"Everyone, follow Sunless!"
Nephis's voice rang out with power, cutting through the darkness and reaching the ears of every Dreamer in the army. Instantly, hundreds of eyes turned toward Sunny's small figure, standing amidst the shadows.
Knowing he couldn't afford to hesitate in front of so many warriors, he lifted his head and shouted for them to follow. Beneath his feet, Shadow moved ahead, gliding like a specter in search of the best path to ascend the crimson tower.
Nephis ran beside him, her sword raised high, radiating a brilliant light that stood like a beacon in the darkness, guiding lost souls toward their only salvation.
The army did not waver. The Changing Star's command was absolute. Hundreds of bodies moved as one, chasing after the small scout.
Among the crowd, Sara ran alongside Effie, who carried Kai over her shoulder. They pushed their way through the mass of Dreamers while Sara's eyes scanned the tower's interior. It was grim, decayed, and rotting, yet its walls had endured millennia without collapsing.
Across its vast structure, towering coral spires stretched in a chaotic maze of intertwined paths, like a petrified plague.
Thanks to her night vision, Sara caught sight of Sunny's shadow gliding swiftly across a high coral path—one that sloped gently upward and was wide enough for several people to cross at once.
Just a dozen meters ahead, Sunny led the charge with Nephis at his side and the blind Seer running a step behind.
The army reached the coral formation and began their ascent. The entire tower trembled, threatening to collapse at any moment.
From above, small fragments of rock and coral rained down incessantly. Yet, amid the falling debris, Sara detected something else lurking in the darkness.
Beyond a coral peak, thousands of shadowy figures emerged from the abyss.
'What… are those things?'
They did not seem alive. Their human-like shapes were vague, erratic. Some wandered aimlessly, without purpose, while hundreds more remained utterly still, silently watching the Dreamers.
A shiver ran down her spine. She turned to her usually cheerful friend, hoping to confirm if Effie also saw the eerie scene, but at that moment—something changed.
It was subtle, yet undeniable.
The air grew dense, heavy with an invisible pressure.
And a second later, a deafening explosion erupted across the Forgotten Shore.
The crimson tower shook violently.
Dreamers screamed as an overwhelming force crashed down upon them, crushing their bodies with an indescribable weight. A piercing, shrill noise—like the wailing of a thousand damned souls—ripped through their ears.
Sara staggered, clutching her head as unbearable pain assaulted her. She felt something warm trickle between her fingers… blood.
The entire army suffered the impact. Dozens of Dreamers collapsed to their knees, some losing consciousness instantly.
Dazed, Sara struggled to lift her gaze.
Through the distortion of her damaged hearing, she spotted Nephis's radiant figure at the front, shouting with unshaken resolve.
She couldn't hear her, but she didn't need to.
The message was clear: Keep moving forward.
The Dreamer army was forged in the hell of the Forgotten Shore. Though battered, they did not falter. One by one, they steadied themselves and resumed the march.
Sara forced herself to move. Beside her, Effie gritted her teeth, pressing forward with a grimace of pain.
When Sara glanced back, the dark silhouettes were slowly fading into the abyss.
But there was no time to investigate further.
A titanic crash shook the tower as three massive stone blocks plummeted from above.
One of them struck the ground between the shadows and the Dreamers. Another obliterated nearly a third of the coral paths. The last fell somewhere beyond her sight.
Sara watched as a dozen human figures were swallowed by the black void, vanishing without a single scream.
Some Dreamers tried to help. Others pushed forward mercilessly. Many simply kept running, not daring to look back.
They leapt from one coral path to another, chasing after Sunny in a desperate dash toward the summit.
Then, another earth-shattering blast tore through the crimson tower.
High above, a portion of the wall collapsed, allowing a blinding light to flood the interior.
Some Dreamers stopped to glance outside, paralyzed. Their faces reflected a mix of fear and awe.
Only when Nephis's firm voice snapped them out of their daze did they react.
"Don't just stand there! Keep moving!"
The army pushed forward, forcing themselves to ignore the ominous presence beyond the tower.
But now, golden light illuminated the vast interior, revealing the countless coral paths still left to traverse.
And far above—a stone platform. Their final destination.
With newfound clarity, the Dreamers quickened their pace.
Sara rushed ahead with the others onto a wider coral path, and for a fleeting moment, a memory surfaced in her mind.
The Radiant Flash.
She forced herself to look beyond the tower's walls.
And there it was.
A golden colossus soared through the skies, its four majestic wings spread wide like a deity descending upon the earth.
Its massive beak shone like the edge of a celestial blade. Its brilliance rivaled the very sun.
—
High above the Forgotten Shore, the golden terror moved at terrifying speed.
The Terror of the Crimson Spire had unleashed its full wrath, bombarding the intruder with a deluge of purifying light.
Pillars of radiance descended like the judgment of a vengeful god.
The Aerial Terror, swift and fierce, weaved between them with supernatural agility.
But it couldn't evade them forever.
With each passing second, the storm of solar rays grew fiercer.
The air burned, warped by the heat and unleashed energy.
Above, the Aerial Terror prepared its own attack.
Golden light swelled within its chest, expanding into a blinding glow.
But just as it was about to release it…
A mistake.
A single mistake.
And in an instant, the Terror of the Tower's light struck home.
The impact tore through its corrupted soul, ripping an inhuman scream from the golden radiance.
The battle had turned in favor of the crimson terror.
—
Note: Continuing the battle—big things are coming—and a MUCH more drastic shift from the canon.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
P.S.: I plan to stretch this fight over a few more chapters, so apologies for the shorter ones! ;)