Chapter 47: The Final Countdown

Sable's body was battered, bruised, and barely holding together. But his resolve? That was unbreakable. His pulse burned hotter than ever before as he stood amidst the remnants of the shadow creature, its essence dissipating like smoke into the air. The echoes of the battle still rang in his ears, his senses heightened, but he could feel it — the pull, the pressure building from all directions. The true endgame was closing in on him.

The ground rumbled beneath his feet again, but this time, it wasn't the creature's doing. No, this was different. Something was changing, something far beyond what he had encountered so far. The air around him grew colder, thick with an oppressive energy that seemed to warp reality itself.

He wasn't alone.

"Not bad, Sable."

The voice was unmistakable. Dark. Calculating. The source of all the chaos.

Sable's heart skipped a beat as he turned to face the figure standing before him. It was Rei. But not the Rei he remembered — this Rei had a cold, malicious aura, her eyes glowing with an intensity he had never seen before.

"You're… still alive," Sable managed, his voice strained.

Rei smirked, the expression chilling in its lack of empathy. "Of course I am. But you, Sable, are too naive. You think you've won? That you've reached the end?" Her laughter echoed, cruel and hollow. "No. You've merely begun to understand the game."

Sable's pulse surged, his body instinctively bracing for another attack, but Rei didn't move. Instead, she flicked a wrist, and the world around them seemed to shudder, the air crackling with static.

"What's happening?" Sable growled, sweat trickling down his brow.

Rei's smirk deepened as the sky above them fractured, revealing layers upon layers of reality breaking apart. The ground beneath their feet shattered, sending chunks of stone and dirt into the abyss below.

"This world," Rei whispered, "was never meant to last. It was a creation — a grand illusion. And you, Sable, are one of the few who managed to break free from its constraints."

Sable's pulse throbbed in his veins, trying to warn him, to tell him there was something more to this. This was no longer just a game. It never had been.

"You were always meant to be part of this," Rei continued, her voice now a mere whisper against the roaring chaos. "You were a chosen player, just like the others. But unlike them, you see it. You see the truth."

The world around him twisted, and for a moment, Sable's vision went black. When it cleared, he was no longer standing in the desolate wasteland, but in a vast, empty space filled with towering obsidian monoliths. The air was still, unnaturally so, and the oppressive silence weighed heavily on his chest.

This was it.

"Rei…" Sable began, his voice shaking with realization. "You're... the true mastermind behind Eidolon, aren't you?"

Rei stepped forward, her silhouette bathed in an eerie glow. Her eyes gleamed with an unsettling mixture of admiration and disdain. "Clever," she said, her tone mocking. "But you're late. It's already too late."

Sable clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together as he took a step forward. "No. I'm not letting you win. I've come too far for this. You've played with people's lives for too long. I won't be your pawn anymore."

Rei's expression shifted, a flicker of something almost human crossing her features before vanishing like smoke. "You still don't understand, do you? This isn't a game. This is reality. You've been fighting, killing, struggling… for nothing."

Sable shook his head. "You're wrong. I've fought for people, for survival, for freedom. I'm not letting you destroy that."

The world around them quaked again, but this time, it wasn't just the land. It was the very fabric of reality itself beginning to unravel. Sable could feel it — the collapse, the void creeping closer, threatening to swallow everything whole. Rei was causing this. But she wasn't done yet.

Sable's pulse throbbed painfully, a sharp, burning sensation coursing through him as he felt his energy draining. But that wasn't all. Something more sinister was happening. A wave of dark energy rushed toward him, seeping into his body, making him feel heavier, slower. He could barely breathe, the pressure unbearable.

"Do you feel it, Sable?" Rei's voice was distant, almost clinical. "The world is collapsing. And it's all your fault. You think you can stop this? You think you can stop me?"

He gritted his teeth, forcing his legs to stay steady despite the growing pressure. The weight in his chest was suffocating, but he wouldn't let her win. Not like this.

Sable focused on the pulse. It burned within him like a fire, each beat of his heart resonating with power. He could feel the energy coiling deep within him, gathering, waiting for release. The pulse was all he had left.

"I'm not going to let you destroy everything," Sable spat. "I've come too far. Too many people have died. And I'm going to finish this — now."

With every ounce of strength he had, Sable drew on the pulse, unleashing its full force. The energy erupted from his body like a tidal wave, shattering the oppressive darkness surrounding them. For a moment, it felt like he was connected to everything — the land, the air, the very essence of existence itself. The pulse was no longer just his weapon; it was his salvation.

Rei staggered back, her expression shifting for the first time, her confidence wavering as the energy blasted toward her.

"You... can't do this," she gasped, her voice breaking.

Sable's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, the pulse swirling around him like a storm, consuming the space between them. "I'm not here to play your game anymore. I'm ending it."

With a final roar of determination, Sable released the pulse in one devastating surge.

Everything went silent.

The world around him flickered, as though reality itself was unsure of what had just happened. The darkness faded, and the oppressive weight lifted. Rei's form shimmered and began to disintegrate, her power crumbling before him.

And as the final remnants of her presence vanished, Sable stood in the quiet aftermath. The world, or whatever remained of it, was still. The pulse faded, its energy spent, and Sable was left standing alone, his chest heaving as he tried to comprehend what had just occurred.

It was over. He had won.

But the victory came at a cost.

Sable didn't know if the world would ever be the same again. But one thing was certain.

He was no longer just a player in a game.

He was the one who had changed the rules.