The chapel collapsed.
Stone shattered.
Fire roared.
The ground split open beneath Vivi's feet as the enormous black hand tore its way into the world.
For one terrible moment, everything disappeared into dust.
"Haken!"
Vivi's scream vanished beneath the thunder.
The floor gave way.
She fell.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying among broken stone and glowing ash.
Silence surrounded her.
Too much silence.
The chapel was gone.
In its place stood a vast underground chamber older than any kingdom.
Ancient pillars rose from the darkness.
Their surfaces were covered in names.
Thousands of names.
Perhaps millions.
Every ruler.
Every hero.
Every monster.
All carved into the stone.
Vivi slowly stood.
The Crown of Bone and Fire felt strangely cold.
"Aurelia?"
No answer.
"Haken?"
Nothing.
Then—
A voice.
Deep.
Ancient.
Hungry.
"You carry her flame."
The chamber trembled.
Vivi turned.
At the far end of the darkness sat a colossal figure chained to a black throne.
Its body seemed made of shadow and stars.
Its face hidden behind a mask of cracked obsidian.
The chains binding it stretched endlessly into the earth.
Yet many had already broken.
One snapped even as she watched.
CLANG.
The sound echoed forever.
"Who are you?" Vivi demanded.
The creature laughed.
The sound hurt.
Not her ears.
Her soul.
"I have worn many names."
Another chain broke.
CLANG.
"The gods called me Ruin."
Another.
CLANG.
"The kings called me the End."
Another.
CLANG.
"Viper called me Master."
Vivi froze.
No.
That wasn't possible.
Even Viper had feared this thing.
Elsewhere...
Haken awoke buried beneath shattered stone.
Blood dripped down his forehead.
His wolf senses screamed.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The world smelled different.
Older.
He pushed the rubble aside and climbed to his feet.
Nearby stood Aurelia.
The First Queen looked pale.
Her fire flickered weakly.
"Haken."
"What happened?" he asked.
Aurelia stared into the darkness.
"The prison failed."
Haken's stomach tightened.
"The creature?"
Aurelia nodded.
"It existed before kingdoms."
"Before curses."
"Before the old gods."
Even speaking of it seemed difficult.
"What does it want?"
Aurelia looked toward the distant horizon.
Where black storms now covered the sky.
"Everything."
Far above...
Cenric crawled from the ruins.
His body shaken.
His smile gone.
For the first time, fear lived in his eyes.
"No..."
The ground beneath him cracked.
Dark mist escaped through the fractures.
"No, no, no..."
This wasn't the plan.
He wanted power.
Control.
Victory.
Not this.
A whisper rose from the earth.
"Cenric..."
His blood turned cold.
The voice knew his name.
"You opened the door."
A black mark appeared on his hand.
Burning itself into his skin.
The symbol of a broken crown.
Cenric screamed.
Deep below...
Vivi stood alone before the chained giant.
The creature slowly raised its head.
Behind the obsidian mask, two burning eyes opened.
Ancient.
Endless.
Terrible.
"You are Aurelia's heir."
The creature leaned forward.
Its chains rattled.
"And the wolf carries the last fang."
Vivi clenched her fists.
"You won't escape."
The creature smiled.
A horrifying thing.
"Oh, child."
Another chain shattered.
CLANG.
"I already have."
The entire chamber shook.
Above them, the kingdom trembled.
Mountains cracked.
The sea pulled away from the shore.
And somewhere in the darkness of the world...
Something answered its call.