The winds over the neutral sanctuary howled violently through the crystal cliffs as silence settled over Luke, Lucien, Celestia's mother, and the wounded Spirit Guide.
The war for Balance truly begins.
Those words lingered heavily in the air.
Luke stared at the ancient dragon, his chest tightening.
"What exactly are those things behind the gate?"
The Spirit Guide slowly lowered itself onto the cliffside, ancient silver blood shimmering faintly across wounded scales.
Primordials, it answered grimly. The first horrors born from raw chaos before creation stabilized itself.
Luke frowned.
"Before creation?"
Lucien stepped beside his son quietly.
"There was a time before realms had order," he explained. "Before Heaven, Hell, or even mortal existence fully formed. Power flowed without laws. Chaos consumed everything endlessly."
Celestia's mother continued softly:
"The architects created the First Balance to stop that chaos from destroying existence itself."
Luke's golden eyes widened slightly.
The Spirit Guide nodded.
But not all chaos could be erased. Some of it gained consciousness. Those beings became the Primordials.
As the dragon spoke, Luke saw fragments through the threads around him, massive shadow-like creatures swallowing stars, entire realms collapsing into darkness, ancient celestial armies burning across endless skies.
He staggered slightly.
Lucien immediately steadied him.
"Easy."
Luke breathed shakily.
"They were… destroying everything."
Yes, the Spirit Guide answered quietly. Even infernal rulers and celestial gods united against them. The First War people remember was merely an echo of the older war fought against the Primordials.
Luke looked disturbed.
"And they sealed them?"
The dragon's eyes darkened.
Barely.
Far beneath the infernal realm, the forgotten gate trembled again.
BOOOOOM.
Ancient chains cracked violently as dark energy spread through the abyss like black veins. Infernal guards stationed near the lower regions fled in terror while entire fortresses shook.
Lilith stood motionless before the gate despite the chaos around her.
Azael grabbed her arm sharply.
"This is getting out of control."
Lilith pulled away coldly.
"You wanted solutions."
"This is not a solution!" Azael snapped. "This is extinction!"
The gate pulsed again.
Then suddenly…
A voice emerged from beyond it.
Low. Ancient. Endless.
"Who… disturbs… our prison…"
Even Lilith froze briefly.
The darkness leaking through the cracks began forming shadows across the walls in massive moving shapes with glowing hollow eyes.
Azael immediately stepped backward.
"No."
For the first time in centuries… true fear entered his voice.
The Primordials were awake enough to speak.
Back within the neutral sanctuary, ancient spirits had gathered near the central crystal temple. Panic spread quietly among them as the currents destabilized further.
Luke stood near the edge of the sanctuary cliffs staring toward distant skies filled with spreading fractures of darkness.
The realms were reacting already.
Mortals would not notice yet.
But spirits did.
Celestials did.
Demons certainly did.
And Balance itself was trembling.
Lucien folded his arms beside him.
"You shouldn't blame yourself."
Luke looked up immediately.
"I didn't even say anything."
"You didn't have to."
Luke looked back toward the skies.
"If I didn't exist… maybe Lilith wouldn't have done this."
Lucien's expression hardened instantly.
"Do not ever think that way."
Luke blinked slightly at the sharpness in his father's voice.
Lucien exhaled slowly before kneeling beside him.
"The darkness existed long before you were born," he said quietly. "You are not the cause of this."
Luke lowered his eyes.
"But I'm the reason they're desperate."
Lucien remained silent for a moment.
Then softly:
"No...… you're the reason they're afraid."
Those words settled deeply inside the boy.
Nearby, Celestia's mother watched them quietly, emotion flickering across her face. Luke needed this guidance not only from ancient beings, but from family.
The Spirit Guide suddenly lifted its head sharply.
Someone approaches.
Immediately, golden currents spread defensively around Luke while Lucien's infernal aura ignited instinctively. Ancient spirits prepared themselves for battle.
Then the skies split open with blinding white-gold light.
A massive presence descended slowly from above.
The Father of All.
The entire sanctuary bowed instinctively as the ancient being stepped onto the crystal grounds. Even the air itself seemed to stabilize around him.
But his expression was grim.
Very grim.
Luke ran toward him immediately.
"Grandad!"
The Father of All placed a hand gently on the boy's head before looking toward Lucien and the Spirit Guide.
"It's worse than we feared."
Silence followed.
Then he looked directly at Luke.
"The All Father's Book of Guidance has changed."
Even the Spirit Guide stiffened visibly.
"That is impossible," Lucien muttered.
The Father of All slowly extended his hand.
Golden light formed before them, revealing ancient pages floating in the air. The writing across them shifted unnaturally as though destiny itself were rewriting the prophecy in real time.
Luke stepped closer slowly.
Words began appearing across the pages in glowing ancient script:
When the forgotten gate opens, Balance shall face its final trial.
The heir shall either restore creation…
The writing suddenly darkened.
…or witness the death of all realms.
Silence crushed the sanctuary completely.
Luke's heartbeat quickened.
The Father of All closed the book slowly.
"The prophecy has awakened," he said heavily. "Which means the Primordials are no longer merely imprisoned."
Lucien's jaw tightened.
"How long do we have?"
The Father of All looked toward the fractured skies above.
Then quietly answered:
"Not enough."