Chapter 68: The Edge of Despair
The silence was oppressive, almost. Jason stood at the forefront, the weight of their new mission weighing heavy on his shoulders. The Watcher's cryptic warning about the Void still echoed in his mind. There was no turning back now. The fight for the world's survival had taken a completely different direction. They weren't fighting against the Dark Apostles anymore; they were up against an ancient force, something that existed beyond comprehension.
"Do you think the Watcher was serious?" Lucas asked, the tone of his voice cutting into the silence with all the effectiveness of a keen-edged knife.
Jason did not turn around but continued looking in the general direction of what used to be a battlefield. "The Watcher wasn't one you took lightly," he said. "If they tell us the Void is coming, then we better be prepared.
Behind him, Diane's softer tone made its way. "But what is the Void? Why is it so dangerous?"
Finally, Jason turned, his eyes locking with hers. In them, he saw his own fear mirrored. "The Void is beyond everything we understand. They say it eats up worlds and literally removes them from existence. This isn't an issue of strength or abilities-its much worse.
"Then we need to stop it before it reaches us," Diane said, though her voice had come out firm, in her eyes the fear still lingered.
Jason nodded, but inside his head, doubts crept in. How could they fight something like the Void? They had barely survived their last battle. The Dark Apostles were already formidable enemies, but the picture that the Watcher painted was another thing altogether. It wasn't a war; they were facing the very annihilation of all they knew and loved.
"Jason," Joe's voice came from the back, cutting through his thoughts. "You can't carry all this weight yourself."
Jason looked at him, taken aback by the words. Joe was never one for speeches, and yet, his words held a quiet power. The assassin's silent strength had always been the guiding force, and today, his presence was a reminder that they were a team-no matter how daunting the task, they would face it together.
I know, Jason said in a soft tone, his voice barely above a whisper. But it doesn't change the fact that we need to figure out how to stop the Void, and fast.
Lucas stepped forward, a look of silent resolve on his face. Then let's find out everything about it there is. We have questions, and we need answers-answers that the Watcher didn't provide us with.
Jason turned to him, "Right, we do not have the luxury of time. We must track down every piece of information, every scrap of knowledge about the Void. And prepare for what's coming.
The group started to walk, each in their own thoughts. The world changed. Their mission changed. Yet, they were determined, closer than ever before. The Void might be an incomprehensible force, but Jason knew they couldn't afford to back down. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.
Several days later, they stood in a concealed, ancient library-one of the few remaining places that housed forgotten knowledge. The walls were lined with dusty tomes, and thick with the scent of old parchment, the air was. Such a library's guardian-a scholar who had spent years researching the forgotten history of the world-received them with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.
"I've heard of you," the keeper said as they entered. His eyes flicked over each of them, lingering on Jason for a moment longer. "You're the ones who defeated the Apostles."
"We didn't come here for praise," Jason replied, his voice sharp. "We came for answers."
The keeper's brow furrowed. "Answers? About what?"
"The Void," Diane said, stepping forward. "We need to know everything there is to know about it. Its origins, its powers. everything."
The keeper's expression grew dark as he glanced around as if to make sure no one else could hear them. "The Void is a name many have forgotten. It's a force older than the world itself, beyond the grasp of even the gods."
Jason and his companions exchanged a glance. The words sent a shiver through him. Something ancient, something older than even the gods—how could they fight something like that?
The voice of the keeper was low, as if he were always afraid the Void itself was listening. "It was sealed away long ago, in a time before the first kingdom rose. There were those who fought to contain it, but it was only by sheer force of will and sacrifice that they were able to bind it."
Jason leaned in. "So it can be sealed?
He shook his head slowly. "Not for long. The Void isn't something that can be held forever. Its power is far too great. The best anyone can do is delay its arrival."
Diane frowned. "Delay it? But if we don't stop it."
"We may not have the power to stop it entirely," the keeper interjected, his tone grim, "but we can make sure it doesn't consume everything.
What are we supposed to do, then?" Jason asked with a hint of urgency in his voice.
The keeper hesitated and then nodded them toward a table in the corner of the room. He pulled out an ancient scroll, its edges worn with age. "This is the last known record of those who fought the Void. It details their efforts to seal it away-and what they did to ensure it would not return."
Jason unrolled the scroll, his eyes scanning the contents. It was ancient, in a script and language with which he wasn't very well familiar. Nevertheless, he managed to make out that the war with the Void had been one that was protracted and long; the warriors that had to stand against it lost everything because they used their living bodies to create part of the seal. The Void couldn't be vanquished with straightforward methods. It required more than just strength-it required a different kind of power.
"Sacrifice." Jason muttered, his mind racing. "Is that what it's going to take? More lives?"
The keeper nodded solemnly. "The price of sealing the Void is steep. It always has been.
Jason felt the weight of the keeper's words. The world they knew was fragile, and with every choice they made, they were closer to the brink of its destruction. But if they didn't act, the Void would come. And it would erase everything.
"We'll do whatever it takes," Jason said, his voice firm. "We can't let the Void win."
The keeper regarded him a moment longer, his face unreadable. "You must understand that the path ahead shall not be easy. The Void has its own champions-beings of unimaginable power who serve it. You will face them."
Jason didn't bat an eyelid. "We've faced worse.
"You may have faced powerful enemies," the keeper said, his voice low. "But the Void is something different. It is not just a force—it is a living entity, one that seeks to unmake reality itself."
"We'll find a way to stop it," Diane said, her resolve clear.
The keeper's face softened, his voice grave. "Then you must start your training right now. The Void is closing in, and the time is not at your side anymore."
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Days soon became weeks as Jason and his cohorts fought hard, burying their noses in books in preparation for their fight. Everything that they learned from the ancient library had brought them so much, yet at the same time, left them with more questions than answers. The Void was something nobody could measure because of the immense power it possessed, and each strategy they concocted seemed a drop in the ocean.
Jason tried harder than he had ever done. He couldn't afford to fail, not when everything they loved was at stake.
With the passing days, the feeling of pressure grew in them. The Void was getting closer; they felt its influence in the air, like a press that crushed down on them from every side. They had no option but to fight back.
But as they prepared, Jason couldn't shake the feeling that this was a fight they could never win. The Void was different from all the others. It was a force nobody could control, a power against which no strength could hope to strive.
And yet, they had no choice but to try.
They would fight. They would fight against the darkness, even if it cost them their lives.
For the world, for the future, for everything.
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The End of Chapter 68
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