chapter 43: Hymn of the Cursed Twilight
The world began to collapse—not in stone or flame, but in meaning.
Neufelheim, the kingdom that had stood for thousands of years, was crumbling before the eyes of those still clinging to consciousness.
And as for *Xiao*...
He had become the eye of the storm, no longer resembling a man—nor even a god.
---
*A Moment Between Life and Oblivion*
He stood upon a floating stone platform, surrounded by concentric rings of swirling light—like inverted clocks, all pointing to a single hour:
*Zero.*
> _"The sin of the beginning has faded."_ said a voice from the heavens. Its speaker unknown—but Xiao alone could hear it.
The ground split before him, revealing corpses of ancient warriors, clad in armor and heavy with arms... but their eyes were hollow.
They were the soldiers of *Urysol*, the first to rebel against the celestial order.
---
*A Summoning from the Past*
Xiao's hand stretched out—seemingly without his will—and from it unraveled a crimson thread, connecting to one of the warrior's bodies.
And suddenly… it awakened.
> *The Warrior* (in a hollow voice): _"Are you the bearer of the Twilight Curse?"_
> *Xiao* replied, his voice like a language only he understood:
_"I bear nothing… I am what remains after everything."_
The spirits began to gather around him—some weeping, others whispering forgotten names.
And Xiao stood among them, a bridge between eras.
---
*The Gathering of the Fallen*
Elsewhere in the world, the eyes of the gods converged:
- *Odin* watched in silence from his cracked throne.
- *Thor* rested his hand on the handle of his hammer—but did not strike.
- *Loki* smiled, as one who had sown the seeds and now awaited the harvest.
> *Odin*: "The countdown has begun… but not in the way we expected."
> *Loki*: "I knew it. That blood will obey no one… it believes in no fate."
And in that moment, Loki laughed—a soft, amused laugh that shattered thousands of celestial seals.
---
*Inner Transformation*
Xiao no longer fought alone—he began to remember.
He remembered a dark room with a trembling child.
His mother's scream… and a cold hand placed upon his forehead as he was marked.
He remembered a promise—a promise broken.
> _"If you become you… then I will no longer be me."_
He spoke it aloud to himself, and from his chest burst a flash of light.
It was his heart… glowing.
Not with the color of blood—but with the hue of forgiveness.
---
*Dawn of the Great Fracture*
At that very moment, all nine realms trembled.
The souls of fallen martyrs screamed from their graves.
The laws of magic, fate, and blood descended into chaos.
And in the heart of Neufelheim, a black gate tore open—like a rift in eternity.
From that gate... emerged a shadow.
And not just any shadow.
It was *Antigra*, the fallen sentinel—the last to touch the throne before its collapse.
> *Antigra*: _"Welcome to the Twilight, you who alone can shatter the chains."_
---
*End of the Chapter*
Xiao turned toward the shadow emerging from the gate—and before he could utter a word, everything vanished.
The sky… the earth… even his voice.
Only one thing remained.
*"Choice."*