Chapter 78: Collapse From Within
It didn't happen all at once.
That would have been easier.
It spread.
Quietly.
Subtly.
Like a thought that didn't belong.
But felt real.
Eryndor – Across the Districts
A man shoved another in the street.
No reason.
No warning.
"…Watch where you're going!"
The second man snapped back—
Too quickly.
Too aggressively.
"…You think you're better than me?!"
The argument escalated.
Voices rising.
Hands moving.
Violence.
Elsewhere.
A merchant accused a guard of theft.
A guard drew his weapon.
Civilians scattered.
In another district.
Two guilds clashed again.
But this time.
No orders.
No strategy.
Just anger.
Just instinct.
Just…
Something pushing them.
Central District – Command Sector
Reports flooded in.
Too many.
Too fast.
"…Fights breaking out across five districts!"
"…Units aren't responding to command structure!"
"…They're turning on each other!"
Rhyen slammed his hand against the table.
"…Contain it!" he barked.
"…We're trying!" someone snapped back.
A pause.
"…They're not listening!"
Silence hit hard.
Because that meant.
Command was breaking.
Control.
Gone.
"…This is her," Rhyen muttered.
A pause.
"…That Devourer…"
Nyxara.
Outer Sector – Rooftop Overlook
Kael stood above the chaos.
Watching.
Feeling it.
Everywhere.
Not just conflict.
Amplification.
Fear turned to aggression.
Doubt turned to hostility.
Thoughts.
Twisted.
"…It's worse than before," Nyra said.
Her voice was tight.
"…It's spreading faster."
Tovin nodded grimly.
"…She's not forcing them."
A pause.
"…She's enhancing what's already there."
Bram clenched his fists.
"…Then we knock them out and drag them back to their senses."
"…That won't work," Lira said quietly.
Everyone looked at her.
"…Because they think they're right."
Silence.
That was the problem.
Kael stepped forward slightly.
"…She's turning perception into reality," he said.
A pause.
"…And once they believe it…"
His gaze darkened.
"…They act on it."
Below.
A group of civilians surrounded a lone guild member.
Accusing.
Shouting.
He raised his weapon.
Terrified.
"…Stay back!"
Too late.
They rushed him.
Kael vanished.
Not fast.
Instant.
He reappeared between them.
The moment before impact.
The space shifted.
Violence halted.
The civilians froze.
Breathing hard.
Eyes wide.
Confused.
"…What…?" one of them whispered.
The influence flickered.
Just slightly.
Kael's presence pushed against it.
Not removing it.
Interrupting it.
"…Step back," he said calmly.
Slowly.
They did.
Not fully aware of why.
But enough.
Kael exhaled slowly.
Then he felt it again.Stronger.Closer.
The shadows.
Not visible.
But present.
Moved through the streets.
Touching more people.
Spreading further.
"…I can't be everywhere," he said quietly.
The team regrouped around him.
"…Then we split," Bram said immediately.
"…No," Kael replied.
A pause.
"…That's what she wants."
Divide.
Isolate.
Break.
Nyra stepped forward.
"…Then what do we do?" she asked.
Kael didn't answer right away.
Because the answer.
Wasn't simple.
And it wasn't safe.
"…We change the field," he said finally.
Tovin's eyes narrowed.
"…Define."
Kael looked out across the city.Burning.
Fracturing.
Collapsing.
"…She's influencing individuals," he said.A pause.
"…So I influence the system."
Silence.
Because that.
Was dangerous.
"…Kael…" Lira said softly.
"…If you push too far"
He shook his head.
"…I know."
A pause.
"…But if I don't…"
His gaze hardened.
"…There won't be anything left to protect."
Below another clash erupted.
Then another.
And another.
The city wasn't holding anymore.
It was breaking.
Kael stepped forward.
And this time.
He didn't hold back.
His presence expanded.
Far beyond before.
Not controlled.Not contained.Reaching.Spreading.
Touching everything.
The city reacted instantly.
Fights slowed.
Voices faltered.
Movements hesitated.
Not stopped.
But disrupted.
Two forces now clashed.
Invisible.
Nyxara's influence.
Kael's control.
Across the entire city.
The air itself felt unstable.
Like reality was being contested.
"…He's doing it…" Nyra whispered.
"…He's countering her."
Tovin's expression tightened.
"…At this scale…?"
A pause.
"…That's not sustainable."
Kael stood at the center.
Eyes closed.
Breathing steady.
But strained.
Because this.
Wasn't a fight.
It was a clash of presence.
And somewhere.
Deep within the unseen.
Nyxara noticed.
A faint whisper echoed.
Soft.
Amused.
"…Good."
A pause.
"…Struggle."
Because the more he resisted.
The more he revealed.
And the more the Devourer Lords.
Learned.
Kael's hand trembled slightly.
Just once.
But enough.
Because this.
Was only the beginning.
And already.
It was pushing him to his limits.