The ruins of Krymor were quiet… too quiet. Even in the underground refuge where the survivors lived, there was an unease beneath the surface, a tension no one wanted to name aloud.

Jace sat alone near the edge of the camp, fingers brushing the hilt of his father’s sword. His thoughts churned like a storm he couldn’t escape. He’d left his mother behind to find his father — and now he knew they were both gone. He couldn’t shake the weight pressing down on his chest.

Azel and Jina were wandering the makeshift streets of the settlement, their steps slow, eyes scanning the faces of the people around them.

That’s when they heard it.

Two men, speaking in hushed tones behind a crumbling wall.

“…the seal weakens. Soon, Xroven will rise fully.”

“We must be ready. When the time comes, the pretenders will fall, and his reign will begin again.”

Azel and Jina froze. The voices… they weren’t just strangers. They were Krymorian. Their own people.

Without a word, the two moved quickly, weaving through the streets until they reached Jace and the others.

“We need to talk,” Azel said sharply.

Jace looked up, brow furrowed. “What is it?”

“There are people here,” Jina said, “pretending to be survivors. But they’re not. They’re servants of Xroven. They’re waiting for something… for him.”

One of the Krymorian survivors standing nearby turned sharply. “That’s absurd. How can you trust these two?” He pointed at Azel and Jina, his voice dripping with contempt. “Hijackers. Criminals. And you believe them?”

The rest of the team shifted uneasily. Sophie’s gaze flicked between Azel and Jace. “They’re not exactly trustworthy, Jace…”

“I know what I heard,” Azel snapped, stepping toward the man. “And I know one of them is standing right here.”

Before Jace could react, Azel lunged.

“Stop!” Jace shouted, stepping in front of him. Azel swung anyway, and in an instant, the two were locked in a furious brawl. The sound of their blows echoed through the narrow streets, onlookers scrambling back.

“Enough!” Jace roared, drawing his father’s sword. Its silver edge caught the dim light.

The accused Krymorian grabbed a loose stone from the ground and hurled it. Without thinking, Jace swung.

The blade sliced clean through the stone — and in that instant, it flared with a blinding, searing energy. The force rippled through the street, a crackling wave of power that set the air buzzing.

The ground trembled.

A tear split the very air in front of them.

And then, through the rift, a shadow stepped.

A towering figure cloaked in black, eyes burning with impossible light. His presence was suffocating, like gravity itself had grown heavier.

Xroven.

The celestial. The god they had hoped was sealed forever.

His voice rolled over them like thunder.

“May all hell… break loose.”

The ground shook beneath their feet as the nightmare truly began.