The world blurred around Leonel. His stomach twisted as if he had been hurled through a collapsing tunnel, reality warping and stretching in all directions.
Then—solid ground returned beneath his feet.
He staggered, nearly falling, but Aina caught his wrist, steadying him. The moment he looked up, his breath caught in his throat.
They had escaped the battlefield.
But now, they stood on the edge of an abyss.
A massive black void stretched before them, surrounded by jagged rock formations that jutted out like the teeth of a colossal beast. The sky above was cracked and bleeding color, as if something was trying to force its way through.
Leonel turned to Aina, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. "What the hell was that thing back there?"
Aina's face was grim. "A Sentinel."
Leonel frowned. "That's… not comforting."
"Because it shouldn't be." She let go of his wrist and turned toward the abyss. "The Sentinels aren't like the Invalids. They don't just attack mindlessly. They're guardians of the Fourth Dimension."
Leonel tensed. "Guardians? You mean they protect the apocalypse?"
Aina nodded. "They ensure the collapse continues. Every time reality fights back, they force the Fourth Dimension further in."
Leonel swallowed hard. "And we were about to fight that thing?"
Aina shot him a sharp look. "No. We were about to die to it."
Leonel opened his mouth, then closed it. Fair enough.
Aina scanned the abyss, then gestured toward a narrow stone bridge that stretched across the darkness.
"This is our way out," she said.
Leonel stared at the bridge. "That thing doesn't look stable."
"It's not," she admitted. "But we don't have a choice. That Sentinel will be looking for us, and we need to reach the Core Gate before it finds us."
Leonel's instincts screamed against walking over an endless void of nothingness, but what other choice did he have?
Taking a deep breath, he followed Aina forward.
The bridge was narrow and uneven, every step making it feel like the whole thing could collapse at any moment. Below them, the void seemed alive, shifting and writhing as if something beneath the surface was watching them.
Leonel didn't look down.
Halfway across, Aina suddenly froze.
Leonel stopped behind her, heart pounding. "What is it?"
Aina's hand went to her weapon. "We're not alone."
Leonel felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Then—the shadows moved.
From the darkness, figures emerged.
Leonel's blood ran cold. These weren't Invalids.
They were humanoid, cloaked in black robes that flickered like living mist. Their faces were obscured by smooth, featureless masks, but their golden eyes burned through the void.
Leonel instinctively stepped back. "Who—?"
Aina raised her blade. "Watchers."
The figures did not move.
Then, the one standing in the center spoke.
"You are not meant to be here."
Leonel's breath hitched. The voice was echoing, layered—as if multiple beings were speaking at once.
Aina held her stance, her expression unreadable. "We don't have time for this."
The Watcher tilted its head. "Time does not matter here."
Leonel clenched his fists. "Listen, we just need to cross. We're not here to cause problems."
The Watcher stepped forward. "Your existence is already a problem."
Then—it raised a hand.
A wave of pressure crashed over Leonel like a tidal wave. His knees buckled, his mind reeled, and for a split second—
He saw something.
A vast expanse of endless nothingness. A world where time had no meaning, where dimensions twisted into incomprehensible shapes. And at the center of it all—
A throne of light.
A being beyond comprehension sat upon it, eyes gazing into the fabric of reality itself.
And then—
Leonel was back.
He gasped, staggering forward. "What… was that?"
Aina grabbed his arm, yanking him back before he collapsed. "They're testing us. Don't let them in."
Leonel wiped sweat from his forehead. "A little warning would've been nice."
Aina ignored him, turning back to the Watchers.
"We need to pass," she said firmly. "Move."
The Watcher regarded her in silence. Then, it spoke once more:
"Prove yourself."
Aina's eyes narrowed. "Fine."
Then—she moved.
Aina's blade ignited, glowing with dimensional energy. In an instant, she vanished—
And reappeared behind the first Watcher.
Her sword sliced through empty air—but before it could land, the Watcher twisted unnaturally, dodging at an impossible angle.
Leonel barely had time to react before the other Watchers moved.
They flowed like liquid, their forms shifting in ways that shouldn't have been possible. Aina weaved between them, dodging their strikes with precision, her sword carving glowing arcs through the darkness.
Leonel stood frozen, staring.
This wasn't just fighting.
This was a battle beyond the laws of physics.
Then—
A Watcher appeared behind him.
Leonel had no time to think.
Instinct took over.
Dimensional Shift!
He vanished.
Reappearing a few feet away, Leonel barely kept his balance. His heart hammered in his chest. That was too close.
But he had no time to recover.
The Watchers were relentless.
Aina fought like a storm given form, her blade cutting through shadows, but the Watchers continued to reform.
Leonel knew he had to act.
His power—Dimensional Shift—was still new. But if he could use it creatively…
He focused.
The next time a Watcher lunged at Aina, Leonel shifted.
Reappearing above the creature, he drove his fist downward.
The impact was not strong, but it disrupted the Watcher's form just enough for Aina to slice it clean in half.
The shadow creature screeched, its form unraveling.
Aina grinned. "Not bad."
Leonel exhaled. "Let's just survive this first."
Together, they fought.
And one by one—the Watchers fell.
The last Watcher crumbled into mist, vanishing into the void.
Silence returned.
Leonel gasped for air, his body aching. He could barely stand, but at least they had won.
Aina stepped forward, pressing a hand to her ear. A faint humming sound filled the air.
Then—
The space ahead of them rippled.
A massive gateway of golden light materialized at the edge of the abyss. Symbols etched themselves into existence along its surface, pulsing with an ancient energy.
Leonel stared in awe. "What is that?"
Aina's violet eyes gleamed.
"The Core Gate," she said. "Our way out of here."
Leonel exhaled slowly, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. They had made it.
But as they stepped toward the portal, a low, rumbling sound filled the abyss.
Leonel froze.
Aina's expression darkened.
They both turned—
And saw the Sentinel.
It had found them.