The Celestial Wound glided through the void, carrying not just a crew, but a prophecy in motion. Jin Long stood alone in the starmap chamber, eyes locked on the Seed of Emotion newly embedded beside the Genesis Core within him. Its presence resonated with sorrow, but also strength—grief refined into power. Lyssaria's gift had changed him.
A flicker appeared on the holomap—a drifting signature beyond the Void Frontier.
Elder Ji entered behind him. "That's no ordinary signal. It's coming from the Celestial Tomb."
Jin turned slowly. "You mean the grave of the Ancient Ones? The place even the Elders sealed away?"
Ji nodded. "No one's dared approach in millennia. But the Seed's awakening seems to have stirred it. And more troubling… Vael'thyr is heading there."
—
Within hours, they reached the edge of the Tomb. It floated like a broken cathedral across a dead nebula—fragments of ancient planetary shells forming cryptic runes around it. A massive circular gate hovered in front, sealed by layers of celestial sigils.
Yue Lan joined Jin at the ramp, both clad in reinforced elemental armor. "We should be careful. The energy here is neither dead nor alive."
As they approached, the Tomb's gate recognized the Genesis Core's presence. With a deep rumble, the sigils unraveled, and the gate peeled open like a flower made of stars.
Inside, the tomb felt timeless. Statues of colossal beings stood guard—each one holding fragments of what looked like worlds. The walls were engraved with histories not written in any known tongue.
And at the center stood a sarcophagus wrapped in chains of light and dark. Floating above it was a spear.
Not just any weapon.
But The Spear of Aeons—the last weapon forged by the Ancient Ones before the Celestial War. Said to pierce not flesh, but destiny itself.
As Jin reached for it, a voice echoed.
"You seek a power not meant for mortal hands."
From the shadows stepped a figure—half-cloaked, face obscured, yet exuding a terrifying presence. Not Vael'thyr… but something else.
"I am Xir'Nath. Guardian of the Tomb. Herald of Forgotten Truths."
Jin Long raised his hand toward his sword, but Xir'Nath shook his head. "Fighting me will break your soul. I do not come to end you… but to test your will."
With a snap of his fingers, the tomb dissolved into a dreamscape of memory and illusion.
Jin Long stood once more in the ruins of his village—his parents alive. His brother smiling. Yue Lan at his side, unburdened, dressed in the robes of peace.
It was perfect.
Too perfect.
"Would you stay here," Xir'Nath's voice whispered, "If it meant never suffering again? No war. No pain. No Core. Only the life you were denied."
Jin Long's heart ached—but he closed his eyes.
"I'd rather bleed in truth than sleep in a lie."
He drew his sword—and the illusion shattered like glass.
The Guardian knelt. "Then the Spear is yours."
Jin reached out and grasped the Spear of Aeons. The moment his fingers wrapped around it, his vision flooded with the memories of the Ancient Ones—gods and monsters, creators and destroyers. And within that ocean of memory, he saw a future not yet written… where Vael'thyr sat upon a throne of collapsing stars.
And in his hand… was Yue Lan.
Jin fell to his knees, gasping.
"What did you see?" she asked, helping him up.
He looked at her, eyes burning with fury and dread.
"The end. And the price if we fail."
—
As they returned to the Celestial Wound, the Spear now bound to Jin's soul, the stars above seemed to dim.
Far away, in a dark chamber within the Void Citadel, Vael'thyr opened his eyes.
"So… you've found the Tomb," he whispered. "Good. The pieces move faster now."
And behind him, a massive entity stirred—the Father of Voids.