The ruins of Kar'Zeth still smoldered. Cracks in the earth glowed with lingering voidfire, and the wind carried the scent of burnt stone and shattered time. Zhan Wuhen stood atop the highest tower's remains, gazing into the obsidian shard in his hand—the First Void Keystone.
He closed his eyes, listening.
Voices whispered from within the crystal—fragments of screams, laughter, forgotten truths. "Unseal the Nexus… awaken the Hollow King… devour the Flamebearer…"
A smile tugged at Zhan Wuhen's lips.
"They remember me."
Suddenly, a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows behind him, kneeling with reverence. "Lord Wuhen, the second seal lies within the Shattered Abyss. But it is guarded by the Twilight Clan. They won't give it up willingly."
"They don't need to," Zhan said. "They only need to die."
—
Meanwhile – Floating Fortress, Monastery of Aetherial Balance
Jin Long awoke to silence. The Ember of Origin no longer hummed—something felt… distant. Like a bond had been severed, or hidden.
Yue Lan sat beside him, brushing strands of hair from his face. "You fought her."
"She didn't want to destroy me," Jin said. "She wanted to see if I would destroy myself."
He rose and looked toward the mountains beyond the monastery, where clouds churned unnaturally. "She's right. I'm not ready. But I'm not alone."
As if summoned, Master Chen appeared, his silver beard swept by the breeze, his gaze deep with knowledge.
"You unlocked the Core's resonance," the old master said. "That is only the first gate. There are nine."
"Nine?" Jin Long repeated.
"Nine fragments. Nine trials. Nine fates. You must master each before the Core consumes you."
Jin Long clenched his fists. "Then I'll find them."
—
Elsewhere – In the Depths of the Shattered Abyss
A girl stood alone before a massive seal etched into the abyssal rock—a glowing rune that pulsed with ancient power. Her hair was pale gold, her eyes violet like twin moons. Her name was Mei Lin, and her bloodline was cursed with visions of the end.
She touched the seal. "Jin Long… I saw your flame. I saw it in my dreams."
As the seal pulsed in response to her presence, a shadow stirred behind her.
"You shouldn't be here," growled a voice of gravel and bone.
She turned to face a creature of nightmares—half-beast, half-machine, one of Zhan Wuhen's scouts.
"I'm here to warn him," Mei Lin whispered. "Before the second seal breaks… and the Hollow King wakes."