The clash between Nam and the armored giant echoed like thunder throughout Aeon's Core. The enemy's blade surged with black energy as it met the glowing shield forming from Nam's outstretched palm. Sparks burst out in violent arcs; the ground beneath them cracked with each strike.
Lan ducked a sweep from a second attacker, vaulting off a pillar with uncanny agility. She landed on the invader's back and drove her blade between its shoulder plates, short-circuiting it in a burst of blue sparks. Around her, more dark-armored enemies swarmed—unrelenting, mechanical, precise.
But something was wrong.
Nam could feel it in his chest. The crystal was pulsing faster—chaotic, unstable. His vision blurred as the light from the obelisk in the center of the city flared suddenly, and a voice echoed not through his ears, but through his mind.
"You are not yet whole."
The enemy commander noticed Nam's brief hesitation. In a flash, it lunged, swinging its massive blade downward. Nam barely raised his arm in time. The impact sent him flying into a stone wall, shattering it. He groaned, coughing blood, armor flickering.
Lan screamed his name but was forced back by a hail of energy blasts. She was cut off.
The commander stalked forward, blade humming. "The Balance was broken long ago. You are nothing but a remnant."
Nam struggled to stand, forcing himself up with trembling limbs. "Then I'll rebuild it… piece by piece."
Suddenly, a massive surge of power erupted from his chest—the crystal burned white-hot, and ghostly symbols spiraled around him. The obelisk responded, flashing like a beacon. From its apex, three beams of light shot upward and collided into the cavern roof. A crack split the ceiling wide open.
Above was not the sky—but a vast void filled with stars.
The battlefield froze.
The enemy soldiers faltered. The commander took a step back. "Impossible… the Veil—"
Nam stood tall, eyes glowing. "You tried to seal this world. Now you've torn the veil yourself."
From the cracks in the ceiling, shimmering figures descended—guardians of Aeon's Core. Ethereal, ancient, and enraged.
A booming voice filled the cavern:
"Awakened child, you are not alone. The second Pillar stirs."
Nam looked up. A second crystal—red and fiery—floated down into his open palm, drawn to the first. They merged with a blinding flash.
His armor shifted, becoming sleeker, stronger. The energy radiating from him became unbearable for the enemy.
He pointed at the commander.
"Your time ends here."
The fight resumed, but the tide had turned. Nam moved like a storm, his attacks breaking through the enemy lines with divine fury. Lan joined him, side by side once more.
They were no longer fighting to survive—they were fighting to win.
And far beyond the stars, the Third Pillar began to tremble.