Callum stared at the angelic figure standing within the endless black mist.
Its ivory skin resembled polished armor more than flesh, smooth and flawless beyond anything human, every curve of its body carrying an unnatural perfection that made his instincts recoil. Yet it was not the creature's appearance that truly terrified him.
It was its presence.
Something echoed inside his mind the moment he looked upon it fully. A sound without origin. A whisper without language. It crawled through his thoughts like cold fingers dragging across exposed nerves, consuming his entire consciousness beneath an overwhelming flood of dread and despair.
Hopelessness.
It felt as though the moment this being had appeared, all possibility of victory ceased to exist. As though resistance itself had become meaningless.
Callum's body trembled violently.
His lungs tightened.
His vision blurred.
One knee nearly buckled beneath the pressure before he forced himself upright through sheer stubbornness alone.
The figure tilted its head slightly.
"Oh?" it asked with quiet amusement. "Does my nature not affect you?"
Callum struggled to breathe. Sweat streamed down his face while his muscles screamed for him to collapse, yet his eyes remained focused beneath the crushing pressure.
"Even if my body refuses to listen," he muttered hoarsely, "I can't allow myself to fall into despair over something as simple as a Goliath."
The being smiled wider.
"My," it whispered softly, "you truly are a knight… exactly as he intended."
Callum's gaze flickered.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The Goliath laughed quietly.
The sound felt wrong, as though something ancient had learned to imitate amusement without understanding it.
"Oh, it is nothing you should concern yourself with, Callum."
The mist surrounding the creature shifted slowly as it approached him.
"But I must admit," it continued, "I am impressed. Even my own child grew fond of you. It attempted to oppose me despite understanding the vast difference between us."
Its smile widened further.
"Your reputation exceeds you."
"My… reputation?"
The creature looked down at him silently.
Then Callum's body finally gave out.
His knee slammed against the ground.
A violent pain erupted through his chest as his lungs collapsed inward beneath the pressure of the Goliath's existence. Blood burst from his mouth in a harsh cough, splattering across the stone beneath him.
The being watched calmly.
"It seems my presence destabilizes you too greatly," it said. "So I shall make this brief."
The angelic figure walked past him slowly.
"You, young Pendragon, are destined for greatness."
Its voice echoed unnaturally through the fog.
"However, to witness that greatness… you must first open your eyes to your true nature."
Callum coughed violently again, blood staining his lips as he forced himself to look upward.
"You lower yourself to these mortals," the Goliath continued, "protecting them as a knight."
The mist stirred.
"But they are not the ones who truly require protection."
The being stopped walking.
"It is the vessel."
Callum's breathing faltered.
"Protect it," the creature whispered, "and your true nature shall awaken."
Callum's eyes focused despite the agony tearing through his body.
"Why should I believe anything you say?" he demanded weakly. "You're just a Goliath."
Slowly,
painfully,
he forced himself back onto his feet.
His hands shook violently as he drew his sword with both arms, barely managing to hold the blade steady beneath the crushing pressure.
The Goliath observed him quietly.
Then it spoke again.
"If you truly wish to know why," it said softly, "then I shall tell you."
Its faceless gaze locked onto him.
"So listen carefully."
Callum tightened his grip on his sword.
"And if I tell others?"
The being fell silent.
Then it smiled.
"They will die knowing the truth."
Callum's eyes grew violently.
Before he could respond, the Goliath continued.
"You, child of Pendragon, are destined to become the guardian of all."
The mist thickened around them.
"You shall protect existence faithfully… and lose everything in return."
Its voice grew quieter.
"You will sacrifice yourself for what your kind calls the greater good."
Callum's heartbeat slowed.
"You shall never witness the flower you planted bloom."
Something inside him tightened painfully.
"You will die without ever knowing whether your struggle succeeded."
The creature's smile remained fixed.
"And yet…"
The mist trembled.
"…you shall become greater than any man."
Silence followed.
Then the black mist surrounding the angelic being surged upward and swallowed it whole.
And suddenly,
it was gone.
As though it had never existed at all.
The Dark Mist itself vanished moments later, disappearing from the valley entirely in a single instant.
Callum collapsed back onto one knee afterward, struggling desperately to breathe.
"CALLUM!"
Evelyn rushed toward him first, panic visible across her face as she dropped beside him.
"Damn it, what happened to you?!"
Callum remained hunched over, blood dripping from his mouth while his body shook uncontrollably.
"The Mist…" he muttered weakly. "It spoke to me."
The others gathered around him quickly.
Caesar immediately activated a device hidden within his wrist before throwing it toward Callum. The mechanism attached itself to his chest instantly, unfolding into a thin forcefield around his body that began stabilizing his organs and repairing the internal damage caused by the Goliath's presence.
Evelyn grabbed his arm and forced him upright carefully.
Callum's breathing remained ragged.
Cold sweat clung to his blond hair as it hung over his face.
"Junior," Artoria asked, "what exactly did that thing want from you?"
Callum glanced toward her weakly.
"I think…" he began slowly, "…it wanted to scare me."
Yuki stepped closer while Hachi's damaged systems groaned overhead.
"And what did it tell you?" she demanded. "If that thing wanted to terrify you so badly, then what did it say?"
Callum hesitated.
The Goliath's warning echoed through his mind.
'They will die knowing the truth.'
His expression darkened.
The others noticed.
Before anyone could pressure him further, Atherius stepped forward calmly while Chrome detached himself from Hachi's cockpit above.
"I believe," the sage said evenly, "that the knowledge he received may be forbidden."
Evelyn turned toward him.
"What does that even mean? If the knowledge is forbidden, then why is he still alive?"
Atherius sighed deeply.
"Knowledge tied directly to one's existence may be endured by its rightful bearer," he explained. "And sufficiently powerful beings can survive truths that lesser minds cannot."
His gaze drifted across the group.
"But that is precisely the issue."
He looked back toward Callum.
"None of you are strong enough to hear it."
Callum let out a weak chuckle that quickly devolved into another violent cough.
Behind him, both August and Hurricane descended rapidly from the sky, landing beside him with distressed cries as they inspected his injuries. Callum gently touched their beaks reassuringly before carefully pulling himself free from Evelyn's support.
She looked reluctant to let him go.
But eventually she released him.
Callum slowly approached Atherius.
"Yeah," he admitted quietly, "I think you're right."
His eyes lowered briefly.
"It told me that if I shared what it said… people would die."
The atmosphere around the group grew heavier.
"But enough about that," Callum continued, forcing himself upright again. "We should head to your friend."
Atherius blinked in visible surprise before quickly examining Callum's condition once more.
Then the sage chuckled quietly.
"You truly are a knight, Sir Pendragon."
There was respect in his voice now.
"Thank you for your consideration."
He turned.
"If you follow us, we shall guide you to Tyrus."
Suddenly the valley shook again.
A massive form erupted upward behind them, dust exploding across the landscape as Ember rose from the shattered mountains with a deafening roar. The gigantic wyvern immediately turned toward where the Dark Mist had vanished, growling furiously as he searched for any trace of the Goliath.
But there was nothing left.
Then Ember noticed Callum.
The wyvern's draconic eyes narrowed as he approached, inspecting the knight carefully before noticing the blood and visible injuries covering him.
Rage erupted instantly.
Ember threw his head upward and unleashed another thunderous roar across the valley, declaring his fury to existence itself.
"THAT'S ENOUGH, EMBER!"
Evelyn shouted over the noise while the others covered their ears from the overwhelming force.
Caesar muted the sound through his cybernetic systems before shrinking Hachi back into its compact form and storing the machine away once more.
Ember snapped his gaze toward Evelyn.
For a moment the wyvern looked furious enough to destroy the valley itself.
Then his expression softened slightly as he stared at her.
Atherius watched the interaction before sighing quietly.
"It seems the White Demon disliked the Mist's behavior," he muttered. "Though there is little we can do about that now."
He began walking once more.
"Come. We shall take you to Tyrus. Once his systems are repaired, we can finally depart for Irea."
His gaze shifted toward the group.
"And then… you may reunite with your students."