Garen stood at the edge of the mist-covered valley, his heart still racing from his last encounter with Kael. The battle had been a turning point, yet the true weight of what he had learned was sinking in with every passing moment. He was not the same man he once was—not just in power, but in purpose.
As the wind whispered through the broken ruins around him, the mysterious woman who had watched him in silence finally spoke. Her voice was soft but carried an authority that matched her enigmatic presence.
"You're not the first to seek the gods," she said, her eyes meeting his with a knowing intensity. "But your rage won't be enough."
Garen's gaze narrowed. "Who are you?"
The woman stepped into the light, her features illuminated by the faint glow of the Aetherstone. Her silver hair flowed around her like a shimmering cloak, and her eyes glinted with an ancient wisdom. She was tall, her form elegant yet commanding, a presence that made the very air feel thicker around her. Her demigod aura was undeniable.
"I am Lyra, Aetherborn like you," she said. "But unlike you, I've lived through more cycles than I care to count. I understand the gods' game."
Garen's fists clenched. "The gods' game... What do you mean?"
Lyra took a step forward, her expression growing more somber. "The cycle of rebirth—the endless resetting, the deaths, the failures—it all happens because the gods use an artifact known as the Chrono Relic, an item of unimaginable power. It controls time itself. The gods created it to manipulate the flow of history, and with it, they play with your lives like pawns on a board."
Garen's breath caught in his chest. "The Chrono Relic... Time itself? They made us regress?"
Lyra nodded gravely. "Yes. The gods have no true interest in restoring the world. They don't want things to move forward—they want to keep it in stasis, forever resetting the cycle as a means of maintaining control."
Anger bubbled within Garen, hot and fierce. His eyes blazed with a newfound fury. "Then I will destroy the gods. I'll find the Chrono Relic, and I'll destroy it—all of it. I'll make them pay."
Lyra's gaze softened, but there was a caution in her voice. "No. You're not ready. You may have the power of the Aetherstone within you, but even that won't be enough. The gods are ancient, and the Chrono Relic is far beyond anything you've faced. If you go now, you will fail, and the cycle will repeat once again."
Garen's jaw tightened, his frustration mounting. "Then what do you suggest I do?"
Lyra placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch firm yet gentle. "You need to train. You've only just begun to understand your power. The Aetherstone has granted you great strength, yes, but the power you wield is raw, untamed. It is wild. You will need to harness it, control it, and forge a weapon out of it that can challenge the gods themselves."
Her eyes met his again, and for the first time, Garen saw something akin to compassion in her gaze. "I can help you. But only if you are willing to learn. To temper your rage, to control your emotions, to master the magic that lies within you. Only then will you stand a chance against the gods. Only then will you be able to shatter the cycle for good."
Garen's anger had not subsided, but he could feel the wisdom in Lyra's words. As much as he wanted to charge forward, as much as he wanted to defy the gods in the name of revenge, he knew the truth. He had to be patient. He had to learn.
"I'll train," he said, his voice low but determined. "I will not be a pawn any longer. I will shatter the cycle, and nothing will stand in my way."
Lyra nodded, a flicker of approval crossing her face. "Good. You'll need every ounce of your strength—and more. The path ahead will be long, and there will be no easy victories. But together, we will prepare you for what's to come."
The wind howled around them, as if the world itself was waiting for Garen's decision. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Garen felt something beyond rage or desperation. He felt purpose. His journey was no longer about simply surviving the cycle or defeating the gods—it was about mastering his fate, breaking free from the shackles that bound him to this endless torment.
And with Lyra by his side, he would begin the training that would forge him into something far greater than a mere regressor.
Together, they would rise