The Flame Gardens had erupted into chaos.
The once vibrant, fiery landscape now seemed to burn even brighter with the desperation of the participants trying to survive. The towering figure of the Shadow Monarch loomed above, its gargantuan form stretching toward the heavens. At least twenty meters tall, it was an unstoppable force, moving with terrifying precision as it adapted to each attack. Its body, a shifting mass of living shadows, seemed to grow more resilient with every blow it took.
"Die, you damned beast!" one of the higher-level fighters screamed as they lunged forward, sword drawn. But before they could even reach the creature, its massive hand shot out, swatting them aside like a fly. The fighter's body crumpled upon impact, and their life was snuffed out in an instant.
Aiden's eyes widened in horror. No one had expected this. The Shadow Monarch was not just a boss—it was a force of nature. And it was tearing through the battlefield without mercy.
Around him, the screams of the dying filled the air. Blood stained the ground beneath their feet as fighters of every level were cut down, their bodies tossed aside with little more than a flick of the creature's arm. The sheer power of the Shadow Monarch was beyond anything Aiden had ever imagined. And in its wake, there was nothing but death and destruction.
"No!" Aiden shouted as he rushed toward the creature. His body surged with power as blue energy enveloped him. But no matter how hard he tried to push forward, the creature's sheer presence seemed to push him back.
In the chaos, Aiden saw Kaelis, the cocky, arrogant warrior, charging toward the monster with his sword raised high. Kaelis had always thought himself invincible, but the Shadow Monarch was a different beast entirely.
With a sudden, effortless movement, the Shadow Monarch raised its hand and struck Kaelis like a fly swatting at a pesky insect. Kaelis's body flew through the air, crashing into the ground with an earth-shattering thud. The air was filled with the sickening sound of bones breaking as the mighty Kaelis was knocked out cold, his body crumpled like a ragdoll.
Aiden's heart skipped a beat. If even Kaelis, one of the strongest warriors here, could be so easily defeated, what hope did they have? He clenched his fists, his mind racing. There had to be something—anything—that could stop this monster.
But the Shadow Monarch wasn't done yet. The creature let out a deafening roar, its shadowy tendrils whipping through the air and striking anyone in its path. Aiden watched in disbelief as a group of mages was engulfed by the shadows, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness as the tendrils passed through them.
The battlefield had become a warzone of blood and fire. Warriors, mages, and adventurers alike scrambled to avoid the Shadow Monarch's deadly reach. But no matter how fast they ran, the creature seemed to be everywhere. It was as if the very shadows themselves were alive, hunting them down with malicious intent.
Aiden's mind raced as the countdown to destruction continued. The sky was darkening with the sheer force of the creature's power, and the air felt thick, suffocating. The only sound that filled the air was the unrelenting roar of the Shadow Monarch and the screams of the dying.
Then, suddenly, Vael'thyr appeared. The god who had overseen the beginning of the Event of Doom now stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. His golden eyes flickered with confusion as he observed the chaos unfolding before him.
"What… What is happening?" Vael'thyr muttered under his breath, his voice laced with shock. "This is… impossible."
The Shadow Monarch, now seemingly unchallenged, was adapting to every attack with an unsettling speed. Its shadowy tendrils lashed out with incredible force, disintegrating anything they touched. The creature's form seemed to shimmer and warp, making it harder to predict its next move. It was evolving, becoming even more dangerous as the seconds ticked by.
Vael'thyr stood there, his golden eyes narrowed in frustration. For the first time, he seemed unsure of what to do. His godly aura, usually filled with overwhelming power, flickered and wavered in the face of the Shadow Monarch's relentless assault.
Aiden's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't understand what was happening. Why was Vael'thyr just standing there, watching? Why wasn't he doing anything to stop the Shadow Monarch?
It was at that moment that Aiden realized the terrible truth. Vael'thyr wasn't in control. He had been caught off guard, just like everyone else. The Shadow Monarch was too powerful, too unpredictable for even Vael'thyr to control.
Aiden's mind raced. If they were going to survive this, they needed a plan. They needed to act fast.
But before he could formulate any kind of strategy, the Shadow Monarch turned its attention to him. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Aiden, and the air around him seemed to freeze. Time itself seemed to slow as the creature's shadowy tendrils reached for him.
"No…" Aiden whispered, his voice trembling with fear.
But just as the tendrils were about to strike, a strange sensation washed over him. His body was suddenly filled with blue energy, a surge of power that he had never felt before. It was as if the power of time itself had been granted to him.
With a snap of his fingers, time itself seemed to halt.
Everything around him froze—the Shadow Monarch, the chaos, even the screams of the dying. For four brief seconds, the world around him came to a standstill.
Aiden stood in the frozen moment, his mind racing with the implications of what had just happened. The power he had unlocked—the power of time—was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if he had become a force of nature, able to manipulate time itself.
But even as he reveled in his newfound power, Aiden knew this wasn't the end. The Shadow Monarch was still there, still waiting, still adapting. And the event was far from over.
The time freeze ended, and the world around him rushed back into motion.
The Shadow Monarch let out another deafening roar, its eyes glowing with rage. It was enraged, but also wary. It had seen the power Aiden had unleashed, and it was no longer the unstoppable force it had once been.
Vael'thyr stood in silence, watching with a mixture of awe and concern. "The Time God… betrayed me," he muttered, his voice filled with both anger and disbelief.
Aiden clenched his fists, his determination hardening. "I won't let this monster take everything," he muttered under his breath.
And with that, the battle for survival began anew.
The battlefield was still a place of madness. The Shadow Monarch, looming over the dead and dying, continued its relentless rampage. The fire in the gardens, once a beacon of hope, now only added to the hellish atmosphere, its flames licking at the sky like hungry serpents.
Aiden's body trembled. His heart raced in his chest as he watched the carnage unfold before him. The pain, the loss—it was almost too much to bear. But he couldn't afford to look away. Not now. Not when everything was falling apart. Not when people he barely knew were dying, and he was just standing there, powerless.
But that wasn't true. He had power—time itself. He could freeze time, even if it was only for a few moments. He had seen what the power of time could do. But there was no time for hesitation.
Jin, the boy who had been a companion, a friend, had just leveled up to 59, his aura radiating with newfound strength. His eyes were fierce with determination, and his sword glinted in the flickering light. "I'm going to end this!" Jin shouted, his voice filled with resolve.
Aiden felt a cold pit form in his stomach. He wanted to stop him. He wanted to hold him back, to tell him that they were not ready, that they were no match for the Shadow Monarch. But Jin was already running forward, his speed like a blur as he charged toward the towering figure of the Shadow Monarch.
"No!" Aiden screamed, but his voice was drowned out by the chaos, his plea for Jin to stop lost in the noise of the battle.
Jin leaped into the air, sword raised high. He was so focused on his target, his form an unstoppable force, but the moment he collided with the Shadow Monarch's shadowy figure, everything shattered.
With a single motion, the Shadow Monarch raised its hand—faster than any of them had anticipated. The tendrils of shadow lashed out, moving like serpents. One of them lashed across Jin's chest, sending him hurtling to the ground with an earth-shaking impact.
"Jin!" Aiden screamed, his voice hoarse with desperation.
But it was too late.
The Shadow Monarch's other hand slammed into Jin with a sickening thud. His body crumpled under the force of the blow, his armor shattering as though it were made of paper. Jin's sword fell from his hand, clattering uselessly to the ground.
Aiden's world slowed as he saw Jin's lifeless body being dragged across the battlefield by the darkness. Tears welled up in his eyes as the weight of the situation crashed down on him. He had just lost another person he cared about. Another friend. Another person who had fought by his side, only to be struck down so easily.
The Shadow Monarch was unstoppable. It was too powerful, too merciless, and Jin was now nothing more than another casualty in this endless cycle of death.
Aiden fell to his knees, tears streaking down his face. His fists clenched at his sides, but they didn't shake with fear—no. They shook with rage. The kind of rage that burned hotter than the flames surrounding them.
"You—!" Aiden gritted his teeth, his voice breaking as he struggled to find words. "Why—Why did you have to—?!"
Vael'thyr stood in the distance, his golden eyes glowing with an unsettling mix of surprise and anger. The god seemed unnerved, his posture rigid and unmoving as he observed the scene. "The boy was too weak. You all are." His voice was cold, almost indifferent, as if the loss of life meant nothing to him.
But there was something in his eyes—something flickering—that made Aiden pause. It was almost like Vael'thyr himself didn't know what to do. Aiden's chest tightened. Was the god of war… afraid? Of what? The Shadow Monarch? Or something else?
"No! This isn't right!" Aiden shouted, his anger rising. He stood to his feet, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
The ground around him began to tremble as blue energy exploded from his body. It felt like every ounce of pain and grief was flowing through him, manifesting as raw, unfiltered power. He could feel the time energy surging within him, a force he could barely control, and yet, he didn't care.
The Shadow Monarch turned its attention to him, its dark eyes locking onto Aiden with a malevolent gaze. The creature seemed to recognize him, perhaps even feel the power radiating from him.
Aiden stepped forward, his chest rising and falling with each breath. He felt his power growing, building inside him like a storm on the verge of breaking. But even with all his power, the Shadow Monarch was still more than he could handle. He was still so weak.
The monster's tendrils lashed toward him, each one moving with terrifying speed, intent on tearing him apart. But as they reached him, Aiden did something he didn't know he was capable of.
He snapped his fingers.
Time froze.
For the briefest of moments, everything stopped. The tendrils of the Shadow Monarch hung motionless in the air, suspended in time like a tableau of impending doom. The sound of screams, the crackling of flames, and the ferocious roars of the creature all faded into silence.
In that frozen moment, Aiden had a choice.
He could run. He could escape. He could leave this place behind and never look back, just as so many had done before him. Or he could stand his ground and fight. For Jin. For everyone who had fallen. For the countless souls whose lives had been snuffed out by this monstrous force.
Aiden's eyes narrowed as he stood tall. His hands crackled with blue energy, a storm of time magic swirling around him. The anger, the grief, the pain—it all manifested as a blinding light that filled the battlefield.
He would not run.
Aiden raised his hand, his fingers outstretched toward the frozen figure of the Shadow Monarch. His power was still raw, still unrefined, but it was his. It was all he had left.
With a mighty roar, he released his energy.
The time freeze shattered.
The world exploded back into motion, and the tendrils of the Shadow Monarch fell toward Aiden with blinding speed. But this time, something was different.
Aiden's energy surged forward, crackling with intensity. The tendrils froze in place as his time manipulation power took hold. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough. For a few precious seconds, the creature's attack was halted. Aiden didn't hesitate.
He struck.
His fist collided with one of the tendrils, the force of the blow rippling through the air. The shadowy limb shattered, fragments of darkness flying in all directions. The creature's roar of fury echoed in the air, but it was no longer as certain as before. It had been wounded.
Aiden panted, sweat dripping down his face. He had done it. For a moment, he had stopped the beast, given them all a chance. But how long could he hold it off?
Vael'thyr's golden eyes flickered. Was this power… his doing?
"I won't let this monster destroy everything!" Aiden shouted, determination filling his voice.
The battle was far from over. But Aiden had made a vow. He would not let them die in vain.
Not anymore.