The hidden realm pulsed with quiet energy—a sanctum wrapped in threads of time, forgotten even by the gods. Here, no stars moved. No wind blew. Only the heartbeat of the Codex echoed in silence.
Steven stood in the center of a ritual circle. The golden runes on his body still glowed faintly, but they no longer burned. Around him were his allies—Aetheron, Zethion, Elymara, and the Primordial Keepers—silent, waiting.
From the shadows emerged an old figure draped in cloaks of stitched light and shadow. His eyes were hollow galaxies.
"The Archivist," Aetheron whispered.
The being stepped forward. "I was the first to touch the Codex… and the only one who survived. Until you, Steven Lethal."
Steven narrowed his eyes. "Then you know what I am."
"I do," the Archivist said. "You are the Final Shard. The living Codex fragment born to seal the cycle of chaos forever."
Zethion frowned. "Then why is Pain still alive?"
The Archivist turned. "Because the prophecy remains unfinished."
He gestured, and a great tome appeared before them—not the Codex, but its mirror: the Book of Unwritten Ends.
Its pages flipped, revealing a prophecy written in burning ink.
> "When the Final Shard awakens,
And balance is born in flesh,
The Architect of Ends shall rise
To claim the spark,
And from that choice,
Creation will be unmade—
Or rewritten anew."
Steven stared. "The Architect of Ends… Pain?"
The Archivist nodded. "He seeks your soul not to destroy you… but to become the new Author. If he merges with the Shard, he'll rewrite everything—in his image."
Aetheron clenched his fists. "Then we stop him."
The Archivist's face darkened. "To stop him, the Codex must fully awaken. You must unlock the Last Spell—the Rewrite Absolute."
Everyone looked at Steven.
"And what happens if I do?" Steven asked quietly.
The Archivist's voice was grave. "You will cease to be mortal. You will become the Codex fully—mind, soul, and memory. No longer Steven Lethal… but the eternal Quill."
A heavy silence.
Zethion stepped forward. "You're not a book, Steven. You're a man. My friend. We'll find another way."
But Steven's gaze was distant. "If it's the only way to stop Pain… I'll do it."
The Archivist raised a hand, pointing to the far wall. There, etched in runes, was a sealed door made of living starlight.
"Beyond that door lies the Origin Chamber—the place where the Codex was born."
Steven stepped forward.
"It's time," he said. "Time to finish the story… my way."
---
Back on the battlefield, Pain stood over a dying world, his generals regrouping.
He looked to the stars and whispered:
"Run, little shard. The end you fear… is the end I welcome."
---
To be continued