"Where am I?"
Leo blinked into the black void surrounding him. Strangely, he couldn't move—even though he could see his two legs quite clearly.
"Not what I was expecting."
He frowned, realizing how thoroughly his plan had backfired. At first, everything had seemed simple.
It all began with the realization that Chaos was merely a malevolent piece of sentient mana—powerful, yes, but ultimately a construct. Seizing on this epiphany and Chaos's arrogance, Leo had baited the entity by insulting its master over and over, provoking it into a frenzy. His goal?
To avoid a quick death.
Because a swift end would have ruined everything.
Surprisingly, that part went well. Chaos fell for it—lashing out with rage-fueled attacks meant to maim and disfigure rather than kill. A fatal mistake. Had it just ended Leo, victory would've been assured.
Once Chaos was drawn in, all that remained was to absorb it. Leo had no idea how, but he remembered what Fang had once told him:
Huntrans could absorb raw mana directly from their environment—unlike mages, who refined ambient mana slowly and cautiously.
Absorbing from a living source, especially one soaked in malevolence, was dangerous. Most avoided it.
But Leo? He could take it all in—directly—channeling it into his body without refining. Perhaps that was why he had even managed to attempt the herculean feat of absorbing a millennia-old stream of chaos mana—something most mages wouldn't dare dream of.
Still, he wasn't safe yet.
Even Huntrans had limits. And Leo lay on the ground now, his body barely holding together, trying to control the chaos mana that raged to consume his core.
Had it been any other attribute, he might've stood a chance. But Chaos, as its name implied, was destruction incarnate.
And Leo's mana, unfortunately, wasn't aligned with Order.
Still—he endured. Fighting back with every ounce of his will.
"Let's try this again."
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Whoosh
Threads of pristine mana surged up through his nostrils, flowing into his lungs and racing toward their target—his core.
White, wispy strands tangled with the sea of black chaos mana, most snuffed out before they could even touch the azure glow deep within him. But some—just a few—slipped through.
Leo's own mana stood defiant, resisting the corruption, clashing against chaos in a desperate stand.
Waves of black surged, smashing against the azure wall around his core. Each impact worse than the last. Cracks formed—spiderwebbing and splintering—but somehow, the wall held. At times, it shrank. Other times, it pushed back stronger, borrowing strength from those faint white threads that had made it through.
"NO!"
Leo's soul screamed. His resolve wavered as chaos bore down on him.
Then came the illusions.
"Please…"
Tyler's young, bloodied face appeared. Fire reflected in his eyes as he mouthed silent words.
Leo snarled, forcing the image away.
But another followed.
Bethran—drenched in crimson—gasped for air, a skeletal figure above him, five bony fingers clutching his throat.
Leo strained, arms bound by invisible chains, forced to watch his friend's last breath.
"LEO, RUN!"
Leo turned—and instantly regretted it.
Cassandra—bleeding, shaking—reached toward him. Her mouth moved, mouthing words he couldn't hear.
"NO!"
He clutched his head, shaking violently.
"This is the price."
A voice—mocking and cruel—slithered into his thoughts.
"CHAOS!"
Leo's fury exploded.
"I killed you!"
A low laugh echoed—chilling and amused.
"You did?"
"Yes!" Leo snarled. "I tore you apart!"
"That?" The voice sounded bored.
"That was a husk. A shell. A meagre one, at best."
Leo snapped.
"I expected more from you."
"Boohoo," the voice mocked, dripping sarcasm.
"Did I fail to meet the little Huntran's expectations?"
"Yes," Leo hissed.
"Who would've thought an almighty force would grovel before a demigod?"
A pause.
"I have many vessels, child." The voice came closer.
"Some like this one… failed to impress even me."
Then, darker still:
"Imagine a creation foolish enough to take the name of its creator."
Leo's eyes widened.
"You're the real Chaos?"
"Very clever," Chaos cooed.
"It's a pity. You'd have made an excellent vessel."
"What do you want?" Leo pushed aside his fear.
"What everyone wants."
"Power," Leo spat.
"Exactly." A soft clap echoed in the void.
"And there's only one thing in my way."
"Me."
"Correct."
Chaos sounded oddly pleased.
"Three times, now. And still, you stand. How fascinating."
"So, you're here to kill me?" Leo searched for any way out.
"No."
Chaos paused.
"I'm here to offer you two choices."
"How generous."
"I know, right?"
CRACK
Two doors appeared in the void.
One black. One blue.
No markings. No runes. Just plain, undecorated wood.
Black to his right. Blue to his left.
"The black door," Chaos whispered, right at his ear,
"leads to power—true, undeniable power. The kind only Chaos can bestow."
"And if I follow?"
"You become my champion. Together, we take the five realms."
"Ever wonder what happened to your people?"
Leo hesitated.
"…Yes."
"Then join me. I'll give you the truth—the whole truth. Unlike the Phoenix, I hold nothing back."
"And the blue door?"
An inky black finger pointed left.
"Pain. Suffering. Endless vengeance. A path of agony."
"Why not choose what's right?" Chaos chuckled.
"Avoid the fate you saw in those visions."
"A lifetime of pain or servitude."
Leo scoffed.
"What's the difference?"
"The difference," Chaos growled,
"is getting what you truly desire."
"I'll pass." Leo lifted his right hand.
"Let me guess. The left door?"
"Neither." Leo's voice hardened.
"This should be interesting."
"Enjoy the show."
"I will."
And with that, Chaos vanished. The last wave of malevolent mana ebbed away—fatigued by the stalemate.
---
COUGH
Leo's eye opened, his body aching, surrounded by the carnage of his battle.
"How do I even explain this?"
He groaned, thinking of the Moon's eventual inspection of the ruins.
Only one relic remained untouched:
Elhyr's sarcophagus.
"All this… for a stupid book."
Leo gritted his teeth. His legs refused to move.
Then—
PAM PAM
Footsteps.
Closer.
Each one oozed dread.
Finally, they stopped.
A white-robed figure emerged from the gloom.
"Funny meeting you here, Fanghyr."
The calm voice was unmistakable.
Leo looked up at the cloudy eyes boring into him.
"Care to explain this mess?"
The figure gestured at the destruction.
"Nice to see you too, Evening Tide," Leo managed a smile.
"The pleasure is mine, Fanghyr."
The Lead Prophet of the Moon smiled faintly, kneeling beside him.
His gaze landed on Leo's twisted leg.
"Let's see what we can do about that."