Reian stood frozen in the pitch-black void.
He wanted to look away, but the sheer shock paralyzed him.
The terrifying shadow locked in front of him was actively breaking.
Webs of bright, jagged cracks spiderwebbed across the entity’s dark body.
Suddenly, with a loud, crystalline snap, a chunk of the shadow’s face shattered away.
Beneath the cracked black skin, a human eye emerged—clear, calm, and intensely alive.
The man behind the shadow didn’t look angry.
Instead, he locked eyes with Reian and gave a soft, knowing smile.
“Farewell,” the man’s voice echoed gently through the void.
“We will meet again in the future.”
Before Reian could process the words, the shadow drew its massive, dark sword in a flash of movement and plunged the blade straight into Reian’s chest.
Reian’s eyes snapped open.
He gasped, bolting upright as he returned to the waking world.
Cold sweat drenched his skin.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Flame’s voice was close.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking exhausted but very much alive.
Meanwhile, at the ancient temple, Silvia was staring intensely at the carvings.
The old woman’s story was still spinning in her head.
“If the Absolute Overlord and the Phantom Asura were that powerful,” Silvia asked, turning to the old woman, “why did they still have to sacrifice themselves just to defeat the demon god Sargon?
Why couldn’t they just beat him together?”
The old woman let out a heavy sigh, her eyes fixed on the stone paintings.
“According to the ancient records of Heaven, they were betrayed.
Right before the final battle, someone they trusted completely stabbed them in the back.
That betrayal drained half of their divine powers before the fight even started.
That is the only reason they were forced to self-explode.”
Silya’s breath hitched.
“Then…
what about Sargon’s surviving cell?
Where do you think it is hiding?”
The old woman let out a dry, chilling chuckle.
She turned slowly, locking her sharp eyes directly onto Silya.
“Sargon is not an idiot,” the old woman whispered.
“He isn’t going to hide in some damp cave or bury himself underground.
Think about it.
Those divine guards from Heaven who claim they are ‘searching’ for him?
He has possessed one of them.
Heaven’s own shield is protecting the demon right now.”
The woman paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.
that is what I believe.
I could be wrong.
What do you two think?
Where would you hide?”
Before Silvia or Silya could answer, a loud shout from a villager interrupted them.
Reian and Flame were finally awake.
Without wasting another second, the two girls spun around and ran back toward the village quarters.
Deep inside the temple, the silence returned.
On the far end of the ancient stone wall, a large painting depicted two massive, divine chains binding a force.
Suddenly, a loud, sharp crack echoed through the empty temple.
One of the painted stone chains had already shattered.
Now, tiny, hairline fractures began to rapidly spread across the second chain, crumbling the ancient stone into dust.
Back in the room, Reian looked at Flame’s bandaged chest.
Tears welled up in his eyes, finally spilling down his cheeks.
“Flame…
brother, please forgive me,” Reian choked out, his voice trembling with raw guilt.
“I…
I tried to kill you.”
Flame smiled gently, reaching out to pat his brother’s shoulder.
“Hey, it’s alright.
Nothing happened to me, did it?
Stop crying.
We survived.”
SLAM!
The wooden door was thrown open so hard it rattled on its hinges.
Silvia and Silya burst into the room, gasping for air, with the little girl panting right behind them.
The sudden, explosive noise startled both Reian and Flame, making them jump.
“Are you two okay?!” Silya yelled, rushing to the bedside.
“Yeah,” Reian said, wiping his face quickly.
“We actually feel a lot better.”
The old woman walked in behind them, carrying a tray of warm, steaming food.
Once they all ate and regained their strength, the old woman guided Reian and Flame through the village, showing them the fortified walls and the quiet, tense life of the survivors.
As evening fell, Reian and Flame stood before the old woman, bowing their heads.
“Thank you,” Reian said sincerely.
“For saving our lives.”
“Do not worry about it,” the old woman smiled, gesturing toward their quarters.
Go get some sleep.”
Miles away from the quiet village, the darkness of a ruined city was silent.
Inside a massive, abandoned shopping mall, a small group of scavengers moved quietly through the debris, stuffing supplies into their bags.
“Hey, where did Mark go?” one of the scavengers whispered, looking around.
The group halted.
One of their members had vanished into the shadows without making a single sound.
“Stay close, everyone,” the leader warned, raising his rifle.
“Do not separate.”
Suddenly, a choked, agonizing scream echoed from the back of the dark corridor.
The scavengers sprinted toward the sound, their flashlights cutting through the dust.
The beams of light landed on a horrific sight.
An eight-foot-tall, heavily mutated zombie was hunched over their missing friend.
The monster was massive, its muscles bulging with thick, dark veins.
With a sickening rip, the beast tore Mark’s arm completely out of its socket and began chewing on the raw flesh.
Mark screamed in absolute agony until the giant mutant leaned down and violently bit his entire upper torso in half.
Blood splattered across the floor, droplets hitting the terrified faces of the survivors.
“Die, you bastard!” the leader roared, unloading his entire magazine into the beast.
The bullets sparked and sank into the monster’s thick hide, but it didn’t even flinch.
The mutant zombie lunged with terrifying speed.
Grabbing the leader by his shoulders and waist, the monster pulled in opposite directions—ripping the man completely in half.
It was too fast.
Too strong.
One by one, the beast slaughtered the remaining scavengers, painting the shattered glass of the mall red.
A young girl from the team collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
Terror paralyzed her.
Seeing the monster busy tearing another body apart, she forced her legs to move, scrambling into a nearby clothing store and hiding behind a fashion stall.
She held her breath, pressing her hands over her mouth.
Outside, the heavy, guttural growls of the mutant grew louder.
Closer.
The girl slowly peeked through the rack of clothes, looking out into the dim mall aisle.
The moment she did, her heart stopped.
Her jaw dropped in pure, silent horror as she stared at what was right in front of her.
Hope you guys enjoy this one!
That mall scene at the end was wild to write—things are about to get crazy.
Who do you think the girl saw at the very end?
And do you actually believe the old woman’s theory about Sargon?
Drop your theories below!