The wind carried the scent of ash and blood as Lian stumbled through the trees, one hand pressed against his ribs where the lightning spear had torn through him.
The Tyrant's Heart pulsed faintly now, no longer roaring as it had in battle. Almost as if it were… waiting.
He hated that feeling.
It wasn't his heart. It was something else living inside him.
Something older.
Something stronger.
Something dangerous.
The night sky still burned where the second Forbidden Core had fallen. Even from here, miles away, the streak of violet flame cut across the darkness like a wound in the heavens.
Lian knew he shouldn't go closer.
He needed rest. His body screamed with every step. His weapon was broken.
But something inside him—the same thing that had carried him through the Beast Tide, through the Core King's hunters—pulled him forward.
He had the first Core.
If someone else claimed the second…
He couldn't let that happen.
Hours passed before he reached the edge of the impact zone.
The forest here was silent.
No insects. No birds. No wind.
Even the trees seemed to shrink away from the crater at the center of it all, their trunks blackened as though the very earth had caught fire.
The Forbidden Core floated there, suspended above the ground.
A sphere of fractured crystal, glowing faintly with a pulsing, heartbeat-like rhythm.
Each beat sent waves of energy rippling outward, making the air itself shimmer.
Lian felt it hit him like a physical thing—raw power, older than the kingdoms that now ruled this land.
The Tyrant's Heart answered inside his chest, its pulse syncing with the Core's rhythm.
[Warning: Forbidden Core Resonance Detected.]
[Power Signature: Unknown. Threat Level: High.]
The system's voice echoed faintly in his mind.
Lian gritted his teeth. He didn't need the warning. He could feel the danger in his bones.
Then he wasn't alone.
A ripple of power rolled through the clearing.
And something stepped out of the smoke.
Tall. Armored in plates that gleamed faint silver under the burning sky. A long cape trailed behind him, stitched from the hides of creatures Lian didn't recognize.
And on his helm, the same emblem as the scouts—
A burning crown.
But this one glowed brighter.
This was no scout.
This was a Core King.
"Interesting," the man said, voice smooth but carrying the weight of command.
Lian tightened his grip on his broken sword, body tensing.
The Core King's gaze swept over the crater, then settled on Lian.
"So. The Tyrant's Heart truly beats again."
He began walking forward. Each step was measured, controlled—like a man who had never known defeat.
Lian felt his muscles lock in instinctive fear.
This wasn't like the scouts.
This one felt… heavier. Like the air itself bent around him.
"You have something that does not belong to you," the Core King said softly. "Return it."
Lian's laugh came out rough. "Not happening."
The man tilted his head. "Do you even know what you carry? That heart once belonged to the Tyrant of Stars. He crushed kingdoms, burned worlds, slew gods themselves. He made kings kneel."
His eyes narrowed.
"And you wear his heart like a child playing king."
Lian didn't respond.
Because part of him wondered if the man was right.
The Tyrant's Heart pulsed faster now, reacting to the Core King's presence.
It felt like anger.
Like recognition.
[Warning: Host Integrity 41%. Overclocking Risk: Critical.]
[Recommendation: Retreat.]
The system's cold voice cut through his thoughts.
But Lian didn't retreat.
Because the Core King wasn't moving toward him.
He was moving toward the Forbidden Core.
The realization hit like a spark.
If the Core King claimed the second Core, he would grow stronger.
And Lian had seen what just one scout could do.
He couldn't allow it.
The Core King reached the crater's edge.
"Another piece of the Tyrant's legacy," he murmured. "Soon, the Nine shall rise again."
He reached out a gauntleted hand toward the Core.
And that was when Lian moved.
He didn't remember choosing to.
The Tyrant's Heart roared inside him, drowning out pain, exhaustion, even thought.
He launched himself forward, broken sword swinging in a silver arc.
The Core King caught the blade with two fingers.
Metal screamed.
The broken weapon snapped like a twig.
Lian barely had time to register shock before the man's boot hit his chest, hurling him back across the clearing.
"You are not ready," the Core King said simply.
Energy crackled along his arm as he turned back toward the Core.
Lian coughed, blood filling his mouth. He couldn't win this.
But he couldn't not fight.
Because if the Core King walked away with that Core, there would be no stopping him.
The Tyrant's Heart pulsed again.
Louder.
Faster.
Like it was alive.
Like it wanted out.
[System Override Activated.]
[Tyrant's Heart Sync: 12%… 19%… 27%…]
Lian screamed as energy tore through him.
His skin glowed faint gold, cracks of light racing along his arms.
The Core King turned, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Oh," he said softly. "Perhaps this will be interesting after all."
But before either could move again, the Forbidden Core itself reacted.
Its glow intensified, blindingly bright.
A shockwave blasted outward, knocking both Lian and the Core King back.
And from the center of the Core…
Something began to crawl out.
That was the moment Lian realized the Forbidden Cores weren't just power sources.
They were prisons.
And something had just been freed.