Lightning split the sky above Solis Summit, casting jagged shadows over the mountain's peak. Below, the earth cracked and trembled as Laga stood motionless, staring into the silver eyes of the woman before him. Though her face was calm, something ancient and terrible lurked behind her gaze.
The soldiers nearby had long since fled—those who survived. Not by command, but by instinct. The weight of what stood between them had torn open something in the fabric of the world. This was no longer just a fight between humans. It was the clash of beings whose names were only whispered in the deepest layers of secret archives.
The woman lifted her hand. Snowflakes turned into embers mid-air. The summit's oxygen thinned. And still, Laga didn't move.
"You've become predictable," she said, her voice sharp like crystal. "Always running. Always hiding behind masks and names."
"I'm not hiding anymore," Laga replied.
She raised an eyebrow. "You wear the mask again. That's not hiding?"
"This isn't a mask," he said, stepping forward. "It's a warning."
The wind howled. And then, they struck.
---
Downtown Grafton – East Sector
In the city's underground parking structure, three black cars exploded at once. From the flames walked seven figures, their eyes glowing red through their visors. The Gate Cult's enforcers—known only as the Obsidian Core—had arrived.
At the heart of it, Leo waited.
He'd abandoned his suit, now clad in combat armor forged from nanosteel. In one hand, he held a scythe shaped like a serpent's fang. In the other, a detonator linked to ten buildings across the financial district.
But he wasn't alone.
Kai emerged from the smoke, twin daggers already dripping with plasma.
"We warned you," Kai said. "Stay hidden. Stay safe."
Leo smirked. "You forget who trained me."
With a flick of his wrist, the scythe ignited.
The parking lot became a warzone.
---
Southern City – Safehouse Omega
June lay still on the cot, arms wrapped in white bandages. Her fight with the Council clones had ended in blood. Most of it not hers. But the cost was clear—she'd been marked.
A small symbol glowed faintly on her shoulder. An ancient rune—one none of their intelligence files recognized.
Mei entered the room silently, a cold pack in her hand.
"They're spreading fast," she said, sitting beside her. "Three countries have lost power grids. The Council is collapsing borders. Language systems. Faith structures. And now they're trying to rewrite DNA codes."
June's eyes opened slowly. "They want to become gods."
Mei nodded grimly. "And Laga… he's their only real fear."
---
Mountain of Solis – Above the Clouds
Laga spun under the woman's strike, his palm catching her wrist before flipping her over. But she landed mid-air, weightless, and snapped her fingers.
From the snow beneath, metal spears launched into the sky.
He raised his hand—and the spears froze mid-air, then turned to dust.
Her eyes narrowed. "You're not supposed to remember that technique."
"I never forgot it," he replied, stepping forward. "You taught me."
She froze.
And in that heartbeat of silence, everything shifted.
The truth—what no one knew.
She was his first master.
Before the Seven.
Before the world saw him as a leader.
Before even the name Sanda.
She was the one who found him bleeding in a desert when he was just thirteen. She taught him silence, pain, and how to kill without leaving a trace.
Her betrayal had sparked everything.
And now they met again—at the edge of time.
---
Corporate Hall – Aureon Tower
Anna had sealed the Fire Archive in an ancient vault beneath the tower. Only her DNA could unlock it. But the Council wasn't waiting.
Two hours earlier, an attack squad had infiltrated the substructure. And though her systems fought them off, something strange happened—they began erasing themselves.
Like they were puppets. Not humans.
Mara ran into the control room, hair damp from rain. "We've found the source."
Anna turned. "Of the attacks?"
Mara nodded. "Of the Council. Their real base isn't here. Not on Earth."
Anna frowned.
Mara took a breath.
"It's under the sea. Far beneath the Mariana Trench. A city—coded in math no one understands. And the Eclipse Council is just the face."
Anna blinked.
"Then who's the body?"
---
Zed's Apartment – Night
Zed couldn't sleep.
The encounter at the bakery kept replaying in his mind. His father—if he really was his father—spoke like a stranger. Moved like a ghost. And yet… Zed felt something inside shift.
When he'd touched the table where the masked man sat, a surge ran through him. As if energy was being downloaded into his bones.
Now, at night, he stood in his room with his hand raised.
And light bent around his fingertips.
Not flame.
Not electricity.
Just… force.
He wasn't like other kids.
And he never had been.
---
Meanwhile – Hidden Chamber, Below Deadwater Prison
Two of Laga's oldest disciples stood face to face.
Toma, now head of Hyverion Aerospace, with billions in defense contracts and private armies. And Saeed, the Shadow Broker, who controlled information across seventy countries.
Both had followed Laga. Both had sworn oaths.
But now, they debated betrayal.
"If he falls," Toma said quietly, "the balance tips. We must prepare to lead."
Saeed shook his head. "You forget your place. He didn't choose us to replace him. He chose us to protect what he cannot."
Toma smiled bitterly.
"Then we've already failed."
---
Mount Solis – Crater of Origin
The masked woman's robe was torn.
Laga's shoulder bled, black stains steaming through his coat.
Neither had spoken for five minutes. Only silence and movement. Only combat that tore the skies and shook the earth.
And then it happened.
The final Gate shard rose from the crater.
Time slowed.
The ritual had begun.
If she reached it, the Council's transformation would complete.
But if Laga did—he could seal it forever.
The sky opened above.
Thunder cracked.
And as both surged forward…
A third figure descended between them.
Wearing no mask.
Carrying no weapon.
But every cell in their bodies screamed the same thing:
He is more dangerous than both.
Laga stopped mid-strike.
The woman froze.
The newcomer looked at them both.
"I am what you made," he said softly.
Then smiled.
"Let's finish what you started."