The echoes of the first Guardian's dissolution still hung in the Beyond's swirling purple and gold skies when the Balance's Dawn touched down on a floating crystal island, its hull scorched and dented from the battle. Ryan's shoulder throbbed where the Guardian's entropy blade had struck, a faint blackness creeping along his skin that even his merged harmony-and-entropy energy struggled to purge. Kaelen knelt beside him, his starry-eyed gaze fixed on the wound, and pressed a hand to it—waves of cool, dark energy surging into Ryan's body, burning away the residual entropy and sealing the gash closed.
"Thank you," Ryan muttered, pushing himself to his feet, his merged sword still glowing faintly in his grasp. The mark on his palm—now a perfect circle of light and dark—pulsed in time with the Beyond's energy, a constant reminder of their fused essence, and of the ancient hunger that lurked in the realm's deeper layers.
Marcus stepped off the ship, his energy sword sheathed but his knuckles white with tension, as he surveyed the first layer's sprawling crystal landscape. "The Guardian was tough, but we took it down faster than I expected," he said, his voice echoing across the empty island. "But the second layer—what do we know about it?"
The Unmaker materialized beside him, its form now a sharp, angular humanoid with void-woven skin and eyes that glowed like miniature black holes. It gestured to the horizon, where the purple and gold skies faded into a swirling abyss of deep blue and crimson, lightning-like streaks of unstable energy crackling through the darkness. "The second layer is the Realm of Fading Memories. The First One trapped here the beings who witnessed his betrayal—those who knew he cast Kaelen into the Beyond and lied about the Vessel of Annihilation. He forged the Guardian of the Second Layer from their collective grief and rage, a being of living shadow and broken light that feeds on the regrets of anyone who dares to pass."
Jake emerged from the ship's cockpit, his crystal orb replaced by a new one—forged from the First One's rune-stone salvaged from the Eternal Plane—its surface glowing with iridescent energy as it scanned the second layer's border. "Scans confirm it. The Guardian's energy signature is massive—easily twice as strong as the first Guardian's. And there's something else… a faint, familiar pulse in the heart of the second layer. It matches the Thread of Redemption. It matches Elias."
Ryan's blood ran cold. Elias. His father. The voice that had whispered in his mind at the edge of the first battle, the words that had shaken him to his core: The true enemy is… me. He had pushed the thought aside during the fight with the first Guardian, but now it surged back, unbidden and terrifying, as the Thread of Redemption—once a warm, guiding light in his chest—twisted into a cold, faint hum, as if responding to the pulse in the second layer.
"I need to see it," Ryan said, his voice firm, despite the doubt creeping into his mind. "I need to find that pulse. I need to know what Elias is doing here."
Kaelen placed a hand on his arm, his touch steady and reassuring. "I will go with you. The Guardian feeds on regret—our fused essence will shield us from its worst effects. Marcus and Jake can stay with the Balance's Dawn to reinforce the ship's defenses, and the Unmaker can guide us to the heart of the layer. It knows the First One's traps better than any of us."
Marcus nodded, already turning back to the ship. "We'll have the weapons systems fully charged in an hour. If you need backup, just comm us—we'll be there in minutes. And Ryan… be careful. That whisper of Elias's—whatever it is, it's not the father you knew. Not anymore."
Ryan nodded, his gaze fixed on the second layer's dark border. "I know. But he's still the one who gave me the Thread of Redemption. Still the one who guided me when I had nothing. I owe it to him—and to myself—to find the truth."
Within an hour, the Unmaker led Ryan and Kaelen across the border into the second layer, the Realm of Fading Memories. The air grew thick and cold, the ground shifting from solid crystal to a swirling mist of broken images—flashes of the First One's betrayal, of Kaelen being cast into the Beyond, of the dead multiverse that had birthed the Vessel of Annihilation. Ryan saw fragments of his own past, too: the slums of Earth, the first time he had wielded balanced energy, Elias's sacrifice to save him from the Unmaker's early wrath. Each image tugged at his heart, a flicker of regret that the Guardian could feed on—and each time, Kaelen's dark energy wrapped around him, snuffing out the doubt and keeping the Guardian at bay.
"The Guardian is close," the Unmaker said, its voice low and urgent, as it gestured to a towering figure looming in the distance. It stood twice as tall as the first Guardian, its form woven from shadow and broken light, its face a swirling mass of forgotten faces, its hands wielding scythes made of solidified grief. As they approached, the Guardian let out a roar—a sound that was not a single voice, but a chorus of thousands, screaming in agony and rage.
"YOU DARE TO ENTER MY REALM," the Guardian boomed, its scythes swinging through the mist, slicing through the broken images and sending waves of regret surging toward Ryan and Kaelen. "YOU DARE TO UNCOVER THE FIRST ONE'S LIES. YOU WILL FEEL OUR PAIN. YOU WILL FADE LIKE WE DID."
Ryan raised his merged sword, light and dark flaring to life as he blocked the first scythe strike, the impact sending a shockwave through the mist. Kaelen lunged beside him, his own blade—forged from Beyond energy—slicing at the Guardian's flank, but the shadowy form shifted, the blade passing through it as if it were smoke.
"It's not solid—not yet," Kaelen shouted, dodging another scythe strike. "It feeds on regret to gain physical form. We have to stop it from feeding—we have to calm the forgotten beings trapped within it."
Ryan nodded, his gaze fixed on the Guardian's swirling face, where thousands of broken faces stared back at him, their eyes filled with sorrow. He closed his eyes, focusing on the Thread of Redemption—now a cold hum in his chest—and channeled his merged energy, sending waves of harmony and entropy into the Guardian's form. The mist stilled, the chorus of screams fading to a whimper, as the forgotten beings' grief was soothed by the balanced energy.
But as he channeled his power, the faint pulse in the second layer's heart grew stronger—Elias's voice, clear and urgent, whispering directly into his mind, drowning out the Guardian's whimpers.
"Ryan. Do not trust Kaelen. He is not your twin. He is a pawn of the Vessel of Annihilation. He is using you to break the First One's seals and free the Vessel to consume everything."
Ryan's energy wavered. The Guardian seized the opportunity, its form solidifying into a towering, shadowy giant, its scythes slamming into Ryan's chest and sending him flying backward, crashing into a wall of broken images. Kaelen screamed, lunging at the Guardian with his blade, but the Guardian swatted him aside like a fly, its scythe poised to strike the killing blow.
"Save him," Elias's voice whispered, "but know this: the Thread of Redemption is not a gift. It is a chain. I forged it from the First One's creation energy to bind you—to keep you from merging with Kaelen, to keep you from becoming the Vessel's weapon. And now, it is the only thing that can stop him."
Ryan pushed himself to his feet, his chest throbbing, as the Thread of Redemption flared to life in his chest—warm, golden light surging through his veins, burning away the cold doubt and the Guardian's residual shadow energy. He realized now that the Thread had never been just a guiding light—it had been a shield, a barrier between him and the darkness of the Beyond, between him and Kaelen's true intentions.
But as he stared at Kaelen, pinned beneath the Guardian's scythe, his starry eyes filled with fear and not malice, Ryan hesitated. Could Elias be lying? Could the Thread of Redemption be a cage, not a shield? Could Kaelen truly be his twin, and not a pawn of the Vessel?
The Guardian roared, its scythe descending toward Kaelen's chest, and Ryan made his choice. He raised his merged sword, channeling both the Thread of Redemption's golden light and the Beyond's dark entropy, and lunged—his blade slicing through the Guardian's shadowy form, piercing its core of collective grief. The Guardian screamed, a chorus of thousands of voices fading to silence, as its form dissolved into mist and broken light, the forgotten beings within it released from their torment, their spirits rising into the second layer's sky, glowing with peaceful light before fading into the Beyond's energy.
Kaelen pushed himself to his feet, his body bruised but unbroken, and stared at Ryan with gratitude. "You saved me. Thank you. But I felt it—your energy wavered. What happened?"
Ryan hesitated, then told him—told him about Elias's whisper, about the claim that Kaelen was a pawn of the Vessel, about the Thread of Redemption being a chain. Kaelen's starry eyes darkened, his form flickering with anger, as he listened. When Ryan finished, Kaelen shook his head, his voice filled with sorrow.
"Elias is not who you think he is," Kaelen said. "He is not just your father. He is the First One's most loyal servant—forged from the same creation energy as the Guardians, tasked with guiding you along the First One's path, with ensuring you became the ward and never uncovered the truth. The Thread of Redemption is not a chain he forged—it is a fragment of the First One's own essence, a tool to control you. And his whisper now? It is a desperate attempt to drive us apart, to prevent us from reaching the Heart of the Beyond, to prevent us from stopping the Vessel and freeing the multiverse."
Ryan's mind reeled. Everything he had ever believed about his father, about the Thread of Redemption, about his own path—now shattered, just like the Guardian's form. He closed his eyes, focusing on the Thread of Redemption in his chest, the warm golden light now feeling cold and foreign, like a parasite feeding on his energy. He could feel it now— the faint pulse of the First One's essence within it, the subtle control it had exerted over him for years, guiding his choices, shaping his destiny, keeping him blind to the truth.
The Unmaker stepped forward, its voice low and solemn. "Kaelen speaks the truth. I have memories—faint, buried memories—of Elias. Of the First One forging him, of tasking him with watching over you, of ensuring you never strayed from the path. The First One knew you would be the key to unlocking the Beyond, so he created Elias to be your guide—and your jailer."
Jake's voice crackled over the comms, urgent and excited. "Ryan, Kaelen—we've picked up the pulse of the Thread of Redemption. It's leading to a hidden chamber in the heart of the second layer. Scans show it contains a datacore—intact, undamaged. It might have the truth about Elias, about the Thread of Redemption, about everything."
Ryan opened his eyes, his resolve hardening. "We're coming. Lead us to it."
The Unmaker guided them through the now-quiet Realm of Fading Memories, the broken images now replaced by peaceful light, as the forgotten beings' spirits lingered, guiding them toward the heart of the layer. At the center of the second layer stood a floating temple, its walls woven from shadow and light, its doors sealed with the same runes as the First One's chamber on the Eternal Plane. Ryan pressed his palm to the door—the merged mark of light and dark glowing in sync with the runes—and the door dissolved into mist, revealing a small chamber lined with crystalline pillars, at the center of which rested a datacore of golden light, pulsing in time with the Thread of Redemption in his chest.
As Ryan reached for the datacore, it surged to life, projecting a hologram of Elias—not the warm, fatherly figure Ryan knew, but a being of cold, golden light, his face set with determination as he spoke to the First One, who loomed behind him in a cloud of pure creation energy.
"I will guide him, my lord," Elias said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I will ensure he becomes the ward. I will ensure he never uncovers the truth about Kaelen, about the Beyond, about the Vessel. And if he strays from the path—if he begins to question the lies—I will eliminate him. For the multiverse. For your plan."
The First One nodded, his voice booming with pride. "You are my greatest creation, Elias. You will ensure my legacy. You will ensure the multiverse remains my cocoon, my playground, for all eternity. And when the Vessel of Annihilation wakes—when Kaelen and Ryan merge and break the seals—you will be there to finish what I started. You will consume the Vessel's energy, you will become the new Cosmic Tyrant, and you will rule the multiverse and the Beyond with an iron fist."
The hologram faded, the datacore's golden light dimming, as Ryan stood frozen, his heart breaking. The father who had sacrificed himself for him, the father who had guided him through every battle, the father who had given him the Thread of Redemption—was nothing more than a tool, a creation of the First One, tasked with destroying him if he strayed from the path. The whisper in his mind, the claim that Kaelen was a pawn— it was all a lie, a desperate attempt to prevent Ryan from uncovering the truth about Elias's true purpose.
The Thread of Redemption in his chest flared to life, golden light surging through his veins, as if trying to take control, to bind him once more. Ryan screamed, channeling his merged harmony-and-entropy energy, and tore the Thread from his chest—golden light exploding from his body, the Thread dissolving into mist as it was purged from his system. For a moment, he felt empty, as if a part of him had been torn away—but then, his merged energy surged, filling the void, the mark on his palm glowing brighter than ever before, as he was finally free from the First One's control.
"Ryan," Kaelen said, his voice soft with concern, as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Ryan nodded, his eyes filled with rage and resolve. "I'm free. Finally free. But Elias is still out there. He's still the First One's servant. He's still going to try to stop us. And when we reach the Heart of the Beyond—when we face the First One and the Vessel of Annihilation—he will be waiting. He will be ready to become the new Cosmic Tyrant."
The Unmaker's form flickered with anger. "Then we will be ready for him. We will gather the forgotten beings' energy, we will strengthen our merged power, and we will stop him. We will stop the First One. We will stop the Vessel of Annihilation. And we will free the multiverse and the Beyond from their cages."
Jake's voice crackled over the comms, urgent and fearful. "Ryan, Kaelen—scans show a massive energy signature approaching the second layer. It's Elias. He's merged with a fragment of the First One's creation energy. He's more powerful than ever before. And he's bringing an army of constructs with him."
Ryan stepped to the temple's doorway, his merged sword glowing with light and dark, as he stared out at the second layer's horizon. In the distance, a swarm of shadowy constructs loomed, their forms weaving through the blue and crimson skies, led by a figure of golden light—Elias, his wings of creation energy spread wide, his eyes glowing with cold determination, his hand wielding a blade of pure golden light that matched the Thread of Redemption's energy.
Elias's voice echoed across the second layer, cold and unforgiving. "Ryan. You have strayed from the path. You have uncovered the truth. You have freed yourself from the Thread of Redemption. But it is too late. The Vessel of Annihilation will wake. The First One will be freed. And I will become the new Cosmic Tyrant. You will not stop me. You will not save the multiverse. You will die, just like your twin."
Ryan raised his merged sword, his energy flaring with light and dark, harmony and entropy. Kaelen stood beside him, his blade glowing with dark Beyond energy. The Unmaker's form solidified, its void energy coiling like a shield. The forgotten beings' spirits surged around them, their peaceful light merging with their merged energy, strengthening their power.
"The battle is not over," Ryan shouted, his voice echoing across the second layer. "The First One's lie will end today. Elias's reign of terror will end today. And the multiverse and the Beyond will be free. Today."
Elias roared, leading the army of constructs toward them, his golden blade raised. The constructs charged, their shadowy forms slamming into the forgotten beings' light shield, sending waves of energy surging through the second layer. Ryan and Kaelen lunged forward, their blades slicing through the constructs' forms, as the Unmaker unleashed waves of void energy, tearing through the swarm.
The battle for the second layer had begun.
But as Ryan fought, he felt a faint, ancient pulse—deep within the Beyond's third layer, the Heart of the Beyond. The Vessel of Annihilation was waking. Its hunger was growing. And it was no longer just targeting the multiverse. It was targeting the Beyond. It was targeting everything.
And somewhere in the shadows, the First One's essence stirred, his laughter echoing through the Beyond's layers, as he waited for his plan to come to fruition. Waited for Elias to become the new Cosmic Tyrant. Waited for the Vessel of Annihilation to consume everything. Waited for the end of all existence.
Ryan's blade sliced through another construct, his merged energy wavering as the Vessel's pulse grew stronger. He knew that even if they defeated Elias and the army of constructs, even if they reached the Heart of the Beyond, the worst was still to come. The Vessel of Annihilation was not just a void. It was not just a hunger. It was a being of pure, unadulterated destruction—forged from the remains of a dead multiverse, trapped for eons, and now, finally, free.
And when it woke fully, there would be no stopping it. No harmony. No entropy. No light. No dark. Only nothingness. Only annihilation. Only the end.
The end… for now.