The night sky above Eldoria burned with an ominous silver haze, as though the heavens themselves mourned what was about to come. The once proud Pacesetters Academy lay silent in the distance, its decrepited walls now a scar on the land, the broken spires and shattered courtyards now nothing more than a reminder of what had been lost to Endless' encroaching tyranny.

At the great gates of Eldoria, the gathered force stood. Valiant mages, armored melee fighters, and the stalwart guards of the Grey family tightened their ranks, each with eyes blazing as torches lined the walls, casting long shadows upon the ground as they were led by Drake and the his brother who is now the predecessor of the Elemental Eternal himself. The locals of Eldoria, too, had taken up arms—those who wields mana—though they were ordinary men and women, they were still hardened by the cruel reality that if they did not stand now, they would not live to see another sunrise.

And among them were those who carried far older legacies. The little force of elves led by Maeralyn and Velyrian stood with a quiet, ethereal grace. Lila, though half-human, radiated that same unshakable elegance, her power coiled like a tempest waiting to be unleashed. The air itself seemed to acknowledge her presence, bending faintly around her aura.

The Nullcarvers were the stark contrast—roughened men and women, their skin bearing the faint markings of their secret techniques. Neana, battered by age yet unbowed from her last confrontation in battle, stood at their head. Eirana, her gaze fierce and steady, carried the quiet determination of one who had long been the shield of her people. And now, it is even more evident as she is the only Juggernaut of her tribe. And standing beside her is Charlotte, who now exudes an aura that showed that she alone is an invulnerable fortress with her shield that is bigger than her.

The group that were right in the middle of all these people were the remaining students of Pacesetters Academy who has gone through hell to reach this stage in their lives. And the one leading them is Christopher whose aura is surprisenly wild and chaotic.

And at the very front, as if the world itself had positioned him there, stood Kaelen. His cloak stirred with the cold winds of the night, and though the weight of countless lives pressed upon his shoulders, his grip on the Blade of Eternity was steady. Kelvin, Rodriguez and Ethan flanked him, one carrying a mist like it is his extension, the other with the calm ferocity of a warrior who is forged to consume anything, while the last an embodiment of coordinated chaos and the beacon of the void itself.

"Before you all should leave, there is a rather disbelieving discovery that we just made that you all should know"

The murmur of the gathered forces quieted when two figures stepped forward—two beings who did not belong entirely to this world. The Eternals of Judgement and The Elements. Their presences alone made even the bravest soldier stiffen. Though they had chosen to remain behind to protect Eldoria, their words were sharp, etched with truth none could ignore.

"You go to confront Endless," one spoke, his voice resonating like the clash of a thousand bells. "But you must know this—he is no longer what he once was. His essence touches ours still, and through it, we feel the corruption. He is half a god now… a Demi-God. To face him is to face annihilation."

"What? Did I hear right?"

"Did he just say a demigod!?"

A ripple of unease passed through the ranks. Some lowered their heads, gripping their weapons tighter. Others closed their eyes in silent prayer. The Elves exchanged grim glances, while the Nullcarvers only clenched their fists harder, as though daring fate itself to deny them this battle.

Maeralyn stepped forward, her silver hair shimmering under the torchlight. "We did not come this far to falter at the gates of fear. If he is a demi-god, then so be it. Better to die striking him down than live in chains beneath his shadow."

Her words drew murmurs of agreement, but it was Kaelen who stepped forward then, and the murmurs fell silent. His gaze swept over the faces before him—Grey family knights, the Elves, the Nullcarvers, his closest companions, and the people of Eldoria. He saw fear in their eyes, but he also saw resolve. The kind of resolve that Endless could never shatter, no matter what power he attained.

"Endless has already taken too much from us," Kaelen said, his voice carrying across the assembled like steel drawn from a sheath. "He has broken our homes, claimed our families, drowned our world in despair. If he has risen beyond mortality, then we must rise beyond fear. We are not just fighting for victory—we are fighting for what remains of Aetheris itself."

Kelvin raised his right fists, red Qi like lightning sparking along its length. "And I say we bring the storm to his gates."

Guinevere stepped forward, her eyes burning with fire's reflection. "To hold back now is to spit on the graves of those who believed in us. Let us carry their hopes into battle."

Morris, who had been silent, rested a hand on the hilt of his weapon and spoke with quiet finality. "This ends tonight. Endless falls, or we all do. There will be no retreat."

"Yes, we can do this"

"Even if he is a demigod, we have Kaelen here that will put him in his place"

The tension shattered into a roar—mages raising their staffs, warriors slamming their blades against shields, elves lifting their bows, and Nullcarvers pounding fists to their chests, the Pacesetters Academy students were chanting Kaelen's name which made him to smile wryly. The ground itself seemed to tremble with the sheer will of Eldoria's defiance.

The Eternals exchanged a look, one part somber, one part resigned. "So be it," they said in unison. "We will guard what remains. But remember—should you fail, there will be no one left to carry the light."

The great gates of Eldoria creaked open then, revealing the road that stretched into the night. The road to Endless' kingdom. The road to either salvation or ruin.

Kaelen looked back once at the city that had become their last bastion of hope. His heart weighed heavy, but his resolve was unshakable. He lifted the Blade of Eternity, its azure glow cutting against the night.

"Onward!" he commanded.

And with that single word, the armies of Eldoria began their march toward destiny.

-------

The tremors that had plagued Endless' kingdom for days had finally quieted, replaced by a heavy, oppressive stillness that hung over the darkened land like a suffocating shroud. The very air seemed to quiver with unease, carrying whispers of power too great for mortal lungs to breathe. At the heart of it all, the obsidian palace of Endless loomed—an ominous citadel forged of jagged black stone, towering over the desolation like a scar upon the earth.

Inside, the throne room stretched vast and cavernous, its vaulted ceilings lost in shadow. Torches of pale blue flame licked along the walls, their light unable to fully pierce the oppressive darkness that gathered around the dais at the room's center. There, upon a throne carved from fused bone and crystal, sat Endless himself.

He no longer resembled the figure who once walked among mortals, hungry and broken. Now, his form radiated with the weight of half-divinity—his skin etched with faint lines of molten gold that pulsed faintly, as if rivers of celestial fire coursed beneath. His eyes were voids of swirling crimson and abyssal black, each glance carrying the pressure of collapsing stars. The aura that seeped from him bent reality itself, warping the air and forcing even shadows to bow.

At his right sat Kael Dragonyx, posture rigid, gaze narrowed, his once-arrogant smirk nowhere to be found. There was unease in his eyes—though whether it was awe or fear was unclear. On Endless' left, in stark contrast, lounged Alen the Dark Magi, calm, cold, his hands folded loosely over the head of his staff. His lips were curved faintly, as though he watched the beginning of a performance only he knew the ending of.

The throne room doors crashed open. Heavy footsteps echoed against the stone as the head of the goblins, a Hobgoblin draped in dark armor, rushed inside, his green skin slick with sweat, his fanged mouth gasping with every breath. He threw himself down at the foot of the dais, forehead pressing hard against the ground, trembling beneath the sheer weight of Endless' presence.

"My lord!" the goblin rasped, his voice breaking under terror. "News—grave news! My men… spies among the humans… they have seen it. The people of Eldoria—mages, warriors, even the elves and… the Nullcarvers—" he swallowed, voice hitching, "they march upon us! Their forces gather to storm your kingdom and end what they call your tyranny!"

The words rang in the cavernous silence, but no anger came from the throne. No thunder, no roar, no lash of fury.

Instead—Endless laughed.

"Hahahahaha!!!!"

It was not a sound of mirth, nor of mockery, but a guttural, vibrating laugh that shook the chamber like the tolling of a great, warped bell. It was a laugh so heavy with dark satisfaction that even Kael's breath caught.

"Finally…" Endless murmured, his voice so deep it thrummed in the bones of those who listened. His fragile looking fingers drummed slowly upon the throne's armrest. "The pieces have moved as they were meant to. The lambs believe themselves wolves, and they march willingly to their slaughter."

The goblin dared to lift his head slightly, eyes wide. "Then, my lord, shall we prepare the legions? The orcs, the trolls, the beasts of the Outlands—shall we summon them to crush the invaders at once?"

Endless' gaze slid down to him, and for an instant, the goblin's body seized, as though his very soul had been caught in an iron vice. Then Endless waved a single hand dismissively, releasing him.

"No," Endless said softly. "Let them come." His crimson-black eyes gleamed, a terrible hunger simmering within. "I have awaited this moment far too long to let my underlings cheapen it with a massacre."

Kael shifted, frowning slightly. "You mean to let them reach us? You would risk them laying waste to the outer territories?"

Endless leaned back into his throne, the faintest shadow of a smile curving his lips. "The outer territories are but dust beneath my feet. Let them march. Let them believe they bring war to my gates. Every step they take is another chain I draw tighter around them."

His gaze turned distant, though the weight of it filled the room like a stormcloud. "Kaelen Dragonyx…" he whispered, almost to himself. The name carried on the air like a prophecy. "The wielder of the Magic Pandora… the boy chosen by fate, the one who has defied me again and again. It is you who marches, is it not? You, who carry that blade… that light. How I have longed for the taste of it."

His fingers curled around the throne's edge, cracking the stone beneath his grip. The thought of Kaelen burned through him like fire, not hatred, but obsession—an irresistible fixation. "Do you hear me, Kaelen?" Endless whispered into the void, as though the boy were already before him. "Come. Bring your fire, your courage, your pitiful army. Bring everything you are. For it is in you that my ascension shall be completed."

Beside him, Kael Dragonyx could not suppress a shiver, his fists tightening against his knees. Alen, however, only allowed his smirk to deepen, though his eyes flickered with a cold calculation, as if cataloging every word for his own hidden purposes.

The goblin leader still knelt trembling, unsure if he was dismissed or merely spared for the moment.

Endless finally turned to him, voice soft but laced with cruel certainty. "Go. Spread word to the lesser commanders. Hold the borders lightly. Delay them, bleed them, but do not stop them. They must reach me. Kaelen must reach me."

The goblin swallowed hard, bowing lower before scrambling away, leaving only the sound of his retreating steps.

The throne room grew still once more, the silence now thrumming with anticipation, like the taut string of a bow. Endless leaned forward upon his throne, the faint light of his half-divine essence burning across his form.

"Soon," he whispered, his gaze lost in visions only he could see. "Soon, Kaelen… the final act begins. And when the curtain falls, there shall be no gods, no concepts, no mortals—only me."

The shadows in the throne room trembled, as though in agreement, and the palace of Endless waited, hungry for the storm that was coming.