The Sable Rift erupted in chaos. Dead suns flared to life one by one, ignited by the awakening fragment. Energy storms rippled through space, tearing holes in reality itself. The Seraphine's Echo dodged through burning debris, its hull shimmering with living light.
Elyra's fingers flew across the console. "Target its core! That's where the energy is condensing!"
The Marauder's voice rumbled through the comms, deep and urgent. "Its core isn't physical—it's a memory. It's building itself from Kael's energy!"
Elyra's breath caught. "From Kael?"
"Yes. The remnant used his transformation as a seed. Every spark of light he left behind has been rewritten into something darker."
Outside, the creature emerged fully—a vast, shifting mass of molten light and shadow, humanoid for an instant before its body split into writhing wings of black fire. Its "face" was a mask of swirling stars, and at its center burned a heart that pulsed in Kael's rhythm.
Elyra stared, trembling. "That's… him."
The Marauder extended its tendrils, anchoring itself to the ship's reactor. "Not anymore. That's the reflection of what he might have become had the mastermind won."
The creature's voice thundered through the Rift.
"Balance is a lie. Creation exists to be ruled. I am what Kael was destined to be."
Elyra's eyes hardened. "Then you're nothing but a broken echo."
She pushed the throttle forward. The ship dove straight toward the creature, energy cannons blazing. Beams of white fire tore across the Rift, striking the monster's chest. It staggered but did not fall—its wounds simply reformed, drawing in light from the dying stars.
The Marauder growled. "We can't destroy it through force. We have to sever its link to Kael's essence."
Elyra thought quickly. "His energy is still resonating through the reactor, right?"
"Yes—but channeling it would consume you."
She smiled faintly, her eyes glinting with resolve. "Then I guess it's my turn to burn bright."
She slammed both palms onto the console. The reactor's light flared, blue energy surging through the ship like lightning. Kael's symbol appeared across the hull, glowing with impossible radiance.
The shadow creature roared, its form unraveling as the resonance struck it. Fragments of Kael's voice echoed through the Rift—words, laughter, promises—all colliding with the darkness.
Elyra shouted over the roar, "You don't get to wear his face!"
The creature lunged, but The Seraphine's Echo unleashed one final blast—a beam forged from Kael's light and Elyra's will. It tore through the shadow's chest, shattering the heart of false creation.
Silence followed.
The Rift's storms began to calm, the dead stars fading to peace. Elyra slumped back in her seat, breathing hard. "Is it… over?"
The Marauder floated closer, its form dim but steady. "For now. But something's changed. When you used Kael's energy, it didn't just destroy the fragment… it awakened something else."
Elyra frowned. "Awakened?"
The Marauder's eyes glowed faintly. "Look outside."
Beyond the viewport, where the Rift's blackness had once reigned, a single star had begun to form—bright, alive, and pulsing in Kael's rhythm.
Elyra whispered, "Kael…"