The storm outside had not stopped. It screamed through the ruined towers of the city, a chorus of rage that mirrored the tension within the Vanguard base. Lucian stood before the central console, the holographic map of the continent flickering before him. Blue lights marked the Vanguard's strongholds. Red, their enemies. And in the center of all that chaos was a single golden flare—the Heartspire Citadel, the domain of the Ascendants.
"They've accelerated their plans," said Kora, her tone sharp, eyes darting between the holograms. "The Heartspire's energy output doubled overnight. If they're trying to breach the barrier between realms—"
Lucian interrupted. "Then we have no time left."
The room fell quiet. Every soldier, mage, and operative in that command chamber knew what he meant. Attacking the Heartspire was suicide. But waiting meant the end of their world.
"I'll lead the strike team," Lucian said flatly.
Arden slammed his hand against the table. "You'll get yourself killed. We need you here."
Lucian turned to him, eyes cold. "You need me to do what must be done."
He walked out of the chamber before anyone could answer.
---
Hours Later – The Vanguard Airship Obsidian Wing
The world below was a blur of storm clouds and ruined spires. Lightning forked across the dark sky as Lucian stood near the open ramp, the wind clawing at his coat. His team stood behind him—Kora, silent but ready; Arden, armed with his greatsword; and two others, masked specialists who spoke only when necessary.
"The Heartspire's shield will fall for thirty seconds," said Kora, checking her gauntlet. "After that, we'll be vaporized."
Lucian nodded. "Thirty seconds is enough."
When the ship broke through the clouds, the Heartspire came into view—a colossal tower of obsidian and gold rising into the heavens, wrapped in swirling energy. It pulsed like a heartbeat. The source of all Ascendant power.
Lucian's jaw tightened. He could feel it calling to him. That same voice that haunted his dreams. The cold whisper.
You are not what you are, Lucian.
He clenched his fists. "Not now."
"Drop zone ready!" shouted the pilot.
Lucian leapt without hesitation. The others followed, falling through the storm with fire trailing from their boots. The ground rushed up, and as the energy barrier flared beneath them, Kora unleashed the disruptor blast. The shield cracked open.
They landed hard on the obsidian platform. Thirty seconds began.
---
Inside the Heartspire
The corridors glowed with strange sigils. The air buzzed with divine energy. Every step they took made the tower tremble. Lucian led the way, sword drawn, every nerve alive.
Then came the first guardian—a towering being of light, face blank, body wrapped in flame. It moved faster than thought. Arden swung his sword, parried, and was thrown across the hall like a rag doll.
"Keep moving!" Lucian shouted.
Kora threw an energy grenade, the blast tearing through the guardian's chest. It howled but didn't fall. Lucian charged, his blade igniting with dark fire, and drove it straight through the creature's core. The explosion shook the tower.
Smoke. Silence. Then another whisper—closer this time.
You are nearing the truth.
Lucian froze.
"Lucian, what's wrong?" Kora asked.
He didn't answer. Something in him was shifting. The whisper wasn't coming from outside anymore. It was inside his head.
They reached the inner sanctum. A massive circular chamber surrounded by energy streams, with a floating crystal at its center. The Heart of Ascension.
Kora approached her scanner. "This is it. The core."
Lucian stepped forward, drawn to it like gravity itself. The light reflected in his eyes. His heartbeat matched its rhythm.
"Lucian!" Arden barked. "Stop!"
But Lucian couldn't. He touched the crystal.
A shockwave tore through the room. Kora and Arden were thrown to the floor. The air turned black and gold. Lucian's body convulsed as memories flooded his mind—not his, but someone else's. A thousand lives. A thousand deaths.
And then the truth hit him.
He was an Ascendant. The first one.
The world blurred. Voices screamed. And when the light died, Lucian stood alone before the shattered crystal, eyes glowing faint gold.
Kora coughed, struggling to stand. "Lucian… what did you do?"
He looked at his hands, trembling. The power inside him burned like fire and ice together. "I didn't do anything," he said quietly. "I remembered."
Arden stared at him in disbelief. "You're one of them?"
Lucian turned away. "No. I'm what they were meant to be."
The tower began to collapse. Sirens blared. The structure cracked from within. Lucian extended his hand instinctively, and the air bent to his will. Energy surged outward, freezing debris midair, holding the crumbling bridge together.
Kora's eyes widened. "You're controlling it."
"I'm controlling me," he said.
They escaped as the Heartspire exploded in a flash visible for miles.
---
Later – A Ruined Field Outside the City
The survivors regrouped near the remains of the tower. The Heartspire was gone. The Ascendants' link to the divine severed.
Lucian stood at the edge of the field, watching the smoke rise. His voice was low. "The balance is broken."
Kora walked up beside him. "You broke it."
He didn't deny it. "And now I'll have to rebuild it."
"Rebuild what?" she asked.
"The world," Lucian said. "But to do that… I'll have to become what they fear most."
Arden joined them, bruised but alive. "And what's that supposed to be?"
Lucian looked toward the horizon. His eyes gleamed with the light of a dying god.
"The last Ascendant."
The wind howled again, carrying the scent of ashes. Behind them, the world shifted, a new power rising where the old had fallen.
Lucian didn't look back.
He simply whispered, "This is where it begins again."