Upper Realm...
Above the mortal world, the air was still. Too still.
Two voices echoed in the white void between realms.
"This is impossible, Arcadia. A human's grief, his rage—it pushed back celestial energy. That should not be possible."
"I felt it too," the other replied. The voice was quieter, steadier, but threaded with unease. "If he gives in to it fully, we won't be able to touch him. No one will."
A silence lingered. The weight of inevitability pressed in.
"We have to get through to him… before he's gone."
The stillness shattered.
...
...
The corridor lights flickered, buzzing faintly as Franz walked. His hood still hung low, damp strands of hair clinging to his forehead. His eyes were hollow, fixed somewhere beyond sight.
Behind him, a shuffle of footsteps echoed. The rest of the main cast had caught up, their chatter dimming as their gazes locked onto his stiff frame.
