The sky bled red and gold.
As Eris charged into the storm, dust and lightning coiled around him like serpents of flame. His boots sank into the trembling ground, every step dragging him deeper into a storm that wasn't mere weather—it was alive.
The Herald hovered above him, untouched by chaos. Her cloak flowed like liquid light, and with each gesture of her hand, the sand obeyed—forming spears, blades, and storms of fire that crashed down around him.
Eris drew his plasma blade. The edge flared bright blue, hissing as it met the dust-fire.
> "You shouldn't exist here," the Herald's voice rippled through his mind. "This planet was sealed long before your kind learned to crawl."
Eris ducked under a blade of sand, countered with a rising slash that split the air with thunder.
> "Then maybe it's time someone unsealed it."
The impact sent shockwaves through the temple ruins. Fractured pillars fell, carving deep trenches in the Martian soil. Energy surged through the ground—crimson light pulsing with every strike.
From the ship's viewports, Kai and Nova watched in horror.
> "He's fighting that?!" Nova gasped.
"Not for long if he doesn't retreat!" Kai cursed, slamming his hands on the console. "Systems are critical!"
Outside, the Herald extended both hands, and a dozen orbs of golden flame spun into existence.
> "Your defiance is meaningless. The crystal's core has already chosen."
Eris's heart pounded. "Chosen… who?"
> "The one who carries the Echo of Origin. The child born beneath the blue sun."
Eris's eyes widened. He didn't understand the words—but deep inside, the crystal fragment pulsed violently, reacting to her tone.
The flames launched toward him. He leapt, the world blurring in streaks of red. His blade cleaved through the first orb—detonating it in a shockwave that hurled him back across the dunes. He crashed hard, armor sparking, vision dimming.
The Herald descended slowly, her feet never touching the ground.
> "You bear a shard of what should not be. Return it, and your end will be swift."
Eris groaned, forcing himself up. The crystal inside his chest burned hotter, and for an instant, he saw flashes—visions of Liora, of Earth, of the cloaked figure who forged the crystal long ago.
"You'll have to kill me first," he said hoarsely.
The Herald's eyes glowed brighter.
"So be it."
The sky split.
The storm erupted in a sphere of raw energy, and everything—sand, stone, flame—was swallowed by blinding light.
Far away, in another dimension of echoing corridors, Liora felt the shock. The ground beneath her shimmered as golden gates trembled.
"Eris…" she whispered, eyes wide in terror.