Location: Avalon — Summit Terrace
The wind whispered across the high terrace of Avalon, carrying the scent of ozone and stone lilies. Isaiah stood alone, gazing at the horizon where the floating city kissed the sky. The memory of the woman in white still clung to him—soft and sorrowful, like a scar in his soul.
Behind him, footsteps approached.
It was Yena, dressed in midnight-blue armor, her twin swords sheathed but ready.
"Word from the south," she said, handing him a sleek holo-scroll. "The girl survived Anpu. And she changed."
Isaiah unrolled it, watching the flickering footage of Suri walking through the burning remains of the Napata ruins. Her eyes glowed with flickering embers, and the shadows parted around her as if in respect—or fear.
"She awakened?" he asked.
Yena nodded. "Partially. Enough to control her flames. Enough to remember fragments."
Isaiah studied the flames that no longer consumed her.
"She's stronger than I was, first time around."
Yena smiled faintly. "You blew out a crater the size of a city block. She leveled a shrine."
Isaiah shrugged. "I had a temper."
She looked at him carefully. "You still do."
---
The Council Convenes
In Avalon's crystalline chamber, the mythborne council gathered again, this time with greater urgency.
Lucian stood at the center of a circular projection field, showing a growing web of shard awakenings—dots lighting up across the globe like stars in constellation.
He pointed to three: Isaiah, Suri, and one in the Pacific—deep under the Mariana Trench.
"This pattern isn't random," Lucian said. "It follows a memory loop. A divine resonance map."
Commander Reiss folded his arms. "You're suggesting these people aren't just inheritors of power—they're reincarnations?"
"Yes," Lucian said simply. "Each awakened bearer is a fragment of the First Pantheon."
Madam Zhu's voice was calm but sharp. "And Anpu is collecting them?"
"Judging them," Yena corrected. "Deciding who deserves to live as what they once were—and who should be erased."
Isaiah stepped forward.
"Then we need to find the next one first."
---
Mission Assigned
Back in the War Hall, Isaiah suited up. His cloak shimmered with auric filament. Twin rods hung at his back—conductors for stormcraft, ready to channel his powers if needed.
Lucian handed him a shard tracker, still unstable.
"You'll find her in the northern Philippines. Island called Talon Daan. Her signal is erratic—fluctuates between dormant and deadly."
Isaiah glanced up. "Another phoenix?"
"No," Lucian said. "Worse."
---
Flashpoint: Talon Daan
The island was lush, remote, and utterly silent.
Isaiah stepped from the transport with caution. The air felt thick—charged, like the world had inhaled and forgotten to exhale.
He saw the scorch marks first. Then the craters. Then the twisted remains of what had once been a temple, now sunken into blackened rock.
And standing at the center of the destruction was a girl.
She couldn't have been more than seventeen. Her hair was silver-white, and her skin glimmered faintly under the tropical sun. Her eyes—cold, empty—were locked on the sky.
Isaiah approached, slow.
"Name's Isaiah," he said. "I'm here to help."
She turned.
And everything stopped.
The wind. The birds. Even the insects.
"I don't need help," she said, voice flat.
Then she raised a hand.
---
Contact
A pulse of force slammed into Isaiah, hurling him across the jungle canopy. He twisted midair, lightning crackling around his limbs, and landed on a ridge.
"Okay," he muttered. "So we're doing this the hard way."
He launched into the sky, storm rings forming at his feet. Thunder roared as he brought his hands together, summoning a bolt of raw power.
The girl raised both arms—and froze the lightning in midair.
Then shattered it.
Isaiah's heart pounded. "What the hell…"
She whispered a single word.
> "Velkyr."
And suddenly—he remembered.
Not her, not fully, but the name. A name from the War of Myths. A god of stasis. A judge of stillness.
She was a fragment of the Void Court.
"Wait," he called. "You're not my enemy."
She looked at him, eyes empty. "Then why do I want to kill you?"
---
Interference
Just as she raised her hand again, the sky split—literally. A crack of light and void tore through the clouds.
And from within it, Anpu emerged.
"Enough."
His voice shattered trees.
The girl dropped to her knees instantly, hands trembling.
Isaiah hovered, stunned. "You again."
Anpu looked at him without emotion. "I told you. You would be judged last."
Then he looked to the girl. "Velkyr. Do you remember your oath?"
She nodded. "To silence the storm."
Anpu looked at Isaiah. "Then run. She will not miss again."