Everything was moving too fast.
And the next moment—
it stopped.
Completely.
The lightning froze in the air.
Kairel's darkness froze like shattered glass.
Aki and So A… didn't move.
Even sound had vanished.
The world… stood still.
---
Only I—
didn't move.
Because…
I wasn't there.
---
A quiet ringing.
As if reality itself… had held its breath.
---
And then—
he appeared.
---
He didn't come.
He didn't take a step.
He simply… was already here.
---
Alikantios.
---
He hovered in the air, stretching lazily, as if he'd just woken from a tedious sleep.
His eyes—endless as galaxies—slowly turned.
At me.
No.
Right through me.
---
'Mmm…' he drawled, smiling. 'Well, at last things have got a bit interesting.'
---
He surveyed the battlefield.
Frozen.
Broken.
Incomplete.
---
'Oh, Ha Jin…' he chuckled. 'You're trying. Really. It's almost sweet.'
---
A pause.
---
He raised his hand.
And snapped his fingers.
---
The darkness around Kairal… shifted.
But it didn't crumble.
It changed.
---
'Let's add a little spice,' he said quietly.
---
Right behind Kairal—
something opened.
Not a portal.
Not a rift.
But…
something worse.
---
A depth.
Alive.
Hungry.
---
'I've added a toy for you,' said Alikantios cheerfully.
'A very powerful one.'
'Don't thank me.'
---
He tilted his head.
---
'And yes…'
---
He took a step forward.
And suddenly—
he looked straight…
beyond the edge.
---
At you.
---
'Hey, author,' he grinned wider.
'You won't stop me, will you?'
---
A pause.
Silence.
---
"I know you made me the way you'd want to be in this role."
He laughed softly.
---
"So I'm just… going to speed things up a bit."
---
He reached out his hand towards Kairal.
---
And placed the mark.
---
A subtle one.
Invisible.
But…
absolute.
---
'A mark of death,' he said calmly. 'To ensure Ha Jin's enemy is definitely finished off.'
---
Pause.
---
'And the boy himself…'
---
He looked at Ha Jin.
With interest.
With pleasure.
---
'Will grow stronger.'
---
He stepped back.
---
'Balance, you know.'
---
And suddenly—
he laughed.
Lightly.
Madly.
---
— Am I mad? No… it's just that you're too slow to get the joke.
---
He turned around.
Already walking away.
---
— Right, I'm getting bored.
---
Pause.
---
— I'm off… to have some fun with my wife.
---
CLICK.
---
Time returned.
---
EXPLOSION!
---
The world collapsed back into place.
Lightning struck.
The darkness screamed.
---
Kairel flinched.
For the first time—
his face contorted.
---
— What… is this…?
---
He clutched his chest.
---
— What have you done…?
---
I stood opposite him.
Breathing heavily.
---
'I…?'
---
I didn't understand.
---
But…
something had changed.
---
The SCAR inside…
was silent.
But not out of fear.
---
He waited.
---
Aki turned around sharply.
---
'Just now…'
---
So A frowned.
---
'It felt…'
---
Pause.
---
'…as if everything had vanished.'
---
'Forget it,' I said sharply.
---
They looked at me.
---
I didn't know myself why I'd said that.
---
But…
something inside me told me—
it was better not to think about it.
---
Kairel raised his head.
His eyes were trembling.
---
— You…
---
He looked at me.
But now—
there was more than just hunger in his gaze.
---
Fear.
---
— What are you…?
---
I took a step forward.
---
And smiled.
---
'The one who will kill you.'
---
The darkness around him exploded.
But now—
it was unstable.
---
As if…
something inside him was rotting.
---
— NOOO…!
---
He lunged forward.
Desperately.
Furiously.
---
I didn't move.
---
Because I knew.
---
He had already lost.
---
WHOOSH!
---
Our attacks collided.
---
And at that moment—
the mark activated.
---
Kairel's darkness began to devour…
himself.
---
— WHAT… IS… THIS…?!
---
He screamed.
For the first time.
For real.
---
I watched.
In silence.
---
— Impossible…!
---
His body was cracking.
The power was spiralling out of control.
---
— I… I…
---
Pause.
---
— …am immortal…?
---
Silence.
---
And then—
---
DISINTEGRATION.
---
The darkness collapsed.
Completely.
---
Empty.
---
Nothing remained.
---
Silence.
---
Aki was breathing heavily.
---
— Have we… won?
---
So A looked ahead.
In disbelief.
---
'He just…
disappeared…'
---
I remained silent.
---
Because I could feel it.
---
This isn't the end.
---
Somewhere deeper—
something had awakened.
---
And quietly…
it laughed.