chapter 59:The Brink of Oblivion

The golden path stretched out before Shao like a living artery of light, pulsing with energy and leading to the heart of Oracleis—the source of every secret and the origin of every curse. With every step he took, he felt his entire being changing, as though every atom within him was being reshaped.

But this time, he wasn't alone.

_"We're late... but we made it."_

The voice came from behind. Shao turned to see Astyr and Him emerging through a spatial rift—opened by a forbidden ritual. Their faces were worn by time, yet the resolve in their eyes remained unshaken.

Astyr, in his calm tone, said:

_"We've been watching. We wanted you to reach this point alone… only one who carries the will of blood can survive the Court of Echoes."_

Him let out a bitter chuckle:

_"But don't expect to face the final battle by yourself, son of the ancient oath."_

Shao nodded in gratitude, though turmoil stirred within him.

Before him stood the final gate. A gate that hadn't opened in millennia. Carved upon it was the visage of a three-eyed eagle, and beneath each eye, a phrase written in the language of the gods:

_"He who passed paid the price. He who survived became the curse."_

The three approached, each feeling a call from within urging them to reach out.

But just before they could touch the gate, the ground trembled beneath their feet.

A misty figure materialized before them—humanoid in shape, yet taller than normal, faceless, with a body bleeding black smoke.

The entity spoke with a voice of layered tones:

_"You draw near to what was never meant to be revealed… There is no turning back. To go forward is to face annihilation."_

Shao stepped ahead, his sword glowing with the rhythm of his heartbeat, his eyes blazing with conviction.

_"I chose this path long ago… And if you are the shadow of nothingness, then let light be my weapon."_

The battle began.

Shao, Astyr, and Him faced off against an entity born from the depths of a fallen world.

Every strike from Shao tore through time. Every incantation from Astyr rewrote the laws of physics around them. Him summoned the spirits of the fallen—those who perished defending the covenant—and released them as spectral arrows cleaving through the dark.

But every time part of the entity was destroyed, it rebuilt itself.

Then in a blinding instant, the entity unleashed a pulse of dark energy—hurling Him into a wall and shattering Astyr's sword.

Both fell back, bleeding.

Shao stepped forward and shouted:

_"I began this journey... and I will finish it!"_

_"Blood of the past, cries of the present… open the gate!"_

He drove his sword into the ground—and the final gate opened with a sound like a cosmic detonation.

Beyond it... was another world.