On their journey out of the world,
Lloyd asked:
"Why do you know Zebra?"
Riorno paused.
Then he said:
"Because he was… like us."
He was silent for a moment.
"A warrior, a protector,
then… he transformed."
He looked at the tattoos on his hand.
"Zebra doesn't rule only with fire or darkness… but with forbidden knowledge."
The Guardian of the Threshold said:
"So he's more dangerous than we thought."
Riorno replied:
"He doesn't destroy worlds…
He rewrites them."
. The Real Journey Begins
The Guardian of the Threshold opened a new gate.
But this time… it wasn't stable.
He said:
"This path passes through three broken worlds."
He looked at Lloyd.
"Afterward… you won't be the same."
Riorno smiled.
"Excellent."
Change is the only thing I respect.
They all stepped through the gate.
The world of ash wasn't a place like death…
but something beyond.
The air was heavy, as if every breath was burning.
Every step stirred up a gray dust that clung to skin and clothes, as if the world were trying to leave its mark on everyone who passed through it.
Lloyd stood still,
the white aura around his body faint but steady,
his eyes silently scanning the horizon.
"This world doesn't attack directly…
It watches."
Riorno smiled lopsidedly.
"Watching… is the habit of those who know they are weak."
Guardians of the Ash
Suddenly…
The earth shook.
The ash cracked open,
and out emerged tall creatures, their bodies covered in petrified black layers,
their eyes cold blue… lifeless.
"They are the remains of the warriors who died here… Zebra bound their souls to the earth," said the Guardian of the Ash.
Lloyd clenched his fist.
"So they're prisoners…"
Riorno's voice grew heavier.
"No.
They chose to stay."
One of the guards stepped forward,
then another…
then dozens.
Riorno raised his hand.
"As I promised… don't interfere."
The King's Fire
In an instant…
The black tattoos on Riorno's body ignited.
But this time, the fire
wasn't chaotic.
It was focused.
Meaningful.
As if it knew what to burn… and what to leave.
His eyes turned fiery red,
and his voice deepened:
"Bow down."
No one bowed.
He smiled.
Then he stamped his foot.
🔥 A silent fiery explosion
Spread in a circle,
The ash evaporated,
Forcing the guards to retreat.
Riorno moved with unexpected speed.
He wasn't fighting haphazardly.
Every strike was precise,
Every movement calculated.
"His power…isn't just fire," Lloyd observed.
"It's control," the threshold guard replied.
"And that's more dangerous."
The Guard Who Spoke
Among the guards…
One stopped.
He didn't attack.
He looked directly at Lloyd,
then spoke in a broken voice:
"The light…is back?"
Lloyd's eyes widened.
He took a step forward.
"Who are you?"
The guard said:
"We were guarding the gate…until Zebra came."
His voice trembled.
"He told us we'd be immortal…and lied."
Riorno raised his hand,
but Lloyd gestured for him to stop.
"I'll set you free," Lloyd said calmly.
The guard smiled sadly.
"If you can…
Kill us."
Lloyd closed his eyes.
The white aura intensified.
And for the first time…
The light merged with something else.
A deeper energy.
Ancient.
He slammed his palm against the ground.
🌌 A massive white flash.
The guards' bodies disintegrated,
but their souls didn't scream…
They ascended quietly.
Silence fell.
Riorno's Gaze
Riorno stood motionless.
Then he said:
"You're different…
You didn't free them by force."
He looked at Lloyd.
"By choice."
Lloyd replied:
"A force that leaves no choice…
Isn't a true force."
Riorno laughed.
"That's why…
I'll continue on with you."
Zebra's Trace
Before they left the world…
A symbol appeared on the ground. A black circle,
with a broken red line through it.
The gatekeeper froze.
"That's his signature."
"He knows we're coming," said Riorno.
Lloyd looked at the symbol.
"Let him know."
Then he turned toward the next gate.
Narrator
On this day…
Lloyd didn't just begin his journey to Zebra,
he began gathering around him
those who were broken…
those who were burned…
to make of them
a path
that shadows cannot stop...