A vision of destruction. Of the world falling apart.
"No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "No, we can stop this. There's always a way."
The entity's form shifted, growing more defined, the shadows receding to reveal its full height. The air hummed with the intensity of its presence. It was impossible to look directly at it for too long—the sheer weight of its existence was overwhelming. It was power, incarnate and untouchable.
"It's too late," the entity said, its voice laced with finality. "There is no stopping me. No going back. This is the beginning of the end."
Ethan stirred beside her, his hand twitching. He groaned softly, slowly coming to, his eyes blinking in confusion as they adjusted to the dim light. Mia's heart gave a small, hopeful flutter.
"Ethan!" she said, voice full of relief.
He blinked again, his eyes focusing on her. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze toward the entity, his expression hardening.
"What… what is this?" Ethan asked, pushing himself up, his voice rough. "Where are we?"
Mia shook her head, still trying to process everything. "I don't know, Ethan. I… I don't know."
The entity turned its attention to Ethan, a smile playing at the edges of its shadowed lips. "He doesn't know either. But you will, soon enough."
Mia felt a chill run down her spine. The entity's voice felt like it was burrowing inside her skull, its words planting a seed of doubt and fear she couldn't shake. It was as though it had been waiting for them—for her—for so long.
"How did you do it?" the entity continued, its voice now tinged with mockery. "How did you open the door?"
Mia swallowed hard, shaking her head. "It wasn't us," she said, trying to sound more certain than she felt.
"It was the Syndicate. They—"
"The Syndicate!" The entity's laugh was sharp and full of malice. "The Syndicate was a tool, Mia. A puppet organization with no idea what it was truly keeping locked away. You think they were trying to protect the world? They were protecting themselves. They were trying to control me. You freed me by accident. But now, I will make sure the world knows my power."
Ethan clenched his fists, stepping forward as though challenging the entity. "We're not going to just sit back and let you do this."
The entity's form blurred for a moment, and then it was in front of Ethan, too fast to be seen. "You don't have a choice."
Mia lunged forward, her hands grabbing Ethan's arm. "Ethan, no! This isn't the way!"
But before Ethan could react, the entity raised a hand. A dark wave of energy shot from its fingertips, slamming into the ground with a deafening roar. The very air seemed to crack, and the ground beneath them began to split apart. Ethan stumbled, his knees buckling beneath the sheer force of the blast. Mia barely managed to hold onto him.
"Stay back," the entity commanded, its voice cold and distant. "This is your last warning. You are nothing but insects in my path."