The winds howled through the Ravine of Boneglass, ancient and sharp, singing songs of old betrayal. Every step toward the west felt heavier—as if the earth itself wished to hold Rayyan and Nael back.
But they pressed forward.
The Temple of Sundering stood at the edge of the world—half-buried in obsidian dunes, carved into a mountain that pulsed faintly like a sleeping beast. Its gates were sealed shut with scripts of light, coiled and ancient, pulsing in reaction to Nael's presence.
Nael stared at them, his branded wound glowing wildly.
"They're… calling me," he whispered.
Rayyan stood beside him. "Then let's answer—but together."
---
The Whispering Stone
Inside, the temple breathed.
They descended spiral stairs carved from petrified starlight, each step echoing with truths neither of them wanted to hear. The walls were covered in mural fragments—some showing Iblis before his fall, others… something older.
A figure with no face.
A being cloaked in shadows and dread.
Nael froze. "This isn't Iblis…"
Rayyan's Divine Eye scanned the stone. "No. This is the one Iblis ran from."
They reached the chamber's core—where a massive stone stood cracked, humming with energy.
The Whispering Stone.
Barak and the remaining Ash Oath formed a perimeter, blades drawn.
Rayyan stepped forward, placing his hand on the stone.
Visions poured into him.
A memory of light.
A scream that cracked stars.
And a name—
"Zaqratuun."
---
Zaqratuun, The Deathless Hunger
The temple began to shudder.
Chains, once divine, burst into flames and crumbled. The energy beneath the stone surged, and the murals came alive—showing Zaqratuun's war against the first jinn, the angelic hosts, and even Iblis himself.
Nael staggered back.
The fire inside him screamed. Not in rage, but in fear.
Rayyan turned, breathing heavily. "This thing… it was sealed by the will of all the Prophets. Even Iblis helped build this prison."
Nael collapsed, clutching his chest.
A voice echoed from the depths:
> "You carry a piece of me, little heir."
> "I am not behind you. I am within you."
Rayyan drew his blade. "Get out of him."
> "Oh, I will," the voice whispered. "When the door is open."
---
Sammael Arrives
As if summoned by fate, the ground trembled again. The back of the chamber split open—and Sammael stepped through, clad in veils of voidlight, eyes filled with triumph.
"You brought him right where I needed," Sammael said, smirking at Nael.
Rayyan blocked his path. "You won't touch him."
"You think this was about touching him?" Sammael laughed. "Nael is the door. I just needed him to come willingly."
He raised his hand—revealing a shard of the Sky Sigil, torn from an angel's corpse. It flared.
Nael's body rose, fire swirling, veins alight with gold and black.
> "Open…" the voice inside him said.
> "OPEN—"
Rayyan grabbed Nael, his Divine Eye shining like a second sun.
"I won't lose you."
He channeled all of his divine power into a single word:
"ENOUGH!"
---
The Shattering
A shockwave blasted through the temple. The Whispering Stone cracked fully—and from within, a mass of shadows poured out, forming limbs, wings, a face without eyes.
Zaqratuun had not awakened.
But now…
It was watching.
Sammael was thrown across the chamber, his body sparking with unholy runes.
Nael collapsed in Rayyan's arms, unconscious, the fire inside him now silent—but not gone.
Barak called out, "The mountain's collapsing! We need to move!"
Rayyan nodded, lifting Nael.
"We run now. But next time… we fight."
---
To Be Continued…
Far in the sky, beyond mortal sight, a burning feather drifted into the winds of fate.
And Iblis, wherever he hid, trembled.