The night sky above the capital was broken.
Half of it shimmered with stars — the other half flickered with digital cracks, like the world itself was tearing apart.
The summoning temple was in ruins now; priests were running, knights were shouting, and mana was flowing backward — toward the center of the kingdom.
Althea stood amidst the chaos, her white robes torn, the mark of the saint glowing faintly on her hand.
Her heart was pounding, but her eyes were calm.
> "Sion's voice… it's fading," she whispered.
"But he left a message — the Last Save Point…"
Behind her, Raven appeared, his cloak scorched from battle.
> "The world's collapsing. Half the kingdom's mana core is gone. What the hell did that goddess do?"
> "She's rewriting everything," Althea said. "She's trying to delete him."
Raven clenched his fist.
> "Then we'll find this save point — before she finds us."
---
🔹 Journey to the Forgotten Zone
Days passed as they traveled beyond the capital — through shattered forests, frozen ruins, and places where time itself glitched.
Everywhere they went, parts of the world flickered like broken code. Trees would turn transparent; rivers would reverse their flow; stars blinked in and out of existence.
> "It's like the world's dying," Raven muttered.
"No," Althea replied softly. "It's being rewritten."
They reached the Edge of Reality — a place the sages called The Boundary Field.
Beyond it lay only darkness, and a faint blue glow far away.
> "That light…" Althea said. "That's where he is."
Raven nodded.
> "Then let's go get your ghost-boy back."
She smiled faintly.
> "He's not just mine. He created all of this."
> "Yeah," Raven said, smirking. "And now it's our turn to save him."
---
🔹 The Save Point Chamber
They crossed into the void.
Instantly, gravity vanished — their bodies drifted through an ocean of floating memories: fragments of the past, shards of Syrion's world.
They saw flashes — a boy sitting alone in front of a computer, a young woman bringing him food, their laughter fading as years passed.
Then the image of Syrion typing endlessly, his eyes empty, whispering:
> "If no one plays my game… I'll live in it myself."
Althea covered her mouth, trembling.
> "He really… uploaded himself."
The fragments swirled around them until they reached a massive circular gate — a glowing ring with ancient runes written in binary.
At the center was a pulsing crystal, beating like a heart.
> [SYSTEM ACCESS POINT: LAST SAVE DATA FOUND]
Raven stepped forward.
> "So this is it. The place where everything started."
Althea touched the crystal gently.
> "And maybe… where it can end."
---
🔹 The Data Core Awakens
As soon as her hand touched the crystal, light burst outward.
Lines of code wrapped around her arm, merging with her saint mark. The crystal turned crimson, and a faint voice spoke:
> "Althea… is that you?"
Her eyes widened.
> "Sion!"
His voice was weak, scattered across static.
> "You found it… The Save Point… I didn't think anyone could reach me."
Tears streamed down her face.
> "I told you before, didn't I? I'll always follow you — even through worlds."
> "Then listen carefully," Sion said, his voice flickering. "This world is collapsing because the Goddess is using my original code — my creation. She's using my dream against me."
> "Then let's take it back," she said, her hand trembling against the crystal.
> "You can't," he whispered. "Not without paying the price. To overwrite the world… one soul must replace the system."
Raven's eyes darkened.
> "You mean someone has to become the new god?"
> "No," Sion said softly. "Someone has to become the core itself."
---
🔹 A Choice Between Worlds
The silence that followed was heavy.
Althea's hand remained on the crystal, the light now pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.
> "If I do this…" she said quietly, "will it save you?"
> "It'll save everyone," Sion answered. "But you'll disappear from this world. Your memories, your existence… everything."
Raven grabbed her shoulder.
> "No. There's got to be another way. We'll find it together."
She smiled gently at him — the kind of smile that said thank you, but I've already decided.
> "You're the true hero, Raven. This is your story now."
> "Don't you dare," he growled. "You think Sion would want that?"
> "He wouldn't," she said. "But he'd understand."
---
🔹 The Last Save Point
The chamber began to shake. The Goddess's voice echoed through the void.
> "Found you… little saint."
A golden hand reached from the darkness — enormous, divine, merciless.
Raven drew his sword, the blade glowing red from cracks of code.
> "Go!" he shouted. "Finish it!"
Althea closed her eyes and pressed her palm to the crystal.
The data flared around her, swirling into light.
> "Sion… if you can hear me…"
"Always," his voice whispered.
> "Then let's rewrite this world. Together."
The crystal shattered — and everything turned white.
---
⚡ End of Chapter 12: The Last Save Point
Next Chapter: Chapter 13 — The Goddess Reboot
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