The sky remained unnaturally still after the rift was sealed, as if the world itself held its breath. Jin Long stood amidst the smoldering remnants of the battlefield, his sword lowered but still pulsing faintly with light. Beside him, Yue Lan clutched her staff, her eyes scanning the horizon warily.
Though the immediate threat had vanished, both of them knew the fight was far from over.
Jin Long's voice broke the silence. "We didn't defeat Zhan Wuhen… we only delayed him."
Yue Lan nodded. "He knows you now. And more than that… he fears the Core."
Jin Long sheathed his sword and turned his gaze upward, where the last traces of the rift's energy shimmered like dying starlight. The Genesis Core hummed gently within him, no longer in chaos, but not yet fully in harmony. It was awakening—piece by piece.
Then, from the far end of the scorched field, a strange glow began to rise. A ring of flame spiraled upward from the ground, twisting in unnatural patterns. Yue Lan raised her staff, ready to fight again, but Jin Long held out a hand.
"No… it's different this time."
Within the spiral of fire, a figure began to form—a silhouette cloaked in robes of molten ember and crimson light. The fire subsided, revealing an elderly man with eyes like smoldering coals and a staff crowned by a burning sigil.
"I am Kael of the Flame," the figure announced, his voice like crackling firewood. "The Keeper of the Second Core."
Jin Long's eyes narrowed. "You're one of the Nine."
Kael inclined his head. "Yes. And your sealing of the rift awakened my flame. You have drawn attention to yourself, child of the First Core. The others will come now—some in alliance… others in ruin."
Yue Lan stepped forward. "Why now? Why reveal yourself?"
Kael's face grew grim. "Because the Void's eyes are open. And Zhan Wuhen was only the beginning."
He waved his hand, and flames leapt into the air, forming a map—a star chart etched in living fire. Nine stars burned across the sky, each connected by lines of force.
"This," Kael continued, "is the Path of Convergence. The Nine Cores must be awakened, and united, before the Void consumes them one by one. The balance is fragile."
Jin Long studied the fiery map, his heart pounding. "And if we fail?"
Kael's fire dimmed. "Then the Genesis Core will fall into entropy, and with it, the threads that bind reality will burn to ash. Each bearer must awaken. Each trial must be faced. Only together can we defy the end."
Silence followed his words, heavy with truth. Yue Lan reached out and grasped Jin Long's hand. He didn't flinch. The bond between them, forged in combat and trust, was stronger now than ever.
Kael turned to leave. "My flame will guide you to the Ashen Wastes. There, a gate awaits—the next trial. Come quickly. The shadows gather faster than you know."
With that, the Keeper vanished in a swirl of flame, leaving behind a single ember glowing on the ground. Jin Long knelt, picking it up. The moment he did, images flashed in his mind—cities in ruin, Core bearers fighting side by side, and the face of Zhan Wuhen twisted in fury.
He stood, resolve burning in his eyes.
"Let's go," he said to Yue Lan. "We're not alone anymore. And neither is the Vo