Eldoria's skies still smoldered.
Repair drones swarmed like silver wasps, sealing cracks across the floating citadels. Soldiers carried their wounded. Bells tolled — not for celebration… but warning.
Inside the Healing Sanctum — Tristan lay suspended in a cocoon of emerald soil essence, breath weak, skin pale with creeping darkness. The curse spread like black vines beneath his skin.
Samuel hadn't moved from his bedside in hours.
His hands hovered over Tristan, terrified to touch him — terrified he'd make it worse.
Kaelen strode into the chamber, cape trailing, expression stone-cold.
Ignara and Zephira followed — quieter than usual.
"Herindor," Kaelen said, voice tight.
"We need to address what happened."
Samuel barely blinked.
"What happened… is that Tristan almost died. And Femi escaped."
Kaelen's jaw clenched.
"What happened is that you tore a hole in the sky big enough to swallow a city."
Ignara folded her arms, flames flickering.
"Those ships were already losing. You went… nuclear."
Zephira added carefully:
"Everyone saw. Including the people who already fear you."
Samuel looked up — eyes hollow.
"You think I don't know that?"
⸻————————————————————
Nysara Defends Samuel
Water whispered before words did.
Nysara entered like a current calming fire.
"Enough," she snapped at Kaelen.
"He acted out of fear — for someone he loves."
Samuel flinched at the word love, gaze flicking to Tristan's unconscious form.
Kaelen turned sharply.
"Intent doesn't erase destruction."
Samuel stood — darkness humming around his feet.
"I didn't choose this power. I'm trying—"
Kaelen cut him off:
"Then try harder."
⸻————————————————————
Daniel Steps In
A bright pulse cracked the air — Daniel teleported into the room, stumbling forward, drained but defiant.
"That's enough!" he barked.
"You all expect Sam to be a weapon — then blame him for being one!"
Kaelen's eyes narrowed.
"You should remain silent, mortal—"
"Make me," Daniel snapped.
The sanctum lights flickered from the surge in his chest — Celestial Pulse reacting to his anger.
Zephira blinked in surprise.
"He's… actually growing stronger."
Daniel turned to Samuel — softer now:
"We're going to fix this. Together."
Samuel's voice shook:
"I'm becoming the very catastrophe Femi says I am."
Daniel gripped his shoulders:
"That's exactly why he's pushing you. He wants you to burn everything so he can blame you for the ashes."
Samuel's breathing steadied — just a little.
⸻————————————————————-
A Threat Returns
Suddenly — Tristan's cocoon cracked — soil exploding outward.
Samuel caught him before he fell — Tristan gasping violently, eyes bloodshot with pain.
"Sam…" he choked.
"He's not finished."
Samuel held his face — desperate:
"Who? Femi? Where is he?"
Tristan's breaths rattled.
"He's… coming for the Heart of Eldoria."
Kaelen's eyes widened.
"No."
Ignara swore under her breath.
Zephira visibly paled.
Daniel blinked:
"Uh — what's that?"
Nysara answered — dread dripping from every word:
"The core of all earth-aligned magic. If Femi corrupts it… entire planets will turn against Samuel's existence."
Tristan clutched Samuel's shirt — voice raw:
"You can't let me die… not yet…"
Samuel pressed their foreheads together — voice breaking:
"I won't lose you."
⸻————————————————————-
Another Crumbling Front
As Samuel held Tristan — alarms blared across Eldoria.
Kaelen summoned a floating battlefield map — red zones flaring across the planet.
"He's already begun siphoning the Heart's defenses."
Ignara stepped forward — fire flaring like wings.
"Then we hit back. Now."
Kaelen shook his head.
"If Samuel unleashes himself again… Eldoria may not survive the rescue."
Everyone turned to Samuel — waiting — judging — fearing.
His fists clenched.
He met Kaelen's eyes, voice low:
"You're afraid of me."
Kaelen didn't deny it.
"I'm afraid of what the void could make you become."
Samuel's expression hardened.
"And I'm afraid of what happens if I don't become it."
⸻—————————————————————
The March to War
Samuel lifted Tristan carefully into his arms.
Daniel stepped beside him — power pulsing, determined.
The rest of the Five followed — torn yet united.
Even Kaelen eventually nodded:
"Very well. We move at dawn."
Samuel stared toward the Heart's location — a towering citadel deep beneath Eldoria's crust — shrouded in obsidian shadows.
He whispered with so much affection and determination to Tristan:
"Hold on.
I'll bring you back from this… even if it breaks the universe."
Tristan's eyes closed weakly ,wether he admits it or not,wether he's aware of it or not,he was slowly falling for the youngest sibling of the cosmic trinity,he was slowly falling in love with the void— but his hand found Samuel's.
And didn't let go.