The dawn that followed was the quiet kind—the sort that deceived mortals into believing peace had returned. Yet beneath the horizon, the world's foundation was cracking.
From the tower where he had watched the night die, Nex could see the fracture lines widening across the dukedom like veins of molten silver. Each pulse of light carried the echo of dying divinity.
[System Notice: Dimensional collapse—82%. Estimated total failure in 67 hours.]
He rolled his shoulders slowly. "So it begins."Beside him, Alfred's eyes flickered azure. "My lord, the eastern chapel's energy is spiking. I suspect a containment breach.""Or a dying god grasping for what's left." Nex's tone was almost serene. "Either way, it's time."
He descended from the watchtower. His steps were silent, his shadow long and deliberate. As he walked through the market square, he felt the weight of unseen gazes pressing from all sides—souls already untethered. People knelt at broken shrines, whispering prayers to deities who no longer answered.
Nex's eyes lingered on a child clinging to a cracked idol. "Worship is always loudest before extinction," he murmured.
At the same hour, within the duke's manor, chaos bloomed.
The tremors had begun subtly—quills shaking, chandeliers trembling. Then came the roaring. The entire sky turned into a swirl of crimson and gold as the barrier around the dukedom began to fail. Mages ran through the corridors, servants screamed, guards scrambled to arm themselves.
In the heart of it all stood Elara Valefort, her silvery hair undone from its braids, her crimson-and-ivory robe fluttering in the wind pouring through shattered windows. She was commanding the protective circle herself, one palm over the blood rune, her voice steady despite the tremors.
"Fortify the southern pillar! Don't waste essence on the western barrier—it's already ruptured!"
Her attendants obeyed, though panic flickered in their eyes. Elara did not allow herself the luxury of fear. The duchy was her birthright—and her prison—and she would not let it fall without a fight.
Still, deep inside her heart, the image of the man from last night refused to fade.Those eyes—calm, void-like—had looked at her not as a noble or a woman, but as though he could see every thread of fate binding her. Even now, remembering it sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Outside the manor walls, Nex watched the sky burn. The ground quaked beneath his feet as structures collapsed one by one, dragged into the rising fissures.
Alfred spoke quickly, "If the central sigil falls, the duchy will implode. Probability of total death—ninety-six percent."
"Then we'll lower it to zero," Nex replied.
He extended his hand. A thin scarlet glyph ignited on the back of his palm—the Reaper's Mark. His aura expanded, pressing against reality like a tide. Wind twisted violently, forming a vortex around him.
[New skill unlocked – Abyssal Dominion: Temporarily stabilizes collapsing space within 500 meters.]
Cracks in the air sealed wherever his aura touched. The ground steadied, even if only for a heartbeat.
Alfred's synthetic eye brightened. "You stabilized an entire district. Astounding."
"Not enough. The source still bleeds."He vanished in the next breath—reappearing within the manor's upper wing.
He arrived amidst panic. Guards turned, shouting, but their weapons froze midair, halted by invisible pressure. Nex passed between them like a whisper, following the faintest current of spiritual energy until he reached the grand hall.
There she was—Elara—kneeling within a ring of collapsing sigils, her aura flaring in defiance of a divine curse. Sweat glistened along her neck, her hands trembling as she tried to channel mana into the failing barrier.
For a brief moment, Nex simply watched. The sight stirred something rare inside him—admiration, perhaps, or the distant echo of empathy.
He raised his hand. "Enough."
His voice was soft, but the entire hall froze. The crimson light of her sigil dimmed, responding instinctively to his dominance.
Elara turned sharply, her eyes widening. "You—!"
Before she could finish, the ceiling ruptured. Shards of marble fell toward her. Nex blurred forward; his cloak whipped once, and the debris disintegrated into dust. He caught her by the wrist, pulling her upright in one smooth motion.
"Let go!" she snapped, but her voice lacked conviction. His presence was overwhelming—his gaze, absolute. The faintest trace of the same golden glow from the night before lingered in his eyes.
"You'll die if you continue alone," he said evenly. "This world doesn't belong to gods anymore. It belongs to those who can survive its end."
"Who are you?" she demanded. "Why do you care?"
Nex's lips curved faintly. "Perhaps I don't. But you caught my attention."
Their eyes locked. For an instant, the chaos around them seemed to fade; only the sound of their breathing filled the space. Her pulse raced, her fingers trembling slightly where he held her hand. He was far too close.
"Release me…" she whispered.
Instead, he leaned closer—not as threat, but as certainty—until his voice brushed against her ear."Breathe. And watch closely."
He raised his free hand toward the ceiling. Shadows erupted outward like black wings, sealing the breach above. Energy rippled across the room, restoring what moments ago had seemed beyond repair.
Elara's eyes widened in awe. "What—what did you do?"
"Bought you time," he said simply, releasing her. "Now use it."
[System Notice: Objective updated – Target secured. Stability +15%.]
"Target?" she repeated.
Nex ignored the question, stepping back toward the shattered window. "This world is crumbling. If you stay, you'll vanish with it."
Her voice trembled slightly. "Then… where should I go?"
He extended his hand toward her. The portal—black with faint starlight—opened behind him. "Come with me."
Elara hesitated. Her duty, her home, everything she had ever known burned behind her. Yet when she looked at him—at those calm, steady eyes—something inside whispered that perhaps fate had already chosen.
She placed her hand in his.
The moment their fingers touched, the entire manor detonated in golden light. Nex's cloak flared, wrapping around her as they vanished through the portal. Behind them, the world of Dukedom Valefort imploded into silence.
Ashen Citadel – Hall of Eternity
The air shimmered as the portal sealed. Elara stumbled forward, catching herself on the marble steps. The palace stretched endlessly above her—black towers gilded with starlight, rivers of ethereal mist running along the floor.
Nex stood beside her, unbothered, his voice calm. "Welcome to the Ashen Citadel. You're safe here."
Elara turned slowly, awe battling disbelief. "This… this is another world?"
"Something like that," he replied. "Between life and death."
[System Notice: Mission 1 complete – Elara Valefort rescued. Reward: Soul Link (Initial Bond Formed).]
She blinked as faint golden light circled her wrist, connecting briefly to his before fading.
"What is this?" she asked softly.
"A mark of survival," Nex said. Then, after a pause, "And perhaps the beginning of something else."
For a fleeting instant, their gazes met again—and this time, the silence between them was not cold.
Alfred approached, bowing. "First mission successful, my lord."
Nex nodded, his tone half-amused. "One down. Eighteen to go."
He glanced once more at Elara, who stood quietly by the steps, staring at the distant galaxies outside the citadel's windows. The faintest smile ghosted across his face.
Perhaps salvation begins with one hand held through the void.
End of Chapter 2