THE MOMENT BEFORE OBLIVION..
Elias stood at the edge of something irreversible.
The air around him vibrated with raw magic, an unseen storm crackling beneath his skin. The ground beneath his feet trembled, fractured by the sheer force of his presence. His power wove through the fabric of reality itself, bending the world to his will.
And before him—
The last god knelt.
Their form flickered, an ethereal glow dimming with each labored breath. Once untouchable, once worshipped, now reduced to this—knees pressed into the broken ground, silver eyes dull with exhaustion.
Defeated.
One final strike.
That was all it would take.
Elias clenched his fist, and the magic coiled, waiting, begging to be unleashed.
For centuries, the gods had controlled everything—the Arcane Kings, the throne, the cycle of power and destruction. They had bound the world to their will, dictating who would rise and who would fall.
But not anymore.
Elias had broken the cycle.
The throne's magic pulsed in his veins, his body thrumming with divinity. He was beyond mortal now—above them all.
One more step.
One more breath.
And he would end them forever.
So why—
Why couldn't he move?
His body refused.
His heart pounded, hammering against his ribs like a caged beast.
Because behind him—
Varian was still standing.
And he was watching.
VARIAN'S FINAL WARNING..
"Elias."
Varian's voice was steady.
Not afraid.
Not desperate.
Just… calm.
Like he had already made peace with whatever happened next.
"You don't have to do this."
Elias's fingers twitched, his magic flaring hotter.
He didn't look back. He couldn't.
"You saw what they did," he growled, voice thick with fury. "You saw what they took from me."
Varian inhaled slowly, golden eyes dimming with something unreadable. "I know."
The words landed softly, but their weight pressed against Elias's ribs like a blade.
His grip tightened. "Then don't stop me."
Varian didn't move.
His gaze never wavered.
"This isn't justice, Elias," he said, voice almost gentle. "This is revenge."
Elias's breath hitched.
A flicker of something—something unwelcome—stirred in the depths of his mind.
Doubt.
But then his thoughts snapped back—back to her.
Seraphina.
She was gone.
And this was the price.
His hands trembled, but the magic did not falter.
"The gods controlled everything," he whispered.
Varian nodded. "They did."
Elias's voice shook.
"And now… I do."
THE GOD SPEAKS...
The last god stirred.
Despite their ruined state, their presence still filled the space like an echo of something eternal.
Slowly, they lifted their head.
And smiled.
"So, this is your choice?"
Elias's fingers curled into a fist.
The god's silver gaze glowed, fractured yet unwavering.
"You believe you are free, Elias Valen."
Elias froze.
They had spoken his full name.
His true name.
A name only the gods should have known.
His pulse roared in his ears.
"You think you have broken our hold."
A pause.
A smirk.
"But you have only taken our place."
THE FEAR OF WHAT HE IS BECOMING...
The words cut through Elias like a blade.
Because somewhere, deep inside—
He knew it was true.
His power was absolute now.
No one could stand against him.
Not even Varian.
Not even—
His heart stopped.
Not even Seraphina.
If she were here—if she could see him now—
Would she even recognize him?
Would she even want to?
A sharp, breathless laugh tore from his throat.
What had he become?
He had clawed his way to the top, shattered the throne, unraveled the gods' dominion.
And now—
Now he was standing in their place.
The throne had tried to take his soul.
The gods had tried to make him kneel.
And in breaking them—
He had become them.
And the worst part?
It felt easy.
THE CHOICE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING...
Varian took a slow step forward.
"You can still stop," he said. "You can still come back."
Elias couldn't breathe.
The last god was waiting.
If he ended them now—
It would be over.
No more threats. No more war.
But if he did…
Then what would he become?
His hands shook.
His power demanded blood.
But his heart—
His heart wanted something else.
HE LETS GO...
For the first time, Elias released his grip.
The storm inside him wavered.
The power that had burned, raged, consumed—began to fade.
The throne's magic, the fire that had once tried to devour him—it pulled back.
The world settled.
And in that moment—
The last god laughed softly.
"Perhaps," they murmured, "there is hope after all."
And then—
They vanished.
Elias staggered backward, chest heaving, limbs weak.
His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps.
He had done it.
He had chosen.
But had it been the right choice?
VARIAN SPEAKS THE TRUTH...
Varian stepped beside him.
His expression unreadable.
"You let them go."
Elias swallowed hard. "I had to."
Varian studied him, golden eyes flickering in the dim light.
And then he asked the question Elias had been avoiding.
"Then what are you now?"
Elias had no answer
Because he wasn't sure.
The throne was gone.
The gods had retreated.
The cycle was broken.
But Elias was still here.
And whatever he had become…
It was something new.
Something even he didn't understand.
THE WAR IS NOT OVER...
Elias took a slow breath.
The wind stirred around him, carrying the scent of ash and something ancient.
He turned his gaze to the horizon.
A shadow loomed there.
Distant. Waiting.
"Seraphina is still out there."
Varian nodded.
"And the gods won't stay gone forever."
Elias exhaled, shoulders squaring.
The weight of his decision settled in his chest—heavy, unshakable.
The fight was not over.
The cycle was broken, but the world still needed to be rebuilt.
And for the first time—
He wasn't following fate.
For the first time—
He wasn't chained by the gods or the kings who came before him.
For the first time—
He was choosing his own path.
And whatever came next…
He would face it as himself.
Not a puppet.
Not a god.
But as Elias Valen.