Lightning cracked through the twilight skies as Jin Long and Commander Veyr clashed in the heart of the citadel. The Genesis Core pulsed within Jin's chest—its rhythm syncing with every movement, every strike. For a fleeting moment, he wasn't just wielding power—he was power.
But the Twilight Clan was ancient, and Veyr's blade was no ordinary weapon. Forged from the remnants of a collapsed star, it bent the laws of space with each swing. Their duel was a storm of raw force and cosmic discipline, a collision of destinies older than history itself.
"You still resist fate," Veyr growled, parrying a blow that sent tremors through the floating city. "The Core is not a gift. It is a sentence!"
Jin Long's eyes glowed. "Then I'll rewrite that sentence!"
With a roar, he unleashed the Genesis Flame—bright, wild, and primal. It caught Veyr off-guard, forcing the commander back as energy scorched the marble floors. The flame was not destructive this time—it revealed hidden carvings beneath the stone, symbols of prophecy long sealed.
Elder Korr appeared above them, hovering in a spiral of void-light. "Enough!"
He raised his hand, and all movement froze. Time paused—only Jin Long could move. The Genesis Core, resonating deeply now, protected him even from time's halt.
Korr descended, locking eyes with him.
"You are not what I expected," the elder said slowly. "But prophecy has changed. You—Flamebearer—have done what no one has done in millennia. You survived the Halo's Judgment."
Time snapped back. Veyr, panting, lowered his blade. "What… are you saying, Elder?"
"I am saying," Korr replied, "that perhaps the Flamebearer is not the destroyer… but the catalyst. The one who brings change."
Jin Long stood tall, sword crackling beside him. Yue Lan and Mei Lin rushed to his side, prepared to continue the fight—but Korr raised a hand.
"No more blood. The Second Seal will be revealed."
He turned and began to walk deeper into the sanctum. "But beware… unlocking it will come at a price. The Void will feel it. And the Hollow King… will awaken."
—
Later, in the Sanctum Vault
Before them stood the Second Seal—an obsidian obelisk suspended in dark light, humming with power.
"To activate it," Korr said, "you must give a memory. A piece of your soul. A bond."
Jin Long stepped forward without hesitation. But before he could speak, Yue Lan placed her hand on his.
"No. We share this path. We give it together."
As their hands touched the obelisk, light exploded from the Seal, spreading outward in rings of luminous code. Visions of their pasts flashed—Jin's childhood, Yue Lan's lonely training, Mei Lin's shattered timelines—all merging in a spiral of fate.
The Second Seal broke.
Far away, in a realm of sleeping black suns, Zhan Wuhen opened his eyes fully for the first time in eons.
"So… it begins."