Entering the dark curtain which prevented illumination of any sort from getting in, Alex found himself back in BoneHaven… or at least, it seemed to be that way.
No matter where he looked, nothing could be seen.
A dark miasma shrouded everything, reducing visibility to zero.
He frowned at the sight only to sense something with his spirituality causing him to want to look up.
However, hardly had he attempted to do so when a bright light shone on the city, dispelling the dark miasma to reveal a badly damaged city with its inhabitants cowering in fear.
Alex stared at the sight, unsure of how to feel about it.
Attempting to look up again, something in his gut…something deep within his core warned him against it.
"Isn't this a bit much?" Alex frowned at the reaction.
He was unwilling to go against it though but then, his curiosity was piqued.
Alex took a deep breath and decided to rendezvous with Ana first.
With the surge of pulsating black and white, Alex disappeared.
***
"Kuhahaha." Basar was elated as he gazed upon the beauty of his master.
As Penemuel kept gazing at the city below, the crack kept getting wider until they slowly began to enter the Mortal plane, and with their entry, the Will of the World was thrown into disarray.
No one dared to look up as those that had dared to do so were dead, courtesy of their head exploding after a simple peek.
Even Ana had her head down, out of fear of losing herself to the insanity that Penemuel brought from the Abyss.
She trembled as she realized she had failed.
She failed to protect BoneHaven, she failed in her duty as a guardian and because of that, her death no longer seemed as a vague possibility.
"...But I've not traveled the world yet." She muttered. "I've not experienced fun adventures yet."
Tears slowly trailed down her cheek as the thought of dying before completing her bucket list weighed heavily on her mind.
Grabbing her head, Ana barely repressed the depression as she didn't want to lose hope yet.
"He said he would come… he will," Ana muttered.
She didn't know when but she had begun to rely on Alex more than she should.
A great dragon that held control over the domain of Time.
She had quelled quite several Incursions that had happened before now.
It had become somewhat of a pastime but this time was different.
It wasn't just any Otherworldly.
At least with an Otherworldly, she could resist the corruption of the Abyss.
But in the presence of a being like Penemuel, an angel corrupted by the Abyss, Ana didn't dare consider herself a powerhouse strong enough to face them.
And even running away was no longer an option with the appearance of the dark curtain.
"What do I do?" Ana was left utterly confused as she stood in place, her mind a grand mess.
At the same time, a familiar voice whispered in her ear, asking her to let go but Ana ignored it as best she could, veins popping out of her forehead as she gritted her teeth.
Meanwhile, Basar watched with glee as Penemuel fully descended into Eventide.
He had finally succeeded!
"Amazing." He said as he slowly pulled off his bandages.
The sight of Penemuel slowly floating above BoneHaven was truly a picturesque scene in his eyes.
It was just as he had imagined it in his drawings.
A gigantic eyeball with two wings protruding out of the hollow orifice behind it and various slime-covered tentacles coming out of it.
About it, several smaller eyeballs floated, each one twisting and turning in a certain direction, giving Penemuel a complete 360° view.
They floated above, gazing down on everything with an aloof stance.
Basar watched this and after holding back for long enough, remarked. "Oh great Lord, now that you have arrived, I believe it is time. It is time to purge this world of the sins humans have committed. Lead the righteous to a new age!... Please, my lord, do not forsake us now."
Hardly had he finished his speech when a small eyeball turned in his direction.
Expecting a response, Basar remained poised.
However, a moment later, he regretted his decision.
A powerful erasing beam was shot out of the eye, destroying everything in its path.
Even space wasn't spared as it completely shattered, leaving behind a blackness that stretched on as far as the eyes could see.
Once the flash cleared, Basar was nowhere to be seen.
Then without hesitation, Penemuel made its move.
Its large eye began to glow a blood-red color and immediately, Ana felt a sense of urgency.
"It's attacking!" She yelled out to no one in particular but was there anywhere to run to?
Of course not!
No more was said and a moment later, Penemuel unleashed a blood-red beam toward Eventide, enveloping the entire sky in a crimson red for a brief moment.
As everyone in BoneHaven prepared for death, they all bowed their heads.
However, the death they awaited never came.
Some curious to know why, looked up, and then they saw it.
A gigantic illusory clock had appeared above the city, keeping the beam at bay.
Constantly cracks appeared on the clock but it quickly repaired itself, creating a loop of creation and destruction between the beam and the clock.
Ana gritted her teeth as blood flowed out of her nose. "I won't let you win."
She tried to keep her stance but the harder she tried, the more difficult it was to hold it.
Slowly she dropped to her knees and blood began to come out of her ears but she didn't give up.
The clock was already halfway down, leaving very little room for comfort and what's more, various cracks had appeared on it.
It was only a matter of time before the beam would hit its target.
Closing her eyes, she prepared to accept her fate and adhere to the voice in her head asking her to let go… asking her to release the seal.
But then…
Pa
She quickly opened her eyes again just in time to watch as a black fog with white light flashing within passed by her and engulfed everything in sight, spreading quickly until almost the entire city was covered.
Ana's heart began to beat loudly as hope returned to her.
Turning back, she found a man dressed in a dirty black leather jacket with a curved wide-brim hat and a mask on his face.
She locked eyes with the figure and after a brief exchange slowly turned away.
As a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, Ana closed her eyes and fell unconscious.
It would seem… BoneHaven was in safe hands.