The chamber had fallen silent once again.
Golden light still flowed through the air.
Slowly.
Gently.
Yet now—
it felt different.
Not merely bright.
It felt as if—
it was watching.
Arga stood motionless.
Yet with every breath he took—
the core pulsed in response.
Subtle.
Steady.
Perfectly synchronized.
As though it were following him.
Bimo stared for a moment before speaking.
"...Okay."
"...That's definitely not normal."
No one disagreed.
Because everyone could see it.
This was no longer just energy.
Sinta stepped closer.
More carefully than usual.
"Are you okay?"
Arga nodded.
"...I can feel it."
His eyes remained on the core.
"Not from the outside."
A pause.
"...From within."
Kai stood beside him.
His expression softened.
"That isn't a connection."
He looked at Arga.
"It's recognition."
The Dominion leader took a step forward.
This time, however—
he did not attack.
He did not force anything.
He simply observed.
Like someone who had just discovered something far more valuable than what he had been searching for.
"Fascinating."
He pointed at Arga.
"Power like this..."
"...never chooses at random."
Farhan frowned.
"Based on what?"
The answer came calmly.
"Alignment."
He continued.
"A body capable of enduring."
"A mind that does not break."
"And a purpose..."
He paused.
"...that does not waver."
His gaze sharpened.
"That is what makes a guardian."
Bimo sighed.
"Why does our enemy keep sounding more reasonable every time he talks?"
But Dominion had no intention of stopping.
Click.
A section of the wall opened.
A massive machine emerged.
Larger than any device they had seen before.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
BZZZZZZ—
Farhan immediately tensed.
"A Dominion Generator!"
Lila's eyes widened.
"They're going to force the core open!"
Bimo groaned.
"Of course they are."
"Because apparently things aren't chaotic enough already."
Blue energy erupted from the machine.
Cold.
Rigid.
Lifeless.
A wave of power surged forward.
WHOOOOOM—
Golden light rose to meet it.
It did not retreat.
It did not waver.
The two forces collided.
The air shook violently.
Cracks spread across the floor.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Rani struggled to keep her footing.
"This is too much!"
Kai stepped forward.
Golden energy flared around him as he tried to hold back the pressure.
But it was heavy.
Far too heavy.
Amid the chaos, Arga heard it again.
The voice.
"Guardian..."
He drew a slow breath.
And stepped forward.
Not to fight.
Not to destroy.
But to answer.
He opened the box.
The twelve rice grains began to glow.
Warm.
Calm.
Yet impossible to ignore.
Their light spread outward.
Not as an attack.
Not as resistance.
But as balance.
The blue energy trembled.
It did not shatter.
It did not explode.
Instead—
it lost its form.
Farhan froze.
"...This isn't a collision."
Lila stared at the readings.
"...It's neutralization."
The Dominion Generator shook violently.
CRACK—
Sparks burst from its surface.
Its mechanical hum became unstable.
Erratic.
Uncontrolled.
For the first time since arriving—
the Dominion leader fell silent.
Completely silent.
Recalculating.
Reevaluating.
Considering every possibility.
Then—
click.
Everything stopped.
The machine powered down.
The blue energy vanished.
The chamber was once again bathed in gold.
Silence returned.
The Dominion leader exhaled softly.
"...Not today."
Bimo immediately nodded.
"I completely agree with that."
The man turned and began walking away.
Calmly.
Like someone who had already found the answer he came for.
At the doorway, he stopped.
Then looked back at Arga.
"You are the guardian now."
A pause.
"But that is not an honor."
His gaze sharpened.
"It is a target."
The words echoed through the chamber.
He pointed toward the core.
"When the world learns about this..."
"...everyone will come."
"...and not all of them will come to protect it."
Then he left.
Without hesitation.
Without urgency.
Without looking back.
Silence lingered long after his departure.
A heavier silence than before.
Kai looked at Arga.
"...Do you feel it?"
Arga nodded.
"This isn't just power."
He looked down at his hands.
Then toward the core.
"It's responsibility."
The core's light slowly stabilized.
Calm.
Steady.
Yet no longer alone.
Because now—
it had a guardian.
And that guardian had a world—
that needed protecting.
But beyond the mountains, something had already begun to move.
Not just Dominion.
Others were awakening as well.
Because when a power like this reveals itself—
the world does not remain still.
The world responds.
And Arga—
had just become the center of it all.