The universe didn't just bend; it collapsed.
As the words [DOMAIN EXPANSION: BLOOD OF ETERNITY] left Mayanee's lips, the debris of the exploded planet stopped mid-air. The darkness of space was replaced by a deep, visceral crimson—a realm where time and physics were no longer governed by the stars, but by her blood.
The Monarch of Destruction tried to move, but his limbs felt like they were fused with lead.
"In this place," Mayanee's voice rang out, no longer coming from her mouth but vibrating through the very fabric of the domain, "your power is irrelevant. This is a realm of Absolute Paralyzation. Every atom of your existence is being weighed down by Infinite Mass. You aren't just in a trap, Monarch... you are inside a Living Black Hole."
But Mayanee didn't stop there. She didn't just want to win; she wanted to save the future. Using the last of her "Brain Spark," she projected her voice into the mind of every living being on Earth—from the terrified citizens in the shelters to the red-haired woman standing over Rax.
"Listen to me," her voice echoed in their souls. "I am Mayanee Reidan, the Strongest Arcon of Today. To save our world, I am committing the ultimate seal. I am locking my soul and the Monarch of Destruction within this void until the end of time."
On Earth, the red-haired adventurer looked at the sky, her molten eyes widening as she felt Mayanee's presence fading from the physical dimension.
"Do not let my sacrifice be in vain," Mayanee's voice grew faint, yet more urgent. "Every future Arcon... every adventurer... you must get stronger. The Monarch is sealed, but the war is not over. Prepare yourselves. I leave the light of the world in your hands."
The crimson sphere of the Domain began to shrink, folding in on itself until it was nothing more than a microscopic point of black light in the deep void of space.
Mayanee and the Monarch were gone.
The first thing Techyon felt wasn't pain—it was the silence.
He opened his eyes to the sterile, white ceiling of a hospital room. The hum of medical machinery replaced the roar of planetary explosions. For a moment, his mind was a blur of blue fire and red lightning, but then the memories hit him like a physical blow.
He remembered the Monarch's cold eye. He remembered Rax's laughter as the city burned. And most of all, he remembered the smell of ash as his friend and his mentor, Cindar, were incinerated before his eyes.
He closed his eyes, and Cindar's final, choked words echoed in his soul:
"Techyon... you have to go... go to the Hydro City. Meet the Hydro Arcon. You are the only one left..."
Techyon gripped the hospital sheets so hard his knuckles turned white. The "Strongest of Today," Mayanee, had sacrificed herself to buy them time. Cindar had died to give him a chance. He was no longer just a survivor; he was a living debt to the fallen.
'Cindar...' Techyon thought, his eyes snapping open with a new, cold determination. 'I will not let your sacrifice—or anyone's sacrifice—go to waste. I swear on my soul... I will kill Rax with my own hands. I will become the hope Mayanee spoke of.'
He stood up, tearing the IV drips from his arm. The war had just begun.
( The beginning Arc END)