The night was restless. The city, though scarred, was standing.
But the air felt wrong. It pulsed with quiet dread — as if the Earth itself held its breath.
Ethan Cross stood at the edge of the shattered tower where they'd fought the villain hours ago. His wind carried whispers—echoes of destruction and faint traces of unnatural energy.
"He's not gone," Ethan murmured. "He's underground."
Marcus Vale appeared beside him, his drone blinking red. "Confirmed. Energy readings are converging below the city's crust. He's burrowing into the old geothermal network. If he corrupts that, the entire planet's core could destabilize."
Kai Rivers' expression hardened. "You mean… global meltdown?"
"Worse," Marcus replied grimly. "He's building a power conduit—something that could link Earth's energy to… something else. Something not from this universe."
Selene Black melted from the shadows behind them, her eyes glowing faintly. "He's opening a gate."
Lydia Kane clenched her fists, flames sparking dangerously. "Then we close it—before he does."
---
The descent began.
Deep beneath the city, the tunnels pulsed with red light. Machines—organic yet mechanical—clung to the walls, humming with otherworldly power. The team moved cautiously, their reflections flickering in the molten pools around them.
"Stay alert," Ethan whispered. "This place feels alive."
Suddenly, the ground cracked. A swarm of biomechanical creatures erupted, screeching, their bodies half-metal, half-flesh.
Ethan whipped up a cyclone to scatter them.
Lydia unleashed waves of fire, turning the tunnels into a blazing inferno.
Kai electrified the molten pools, short-circuiting the machines.
Selene slipped between shadows, striking with surgical precision.
Marcus hacked into the network, forcing systems to overload.
But it wasn't enough. The creatures kept reforming, powered by the same core energy.
Then a booming voice filled the cavern.
"You think you're fighting me? You're fighting evolution itself."
The villain appeared, cloaked in raw energy, his body no longer entirely human. His form shifted—metal fused with light, his voice layered and deep.
"I am Oblivion Prime—the bridge between realities. Earth is not my conquest… it's my key."
He slammed his fist into the ground, and the cavern exploded in light. The team was thrown back as molten energy surged through the tunnels. Marcus's drones shattered. Lydia screamed as her flames turned unstable, flickering violently. Kai tried to stabilize his energy barrier but it cracked under the force.
Selene barely managed to pull them into a shadow cocoon, her body trembling with exhaustion. Ethan extended his arms, wind spiraling desperately to deflect the blast—but it wasn't enough.
A blinding explosion ripped through the chamber.
---
Silence.
When Ethan woke, he was lying amidst rubble. His vision blurred. The others were scattered—hurt, motionless. Marcus's console flickered weakly nearby.
Lydia groaned, her flames barely alive. "What… happened?"
Ethan pushed himself up, blood dripping from his forehead. "He used the Earth's core. He's not just drawing power from it—he's merging with it."
From deep within the collapsing tunnels, a new glow rose—brighter, colder, terrifyingly beautiful.
Marcus's drone buzzed weakly and projected a feed: a massive energy surge spreading outward in all directions.
Selene's voice was low, trembling. "He's unlocked something. The ground… it's fracturing."
Kai looked up, horror in his eyes. "That's not just Earth energy… that's cosmic."
Ethan clenched his fists, wind swirling again. "Then we go after him. No matter how deep he goes."
As the tunnels trembled, the team climbed upward, the world above shaking violently. Lightning tore through the skies, flames erupted across the horizon, and from the depths, a beam of energy shot upward—straight into space.
Oblivion Prime's laughter echoed across the planet.
"You wanted a war? Then let the universe bear witness."
---