Raphael dreamt of a black pyramid.
Somber and wreathed in darkness, it rose from a sea of flawlessly white sand like a towering mountain. Its slopes were like vast plains, and its sharp peak was like a spear that pierced the heavens. Outlined against the backdrop of the starlit sky, the pyramid was like a black rift in the fabric of the world.
Its edifice was built from millions of colossal stone blocks. Each block was darker than the darkness itself and perfectly aligned, leaving no gaps between them. And each of them… each…
Raphael frowned at the view in front of him.
Each of the stone blocks… was a Seed of Nightmare. There were millions of them, some already in bloom, some still waiting for their turn to blossom. At the base of the pyramid, the Nightmares were shallow and weak. Higher, they were harrowing and unfathomable. And higher still…
The slope of the colossal pyramid was broken and covered in cracks, with many blocks either shattered into dismal dust or missing. Four vast scars were tainting its immaculate surface, as if some unholy beast had torn through the eternal stone with titanic claws.
Above the scars was a narrow capstone.
But Raphael … even though Nether had awakened inside of him, he was not someone who could gaze upon it.
The moment he did, his soul convulsed in agony, and his consciousness shattered.
The time reversed its flow, but then stuttered and froze.
The time warped and screamed.
The silhouette of the black pyramid exploded into a myriad of lightless shards.
And then, Raphael was no more.
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Raphael opened his eyes in a dark room, the only light seeping in through the doorframe.
He rose from the bed and walked toward the door, pushing it open.
Above, seven suns radiated light across the sky. Beneath him stretched an endless ocean, with no land in sight.
Ahead, a massive tree loomed over the horizon.
Raphael smiled. He had been summoned to Chain Breaker.
He wasn't surprised — his [Seer] ability had already revealed this moment to him.
Walking toward the tree, Raphael sat beneath its branches, letting the sacred leaves shield him from the relentless suns.
Closing his eyes, he let the wind blow through his hair. Peace settled over him.
Raphael opened his eyes and activated his [Hades] ability.
Nothing happened.
He felt it immediately — his connection to the Underworld had been severed.
Whether this was because he was trapped in a Nightmare or the Tomb of Ariel itself, he couldn't tell.
Suddenly, weakness overcame him. Nether had finished devouring the divinity and slipped back into slumber.
But even as Nether slept, it grew stronger, slowly tightening its grip on Raphael's body.
Raphael exhaled and walked toward the runic circle, staring at its ancient symbols.
"It's going to take me a while to make this work."
The reason he had been studying sorcery was to repair the runic circle. In the first loop, there was no Mad Prince to guide Ananke to Sunny and Nephis. Without intervention, the two would die — either in the storm or by something far worse.
He didn't know how much time he had to fix the circle. But he would try, betting on fate to carry him to them in time.
First, however, he needed to repair the ship.
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Repairing the ship wasn't difficult. Even without summoning the Darkness, his blood served as a powerful material.
Raphael sat beneath the hull, gazing at the seven suns overhead.
He glanced at the runic circle and whispered:
"I really screwed up…"
A week had passed, and there was no progress.
"I was never the smart one in the family…"
He chuckled, recalling old memories.
Rising to his feet, Raphael returned to the runic circle, sitting cross-legged at its center.
Taking a deep breath, he examined the runes for the hundredth time.
Even if there was no progress, he had to keep trying.
Failure was not an option.
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Two and a half months passed.
At the heart of Chain Breaker, Raphael sat within the runic circle, pouring his soul essence into the ancient symbols.
Suddenly, the ship trembled and began to shake.
Raphael grinned as the battleship lifted from the ocean's surface, floating steadily into the air.
He guided the ship forward, steering it toward the future.
Even as the Chain Breaker soared, Raphael knew it wouldn't last long.
The runic circle wasn't fully repaired, and several key runes were still missing.
But he didn't care. As long as the ship could fly and get him to his destination, nothing else mattered.
Chain Breaker sped across the sky, driven by Raphael's essence.
Days passed. Between flights, he paused to repair the circle or regenerate his essence.
Miraculously, the runes held longer than expected, surprising even Raphael.
After several hours, a shadow moved in the distance.
A black serpent swam through the ocean below.
Raphael descended the Chain Breaker toward the serpent.
Sunny, in his serpent form, looked up as the ship's silhouette cast a shadow over the water.
Sensing the approach, he coiled protectively around Nephis.
The ship halted mid-air before gently touching the water's surface.
Raphael stepped to the edge of the deck, staring down at the black serpent.
"You two lovebirds — coming aboard or not?"
Sunny relaxed, sighing in relief. For a moment, he thought the butterfly had returned.
Lifting his massive form, Sunny tossed Nephis onto the deck before dismissing his shadow shell and climbing aboard.
He examined the ship for a long moment before asking:
"Where did you find this?"
Raphael crossed his arms.
"Hmm… I was summoned here. Why? Do you recognize it?"
"… You could say that."
Raphael didn't press further.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're both alive."
Nephis stepped forward, silently observing him.
It had been a long time since they last met — and their previous encounter had not ended well.
"How did you know we were here?" Nephis asked.
"I saw the future."
Sunny frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Raphael sighed.
"My Awakened Ability. I can see the destiny of whatever I choose."
Nephis narrowed her eyes.
"So you're like Cassie."
"No. Cassie sees fate through visions. I can observe destiny at will."
Sunny scratched his head.
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"No. Destiny shows every possible outcome. Fate is a singular path bound to happen. Fate can change if someone alters destiny, but they are not the same."
Raphael knelt beside the broken runic circle, sighing.
The Chain Breaker could no longer fly.
"Look… I know you both have questions. I'll answer them later. Sunny, can you summon Saint to help me sail?"
"Why not just fly it?"
Raphael shook his head.
"The runes are broken. It can't fly anymore."
Sunny nodded, summoning Saint.
As the ship began to move, Raphael watched them head below deck to rest.
The Chain Breaker sailed forward.
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I wasn't happy with how this chapter turned out, but I'm too tired to rewrite it, so bear with me.
Anyway see you tomorrow👋