Inside the prison, Siron slowly lifted his head.
Black light burned within his eyes.
"Who said I would use my power," he asked calmly, "…while inside the cage?"
He raised a single finger.
"Darkness Burst."
The light did not explode.
It vanished.
The blue prison shattered soundlessly, breaking into fragments that dissolved like celestial ash.
Ryan gasped.
"Impossible… the royal prison collapsed."
Siron stepped forward from the swirling darkness, walking as though shadow itself carried his weight.
High above, perched on a thin branch, the Shadow watched.
He had no intention of intervening.
His posture was relaxed, almost amused, legs dangling freely as his gaze followed Siron's movements with idle curiosity.
"Oh," he murmured. "So this is your true power."
His eyes shifted to Eileen, studying the unstable light trembling around her arm.
"And hers…"
A faint smirk curved his lips.
"…her power is shaking."
"She will either fall," he whispered,
"or awaken."
A soft chuckle escaped him.
"Both outcomes entertain me."
Leaning back against the branch, he folded his arms.
"I won't move. Not yet."
When Siron's black surge collided with the last of Eileen's blue energy…
The impact twisted into a massive shockwave.
It tore across the battlefield, racing through roots and stone, splitting earth and sky alike. It traveled farther… and farther… until it reached the heart of the Dwarven Kingdom.
Deep within the mountains, crystal walls vibrated violently. Metal bridges swayed. Guards froze as the tremor echoed through every tunnel.
One dwarf pressed his palm against a suddenly cracked wall.
"What… was that?"
In the royal hall, Queen Mary rose from her stone throne.
"These tremors are not natural," she said sharply. "This is the third today."
Bronze torches bent as if the air itself recoiled.
Among the fairy delegation, uneasy glances were exchanged.
Lunair spoke calmly.
"Your Majesty… these are not earthquakes. They are energy."
Dorgal, the queen's advisor, asked,
"From which direction?"
"From the east," another fairy replied.
"From the Enchanted Forest."
Queen Mary's eyes hardened.
"The forest? Has war broken out?"
"We do not know," Lunair answered.
"But whatever is awakening… it is not small."
Suddenly—the royal hall doors slammed open, the sound of metal echoing through the chamber.
Kriv stepped inside with heavy, earth-shaking strides.
He was a massive warrior, broad-shouldered and carved like stone, a colossal war hammer resting against his shoulder-its ancient runes glowing faintly with dormant power. Gray armor covered half his body, clanking with every step like restrained thunder. His copper-braided beard marked him as a veteran of countless battles.
Behind him entered his trusted team.
A hooded dwarf moved with unsettling quiet, sharp eyes glinting beneath shadowed fabric.
Beside him walked a dwarf built like a living wall, muscles straining beneath armor as he carried a heavy supply chest as if it were nothing.
Last came a dwarf woman, her bright orange braid swinging behind her, eyes calm and precise. In her hand rested a staff forged from blue-tinted metal,a clear sign of magic yet to fully awaken.
Kriv slammed his hammer into the stone floor.
"This was no collapse," he declared. "It was resonance. A force from afar."
"Where?" the queen demanded.
"East," he replied without hesitation. "Toward the Enchanted Forest."
Silence fell.
Then the hall trembled again.
Stronger.
The tremor faded.
And the world returned to the forest.
Eileen collapsed to her knees, blue fractures sparking wildly around her…her power torn between eruption and collapse.
Siron stood before her, darkness coiling around him like living smoke.
"You have awakened something," he said coldly,
"that was meant to remain asleep."
Behind him, shadows stretched into the outline of an ancient, faceless presence.
Ryan whispered,
"He's transforming…"
Sera tightened her grip.
"That darkness… it doesn't belong to him."
Siron smiled.
"And you will never see me," he said softly,
"as I was before."
Black energy erupted…consuming light, earth, and breath itself.
Everything stopped.
For one heartbeat.
Just before the destruction to come.