Chapter 9: Into the Void

Inside the Darkness, there was no up or down, no time or space. There was only absence, and the memory of what had been.

Kael found Ryn by following the bond between them, that connection that transcended physical reality. The Shadow was still fighting, still resisting, even as the void tried to unmake him.

“Took you long enough,” Ryn gasped.

“Had to make an entrance,” Kael replied, his humor forced but necessary. If they gave in to despair here, they would be lost forever.

Together, they pushed deeper into the Darkness, searching for its heart, its core, the place where they could strike the killing blow. And as they went, the Darkness showed them things.

It showed them the truth.

The cycle wasn’t natural. It had been created, deliberately, by the first five heroes. They had bound themselves to the Darkness, creating an eternal stalemate, because they couldn’t bear to let the world end. They had chosen to fight forever rather than accept defeat.

And every incarnation since had been trapped in that choice, forced to repeat the battle, unable to break free.

“We did this to ourselves,” Kael whispered.

“Then we can undo it,” Ryn said firmly. “Come on. The heart is close.”

To be continued…