Ty blinked as the darkness wrapped around him, extinguishing all traces of light.
Trying to figure out the next best course of action, he forced himself to focus inward one step at a time.
Calming himself, Ty took a short breath through his skeletal body, thinking of his journey so far and the tasks that still lay ahead.
Focusing his green-lit eyes through his skull, he realized that he had somehow reactivated the wheel back during his confrontation with the head captain.
As he thought of that, two souls materialized in front of him as spheres of light. One burned orange with black marks swirling through it, while the other resembled a plaid glass orb.
Ty could feel the stagnant air around him as he gazed through the room, sensing a peculiar stillness.
Cold whispers filled his ears, and the black fog tightened around him as time began to accelerate.
"This feels like my ability," Ty said softly, finally answering a question that had been lingering in his mind since Elithira mentioned everyone possessing personal power.
When Ty tried to use the Goblin's soul, it broke apart into nothing, leaving a cold emptiness behind as his vision blurred.
"No, no," Ty mumbled. Doubt crowded in fast.
The void around him flickered, losing its grip on reality.
"I guess I can't stay here forever; it has its limits after all."
Acting on pure instinct and a hunch, Ty swiftly grabbed the flaming orb and with a twisting motion, shattered it into two halves.
One half disappeared as it transformed into a shard of energy while the other turned into a cloud of dust that traveled down his jaw and into his system.
His bones began to shift from black into black and red lines, then started glowing intensely with streaks of orange.
Time seemed to have rushed back at full speed.
A sharp pain struck at the back of Ty's ankle and an unseen force hit his jaw.
The next moment, he was quickly able to recognize his attackers in this darkness, they were men with pale blue skin, their cold, ghostly appearance added to the shock, making everything around feel surreal.
Two men seized Ty's arms, and twisted his bony shoulders outward, rendering him completely immobile.
Feeling trapped and overwhelmed, shock and confusion raced through his mind and despite making several attempts to make sense of what was really happening and trying to free himself, Ty wasn't able to set himself free from the heavy force that was pressing down on him.
The black fog condensed into a line, and a crushing force pinned Ty down. Every bone locked in place, even the pieces he usually treated like loose tools.
"I could probably release an extreme amount of heat," he thought. The idea might work, but he hesitated. "I don't know how long it will last. I need to be conservative here."
The thought annoyed him. Conservative did not feel natural when the room was collapsing into shadows and the people around him were trying to survive a planet-wide execution. But burning everything at once and falling apart afterward would help no one.
He forced himself to count the pressure, the distance, and the rhythm of the hands holding him down.
As the Yami King slowly lurched towards Ty from the outside of the bubble that trapped him, Elithira and Kieran were still having their clash.
Without her sword, Elithira was fighting Kieran with nothing but just her bare fists, evading the whip strikes and had lost her composure in the intense battle.
"Cancel the planet wipe now, or I will make you regret being reborn!"
Elithira seethed with anger and bloodlust as she slowly lost herself more with each passing moment.
Meanwhile, Kieran, who had sweat dripping down her eyelids while her pink hair was dancing with each attack she made, had received slight cuts on her cheeks, and urged, "I can't; that is way above my power. Even if you were--"
"This is what we always do," she explained, "when a planet is lost for too long. It's to stop HIM from getting more followers and becoming an even bigger threat."
Elithira moved with incredible speed as she landed a powerful blow on Kieran's stomach, prompting a small trickle of blood to flow from the corner of Kieran's lips.
However, Elithira, still looking fierce and carrying a resolute demanor, loudly declared, "You shouldn't worry about this place. It's not yours to worry about."
Feeling a lot of pain, Kieran struggled hard to speak, "I'm only here to take Yami King's soul," breathing heavily.
"That's just my job. I'm sorry if this place means something to you, but I can't do anything to save it either."
Kieran looked sorrowful and trapped, while Elithira burned with rage. Both were fighting for what they believed was right, and neither had enough time to explain it.
In a fit of rage, Elithira's fist crashed forcefully into Kieran's head, catapulting her violently against a rigid stone wall.
Despite the pain surging through her body, a fierce determination ignited within Kieran, urging her to clumsily rise back to her feet.
Then Kieran noticed an unusual object in Elithira's hand. A heartbeat later, the Demon King's daughter vanished.
Gasping and grappling with discomfort, Kieran hastily retrieved an earpiece from her pocket, fumbling to fit it into her ear by using her shaky hands, her fingers pressed a button on its side after securing it in her ear.
"Advisor 1, 2, 3, do you hear me?" Her voice trembled, uncertainty clouding her words. Silence filled the space, amplifying her confusion and desperation.
Gathering herself, she tried again, the weight of her words heavier this time, "Advisor 1, 2, 3, do you hear me?"
Amidst the silence, static crackled, and an aged voice finally responded, gruff and worn, "What do you want?"
Feeling a mixture of anxiety and urgency, Kieran explained, "Sir, retrieving the soul has become an uphill battle. The Demon King's forces are here as well and they are locked in battle with the Yami King.
They seem to be aware of our grim plan to obliterate the planet."
"Please advise the best course of action," Kieran said, desperation slipping into her voice.
Heavy silence hung before a sharp response shattered it. "BEST COURSE OF ACTION?!"
The voice on the other end was uncaring and authoritative. "Kill the Yami King, secure his soul, then pull back. Wait until the planet is purified, then return for the remaining souls."
Kieran hesitated, her voice slightly shaky, "Ye-yes, sir. And what about the Platinum soul that the Demon King possesses? The boy is present here as well. Should I attempt to secure him as well?"
There was a brief pause before the reply came, stern and resolute as before, "No, don't bother with him. Concentrate on your main goal and exit the area swiftly. You have approximately ten minutes before everything is set into motion."
Guilt settled in Kieran's chest before she could stop it.
Trying to mask it, she replied, "Yes, Sir," and ended the call. Her eyes drifted toward the heavy black sphere at the center.