When the cataclysmic clash shook the top of the crimson tower, the dreamers far below shuddered. Several lost their balance and fell to the ground as the vibration spread through the entire structure like a roar of destruction.
The very foundations of the tower groaned, and high above, something shattered with a terrifying sound. A moment later, the upper half of the tower split in two and began to slowly collapse to one side.
"TO THE PORTAL, NOW!"
The scream echoed through the chaos, dragging everyone back to reality.
'What the hell just happened?'
Sara pushed herself up, her mind still reeling from the impact, and saw the dreamers rushing toward the portal without hesitation, obeying the order.
Confusion was written all over her face as she searched through the shadows for her friends—the cohort that had rescued her.
And then she saw them.
They were running alongside the others, struggling to reach the portal before it was too late. At the front was Sunless, his expression fierce and desperate, pushing his body beyond its limits to escape this place. Beside him, the Shifting Star of the Undying Flame advanced with determination, leading the chaotic exodus.
A blind young girl ran while holding Nephis's hand, and a peculiar rapier danced around her, protecting her from any threats.
But… where were the other two?
Sara turned her head, scanning the crowd. Before she could find them, something struck her from behind.
Her body lurched forward, and—
'Huh? Huh? Why am I…? Am I being carried? Eh!?'
"W-Who…?"
"Listen, kid," the voice was unusually firm, "I've got enough on my plate carrying this prince without lugging you around too. So quit spacing out and move already."
Sara blinked, still disoriented. Of course, she recognized that voice instantly… but something was off.
'Since when does Effie sound so serious?'
"You can let go, I can—"
Her words hung in the air.
Because at that precise moment, the world went dark.
The light of the Forgotten Shore vanished.
No, not the sunlight.
The portal's light.
Silence fell like a crushing weight as the luminance of their only escape faded, leaving behind absolute darkness. A chilling crack echoed from deep within the tower, slithering through its structure like a curse, spreading all the way to the portal's runes.
The dreamers froze.
All except for Sunless and Sara.
In the pitch-black void, they were the only ones who saw the fissure spread… slowly… until—
Crack!
The sound was deafening.
And then, the whole world collapsed.
Sara wrenched herself free from Effie's grasp without wasting a second. She moved swiftly through the terrified dreamers, guiding the three of them back to the cohort.
"Nephis, light!" Sunless's voice rang out beside them.
Nephis's sword rose, and in an instant, white flames erupted around her. A pure light cut through the darkness, tearing the shadows from the tower's deepest corners.
Around them, cries of surprise and panic rippled outward like a growing echo.
"Hold onto something! Protect yourselves and watch out for debris!"
Nephis's words carried undeniable authority.
The dreamers reacted immediately. Those who possessed light-type Memories summoned them, while the rest clung to them like anchors amidst the chaos.
One heartbeat.
Another.
The ground split apart.
The tower came crashing down with a deafening roar, and the crowd was swept into the void.
Sara's stomach lurched as gravity claimed her. Her hands grasped at the coral as she plunged downward. Beside her, Effie did the same, her body tense but steady.
The screams of the fallen pierced the air. Some ended abruptly, swallowed by the thunderous collapse. Others faded into the distance, devoured by the darkness.
Sara tried not to listen.
The fall lasted longer than she expected. The corals turned into a labyrinth of danger—chunks of debris rained down from above, fragments of the summit smashed into the walls, and the ground continued to crumble beneath them.
Finally, her feet hit solid ground.
There was no relief.
The roar of destruction continued, and before they could catch their breath, the remaining walls tilted, surrendering to their own weight.
Sara looked up just in time to see the world collapse on top of them.
The survivors ran.
Rocks crashed into the ground with devastating force, sending clouds of dust into the air, shattering other debris, and crushing those who failed to escape.
Nephis moved with fierce elegance, dodging every falling fragment with lethal precision. Cassie, tied to her waist with a rope, was dragged along in her wake.
Sara heard the wind whistle past her and turned just in time to see a massive chunk of coral crash beside her. The impact sent a rain of smaller fragments clattering against her armor.
She looked up.
Sunless advanced through the falling wreckage with measured movements, his voice cutting through the chaos as he warned the others:
"Run for the exit!"
Caster blinked. An instant later, he was gone. With blinding speed, he reappeared at the edge of the collapse, pivoting on his heels to watch Nephis following close behind.
Sunny wasn't far behind. The rest of the army followed him like a river of shadows amidst the destruction.
Sara bolted.
To her right, something moved in the air. Her gaze caught a fleeting silhouette—a striking man, his body wounded but still agile as he slid effortlessly over the rubble.
Below, Effie twirled her spear in a single fluid motion. The blade sliced through the air, cleaving a massive rock before it could crush her.
Sara wasted no more time. Her legs pushed her forward until she finally reached the group.
The thunderous collapse behind them was deafening.
They ran as far as they could, and as they fled, one final glance revealed the silhouette of the crimson tower crumbling completely.
The colossus collapsed, sending a storm of dust and tiny rocks devouring the landscape and crashing down upon them.
The avalanche of debris engulfed them mercilessly. Fragments of coral struck their exhausted bodies, dragged by the violent tempest of destruction. Some dreamers conjured glowing shields, others took shelter behind them, and some only had time to raise their arms in a desperate attempt to shield their faces.
Sara gritted her teeth and raised her shield, a trophy taken from an Awakened beast during her travels with Nephis's Cohort. The curved barrier blocked the onslaught of dust and stones, and a dozen men and women huddled behind it, their ragged breaths echoing through the chaos.
Beside her, Effie did the same. Her shield, even larger, covered an even greater number of people. Her stance was firm, an unyielding wall against the devastation.
Some dreamers instinctively gathered, pressing their shields together in an improvised formation, creating a refuge for those without protection. They leaned on each other, their silhouettes blurred amidst the dust.
The storm of debris lasted an eternity.
Finally, the chaos subsided.
The dust began to settle, revealing trembling figures emerging from their refuge. Some coughed, others exchanged vacant stares, unable to believe they had survived.
And then, silence.
A crushing emptiness consumed the space, more terrifying than the roar of the collapse.
Before them, the crimson tower was no more.
The colossus that had once stood as their only escape was now reduced to scattered ruins. The gateway had vanished, along with the artificial sun that had once illuminated the Forgotten Shore. Even the black sea seemed to have disappeared into the gloom.
Nothing remained.
They stood there.
Trapped.
Abandoned.
Dread hung in every gaze. Horror, despair, disbelief. The only hope they had clung to had turned to dust and rubble.
And then, in the darkness, a light emerged.
The Shifting Star of the Undying Flame stepped forward. Her pure white radiance cut through the void, casting elongated shadows over the ruined ground.
At her side, a dark-haired boy moved in silence. His eyes were like onyx, cold and enigmatic. Beside him, a petite girl walked with her head held high, her eyes hidden beneath a blindfold. A rapier floated at her side, sharp and menacing.
The entire army watched them.
With awe.
With uncertainty.
With fear.
She had been the one to lead them out of the Dark City.
The one who had slain the Tyrant that had oppressed them.
The one who had guided them to the siege of the Crimson Spire.
The one who had led them to the exit… and now, that exit was gone.
Nephis, the Star of Ruin, raised her sword. She prepared to speak to the seventy dreamers who had survived the disaster.
But before she could utter a single word—
A sound tore through the stillness.
A crash, like debris being thrown into the air.
Something moved beyond the reach of her light.
A presence.
And then, the Forgotten Shore was illuminated once more.
But this light was not pure.
It was not warm.
It was oppressive. Corrupt. Scorching.
The Aerial Terror emerged from the rubble of the collapsed tower, its golden wings gleaming with a sickly glow. Its silhouette rose against the darkness, bathing the world in a distorted light.
The nightmare was not over yet.