Above the fractured cavern of Aeon's Core, where the sky once was, a rift now pulsed with shifting constellations. The veil had been torn—and something ancient had begun to awaken.
Nam stood silently, both crystals now fused into a single core at the center of his chest. Its glow pulsed in sync with his heartbeat, steady but intense. Around him, silence fell as the last of the enemy soldiers crumbled into dust. Only the commander remained—on one knee, armor cracked, blade broken.
Lan approached from behind, her face bruised but defiant. "Is it over?"
Nam didn't answer right away. His gaze was fixed on the sky above—on a swirl of red and silver light drawing closer.
"No," he whispered. "It's only just beginning."
Suddenly, the entire chamber trembled. The obelisk cracked. From within, a wave of ancient data surged, spiraling into the air in runes and glyphs. The words weren't spoken aloud, but Nam understood them.
"Coordinates confirmed. The Third Pillar has awakened."
Lan frowned. "The Third Pillar? Where is it?"
Nam turned to her, eyes glowing with new knowledge. "It's not here… It's on the surface. In the Wastes of Sira'an."
Before they could react, the remains of the commander stirred. Its voice had lost all arrogance—now it was filled with fear. "You don't know what you've unleashed… The Third Pillar is not like the others. It sleeps… because it must."
Nam stepped forward. "What is it?"
The commander looked up, fragments of its faceplate falling away. Beneath was no human face, but a shifting, metallic mist. "The Third Pillar is not a key… it is a lock."
Then its form disintegrated into ash, blown away by an unseen wind.
Lan stared, wide-eyed. "What does that mean?"
Nam turned toward the spiral stair leading back to the surface. "It means… we've just broken something we were never meant to open."
A soft chime echoed in his mind—the system speaking:
"Warning. Reality boundaries weakening. Anomaly approaching."
"Anomaly identified: 'Null Entity - Origin Unknown.'"
Nam and Lan exchanged a look. She gripped her blade tighter. "We should move. Now."
As they ascended toward the surface, the rift above slowly began to close—but the damage was done. A whisper passed through the ruins, a soundless echo from beyond time.
Far away, in the desolate Wastes of Sira'an, something stirred beneath the sands.
A single crimson eye opened.