TRENCHES — Chapter 66: "The Flame, the Kiss, and the Resurrection"
The night over San Juan was not like any other.
The skies bled violet and crimson, torn by rifts of energy that shimmered like broken glass.
The Rainbow Bridge in the distance glowed dimly beneath the storm, casting colors across the skyline like divine veins, pulsing through the heart of the Chrono Citadel — Revo's empire of time and deception.
And at the edge of that city of light and deceit… stood Moro Kim Jama.
He stood motionless on the high balcony of the Chrono Citadel's west wing, his gaze locked on the horizon where lightning split the clouds. His aura flickered faintly — not the bright blue of Ultra Fusion, but a sickly gold threaded with strange energy. His heartbeat was steady, mechanical almost. He no longer smiled, no longer spoke much.
He was under the spell.
Pisya's enchantment still flowed in his veins — the Song of Allure, a forbidden time-charm that bound heart and mind alike. The goddess-like niece of Revo had wrapped her power around Moro's soul during the Festival of Champions. Now, he moved like a puppet, a warrior of light walking in shadow.
Below him, Kaya ran through the silent halls, her boots echoing against the marble floor. The guards she passed tried to speak, but her glare was enough to silence even the bravest. She had seen enough of Revo's tricks. Enough of his lies. And she was done watching the man she loved sink beneath another's control.
The rain outside grew heavier, streaking down the stained glass like tears from the heavens.
When she reached the balcony, Moro was standing still — eyes half open, voice low, strange golden glyphs flickering along his arms.
"Moro…" Kaya's voice was soft at first, trembling.
He turned, his expression calm but empty. "You shouldn't be here, Kaya."
"I should," she said, stepping forward. "Because you're not you anymore."
"I am me," he murmured, voice hollow. "Pisya showed me truth. She showed me peace."
Kaya's jaw tightened. "Peace?" she spat. "You call this peace? You don't even blink unless she commands it!"
He flinched faintly. "You don't understand."
"Then make me!" she shouted, slamming her fist against his chest. "Look at me, Moro! The real you wouldn't bow to anyone — not Revo, not the Agency, not even the gods!"
The rain poured harder, lightning flashing above, illuminating the pain in her eyes. "You told me once," Kaya whispered, voice breaking, "that nothing in the world could chain your soul. Not death, not fear, not destiny. So why are you letting some woman's magic cage it?"
For the first time since the festival, Moro hesitated. His breath hitched; his fists trembled slightly.
Deep within him, the Matrix Core pulsed.
Blue light tried to break through the gold — his true essence battling the enchantment.
Kaya saw it and stepped closer.
Her hand reached for his face, her eyes soft again. "Fight it, Moro. Please. Come back. Because…" She stopped for a moment, tears welling. "…because I love you."
The words were lightning to his soul. They struck deep, deeper than any spell.
Then, before logic could intervene, she pulled him close and kissed him.
It wasn't soft or sweet — it was desperate, fierce, human. Real.
A burst of light exploded from their bodies.
Blue and gold collided, spiraling around them like twin dragons.
The entire citadel trembled as the Matrix and the enchantment clashed for dominance.
Suddenly, everything went silent.
Time froze — raindrops hung motionless midair, the flicker of torches paused, even sound itself ceased to move.
Then came the shattering — a wave of raw, radiant energy erupting from Moro's chest. The enchantment shattered into dust. Pisya's influence screamed into the void, vanishing in a streak of golden fire.
Moro gasped and stumbled forward, collapsing to one knee. His eyes, once glazed in gold, now burned pure azure once more. He looked up at Kaya, wide-eyed. "Kaya… what did you do?"
She smiled softly, brushing his wet hair back. "Nothing. Just reminded you who you are."
Moro chuckled faintly, exhaustion in his tone. "You really are insane."
"You love it," she said, smirking through tears.
Their laughter was quiet, human — a fleeting sound of peace in a world tearing itself apart.
But in the depths of the citadel, Revo stood before a screen of temporal projections, watching it all unfold. His fingers tightened around the staff of time.
"So… the bond of emotion surpasses the bind of Chronos?" he murmured, displeased. "I underestimated that boy."
A faint voice hissed behind him.
"You always do."
Revo turned sharply — standing in the shadows of the corridor was a figure cloaked in gray, dripping from the storm, two glowing eyes piercing through the dark.
"The Wolf Hunter," Revo said calmly. "Still alive."
The Hunter stepped forward, boots leaving scorched prints on the floor. "Alive? Barely. Thanks to you." His voice dripped venom. "You trapped me in that time loop — made me relive the same hunt, the same deaths, over and over."
Revo twirled his staff lazily. "A fitting punishment for a beast without restraint."
The Wolf Hunter's eyes flared. A growl built in his throat. "And now I'll make you relive your mistakes."
In an instant, he lunged. His Wolf Aura burst into being — crimson and silver energy taking the shape of a massive spectral wolf. His claws slashed across time itself, tearing rifts in reality.
Revo countered, raising his staff as blue light pulsed outward, freezing the air. The two collided in a storm of raw chaos — time distortion and aura shockwaves ripping through the room.
For every strike Revo reversed, the Hunter countered by bending primal instinct into new attacks.
When Revo rewound time, the Hunter tore through it. When Revo stopped time, the Hunter's Aura howled and broke through the barrier.
Finally, Revo struck the ground with his staff, releasing a wave that bound the Hunter midair in glowing chains of time. The fight ended in one frozen heartbeat.
"Impressive," Revo said coolly, stepping forward. "But futile."
The Hunter snarled, struggling against the shimmering bonds. "You're afraid, aren't you?"
Revo's eyes narrowed. "Of what?"
"Of him."
"Who?"
The Hunter grinned savagely. "The one who's coming back."
For a moment, Revo's composure faltered. Then he sighed and waved his staff, the chains dissolving into motes of light. "You want freedom? Take it. But you'll carry your curse again."
The Wolf Hunter stepped forward, flexing his hands as his aura dimmed. "I don't care about curses. I care about revenge." And with that, he vanished into the storm.
Revo exhaled slowly, eyes glowing. "Revenge… such a simple word. Yet it shapes the world."
He turned toward the great Chrono Core, the glowing sphere pulsating at the center of the citadel.
His hand hovered over it. Ancient runes flickered to life across the chamber floor.
"Then let the world feel vengeance in its truest form."
Meanwhile, Moro and Kaya walked through the citadel halls, reunited.
Kiro waited for them near the gates, cloak fluttering in the wind.
"So," he said with a small smirk. "You're finally awake, kid."
Moro smiled faintly. "Thanks to Kaya."
Kiro's smirk faded. "Good. You'll need that fire soon."
"What's going on?"
The older warrior's eyes glowed faintly, his voice turning grave. "Revo's playing with forces that shouldn't exist. The Chronos Element — the same energy that anchors time itself. He's planning to use it to resurrect someone."
Moro frowned. "Who?"
Kiro's gaze drifted to the storm above. "A man we once buried — the conqueror of San Juan. Kuzak the Barbarian."
Kaya blinked. "You mean the one from the legends?"
"He's no legend," Kiro said quietly. "JJ and I fought him decades ago. His army scorched the continent. JJ burned his flesh to ash with his flame powers. I struck the final blow. We thought we ended him for good."
He looked down, fists tightening. "But Kuzak predicted his resurrection. He said his blood would crawl through time itself to be reborn."
Moro clenched his fists. "And Revo wants to bring him back."
"Yes," Kiro said grimly. "With the Chronos Element. If he succeeds… San Juan, the Rainbow Bridge, all realms connected to it — will fall."
Lightning split the skies above them, thunder shaking the citadel.
And deep below, in the Chamber of Eternity, Revo began the ritual.
The Chronos Element floated above a massive sarcophagus carved in runes of blood.
He raised his staff, chanting in an ancient tongue.
The tomb cracked.
Flames seeped through the fissures, red and black intertwining.
Revo whispered, "Rise, Emperor of the End… rise, Kuzak."
The air screamed.
Time itself bent backward, and from within the tomb came a laugh — deep, cruel, and ancient.
A laugh that once made gods tremble.
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