A POWER THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST..
The battlefield was no longer mortal.
Elias stood at the center, his breath slow, controlled. But the power inside him? It was anything but. It surged like a storm barely contained, raw and absolute, bending reality itself.
He had been powerful before.
But now?
Now, he was something else entirely
The gods had taken Seraphina.
And in doing so—they had made a mistake.
A mistake that could not be undone.
The sky above was fractured, jagged lines of energy splitting through the heavens like shattered glass. The ground beneath his feet pulsed with unstable magic, unable to withstand the sheer force of what he had become.
And the gods?
For the first time in eternity—they hesitated.
VARIAN'S FEAR...
Varian watched in horror.
This wasn't Elias. Not the Elias he knew.
His movements were no longer fluid but jagged, erratic—like a marionette held by unseen strings. His attacks weren't spells anymore. They were laws rewritten mid-air. Commands imposed on reality itself.
The gods, once untouchable, were struggling to react.
Varian's stomach twisted. This was not normal.
This was not possible.
And yet—Elias was doing it.
He was fighting the gods on equal ground.
But at what cost?
Varian knew the answer.
Elias was losing himself.
And if this continued—there would be no coming back.
THE GODS REALIZE THE TRUTH..
The tallest god lifted a hand, attempting to bind Elias in pure divine light.
The sigils formed instantly, golden chains of celestial power wrapping around Elias's form, tightening, binding—
And then shattering.
The chains crumbled like dust, unmade before they could take hold.
The second god stepped back, their silver eyes flickering with something close to… concern.
The third god's voice was steady, but there was a sharpness to it.
"This is wrong."
Elias appeared behind them before they could react. His voice was cold, hollow.
"You should have thought about that before you took her."
And then—
He struck.
THE BREAKING POINT...
The force of Elias's blow shattered the air itself.
The first god staggered, barely managing to stay upright.
The second god let out a sharp exhale, their form flickering as cracks ran through them.
The third god's hand trembled.
This was not supposed to happen.
The Arcane Kings had always been under their control. Always followed the same cycle, the same pattern.
But Elias—Elias was different.
He had broken free.
And now, they were facing something even they could not contain.
The second god finally spoke, their voice barely a whisper.
"This is not the power of a king."
Elias's eyes burned brighter, his entire form radiating with raw, unchained magic.
"No."
His voice was lethal, final.
"This is the power of a man with nothing left to lose."
And with that, he unleashed everything.
THE GODS FALL...
The world tore apart.
Lightning and fire clashed with something far worse—something beyond gods and mortals alike.
Elias moved too fast, too violently. He wasn't just using magic. He was becoming magic.
And then—
The first god fell.
A soundless scream as their form shattered into cascading shards of divine energy, dissolving into the void.
The second god lunged at Elias, desperate, reckless—
And he crushed them with a mere flick of his wrist.
Their body collapsed inward, breaking apart like fragile glass.
The third god stood alone now.
For the first time in eternity—they knew fear.
Elias tilted his head, his burning white gaze locking onto them.
"Are you afraid?"
The god did not answer.
Because they already knew the truth.
This was no longer a battle.
This was a reckoning.
VARIAN MAKES HIS MOVE...
Varian's pulse pounded in his ears.
He had to act. Now.
Before Elias did something irreversible.
Before there was nothing left of him to save.
Varian's hands moved fast, tracing ancient symbols into the air. A sealing spell.
One meant to bind even the strongest of beings.
One forbidden even among Arcane Kings.
Elias raised his hand for the final blow—his power flaring, white-hot—
And adrian spoke his name.
Not as an enemy.
Not as a rival.
But as a friend.
"Elias, stop.
And in that moment—
Everything froze.
THE KING STANDS ALONE...
Elias did not move.
His hand was inches away from wiping out the last god.
His power roared for blood.
But Varian's words held him in place.
Slowly—too slowly—Elias turned.
His white-hot eyes met Varian's golden ones.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then—
Varian took a slow step forward.
"You're going too far."
Elias didn't answer.
Because deep inside—he knew Varian was right.
But he couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not when they had taken Seraphina.
Not when he was this close to ending it all.
Could he really stop now?
Should he?
The last god watched silently.
Waiting.
Elias clenched his fists.
And then—
He made his choice.
THE CHOICE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING...
Elias exhaled sharply. His power surged, resisting restraint.
He could end it now.
He could burn the heavens themselves.
But if he did…
Would he still be Elias?
Or would he become something else?
Something unrecognizable?
Varian watched him carefully.
He saw the flicker of hesitation.
The war inside Elias.
And so—he made one last plea.
"Seraphina wouldn't want this."
Elias froze.
The power in his veins pulsed violently, urging him forward, but—
Seraphina.
Her laughter. Her fire. Her stubbornness.
Her belief in him.
Would she want him to become this?
No.
Elias clenched his jaw. His power raged, desperate to be unleashed—
But slowly, painfully, he let go.
The burning light in his eyes dimmed. The storm around him calmed.
And the last god, trembling, whispered:
"...It is done."
Elias turned away from them.
"You should pray I never see you again."
The god did not answer.
And then—Elias collapsed.
THE AFTERMATH...
Varian barely caught Elias before he hit the ground.
The battle was over.
But the war inside Elias?
It had only just begun.
Seraphina was still gone.
And Elias—
Elias had touched something beyond mortality.
Something he might never come back from.
But for now—
For now, they had survived.
And that, at least, was enough.
For today.