't on the beauty of this world.
It was on what he had seen in the void.
A version of himself that should not exist.
A version that could destroy everything.
Elya sat nearby, silent. She had been watching him ever since he woke up. Not with concern—but with calculation.
"You're not going to ask?" he said finally, breaking the silence.
Elya tilted her head. "Would you tell me if I did?"
He hesitated.
She smirked. "I thought so."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What happened to me?"
Elya leaned back, gazing at the floating river below. "You touched something that should have been impossible. You awakened your power in a battle that should have killed you. And then…" Her violet eyes flickered. "You were pulled into the void between worlds."
He shuddered. Just thinking about that place made his stomach turn.
Elya's expression darkened. "You met something in there, didn't you?"
He didn't answer.
Because even now, he could still hear the whispers.
"Not yet."
Elya exhaled. "You don't have to tell me. But know this—no one leaves the void unchanged."
His fingers twitched. He already knew that. He could feel it. The power in his veins wasn't the same as before. It still burned like fire, but beneath it, there was… something else.
Something waiting.
Elya stood. "Come on. It's time to move."
He blinked. "Move? To where?"
Her smirk returned, sharp and knowing. "You still don't get it, do you?"
She gestured to the vast landscape before them.
"This is just the beginning. You think you're strong now? You barely survived one battle. If you truly want to walk this path, you need to become more than what you are."
Her eyes gleamed.
"You need to become a monster."
Something inside him stirred.
The version of himself he had seen—the destroyer—flashed in his mind.
Was that really his fate?
Or could he control it?
He took a slow breath, then stood beside her.
"Then let's go," he said. "Show me what's next."
Elya grinned.
"Welcome to the path of no return."
And with that, they stepped forward, into the unknown.